Put me down!

Are people paying for Atlantis now? I sent Wade a message mid December asking if he wanted some $$, but all he said was that Gold Strikes was done, and Knock Out was about to start...

I got hold of Wade yesterday, he's obviously been very busy, and admitted he'd had a lot of interest in Atlantis recently. I'll paste a generic note he's sending out below - there's nothing we don't already know. He did confirm that payment at this stage wasn't required - I was more than happy to put $$ in his hand but he said there's "no need to worry about money yet".

===
thanks for writing about Atlantis, I have added your name to the
list. I will send out a notice in a few months after I finish up Knock Out.
At that time, I will ask for voluntary deposits which will secure
your playfield. The amount is up to you but most people send half and some just pay
in full. The price will be 700 shipped.
The boards will not be available until late spring so there is no hurry to send
any money yet.
thanks,
Wade
===

Mine has same. Suggestions for removal? A little alcohol and elbow grease seems to move it but I'm not sure if it's safe to go all out using this...?

Thanks!

When did he say this? I asked him multiple times and he said not to worry about money yet. I've never bought from him before so am thoroughly confused now...

Thanks - I got the same from him.

Awesome news - thanks!

Got a message from Wade today - he's working on Atlantis right now gluing inserts. Yay!

Couple of updates Wade has posted recently...

5/19 update. all the inserts are glued in and all the backside drilling is completed.

5/29 update. inserts are all leveled and I will begin sealing the boards and prepping them for printing. I expect to start printing in 7-10 days.

atlantis-progress_(resized).jpg

He needs to do the clear and then a few last drill holes. Really hoping mine will be in northern CA last week of July when I'm there. Wade seems confident of that.

I asked Wade about this recently and he doesn't recommend clearing over the top of what he does. This is what he said:

===
I screen on 3 layers of clear lacquer for protection. I don't recommend spraying on clear because it will clog up the star inserts. My clear is pretty thin compared to spray on, much more like an original finish.
===

Having recently had an EM PF clear-coated I won't ever do that again...

There's no suggestion on damage although his comment on the star inserts is totally true. I sent a PF off to be cleared and it came back with the inserts almost completely full. I still haven't fixed it completely.

Totally agree on the number of games.

Anyway, back to dreaming about my new Atlantis PF and the fun doing a swap over!

Got mine. It's beautiful!

I started mine last weekend.

Hit a snag with mine. Sample machine, so has different flipper mechs (uses the thicker shaft ones like Surf Champ etc). Holes on new PF too small. Drill out new PF or try to source and retro fit, including changing wiring layout to match production config? Wade has suggested maybe trying to fit thinner diameter flippers to the existing mech. Anyone done that?

Also is anyone putting mylar protectors under the pops? Wondering whether wax alone will be enough..

Cheers,

PF-repro (resized).jpg

Thanks guys. I keep flip-flopping between just drilling it (it's just a piece of timber I keep telling myself) and keeping it as it left the factory in terms of mechs. Parts are a pain as I'm in Australia - there's nothing available locally from my asking around so far, so I might have to resort to importing. Unfortunately I really wanted this one up and running for my wifes 40th in a couple of weeks. Unlikely now unless I just bite the bullet and drill... :/

It's really put a damper on my enthusiasm.. :/

Not much - only ~5mm or so. I've only got a small drill press, so the PF won't fit under it. Will have to go for it with the hand drill and make a jig to keep the drill centred. Woodworking not exactly my forte, so any other bright ideas gratefully accepted!

Thanks re painters tape - good tip! Also something (a block of timber) on the back to stop splintering when the drill exits seems like a good idea. When I said hand drill I actually meant electric, although I do have a very old hand drill that my grandfather had... must be 50 years old now at least.

Jeez... was your comment earlier about burning paint some sort of premonition..? That sucks man.

My problem with the flipper holes worked out well. I eventually went with a small step drill as I initially thought that if I started the hole it might help the final drill, but then the step drill seemed to work so well I used it all the way - it stayed perfectly centred without a jig and did a great job of not tearing the entrance or exit. Not exactly traditional, but the results were great. I'm almost done now, just a few remaining bits on the topside to install and I'll be ready for game #1.

Game #1 now behind me! The only issue I had when I turned it on was that after starting a game it was constantly adding 500 points. Easy fix, find the 500 point switch that was closed right? Nope, they're all fine. Noticed if the PF was up it was fine, but when I lifted the PF to lower it the slight twist of the PF would score 500 pts. Eventually tracked it down to the one of the outlane switches was shorting on the rollover frame. Slight re-adjustment and everything worked perfectly. Even better than before actually as I fixed a couple of other scoring issues the game had. Happy days!

Has anyone else finished their swap?

Me too, it was the right choice. I'm really done now. I rebuilt the chime box last night as it was completely screwed. Machine now plays and sounds like a brand-new one! So happy. I've pinged Wade and thanked him for his efforts (and tried to twist his arm on Strange World again). Can't believe the email thread I've got with him goes back over a year now... how time flies!