(Topic ID: 81140)
Linked Games
Royal Guard
Gottlieb, 1968
Topic Gallery
Beaumont, TX
yea, seriously old grease, with a lot of dirt mixed in for good measure... 
i'm relatively amazed that it works, that stuff is like glue...
Quoted from tamoore:Rule number 1 of EM's. If it works, don't fix it.
now where is the fun in that? 
rule number 1 for me should be: don't get distracted by stuff like this on other machines when the project machine is still in a zillion pieces... 
Quoted from tamoore:Rule number 1 of EM's. If it works, don't fix it.
Yes.
Someone once posted on here that "The enemy of good is better."
We like to live by that when we can.
Pensnett, Brierley Hill, Uk
I can't see any wear on the rivets, it's just a build up of crap. That will clean up great. When there are tram lines in the rivets, you need new rivets, when the Bakelite between them is dug out, you need new Bakelite. Don't worry about nothing, get it cleaned up and shining.
Quoted from ccotenj:yea, seriously old grease, with a lot of dirt mixed in for good measure... i'm relatively amazed that it works, that stuff is like glue...
You just don't want to get your hands dirty............ LOL.
Quoted from nick-the-greek:I can't see any wear on the rivets, it's just a build up of crap. That will clean up great. When there are tram lines in the rivets, you need new rivets, when the Bakelite between them is dug out, you need new Bakelite. Don't worry about nothing, get it cleaned up and shining.
yea, it shouldn't be too bad... there's a pretty good groove all the way around, but i doubt it will be an issue...
Quoted from JKnPA:You just don't want to get your hands dirty............ LOL.
well... there IS that.... 
plus... once i start on that, it means i have to clean the other side, polish all the pieces, etc. ocd has a way of taking over and turning a 30 minute job into 6 hour one...
Quoted from tamoore:Rule number 1 of EM's. If it works, don't fix it.
LOL, but many would disagree.
Always clean the rivet discs and steppers if the game has not been given any attention in years.
Failure to clean those rivets will most likely become a problem in the near future. I'm really surprised your game is working properly.
Quoted from ccotenj:yea, it shouldn't be too bad... there's a pretty good groove all the way around, but i doubt it will be an issue...
well... there IS that....
plus... once i start on that, it means i have to clean the other side, polish all the pieces, etc. ocd has a way of taking over and turning a 30 minute job into 6 hour one...
Have you finished your other project (Magic City) before you start tearing this one apart? 
Just shows you how tough these old birds are.
For me that's a job for some break clean. Will cut right thru things.
But a buck says you break a few of those brittle interconnecting wires between the springs.
If you want some help let me know.
Solder is my thing.
Quoted from dasvis:If one stepper is gummed up, then they ALL are (in most cases). No big deal to take them apart & clean up.
While your at it Chris, you might want to check those Score Wheels too, and everything else in the Head.
Quoted from way2wyrd:Do it. You know you want to.
You heard Jeff, time for fun!
Ken 
Quoted from stashyboy:Have you finished your other project (Magic City) before you start tearing this one apart?
of course not... i need mother nature to cooperate a bit though (as i look out the window at 4 MORE inches of snow)... i gotta get the cabinet outside so i can sand the inside of it... not that there aren't other things that could be done on it, but that's my excuse...
Quoted from Garrett:LOL, but many would disagree.
Always clean the rivet discs and steppers if the game has not been given any attention in years.
Failure to clean those rivets will most likely become a problem in the near future. I'm really surprised your game is working properly.
yea, i'm surprised as well... i've had ones that don't look nearly as bad "not work"...
Quoted from fflint_18:Just shows you how tough these old birds are.
For me that's a job for some break clean. Will cut right thru things.
But a buck says you break a few of those brittle interconnecting wires between the springs.
If you want some help let me know.
Solder is my thing.
amazingly tough...
not taking that bet, as i've broken them on virtually every other one i've taken apart... 
i may take you up on that, as the magic city is at the point mechanically where it basically only needs a few hours of soldering, and as you know, i'm not the most highly skilled solderer in the world... what will take me all day will probably take you 45 minutes...
Quoted from dasvis:If one stepper is gummed up, then they ALL are (in most cases). No big deal to take them apart & clean up.
yes, they all could use some love... not surprising, as just about everything on this machine was gummed up pretty good... for example, the snap targets barely moved they were so crudded...
Quoted from SteveFury:Must be a lodda games on that one ccotenj.
yea, that wheel has spun a LOT of times... a bit north of 23,000 on the play meter, and looking at the playfield, you'd think that was possible... but when you look at the mechanicals, it's safe to say that the meter has turned over and it is really 123,000...
Quoted from way2wyrd:Do it. You know you want to.
yes, i do... i actually like doing stuff like this, a few hours of work and you get a good feeling of accomplishment when you are done... plus you can play the game when you are done, it's not like a total teardown where you just move on to the next piece and don't get any instant gratification...
Quoted from EM-PINMAN:While your at it Chris, you might want to check those Score Wheels too, and everything else in the Head.
Ken
what makes you think i didn't do that once i saw that 0-9 mech? needless to say, the wheels/everything else could use some love too... but as noted above, doing that stuff isn't bad... do one piece at a time, play game in between... before you know it, everything is all clean and in tip-top shape...
I love stepper units! Be careful when you take those disc parts....I had one where those little springs fell on my garage floor! That took about an hour just to find those!
How do you guys clean yours? I normally use alcohol and 600 wet sandpaper. Cleans those connectors right up.
Quoted from jodini:I love stepper units! Be careful when you take those disc parts....I had one where those little springs fell on my garage floor! That took about an hour just to find those!
How do you guys clean yours? I normally use alcohol and 600 wet sandpaper. Cleans those connectors right up.
yes, the "law of little parts" definitely holds true there... why do they always end up in the worst possible place?
as far as cleaning... i degrease them with mean green, then sand with alcohol and 600 wet... then clean up the mess from the sanding with alcohol... add a dab or two of superlube, and it is good to go...
Since the rivets are brass, I use Brasso with great results. I rarely have to use anything mechanical like sandpaper. 
Quoted from jodini:I love stepper units! Be careful when you take those disc parts....I had one where those little springs fell on my garage floor! That took about an hour just to find those!
How do you guys clean yours? I normally use alcohol and 600 wet sandpaper. Cleans those connectors right up.
Quoted from stashyboy:Since the rivets are brass, I use Brasso with great results. I rarely have to use anything mechanical like sandpaper.
dang, i never thought of that...
Quoted from stashyboy:I use Brasso with great results.
Ditto. works great, I use that and some green scotch brite pad and make it shine
--Jeff
i think i have a can of brasso hanging around somewhere... sounds like a "neater" method that the alcohol/sandpaper... that always makes a mess...
Quoted from jodini:How do you guys clean yours? I normally use alcohol and 600 wet sandpaper.
I use Mean Green if Super Dirty, followed by at least 91% alcohol (Just found 99% at a Fred Meyer Store which surprised me) with a Scotchbrite Pad, and clean up with a alcohol soaked paper towel.
Ken
Quoted from Pinfidel:Look at the old loom covered wires. Love that!
are there any other kind? 
Quoted from ccotenj:are there any other kind?
Yeah, the plastic/vinyl coated ones of today.
I love those old material covered wires. So Cool.
Quoted from Pinfidel:Yeah, the plastic/vinyl coated ones of today.
I love those old material covered wires. So Cool.
Better yet, the hand stitching instead of tie wraps!
Quoted from AlexF:Ooh shiney! Nice, I guess I need some Brasso too.
so easy its stupid alex... no mess at all... just a dab on a rag and a short scrub... turn rag, polish, done...
yet another useful thing that stashyboy has taught me...
he-he, probably had it on his finger when he was slathering it on, then figured a good place to get rid of it! 
(thanks for the props man!)
Quoted from ccotenj:i guess the guy who worked on this machine before decided that the coil bracket would be a good place to store a little spare grease...
image-790.jpg 117 KB
Quoted from stashyboy:he-he, probably had it on his finger when he was slathering it on, then figured a good place to get rid of it!
(thanks for the props man!)
judging from some of the wiring hacks on this machine, i'll consider myself lucky he didn't have his finger somewhere else at the time... 
you are welcome...
Quoted from ccotenj:i'll consider myself lucky he didn't have his finger somewhere else at the time...
Down south!
Leduc, AB
Quoted from Darcy:I was looking at the before and after, what a big difference. Now, why did the bakalite disc change colour? Is this just a difference in the lighting of the shot?
just a difference in lighting darcy... the first pic is from when i was disassembling the mech so it was still shadowed by the head... the second pic is after the the disk and the coil were released from the mech (and the rest of the mech removed from the machine), so it's sticking out in the light more...
plus it is a bit cleaner, which gives the impression that it is lighter in color...
Quoted from jodini:Brasso it is! Very nice!
thanks...
yup, brasso method is definitely a winner... it's easier and cleaner... and thinking about it, much better for the rivets, since you aren't sanding part of them away like with the iso/sandpaper method...
note that it also will remove the black sharpie from the bakelite, so keep an eye on your alignment lines and fill them back in as they fade...
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