Abra Ca Dabra
Gottlieb, 1975Quoted from leckmeck:Lately I’ve been using this.
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Are you spraying in your own gun? I know a few other folks do that. Also, are you encountering color shifts especially yellowing from reaction with the original lacquer....I wonder if the driers in the spray cans are creating that.....
Quoted from stashyboy:Are you spraying in your own gun? I know a few other folks do that. Also, are you encountering color shifts especially yellowing from reaction with the original lacquer....I wonder if the driers in the spray cans are creating that.....
For this cabinet I’m actually spraying from their rattle cans. Never had any color-shifting with the original lacquer, but I usually lay down a couple of light coats before going heavier. Maybe that helps?
Quoted from leckmeck:For this cabinet I’m actually spraying from their rattle cans. Never had any color-shifting with the original lacquer, but I usually lay down a couple of light coats before going heavier. Maybe that helps?
I was thinking more on playfields, but cabinets as well. So what equipment do you use? Would think your airbrush would be too small for large areas?
Quoted from stashyboy:I was thinking more on playfields, but cabinets as well. So what equipment do you use? Would think your airbrush would be too small for large areas?
I have used my airbrush with Varathane to do smaller areas—like the pedestal—but you’re right: it’s awful for coverage. That’s when I break out the rattle cans.
How do you apply Varathane to playfields? Blast Off is super smooth.
Quoted from leckmeck:I have used my airbrush with Varathane to do smaller areas—like the pedestal—but you’re right: it’s awful for coverage. That’s when I break out the rattle cans.
How do you apply Varathane to playfields? Blast Off is super smooth.
Rattle cans. Just lots of detailed sanding between coats. Lat coat is allowed to cure 2-3 weeks, then sanded to at least 1000 then novus 2 by hand.
Egads, nine months since my last update!
This project got tabled due to other commitments, and I am just a terrible multitasker. The last few nights, however, I started chipping away (literally) at a tedious chore I had been dreading for a long time: I finished scraping away all the excess Triple Thick on the backglass. Not fun! But it’s done.
While I was futzing with the backglass around its transparent areas, I decided to add a color reflector out of construction paper to help warm up the LED bulbs around the score reels. Although they are the warm retro models from Comet, the construction paper gets the color temperature even closer to where I like it.
Quoted from leckmeck:Egads, nine months since my last update!
This project got tabled due to other commitments, and I am just a terrible multitasker. The last few nights, however, I started chipping away (literally) at a tedious chore I had been dreading for a long time: I finished scraping away all the excess Triple Thick on the backglass. Not fun! But it’s done.
While I was futzing with the backglass around its transparent areas, I decided to add a color reflector out of construction paper to help warm up the LED bulbs around the score reels. Although they are the warm retro models from Comet, the construction paper gets the color temperature even closer to where I like it.
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Brilliant!
Leckmeck, do you routinely use LEDs behind the backglass on wedgeheads? Or is that just a precaution on this machine given the triple thick issue?
Quoted from calla76759:Leckmeck, do you routinely use LEDs behind the backglass on wedgeheads? Or is that just a precaution on this machine given the triple thick issue?
I prefer incandescent bulbs, but their supply and quality is too constrained now. My last 3-4 restored games received LEDs wherever you can’t see the bulbs, so they’re behind the backglass and under playfield inserts. On top of the playfield, however, I draw from my supply of NOS 44s.
Quoted from leckmeck:I prefer incandescent bulbs, but their supply and quality is too constrained now. My last 3-4 restored games received LEDs wherever you can’t see the bulbs, so they’re behind the backglass and under playfield inserts. On top of the playfield, however, I draw from my supply of NOS 44s.
Do you recyle from old bulbs? I have been doing that the last couple years. If they are not too corroded they go in either tumbler or ultrasonic. If they work in a game, they will likely last longer than crappy modern bulbs from offshore. I too prefer incandescent especially in the backbox. On an original screened glass, I routinely use ww retro LEDs under feature inserts (non-ghosting) to cut down on heat.
Quoted from stashyboy:Do you recyle from old bulbs? I have been doing that the last couple years. If they are not too corroded they go in either tumbler or ultrasonic. If they work in a game, they will likely last longer than crappy modern bulbs from offshore. I too prefer incandescent especially in the backbox. On an original screened glass, I routinely use ww retro LEDs under feature inserts (non-ghosting) to cut down on heat.
Yes. The stash of 44s were culled from project machines I unloaded, but their numbers are dwindling. I only have enough for a couple more games.
Quoted from leckmeck:Yes. The stash of 44s were culled from project machines I unloaded, but their numbers are dwindling. I only have enough for a couple more games.
If you need more 44s I should have plenty.
You can flip the top bracket (where the drop targets sit) 180° so you can’t see the cruddy, spotted side—where detritus like Millwax has settled and corroded the metal—when you peer down from the top of the playfield through the routing for the targets. All you will see is nice, clean metal.
Quoted from leckmeck:You can flip the top bracket (where the drop targets sit) 180° so you can’t see the cruddy, spotted side—where detritus like Millwax has settled and corroded the metal—when you peer down from the top of the playfield through the routing for the targets. All you will see is nice, clean metal.
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Yup, I do that too. I love your ocd showing with lining up all the parts....or is that just for our benefit? 
Quoted from stashyboy:I love your ocd showing with lining up all the parts.
This would never fly if the assemblies were visible while playing!
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Quoted from stashyboy:Yup, I do that too. I love your ocd showing with lining up all the parts....or is that just for our benefit?
I used to do this unconsciously, but then I learned it’s a shared compulsion and has a name:
https://medium.com/@Lyst/your-favorite-insta-aesthetic-has-an-unexpected-history-a929e078d4ea
Quoted from leckmeck:I used to do this unconsciously, but then I learned it’s a shared compulsion and has a name:
https://medium.com/@Lyst/your-favorite-insta-aesthetic-has-an-unexpected-history-a929e078d4ea
I line up the screwhead slots on the playfield, but not underneath. I can always tell if it's my work.
Ron Webb emailed me saying he had an ACD backglass for sale. Even though my original is in really nice shape, I bought Ron’s repro.
Too often reproduction backglasses have insufficient masking on the back, which causes geometric glowing on the front, visibility of unlit translucent areas, and hotspots above the score reels.
Well, this reproduction is dynamite! It has just the right amount of masking on the back. It’s perfect, so this backglass is going into the game and the original will eventually be for sale.
Quoted from leckmeck:Ron Webb emailed me saying he had an ACD backglass for sale. Even though my original is in really nice shape, I bought Ron’s repro.
Too often reproduction backglasses have insufficient masking on the back, which causes geometric glowing on the front, visibility of unlit translucent areas, and hotspots above the score reels.
Well, this reproduction is dynamite! It has just the right amount of masking on the back. It’s perfect, so this backglass is going into the game and the original will eventually be for sale.
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Nice! Ron always has quality screened backglass. Just finished a ABC restoration and the glass is good, but does have a bit of flaking in the wizards robes as usual. (Removed the bulbs where I touched up)
Today’s mail came with my first PBR order fulfilled by the new guy, Lou! Ordered on Sunday night, arrived on Thursday. Good service. Jimmy would be proud.
In the order were a pair of high-current switches to replace the pitted ones in the pop bumper relay. This is something I’ve been meaning to try for a while. I’m not super optimistic it will make much difference, but I look forward to finding out.
Tonight I sprayed Varathane on the left side of the cabinet. It looked liked it was laying down nicely, but then two sections started breaking out in rashes of fisheyes. There were too many, so I quickly grabbed some towels and gently sopped up as much of the clear as I could. The ochre touch-ups had a bad reaction to something in the Varathane because the color shifted a bit and ran easily with the towels. The red didn’t really seem to be affected.
This was very nearly a disaster. It’s going to take additional work to fix these new problems. The damage could have been a lot worse, but I still feel positively queasy about what just happened. It’s my fault for spraying too heavy of a coat.
Following! For some inspiration for mine in a couple years. Yours will once again turn out better. Great work as always!
Quoted from leckmeck:Tonight I sprayed Varathane on the left side of the cabinet. It looked liked it was laying down nicely, but then two sections started breaking out in rashes of fisheyes. There were too many, so I quickly grabbed some towels and gently sopped up as much of the clear as I could. The ochre touch-ups had a bad reaction to something in the Varathane because the color shifted a bit and ran easily with the towels. The red didn’t really seem to be affected.
This was very nearly a disaster. It’s going to take additional work to fix these new problems. The damage could have been a lot worse, but I still feel positively queasy about what just happened. It’s my fault for spraying too heavy of a coat.
I have done it too. Patience is the key. Light coats.
All fixed up and cleared. Satisfactory results.
After restoring everything else, putting the cabinet on its feet and installing all of its hardware is something I really enjoy. Everything is nice and clean and snaps right together and clicks into place, and all the hard cosmetic work comes into focus. What a great feeling.
A month ago I was reading this thread on broken screws:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/broken-wood-screws#post-7832263
Vid recommended these things from Woodcraft for extricating them:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/screw-extractor-3-8
I’m glad I ordered a set then because it rescued me from this bleak predicament yesterday!
Quoted from leckmeck:Two dots with a red sharpie and the evil sorcerer’s eyes come to life!
If the next owner doesn’t like it, a little isopropyl alcohol will take it right off. But I like the effect.
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At-a-boy! (Get it...aab) We'll anyway, looking fabulous as always. One minor mod I have done on a couple I have restored is to put a bright red bulb condom on the upper special light that's behind the light shield. Looks pretty neat when it activates. Unique, different than a red LED there. Hard to really see the effect in this picture. Better in person.
20230418_160944 (resized).jpgQuoted from stashyboy:One minor mod I have done on a couple I have restored is to put a bright red bulb condom on the upper special light that's behind the light shield.
That’s a neat idea because those two bulbs are awfully inconspicuous. They simply look like they’re lighting up the plastic shield, like everywhere else on the playfield. I’ve actually forgotten to aim for the bullseye after getting the targets down; didn’t “see the light”! I might give it a try.
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High Falls, NY