Is this forum back up fully? I hope so, it's the best.

I'm getting ready to clean my 1949 United "Utah" playfield for the first time before waxing it and would like advice from those of you who have experience cleaning United pinball machines. It's in good condition.

Bruce

Thanks vid! I thought about posting this question in your playfield restoration thread because of your excellent advice but decided to add a new topic after considering that United machines are different. Was hoping another United pinball owner might share cleaning and waxing advice here.

I agree, I want to keep it as original as possible and to do this right because this is a "one time shot" at cleaning the playfield which hasn't been cleaned in years. Here are pics. Will post close ups later today or this evening.

I'm ordering new balls from PBR for this game. I played one or two games as a test to be sure everything worked then turned it off. Don't want to play it again until it's been properly cleaned and waxed to preserve the playfield.

Btw I have ME and alcohol but I'm afraid to use it due to it's abrasive properties. Also have used ZEP Citrus Degreaser but again it might be too "harsh" for this almost 70 year old machine.

UTAH Playfield 2.jpg

One closeup of the flipper area, will take and post closeups of the other playfield areas.

UTAH Pinball Flippers.JPG

I've been reading that thread but decided to get further advice. This is a pretty old machine and United may have used different methods for painting their playfields.

Great advice oldcarz, that's what I want to do.

How about Johnson's wax?

Took the glass off for pics of the playfield. Vote to keep it "original" and clean/wax or should it be touched up? I'm leaning towards keeping it original.

UTAH Playfield top.jpg

UTAH Playfield upper.jpg

UTAH Playfield lower.jpg

UTAH Playfield bottom.jpg

I see "Naphtha" mentioned many times here. Which one do you recommend? There's one I see at Lowe's but not sure if it's the right one.

I didn't see that until you brought it up!

Will do, your advice is much appreciated, vid.

No need to be sorry..... maybe it's some kind of "subliminal advertising".

I do like the PF original. It makes the game more like a "museum piece".

The cabinet doesn't look too bad for it's age. I'm thinking about cleaning it first then maybe touching it up later.

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Neither do car designers.

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vid, oldcarz, rat, Steve and jjpm- you guys are the best. Thanks!

I will most likely use naphtha to clean the playfield as suggested then wax it.

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Steve- Good idea, I'll post here how it went with before/after pics as soon as I do it. I'm waiting until I'm better from a bad cough, throat etc. Doctor's orders to rest for a while.

Thanks! I finally gave up and went to urgent care after two sleepless nights of coughing.

Nyquil is useless. Had to get an RX for narcotic cough syrup....

Took about a week or so but the bad cough is gone and I'm back to normal.

That product seems to be "banned" here (same as in California). Is this good?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-1-pt-Paint-Thinner-PA12779/203713853?keyword=naphtha

Thanks guys. I'm ready to get this game cleaned up.

I'll see if I can order it online. How about either of these two products?

http://www.amazon.com/SUNNYSIDE-CORPORATION-80032-1-Quart-Naphtha/dp/B000LNTWPK/ref=pd_sim_60_5

http://www.amazon.com/Klean-Strip-VM-P-Naphtha-Quart/dp/B001G9TGQI

I ordered it and will start as soon as it arrives. Can't wait to start!

It's "illegal" here in Utah and California.

https://www.dmt-nexus.me/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=24832

Will do just what you suggested. Thanks Steve.

BTW I've never used naphtha but it's most likely not safe to breathe the vapors. Is it ok to use it inside the room with windows open and large fan blowing it away from me?

Ok. I became nauseous and almost lost my dinner after breathing the ZEP Citrus Degreaser fumes while cleaning with it. Started using a fan with it and the windows open.

On a side note. Should I change the topic to include "project" and post updates here as I do the whole game? The information may be beneficial to other United pinball owners.

I'm back to working on the machine and I've changed the topic as Steve suggests.

Playfield is stripped except for the 4 pop bumpers.

The pop bumper caps seem to be held on with a (I forget the name of it) pin. Do you have to remove the complete assembly to be able to access this pin?

The pop bumper skirts seem chewed up. I'll call PBR tomorrow and see if Steve has new ones. Any other sources for these skirts?

It looks like I should get mylar for underneath the bumpers to protect that area?

I assume I'll need to remove the bolts and unsolder to be able to remove the bumpers. Any advice or caution I should heed?

Thanks,
Bruce

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That's it. Been a long time since I heard that name.

I don't seem to be able to see or access the tines underneath the caps. It's like they're inside something. Please advise.

This seems a rather shoddy way for United Mfg to attach the pop bumper caps and they seem rather loose like that.

Thanks for the help, Dirt.
Bruce

Will try to get good pictures of it after work today.

Bruce

Got the caps off. The cotter pin tines were inside the metal ring so I moved the metal rings down to access them.

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I've never removed pop bumper caps before. What is the order you should do this? Unsolder first or unscrew the pop bumper bodies and the yoke nuts?

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Thanks again,
Bruce

Looking at the pop bumper photo. It looks like I can remove the yoke nuts on bottom playfield then unsolder the bulb socket inside the pop bumper body then unscrew the pop bumper body?

If so how do you unsolder the bulb socket without burning the pop bumper body?

Bruce

Thanks for chiming in Shapeshifter! I've seen many of your posts and woodrail topics.

Do you think this game doesn't need mylar around the pop bumpers?

Btw, it plays great and I like the action while playing it. I plan to post a gameplay video of the game after it's cleaned up.

Bruce

Got it. I think you're talking about unsoldering the socket leads from underneath the playfield?

So that's why it doesn't look like the typical pop bumper. I'd like to modify a new skirt to work with the graphite ring if possible. Will look for threads here related to that.

Thanks Dirt,
Bruce

I'm leaning towards not using the non adhesive mylar around the pop bumpers because there's no paint in that area and this pin is for home use only.

Thanks for chiming in, Steve. Very much appreciated.

I read the thread and it sounds like using the spoon switch is an easier fix?

What is the difference between the carbon and graphite rings? Is the carbon ring the the circular wire on bottom of playfield that actuates the bumpers when touched by the metal from the skirt?

The graphite ring is the one on pop bumper body that comes down to push the ball away?

Did Steve at PBR have the graphite rings in stock when you emailed him a year ago?

Ok, I'm still not sure exactly where to unsolder but will look at it after removing the coil assembly.

Thanks again everyone for your help with this.
Bruce

Thanks for doing this for me. I see it now.

Good advice and I'm going to heed it. The game would be more original and it'll be easier to keep the carbon rings.

I think the pop bumper performance is still good because the action is pretty lively. (It doesn't look like it at first sight but it's actually a lot of fun to play)

I'm thinking of making a gameplay action video before the skirt change and posting the link here. That way you guys can let me know what you think of the performance because I'm not sure how lively they should be for a game of this vintage.

Bruce

Let me know if you do this and how you did it. I'm interested. A steel ring would probably be more durable.

Bruce

I vacuumed the playfield, wiped it clean, put the posts, new rubbers and caps back on temporarily so I could make and upload a video of the game in action to Youtube.

It's not working 100% but the pop bumpers seem to have good performance and this way I can make another video for comparison after cleaning and waxing it.

I'd like to see what you guys think of the action and if the bumpers are good? The flippers were rebuilt before I bought the game.

Enjoy,
Bruce

Edit:
This is the new Youtube video of the game in action after I fixed it. The old one was deleted.

Yes, it was working fine until I put it all back on and started up the game so I could make a video of the gameplay.

The game won't fully reset now. It stops at 900,000.

I think it's something simple. Will take care of it.

After it's taken care of, I'll strip the playfield again for a good cleaning and waxing and will post the progress here.

Bruce

I'll post another video after the buzzing is fixed and replace the one on Youtube.

Something is keeping the 10,000 Step Up Unit coil energized causing the buzzing.

I think it's because the game isn't completing reset sequence because the 900,000 and 90,000 lights stay lit when it stops "resetting".

Suggestions what I should look for? I'm not sure what the start up sequence is. I may need to buy a United schematic from SteveFury. (the one he made)

Thanks. I'm wondering if the "light show" of the bumpers is supposed to look like that or if it's an electric current issue.

I won't play the game until the buzzing (10,000 Step Up Unit coil staying energized) is fixed.

Bruce

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I started a new topic in the EM Tech sub forum where others can learn from troubleshooting this issue.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/1949-united-mfg-utah-pinball-loud-buzzing

Bruce

The game is fixed and is playing great now.

It was one or two passive bumper switches stuck closed when the new tighter rubbers were pressing against them. (Using the Harbor Freight head magnifying glasses with lights made it easier to see them as I gapped the switches correctly with the adjuster.)

I made and uploaded a new video of the game in action to Youtube. (the old video has been deleted)

Enjoy
Bruce

Thanks. I had to play her again this evening while sipping a Redd's Strawberry Ale and having good feelings about the game.
I agree. It's like right in front of you and it's pointing to the dreaded "drain zone".

Thanks Nick! It's not finished. I'm going to strip the playfield again and clean it with naphtha then wax it. I'll make another video of it in action after that's done.

Thanks.
It seems to be hard to beat although I did get over 5 million in one game which won me a replay.

It was used for gambling. The operator would pay for the replays won then reset the replays to zero by going to the bottom of the cabinet and hitting it or flipping a switch. (not sure yet which it is with this game)

Thanks! It's not finished yet. I have more to do with the game.

Bruce

I am going to miss playing the game when I strip the playfield again to clean it with naphtha then give it a good waxing.

I have a couple of questions.

1. The metal guides and posts. Do you pull them out or leave them when cleaning/waxing?

2. The sunken inserts. I'd like to remove and glue them back in or reposition them then glue them in place so they're level with the playfield.
What is the best way to do this? (I'm going through Vid's playfield restoration guide again to see how others are doing this)

o-din did say he just pops the inserts out then glues them in so they're level. Maybe I can get him to chime in here about how he does it?

Bruce
Edit: Forgot to add the pictures.

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I agree with you and will do this.

Just to be sure. You pop them out through the top then put them back in from the top?

Great advice. Thanks so much, Nick.
Bruce

Got it. Thanks again. That means I'll need to unscrew and move the light sockets. Good time to replace them with the lower heat bulbs. #47 I think.

Ok I'll try that too. You're talking about acrylic paints touching it up then fill with Polycrylic?

Bruce

I have three more questions:

1. Should I just clean the rubber guide on the side or replace it? I've seen a topic where someone replaced theirs with something similiar.

2. Carefully remove the staples on the instruction cards and clean/wax the wood apron?
How about cleaning or preserving the instruction cards? I'd like to scan copies of them, maybe for IPDB.

3. The playfield seems a little sunken in on the bottom right. Should this be fixed?

Thanks again,
Bruce

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There must be a way to remove the staples without destroying the cards and carefully tap them back in the same holes?

I guess you're talking about using a playfield rubber?

I'll examine it and report here.

On a side note, this game didn't come with a rod to hold the playfield up at an angle. I have to lean it against the backbox. Is there a better way here?

Thanks again for your help, Nick
Bruce

So true. I'll be very careful with the instruction cards if I even try to remove them that is. It IS nice to have originals.

I may try that but will stop if the staples are too hard to remove.

Cut in half as in slit the cut end of the rubber?

That's a great photo. Did you reprint the instruction card?

Bruce

I'm stripping the playfield again but this time I'm documenting each step with photos.

THE POP BUMPERS:

Here the pop bumper caps are held in place with a cotter pin.

I am not sure if an operator added the cotter pins and holes for them.

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You can see you have to carefully bend in the cotter pins so they don't interfere with the movement of the bumper rings.

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THE PASSIVE BUMPERS:

The passive bumpers have black tape on the bottom and they squeeze into holes in the playfield here.

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They need to be positioned so the cut out portion is facing the slingshot rubber.

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More to come tomorrow.

Bruce

Thank you! I can't wait until it's finished and I hope you enjoy the progress reports too.

Bruce

PLAYFIELD POSTS:

The posts seem to be original and they're a marbled texture. Never seen this before.

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REBOUND and BALL GATE:

I have a tumbler but I think I am just going to clean them so they'll retain the "patina" of this original game.

Would like your feedback though. Would you tumble and polish these metal parts?

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More to come after work.
Bruce

BALL SHOOTER COVER:

You can see the front of the ball shooter cover looks good but the back part is rusted.

Are there any concerns I should have about Evaporust removing the red lettering on front if I soak it?

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How about this part hidden underneath the ball shooter cover where the ball lift is? Should I fortify it in some way? I'm thinking I should.

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Here is the separation I found after lifting the playfield and examining the edges.

I am not sure if the wood apron is meant to be permanently bound to the playfield or not. I could add a little wood glue then hold it together with a vise?

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I have the playfield stripped except for the pop bumpers. I plan to get a soldering iron, solder and flux within the next couple of days for unsoldering the bulb socket leads.

I'm also ordering new phillips head screws to replace the slot head ones but I plan to keep all the original screws and other items in a bag with the game for easy reversal.

Thanks in advance.
Bruce

Got it. Will try that and hopefully fix the separation.

This game didn't come with a rod to hold the playfield up at an angle which makes it difficult to actuate components on the top for testing while watching the bottom of the playfield or the backbox. Any suggestions for this?

Thanks again, Dirt.

Bruce

I'm used to being able to rest the playfields on a rod for short times. I leave it on the rod for as short as possible because I've heard they warp playfields. I'll just lean it against the backbox like I've been doing so far.

Interesting. I didn't know this. I think the marbled colors of these posts go great with the game.

I will. My cat did jump up there and broke the edge of one of them. Now I keep that room closed.

Bruce

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

Wow! Those are some beautiful marbled posts.

Bruce

That would be nasty. Especially with the weight and all the electromechanicals coming down on your head. Were you ok?

Bruce

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.

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

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

That's the thread I saw and was thinking of. Just favorited it so I don't lose the link to it again.

I will try cleaning it but how would I straighten it out? I think it's supposed to be straight along the siderail?

Bruce

Ouch! I'm glad everything was ok and I'll be more careful with any prop bars from now on.

Bruce

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

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

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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

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Thanks for chiming in. This is interesting information. (I googled it)

What adhesive do you recommend in place of super glue? Epoxy?

Bruce

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

UTAH Backbox Top (resized).jpg

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

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."

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.