I'm embarking on another restore, and at the request of a few, will be showing the progress here.

This one will be unlike any others that I've done so far, as I'll be transforming one game into a different game. As the title implies, this will be a Stern Quicksilver, that will be scratch built (well, mostly), meaning the game did not start out as a QS.

My original intent was to retheme the base game (a Stern Dracula) when I picked it up as a project game. I know an awesome artist pyramidschemebar and was planning to make something unique. But, once Mirco announced that new playfields would be made for QS, I decided I needed to build one.

Over the course of three month I put together a full list of all the parts I would need, and where to buy them. I set my budget and started in.

So here we go!

So here's my jumping off point.

Dracula wasn't in terrible condition. But it wasn't in good condition either. The PF had major planking and wear. The backglass was flaked and missing paint, the mpu had battery damage, and the cabinet is just an ugly color of pink (as it came from the factory). And I think some squirrels had lived in it for a short time too.

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But, Dracula was a perfect fit to transform. It has both a 3 and 4 bank drop, and no one will miss one Dracula (that looks like Marilyn Manson). So, on we go.

Since it's not originally a QS, it won't be made bone stock. There will be "improvements" as I see fit. Kinda in the essence of my Centaur:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/patz-2019-official-pinball-at-the-zoo-thread-april-25-26-27/page/10#post-4967029

I know. I really hate seeing any machine not exist any more. But, Dracula was such a wreck, no one would put in the money to make it nice again, so it will live on as a different Stern game.

Thanks!! I figure this would get some other people going on some of their projects as well

I'll probably have a bunch of stuff for sale when I'm done with the conversion--pop bumper assemblies, flipper assemblies, random plastics, switches, post, etc. I won't know until I'm done, but if you've got a specific request, let me know, and I'll see what I've got.

Yes, new pf’s can be purchased, thanks to Crispin lending his to Mirco. I just wish Mirco would return the property to him.

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Cabinet sanded, filled, sanded, filled, sanded. Primer applied. Filled, sanded, primer.

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Got the silver laid on shortly thereafter the sanding & priming. This silver is going to be a pain. It shows every little defect.

And I went with an actual "silver" color, not matte gray. After all, the game is called Quicksilver, not Quickgray.

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So, after the silver had dried for a week, I figured that I'd start getting the stenciling done.

Unfortunately, the stencil does not agree with the silver paint I used. In this picture, you can see all the areas where the brilliance of the silver was knocked down.

I'm going to be left with no choice but to clear coat in between steps. This will set me back a few weeks, as I'll have to start this all over. Ugh.

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The cabinet has been clear coated. It looked really good when wet.

As I put it into the oven, I started to see the silver starting to absorb the clear. Well, let’s wait until it’s fully cured and check again.

If it ends up bad, I’ll get to repaint it for a third time. Yay.

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Well, we have our answer: it looks like shit. Bummer.

So, now I’ll have to sand this layer of clear down, and bust out the automotive grade silver (previous silver was just rattle can). I guess that’s what I get for trying to get it done quickly.

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I wish I could. The silver bled, and almost looks like it has runs in it. I know it’s not the clear, as it is very smooth to the touch.

Silver base coat laid back on. This time, two-component paint was used. Results are much nicer. I may not need to clear coat, but probably will just to be safe.

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Stern didn’t use t-nuts back then (properly). They threaded a bolt from the underside, then just put a nut on the top. I’m sure this was a cost savings measure.

Well, I’m obviously not saving cost on this, and not doing a “to the letter” restore. So I’m going to add them in as I see fit.

First, drill for the center barrel, then for the small prongs. Hammer them in with a rubber hammer. And it’s ready to go.

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Since ball guides aren’t available for QS yet, I had to make my own.

It took a few revisions, but I finally got it to where I wanted. I didn’t want riveted brackets, as that makes it harder to polish (if needed). So I stole a design idea from Williams and incorporated the bracket in the guide.

I made a few extra sets for friends, but have one left if anyone is in need.

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Good advice. Thanks!

I will be using all new screws on the pf, so a longer length of screw will be easy to get.

So that extra set went quicker than expected! I can make a few more if anyone else is interested. It might take a couple weeks to get it done, but let me know if you need some.

Well, that got out of hand quickly. Haha.

It sounds like there is some interest, so I'll plan on making some more, but before I send any more out I'll wait for confirmation that they work on someone else's playfield. The work great on my Mirco pf and Reese Rails, but I'd like confirmation before sending out a whole bunch of them.

For the metal ball rails, they'll be $50 a set (two pieces), plus shipping . I can make the wire lane guides too, if everyone needs them. Those should also be $50.

Once I get confirmation that these work on someone else's pf, I'll contact everyone that's shown interest to confirm orders.