Quoted from Shapeshifter:I would just lightly clean the back.
If you accidentally remove that red writing you can never get it original again.
Enemy of good.....
Agreed. I was thinking of wirewheeling the back then Minwaxing it to protect it like SteveFury does but I am not sure if the Minwax will be ok against the wood under the ball shooter cover.
Bruce
My bad experience is not related to warping, I've dropped a playfield on my head. Only once! Learned my lesson.
Funny enough, I'd never really trusted them, and the one night I give it a shot, bam!
Felt pretty smart...
Quoted from MurphyPeoples:Just use some Novus 2 and those old marbled posts will shine.
Wow! Those are some beautiful marbled posts. 
Bruce
Quoted from bingopodcast:I've dropped a playfield on my head. Only once!
That would be nasty. Especially with the weight and all the electromechanicals coming down on your head. Were you ok?
Bruce
Quoted from PhilGreg:Since you're not going for a full out restore, and trying to keep this machine original, I think the whitey-white rubbers kinda stick out. Would be interesting if there were some "vintaging" process, such as exposing them to smoke or whatnot, to help them blend in a little better.
You're correct. This machine is in pretty nice original condition and I'd like to keep it that way. I'll think of some way to do what you're suggesting with "vintaging" the rubbers and post the ideas here. I'm also listening if anyone else here has any ideas to throw in.
Quoted from PhilGreg:Constructive comment here, I'm digging your thread and whatever you do it's all good.
I'm glad you're enjoying this thread. The only other "Utah" pinball machine I know of is fully restored in the Paris pinball museum and the video of it didn't really show the gameplay because the owner just plunged all 5 balls into the game. 
I'm trying to provide documentation and good close up photos of this machine for everyone here to benefit from.
I plan to make another video of this game in action for you all to enjoy when it's finished. 
Bruce
It was scary for a minute or two, I won't lie. Minor head wound, but I was fine (once I pulled the bulb glass out of my scalp and calmed down). Playfield was fine as well, so no issues , except a healthy fear of the prop bar.
Quoted from P2K:The first time I replaced side rubber I did this:
http://www.seriousviewers.com/jjpnball/dbump.htm
Quoted from P2K:The picture frame pliers (brad setter) make it much easier to nail.
These are great suggestions. I'm thinking a hole drilled in two pieces of wood with a razor blade mounted between them would make it easier to pull and slit the rubber in half sideways.
The picture frame pliers I should know about because I was a professional picture framer for 10 years but it's a great idea. I'll have to try it too.
Bruce
Quoted from SteveinTexas:The rebound rubber was used on williams baseball games from the same period late 50's through early 60's. It was green not white. recently Scott (G43crazy) had some made but he could only ger black. See his thread linked https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/baseball-pitch-and-bat-d-shaped-playfield-rubber#post-2684153
That's the thread I saw and was thinking of. Just favorited it so I don't lose the link to it again.
Quoted from SteveinTexas:I think I would clean it what you have and reattach if possible.
I will try cleaning it but how would I straighten it out? I think it's supposed to be straight along the siderail?
Bruce
Quoted from bingopodcast:Minor head wound, but I was fine (once I pulled the bulb glass out of my scalp and calmed down).
Ouch! I'm glad everything was ok and I'll be more careful with any prop bars from now on. 
Bruce
Quoted from PinballFever:You're correct. This machine is in pretty nice original condition and I'd like to keep it that way. I'll think of some way to do what you're suggesting with "vintaging" the rubbers and post the ideas here. I'm also listening if anyone else here has any ideas to throw in.
My suggestions:
-binge smoking in your house
-putting them a few minutes in a smoker, not enough to dry them out, but enough for the outer layer to pick up the color
-let them sit in a yellow/brownish coloring solution, maybe with some food grade color pigments?
Quoted from PhilGreg:My suggestions:
-binge smoking in your house
-putting them a few minutes in a smoker, not enough to dry them out, but enough for the outer layer to pick up the color
-let them sit in a yellow/brownish coloring solution, maybe with some food grade color pigments?
Coffee grounds. Seriously.
Quoted from PhilGreg:Since you're not going for a full out restore, and trying to keep this machine original, I think the whitey-white rubbers kinda stick out. Would be interesting if there were some "vintaging" process, such as exposing them to smoke or whatnot, to help them blend in a little better.
Constructive comment here, I'm digging your thread and whatever you do it's all good.
Another view perhaps. The rubber was originally nice and white. The game popped when it was new. When you clean up the posts and the outside rubber it will all start to pop again. Why try to make the game look dingy?
Not dingy, make it look more consistent. If the whole game was restored like new I think the full white would work, in this context it's fine, but IMO would blend in better if they look "aged but clean", as opposed to dingy.
Yeah, I wouldn't mess with the white rubber... just leave it white. Too many variables in trying to change the hue. As Steve said, it was supposed to be white.
Quoted from DirtFlipper:Just play the game. Air and time will take care of the white soon enough.
Very true and this game will be played often.
It's more fun to play than the other two games which are fun (Palooka and Paul Bunyan) and has so many strategies and ways to win.
Bruce
Quoted from P2K:The first time I replaced side rubber I did this:
http://www.seriousviewers.com/jjpnball/dbump.htm
Alan,
How did you build the wood with the exacto blade for the "splitter"? I've been thinking about different ways to do this.
Possibly clamp two pieces of wood together then drill a hole in the middle and mount a shaving blade between them?
Bruce
The new pop bumper skirts arrived. Steve told me I'd have to file or cut off the point so they're round like the old ones. (you can see the "point" on the top edge of the first skirt on the left)
Novus 2 also arrived from PBR for polishing the playfield posts.
I will probably tumble the playfield post screws and other visible metal parts like the rebound rubber and ball gate to get a nice polish on them.
I'm waiting for the Weller soldering iron and base to arrive so I can unsolder the pop bumpers from the playfield.
Bruce
After cleaning the playfield posts. I started cleaning the broken pop bumper cap piece as a test and discovered old glue on it. There were clear drops of glue on the bottom at the broken edges.
It must have just come off but it fits very well back together. I put it back together temporarily for the second photo so you can see what it looks like. Will carefully remove the white areas and super glue the pieces back together.
Bruce
A word of caution when using super glue or cyanoacrylate based materials. The adhesive "outgasses" in an enclosed area, which causes any clear plastic to fog with a sort of haze.
And it takes forever for the outgassing to stop. I had once used a dot of super glue to affix a molded polycarbonate lens to a metal trim ring for about 100 gauges we built. Put them in boxes, ready to ship. A month later, we got complaints about the lens, and opened the remaining boxes...all lenses were destroyed and had to be replaced.
Loctite has a similar effect when using it on or near plastic. I installed a pair of acrylic "wind wings" on a car that I built. They were secured by two brackets, and I had a screw and nut hold them in place. To secure the nut, I used a very small amount of Loctite. Within several months, the holes around the screws cracked and shattered from the inside-out. These were not enclosed in a confined area, but out in the open. Thinking I just had defective plastic, I did it again, with a new pair of them. Same exact thing happened.
Ya live, ya learn.
Quoted from ramegoom:A word of caution when using super glue or cyanoacrylate based materials. The adhesive "outgasses" in an enclosed area, which causes any clear plastic to fog with a sort of haze.
Thanks for chiming in. This is interesting information. (I googled it)
What adhesive do you recommend in place of super glue? Epoxy?
Bruce
You would want to use 2 part epoxy. The longer the setting time, the stronger it is.
I get these small packs that you cut open and stir with a popsicle stick, only about 1/4 oz. or so. Called "double/bubble" made by Hardman, and available at McMaster Carr. If you can find clear polyurethane in the same packages, that will work as well, and is slightly flexible.
polyurethane.jpg
Quoted from ramegoom:I get these small packs that you cut open and stir with a popsicle stick, only about 1/4 oz. or so. Called "double/bubble" made by Hardman, and available at McMaster Carr.
Ok. Will try it. Thanks for the recommendation.
Bruce
An update on this game. I cleaned it up last month for when a couple of friends visited during their vacations and they really enjoyed it.
Here's a photo showing the top of the backbox with half of it cleaned using ZEP Degreaser.
Btw, I called about 10 different local glass shops and they quoted prices ranging from $76 to almost $100 for a 21"x41" tempered glass with polished edges and no bugs/marks. Does anyone know a cheaper source in the Salt Lake City area?
I did try Pinball Life but they don't sell that size.
Bruce
I wanted to thank everyone involved for the help with this game and summarize what was done.
The playfield was cleaned with naphtha then waxed and new rubbers installed.
A new tempered glass was cut locally for $36 and I gave away the old non-tempered playfield glass.
This game was a lot of fun to play but I sold it to a good home locally where it'll be well taken care of. Their son is an experienced tech that should be able to fix any issues for them even without a schematic.
Peace out, I hope you all enjoyed this topic as much as I did.
Bruce
Everytime I see your Avatar Bruce I now think of the Grand Champion. I would love to know the background as to how GC came about? I bet someone at Williams had engagement in the rural industry-Wayne
This morning I emailed Michael Schiess the Executive Director of the PPM asking if he knows the background as to how GC came about and also asked for photos of the museum card and game Wayne. It's in the "Pacific Pinball Annex" according to him and is only viewable or playable during special events.
Soon I'll post a topic for my new game and share the link here.
Bruce
BTW, I wanted to add that it seems the name of the game, "Utah" came from one of the USS battleships, the USS Utah. (and the ship was named after the state Utah according to Wikipedia so go figure)
This is from Craig Smallish, a woodrail collector:
Craig Smallish, "Interesting fact: United Manufacturing began producing what on the surface appeared to be purely a state series, but was actually an homage to the USS Naval fleet of WWII. Beginning with their conversion games produced during the wartime ban, '42 Midway, '42 Arizona, '43 Santa Fe, '44 Idaho, and '44 Oklahoma. In fact the Arizona back box side panels feature a mast with naval burgee pennants flying.
One could easily believe the Utah was also named after a famous battleship, however the post war UMC state machines don't have any obvious graphics which could be attributed to their nautical namesakes. That being said, the Utah, Oklahoma, Nevada, all played significant roles during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Even the Wisconsin was launched on the second anniversary, December 7th of 1943, and Hawaii of course is the location of the famous harbor (all UMC pinball titles). Given these facts, I believe it's too much of a coincidence to think that the post-war machines were not also namesake homages to the WWII ships. As an added note, UMC kept their very military-looking logo until at least 1960."
Quoted from wayner:I would love to know the background as to how GC came about? I bet someone at Williams had engagement in the rural industry-Wayne
Quoted from PinballFever:This morning I emailed Michael Schiess the Executive Director of the PPM asking if he knows the background as to how GC came about and also asked for photos of the museum card and game Wayne.
Michael replied. The GC in the museum has no instruction cards or any information, it was donated by someone. 
He accepted my offer to send him a copy or scan of my instruction card for their game though.
It's such an obscure title, I'm not sure how much we can find out about it.
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