The Odd Tinkering YouTube channel doesn't have many surprises, other than disbelief at how good the consoles, controllers, and keyboards they restore look after the job is done. What starts out as a broken and dirty Game Boy Color in this video turns into a clean, crisp laptop worthy of a 1998 Christmas gift.
The creator, apparently based in Finland, keeps their name off their channel, but that doesn't mean they're totally mysterious to fans. Subscribers often send their water-damaged, Cheeto-finger-stained, and cracked gaming devices in for repair, and the process is satisfying and nostalgic. (By the way, that makes this channel a great watch to get high.) It seems that the person restoring the items is also a real gamer – some of the projects are deep, like Pokémon Mini.
The depth of knowledge about preserving and restoring sometimes sensitive materials, such as chip processing and porous plastic, is a big part of the fun of Odd Tinkering videos. That, and the interesting English subtitles that occasionally let you learn something about how keyboards or consoles are made, or how to modernize an old piece of technology that you wish you could still use.
There's also something endearing about going to great lengths just to preserve a shoddy 2005 office keyboard. Those things we use every day. do affair. It is also clear that there is a real passion for restoration; Many videos on the channel show antique restorations like this rusty razor. After all, it is about retouching and the raritynot the items themselves.