Internal Dust Shield/Sleeve on Atari Commons

[slobu 66]

I'm trying to use up the commons I've already salvaged before making more 3D printed carts.  The trouble is, sometimes I goof and lose the springs that hold up that internal dust sleeve.

Is that dust sleeve actually important?  Structure wise?  Aesthetics wise?

Edited May 22, 2019 by slobu

[Atari 5200 Guy 4,180]

Well, if you are referring to the 2600 carts, the dust sleeve does double duty.  There are pegs on that sleeve that open the slot on the console.  Without those the game will not go in to the cartridge slot.  The sleeve protects the cartridge board from dust as well.

If you are 3D printing the standard 2600 cartridge shell I would reprint the ones the 7800 used.  The pegs are there but the board is also protected from dust.  Those don't have sleeves.

[slobu 66]

My 7800 didn't seem to care about the dust shield.  BUT, like you said.. the normal 2600 needs it.  So, no salvaged carts for me as I'm too clumsy to put the mechanism back in place.. sigh.  Thank you for the advice, though :)

[Scott Stilphen 520]

There's 2 pieces to the dust shield plus the spring.  It's not really that complicated.  Besides, you don't really have to take it apart to remove or replace the board.  I have several hundred Atari shells for sale at $1 each:

http://www.ataricompendium.com/game_library/classifieds/cases/vcs_cases.html

[slobu 66]

On 5/25/2019 at 9:28 PM, Scott Stilphen said:

There's 2 pieces to the dust shield plus the spring.  It's not really that complicated.  Besides, you don't really have to take it apart to remove or replace the board.  I have several hundred Atari shells for sale at $1 each:

http://www.ataricompendium.com/game_library/classifieds/cases/vcs_cases.html

Someone on the other forums recommended you for cart shells.  Definitely nice to know of more sources!

I'm getting positive responses from my games in 3D printed shells - especially the glow-in-the-dark ones.  I may stick with that for the time being.