Buy a project machine. Decide what big components you are going to replace (cab/playfield/etc...) and work it over time.

I don’t have a ton of disposable income ... so I’ve been slowly getting what I need for my Indy (since 2011)... and I’m finally putting it together.

You learn so much by just tearing it down it’s hard to explain. I thought I had it all covered but as I started to really dig in there was what felt like 2x more things I needed. Definitely death by a thousand cuts type of experience.

My next one will be an Addams. Can’t wait.

5/8” hole for the lamp sockets. Those IDC lamp sockets are kind of a pain to source. If you find a source ... I’d be interested as well.

Actually you wouldn’t have to use the IDC sockets if you are rolling your own... you could use a bayonet style socket and secure them with a 3/8 screw (like playfied GI sockets). The IDC is more for production efficiency. It all depends how authentic you want to be.

Hmm... slightly different than what’s used on WPC but prob ok. The GI socket on WPC is a natural color. Later models of WPC used a black socket with an integrated diode for flasher bulbs.

Yup!

I would not use any sort of twist drill to do this work!!! It requires a bit of finesse.

Ron Kruzman sells a nice dremel/glue install kit for dealing with cleaning clear coat out of the mounting holes of a playfield.

Seriously if you hit this with run of the mill twist drill bits you will regret it.

None taken Bryan... You have a method here that works and you are very good at what you do. You are absolutely right by going in small increments.

Hes talking about the wooden rails that are mounted along the edges of the playfield itself...

You can get stock stuff and cut it yourself:
https://www.pinballlife.com/black-vinyl-wrapped-wood-rail-for-playfield-edges-1-18-x-12.html

But personally I would go with Reese Rails as suggested as they come cut and drilled properly ready to go (and made of solid oak... and coated nicely with black lacquer):
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/oak-replacement-playfield-rails-wh2o-and-taf-ready-to-ship-or-york

When I did (still doing) my IJ ... I didn't do much on the top (with the exception of the pop bumpers) until the mechs were in place underneath. Everyone has their own methods and depending upon what parts you have and the game itself... sort of dictates the order. I found myself getting ahead of things a couple of times and had to remove stuff because I wasn't intimately aware of the proper order of assembly. Pops are kind of a pain because they are mount on both sides of the board so I did those first. There are a few videos on youtube on pops.

These: https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/237-5957-00
There are 3 per pop ... they hold the coil bracket in place under the playfield.

“nyloc” nuts ... they have a nylon insert in them to keep them locked.

Not KEP that was my error, not sure why I typed that. You need nylon insert lock nuts

Yup

Yes. They only have bare copper wire, nothing tinned. They do have a TON of color options though!

It’s automotive grade wire. The insulation is quite a bit thicker... and it’s bare copper. Most electronic equipment (like pinball machines/amusement equipment) uses tinned copper wire. It provides a layer of protection against oxidation and corrosion. I wouldn’t use it... doesn’t mean it won’t work.

Welp this is one of those order is important things (no pun intended with “thing”). You’re going to have to remove that part to install the rail.

Yes you will for certain. On my first tear down and rebuild I made a few sequence errors ... but as long as you don’t get too far ahead of yourself ... they are correctable.

Take a break from installation... and spend a ton of time studying restorations and documentation. It will pay off. I mean study... every day.

Yup that’s good wire ... just I don’t see anything smaller than 18AWG... maybe I missed something

Welp you've made the decision to use what you had available, they will function just fine... but technically they are these type:

https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/4106-01042-20

... hardware in many cases can be substituted, but it all depends upon how authentic you wan't to remain to the original.

TaylorVA pre drills his rails for the correct screws

You are absolutely correct the cracks need to be fixed and fixed this way.

Roll pins can be finicky. Be sure to look at the shaft, usually one side of the roll pin hole of the shaft is tapered a bit and the other side is not. Don't try to drive the pin into hole that is not tapered. The taper is in there so that the roll pin will easily compress as it goes in.

Roll pin punch...

rollpinpunch (resized).jpg

You will be buying crap right up until the very end. It’s going to be at least an order of magnitude (probably more) greater than what you think.

Would it make more sense to buy the complete assembles rather than rebuild components? I mean...unless you already have the brackets and coils? ...

https://www.pinballlife.com/full-flipper-assembly-for-williamsbally-machines-from-021992-to-101998.html

I'm not seeing any washers under your nylock nuts that are against the wood? Its a little thing ... but just wanted to let you know ... there usually are washers there.

Parts list is your friend. You need to populate those PCBs with the .156 headers and diodes before you screw them down (with the spacers installed).

03-8022-1 #6 spacer .541"

yes... but you could find an alternative as long as the height is correct and it will fit a #6 screw. The nice thing about the original part is that it clips into the PCB and stays there so you can pre-build it or remove it from the play field without the spacers falling off. The holes in your PCBs are a bit larger than the #6 screw to accommodate for the clip on the standoff.

Pretty sure its a 8-32 stud plate...
A-12258-2 8-32 stud plt assy

studplate (resized).png

I can’t believe it but this thread is motivating me to attempt this myself. I’ll likely CNC the cabinet myself... Really the only thing that is a huge demotivator is the wiring... it’s not that it can’t be done... I’m just not interested in doing it...I would want it exact to OEM.

I appreciate Shredder565 ‘s zeal... it’s contagious

Right now ...it’s a thought. I got the CNC lined up ... Need to look at what other tools I need.

Ya don't need to have all tools and toys... ya just need to have the friends that have them

Familiarize yourself with the schematcs.
Familiarize yourself with the schematcs.
Familiarize yourself with the schematcs.
Familiarize yourself with the schematcs.
Familiarize yourself with the schematcs.

... and the parts list.

Sorry to sound preachy but you should spend a sh*t ton of time with your nose in the books on this. Since you don't have a machine to reference... its going to be your only other reference material that describes how things are connected. Pictures are great but they only get you so far. Having a solid grasp of how things are wired... is going to be necessary... especially once you start connecting things up and really populating the underside of that playfield.

Soldering quality is a combination of experience, equipment and materials.

- What kind of solder are you using?
- What kind of soldering iron are you using... is it temperature regulated or not?
- Keep your tip cleaned and tinned.
- Before applying solder you need to heat up the point that you will be applying the solder.
- Don't apply the solder to the tip of the iron but to the pad and lead on the PCB.

It looks like your solder is may be bubbling too much... which could mean you've got some less than ideal solder.

Quality solder makes a big difference (especially the quality of its rosin)... consider this brand:
https://www.amazon.com/KESTER-SOLDER-32117-24-6040-0027-Diameter/dp/B00068IJPO/ref=sr_1_2

Also... that link does not point to a 300W iron. It points to a 40W/80W station. The only 300W Weller I see is the big 'ol Weller trigger handled gun... that would not be the correct tool for the job.

As long as its not the soldering iron that looks like a handgun... with a trigger. You are probably ok. That 40/80W station is fine for what you need.

Not sure what brand they are distributing. I've always used Kester ... so I can't comment. It's probably fine. 60/40 blend... I would keep the diameter between .05x and .03x. I prefer it on the lighter gauge ... but that's just my preference.

It never ends... until you are playing it. I ended up with a tackle box full of all the common stuff.. just stocked up on all of it when I did my restoration. You will nickel and dime yourself to death otherwise. When you comb through the parts list and look at all the different fasteners its mind boggling. Spend some time and stock up on the high volume commonly used items.

You often need to correct the leads on the LED assemblies, they can get tweaked in handling... its common, just fix it manually.

I was looking at your pic from above... I noticed something that may just be an anomaly in the photo... but it looks like the metal guide is not actually aligned correctly?

mountinghole (resized).png

... as long as you are putting the screws into the dimples you should be fine... if something doesn't line up don't just drive it in... everything should line up.

Good to know! I just made an assumption here that they would be correct... and it would be also informative to know what ones are off... especially for someone with no experience with them.

Those two spots are not for a 44 bulb... they are for a 555 bulb. Is the PCB mis-aligned so the bulb is actually hitting wood?

Bummer. Yeah the screen printed back glass is thicker than standard glass + translite film... so the standard trim doesn’t fit well

... but you already figured that out.

Sorry man... that’s a chunk of change.

You’ve got a great spirit!!!