I think it would be shame to part out. It is a super cool game and if closer I'd definitely make an offer. I am a bit disappointed to see neither the plastics nor back glass have been reproduced. Even still, it is a worthy candidate for restoration. The glass and plastics could be made with some creativity and the rest looks fairly simple. At only 816 made, parting it for wall art would be bordering on criminal.

"Minors not premitted to play this game" That is so cool! Cool playfield as well. I hope you keep it going sir. Good luck! (I have no experience fixing up machines. I am new to this hobby, but I am *almost* always for preserving the games.

Please do not part it out. Hopefully someone within driving distance will want it. I think that game is one of the more desirable woodrails out there. Good luck!

I have one of these. I've been slowly getting it back to playable condition over the last year. I've been too lazy to start a restoration thread, but this might motivate me to finally do it. Your playfield is in better shape than mine, my backglass is nicer but my plastics are also destroyed. I'll post some pics in a few days.

Steve Fury project perhaps?

DON'T PART IT OUT!! One of the truly great early woodrails, not just from an art and historical standpoint, but a excellent playing game as well. Mine has a decent backglass, and I was lucky to get what I believe is the last set of repro plastics that were done in a very small batch, but yours looks to actually have a better playfield than mine.

Definitely worth making the effort to bring it back to life, or if it's too big a project for you, pass it on to someone willing to take it on, it is a major endeavor to be sure.

That game is a piece of history. Please keep it as intact as possible. If you bring it to the next show, someone will surely buy it. Wish i was closer and had less projects. I have a '50 "Joker" that needs love.

< nodding head yes >

not sure how far steve is away from it, but that looks to be right up his alley....

IIRC, Steve is in Atlanta. If the game is going to the Atlanta Expo, then.... viola!

Is that the same as the Southern Fried Gameroon Expo in Atlanta?

Glad it found a home..........

I bought this project game from Shimoda in June/July 2014. Last night, this phoenix arose from the ashes. I'm pleased to post that it's a living and breathing woodrail again. She's humming, ringing and singing and living a far better life than languishing in a hot attic.

I'm still improving the cosmetic condition of the playfield (e.g. kick-out hole bases and new plastics not yet installed). Also, I'm in the process of touching up the cabinet. Actually, I'm awaiting the arrival of a new repro plastic set, which also includes the turret shooter plastic. The repro backglass is a Gary Conway translite, wedged between 2 sheets of tempered glass.

When the restoration is complete, I plan to post more photos. Meanwhile, my family is enjoying this unusual game with extraordinary Roy Parker art.
20141113_211226.jpg
20141113_185416.jpg

Such a beautiful game! Nice save.

Tremendous job!

Looks great!

Yep

Way to go ZNET!

Now that's a before and after shot! Looks so nice with clean white rubbers compared to those sad attic jobs that it had before.

Sweet! Sweet! Sweet! Did I say Schweet?

Wow - that is a nice job. Way to go.

Just wondering - how do you score the 8-ball?

No game deserves to be destroyed. I don't care how rough and unobtainable parts are. No game deserves to be a pile of parts.

This one looks like an excellent restore project!

just awesome

--Jeff

The contact at the top center of the playfield (marked "special") scores the 8 ball and a replay. Landing in a kick-out hole "pocket," when lit, scores multiple replays. The kick-out holes illuminate in random couplets by striking all of the targets.

Thanks to fellow pinsiders for the comments on this ongoing restoration effort. Also, thanks to shimoda for his patience in awaiting my shipper, who rescheduled the pick-up a couple of times. Here's another photo of this nifty game:
20141113_185558.jpg

_{Post edited by ZNET: Editing because accidentally inserted the photo twice.}

Looks great!!!

Congrats ZNET on taking on the project and bringing it along in such a positive, stunning fashion. That machine has found a fine home at long last

Well, I have resurrected this old thread to post updated photos of this Bank-A-Ball restoration project. While the game is more complete than when I last posted 3 years ago and, like a phoenix, it has risen from the proverbial ashes of its original state, it requires some cabinet touch-ups. Most importantly, it's functioning at 100% and the gameplay is unlike virtually any other woodrail. In 2016, fellow pinsider, Oldcarz, posted a very nice video of his beautiful Bank-A-Ball, with the help of Pinrescue, as follows:

Last year, a reporter included my game room in a news article. He was enthralled with Bank-A-Ball and featured the backglass in the article, as depicted below. In my opinion, 1950 Gottlieb Bank-A-Ball successfully replicates the feel of billiards gameplay in a way that other billiards/pool themed games do not. It is quite a unique and unpredictable game in my line-up and I'm glad that I undertook this somewhat daunting project.

20171115_195402 (resized).jpg

20160522_235140 (resized).jpg

20170326_194931 (resized).jpg

20170326_195006 (resized).jpg

20170326_195032 (resized).jpg

20170326_195058 (resized).jpg

20170326_194803 (resized).jpg

20170326_203656 (resized).jpg

20170326_203616 (resized).jpg

20150401_193910 (resized).jpg

One of the most beautiful pins ever turned out by Gottlieb.
Damn, has anyone ever told you that you resemble Hugh Hefner?

Bruce, thanks for the call out and acknowledgement of the video of (our) games. Your resto looks great and I can state that it looks like a different machine from when I had seen it person a few years back.

Great job and best of luck with it!
Joel