I'm going to pick up a vintage 60's chrome toaster that doesn't work as a toaster anymore. I'm planning on housing something inside of it, probably something that I already have. I proposed the idea of putting my miniature SNES inside of it to a friend of mine. He said that it isn't a good idea because it's rare (well, maybe at least in my country) and I should trade the miniature SNES for one or two full-sized ones and jam one of those inside.

I also have an NES. He didn't have any objections to that, and he told me that he wants my outer shell because his is yellow.

I really can't decide between my NES and my SNES. Both are in relatively good working condition, though they both sometimes won't load games if I jam them in too far. I have all of the right equipment to saw off parts of the circuit boards, drill holes, solder, or anything else. I think using the SNES would be more challenging because I'd probably have to relocate the cartridge slot because of its vertical orientation, but I can do that no problem. However, it is a lot of extra work.

Making a game system out of a toaster would really free up space on my desk, and it would look really retro. I was thinking cutting up the outer shell of my NES and using that as a guide for the cartridge slot, but I could also use the guide that's built into the NES, trim the edges off of it, and epoxy or gorilla glue it together. I was also thinking of using some spare cassette tapes as a guide instead.

EDIT:
I just got my toaster and gutted it out. You wouldn't believe how crummy it was inside! I still need to deal with the massive amount of surface rust on the inside. The NES will be an easy fit; no need to trim it down. I'm going to position it horizontally inside the case and reposition the cartridge slot. I have space to jam in a SNES as well, but the slots aren't long enough to fit North American SNES carts. Enjoy some thumbnails. Click on them to see a larger image.




I laughed when I read what it said on the very bottom: "PULL OUT WALL PLUG BEFORE OPENING THIS COVER"
I pulled it out, just not in a way you'd expect. I think "ripping it out" is a more vivid description of what I did.

A radio.
Hands down the coolest toaster mod

I'll add in a radio as well! Hm... Digital or analog tuning... I could build my own radio. I could have it mix the radio in with the (S)NES sound. I wonder if it would cause interference, though.

Hm... my hands are sore from gutting it out. Anyway, it turns out that there is less space inside the toaster than I had anticipated... I'll have to cut the NES's pcb down a bit and put it in at a diagonal. I might also hard wire in a Game Genie instead of a cart slot; that way, the cart connector pins won't be damaged or bent by a Game Genie.

Refurbish the shell and put the guts of a modern toaster inside. (I just like seeing new stuff in old cases, like the people who drop LS9s into C3 'vettes.)

Is that whole upper case actually chromed? If it is, some Coca-Cola and crumpled aluminum foil should get rid of the surface rust. It shouldn't leave scratches all over the piece because the nickel coating is stronger than the aluminum, but keep a bucket of water nearby to periodically dunk your foil into to keep the rust buildup in check. If you're never going to use it to prepare food again, hit the inside and outside with some chrome polish to help seal up the pinholes the rust came from.

Well, I don't have any new toasters to spare, and the old toaster has a weird toast orientation. I've recently re-assembled the internal frame so I have something to mount stuff on. I might look around at yard sales and on Craigslist.

What about using fine steel wool? Can I use diet coke or PC cola? Anyway, this toaster isn't able to prepare food anymore, and probably never will; I used pliers and brute force to remove the heating elements. I don't think the inside of the casing is chromed; just the entire outside. Can I use Brasso or silver polish on the inside in that case?

Also, I just cut down my NES board and replaced the RF modulator with something smaller. Now it fits nicely when installed horizontally.

What do you think about hardwiring a Game Genie to the cartridge slot on the NES board? That way, I can use a Game Genie and I won't have to deal with the NES's original pin connector. I'll have to make the cables from the Game Genie to the NES board long enough so that it can twist so that I can line it up with the toast slot on the Toaster.

I should take more pictures...

I'm thinking of adding in a digital radio or something. D'ya think it'd cause 'ny interference?

What about a guide for the cartridges? I considered cutting down opaque plastic plates, storage bins, or something. Maybe I could use the shell of my NES's original casing, but I was going to use that for something else.

Status report:

I found some aluminum foil (only a tiny scrap) and a couple of cans of coke. They've been working wonders on the small bits of rust on the exterior. I've used them on the interior, but it'll take lots of time and more aluminum foil at this rate. The rust is still there on the inside, but it's now a lot smoother.

Also, I have a blister on my left thumb from touching a hot transistor after soldering it (bad idea) and it's on the verge of bursting, so I think I'll take it easy on the rust removal for a few days.

Update:

I completely forgot about the metal scrubbing pad I have that probably has as much rust as the toaster. It's removing rust surprisingly well, but the only problem is that I'm running low on elbow grease.

Update 2:

I think it's almost safe to say that I've slain the mighty rust. I just have to work on the corners a bit. Standing over a sink and scrubbing a toaster for three hours has taken its toll on my feet and hands.

Okay, my board isn't working and I don't think it's the voltage regulator. I think I may have killed it with static. I have to find a new board...

I've made some progress with other things:















I just need to trim the edges a bit and cut out the holes for the power and reset switches and the controller ports. I also might have to cut down the potentiometers so they don't stick out as much. I might make a housing for the cartridge slot out of metal as well. Either that, plastic, or wood.