OK, blue it is.
I agree it will match the theme, all good.
(Topic ID: 61134)
Linked Games
Seawitch
Stern Electronics, 1980
Topic Gallery
Chesterfield, VA
Quoted from Chalkey:You certain they were supposed to be black and not blue? Mine are blue and old AF.
I think Sten did it both ways. Mine were and are black but I do believe I've seen some original games with blue also. I think it was whatever was available in the factory that day.
These two are spoken for already but I have the parts to make a couple more. PM me and I can put you on a list if you want one.
1 week later
Last call for Seawitch S ball defectors. They turned out to be far more popular than I anticipated. I have used up all my raw materials and have 4 unsold (one light blue and three blue). Hit me up in a PM if you want one. $35 with free shipping in the US.
Halifax, NS
New playfields are well under way by the new group. I would guess available in November. They will be sending out the remaining prepaid ones this Fall.
1 week later
2 weeks later
Here you go Seawitch fans, I had to change from a Tiff to Jpg to upload but its at minimum compression so should work just fine.
Import into your cutter software, I use Silhouette Studio basic edition.
Trace, 85% threshold, 4% speckle.
Cut.
I can say these are correct size or not, they were sized so they looked good with the popper caps I'm using!
Gary
popper_caps.jpg 2 weeks later
Found this custom blue plastic to prevent stuck balls on top of the plastic above the upper left flipper today while unpacking after moving to a new house. Never installed. $25 shipped.
2 weeks later
Can somebody confirm that Seawitch uses the backglass lockbar without tabs? My game had the “without” version when I purchased it but have no clue if it was the correct one or not. I do have it working now but just wanted to make just I was using the correct assembly.
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:Can somebody confirm that Seawitch uses the backglass lockbar without tabs? My game had the “without” version when I purchased it but have no clue if it was the correct one or not. I do have it working now but just wanted to make just I was using the correct assembly.
Seawitch uses the lock bar without the tabs. The "tabs" are on the channel that fits to the top of the back glass.
1 week later
Münster
3 weeks later
2 weeks later
Hello,
Topic 1: does anyone have a PDF of these updated playing apron cards. They look wicked cool.
Topic2: Tips on removing armor? Putty knife? And what happens to the glass track once removed?
Quoted from PeteLawtPin:Topic2: Tips on removing armor? Putty knife? And what happens to the glass track once removed?
Could you be a little more specific, please?
Quoted from PeteLawtPin:Hello,
Topic 1: does anyone have a PDF of these updated playing apron cards. They look wicked cool.
Topic2: Tips on removing armor? Putty knife? And what happens to the glass track once removed?
there are quite a few topics out there in removing metal side rails if that what you had in mind
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/removing-side-rails-vids-guide
The plastic glass tranck are nailed to the cabinet so they stay on unless you remove the nails 
1 week later
Quoted from zapp:She's alive and playing great
[quoted image][quoted image]
Looks good. Are those white / clear inserts in the “rip tide” loop? Most of them were made with blue.
Quoted from zapp:They are blue, I think they have lost some color
Mine is like yours. Install blue LED's and they will light up blue.
2 weeks later
Officially in the club! Though I have a (VERY ROUGH) galaxy in my shop, pending Quicksilver conversion, I've missed having a classic stern in my lineup since I let loose of my Meteor a while back. Swapped my problematic hardtopped Eight Ball Deluxe for this and cash. I've got some minor adjustments to do and it badly needed the GI redone but it should be a decent player soon.
20220226_110911 (resized).jpg20220226_140250 (resized).jpgScreenshot_20220226-163759_Messenger (resized).jpg20220226_155246 (resized).jpgreceived_1007613770173458 (resized).jpegQuoted from Chalkey:Wow that thing's in great shape!
It's a solid enough original playfield, but definitely not perfect. It's within the realm of touch up and clearcoat possibility someday in the future, I think. The plastics and backglass are CPR replacements.
I'll probably work on gradually molexing the drop banks and getting it closer to being ready for a teardown someday if I decide to do that.
Pretty pleased with the game thus far, it's a real ass-kicker!
IMG_20220226_145320_01 (resized).jpgIMG_20220226_145320_02 (resized).jpgIMG_20220226_145320_03 (resized).jpgIMG_20220226_145320_04 (resized).jpgIMG_20220226_145320_05 (resized).jpgQuoted from gdonovan:I started with worse.
Not perfect but it was a $60 wall hanger.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Yeah, no complaints from me on mine..it's as good as I'd expect from a pin 5 years older than me. Just pointing out it's not perfect 
I'm getting BOATLOADS of airballs (and unfortunately left drains following the plastic down) from my left flipper. I know there are resistors that can be wired in, EOS can be gapped wider, coils can be downgraded, etc... what's the consensus in 2022 on what's best? Might as well add some more parts to my next pbl order...
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:Yeah, no complaints from me on mine..it's as good as I'd expect from a pin 5 years older than me. Just pointing out it's not perfect
I'm getting BOATLOADS of airballs (and unfortunately left drains following the plastic down) from my left flipper. I know there are resistors that can be wired in, EOS can be gapped wider, coils can be downgraded, etc... what's the consensus in 2022 on what's best? Might as well add some more parts to my next pbl order...
Strange, I'd check to make sure flipper plate not bent. No air balls on mine ever but have new mechs on the upper flipper and they are at full power too.
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:Yeah, no complaints from me on mine..it's as good as I'd expect from a pin 5 years older than me. Just pointing out it's not perfect
I'm getting BOATLOADS of airballs (and unfortunately left drains following the plastic down) from my left flipper. I know there are resistors that can be wired in, EOS can be gapped wider, coils can be downgraded, etc... what's the consensus in 2022 on what's best? Might as well add some more parts to my next pbl order...
The upper flippers should have weaker coils that the lower flippers because the upper left flipper is very close to the center drop target bank. Many people have built plastic guards to install above the left upper flipper to deal with the air balls.
Quoted from bluespin:The upper flippers should have weaker coils that the lower flippers because the upper left flipper is very close to the center drop target bank. Many people have built plastic guards to install above the left upper flipper to deal with the air balls.
Weaker coils and resistors. When I did my build I left the resistors off for the moment.
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:Looks like mine has AQ-25-500/34-500 coils for all four flippers.
Also, my tilt....only kind of works. If I HOLD the bob against the bracket it *might* tilt. Maybe. Sometimes. I really need to sort that out... :/
[quoted image][quoted image]
Should be 475's and 600's with the 600's up top.
I'd swap out the cap on the tilt, they go bad like mad. I just ordered 200 from GPE I go through so many.
You seem to be missing a wire too, I'll have to flip through my reference photos. Can you take a better pic of the tilt and ball tilt mech towards the front?
edit: yes you are missing a wire. The white with black wire that is loose in your pic should be on the tilt ring eyelet.
Damn, eagle eyes! Yep, I see that wire now. Soldered back in and tilt is good to go. Maybe a bit too sensitive now.... lol. Guess no more slide saves 
Ordering some coils, I'll swap those all in when they're here. Might as well rebuild flippers while I'm at it, God only knows when it was done last.
My center drops were sitting a hair low so I shimmed them ever so slightly in order to prevent stuck balls, but other than that they seemed okay to me. Inserts don't seem too out of sorts (although those riptide arrows are slightly raised I believe). I'm going to try all new coils (600 up top, 475 down low) as indicated above and see what happens.
1 month later
Finally got the top coils swapped over to 600s. Still getting airballs unfortunately. With deflectors no longer being available, what's my next step? Resistors? EOS? Smashing my head into a wall? Haven't swapped my lower 500s to 475s but I don't really expect a lot of difference tbh. Power from the flippers seems fine as is.
Also got my Evos installed. Didn't like the translucent blue caps I bought so I swapped the OGs back in while I look around for something different. Think I may try changing GI over to cool white to see how I like that, I've never been a huge fan of how the cool white underglow of evos contrasts against anything OTHER than cool white GI. My High Speed is a similar deal with warm white GI and Evos and I just don't like the contrast. But imo cool white GI only SOMETIMES works. Witch might be the case where it does.
IMG_20220416_120947_01 (resized).jpg20220416_151451 (resized).jpg20220416_151459 (resized).jpg20220416_180053 (resized).jpg20220416_180058 (resized).jpgQuoted from KSUWildcatFan:Still getting airballs unfortunately. With deflectors no longer being available, what's my next step?
Looking good. Next time you come down to Flashball's, get with me. I have some plastic laying around. We can make you a defector.
Quoted from cottonm4:Looking good. Next time you come down to Flashball's, get with me. I have some plastic laying around. We can make you a defector.
I really need to do something about my Galaxy lane guide situation too. It's....sad. these classic sterns are going to be the death of me.
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:Think I may try changing GI over to cool white to see how I like that
I lean toward cool white GI for blue play field and warm white for green play field. With my Seawitch, I went with these ice blue LEDs. I like the effect.
https://www.cometpinball.com/products/1smd-non-ghosting
I cannot get LEDs for photograph all that well, but the blue overtones really make the play filed pop. Come down and see it.
Quoted from cottonm4:I lean toward cool white GI for blue play field and warm white for green play field. With my Seawitch, I went with these ice blue LEDs. I like the effect.
https://www.cometpinball.com/products/1smd-non-ghosting
I cannot get LEDs for photograph all that well, but the blue overtones really make the play filed pop. Come down and see it.
[quoted image]
Blue GI?! Noooooooo!!! 
Gotta stick with the various tones of white! 
I keep trying to come up with a reason for you to come visit Tecumseh but man.. there's not much here lol
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:I keep trying to come up with a reason for you to come visit Tecumseh but man.. there's not much here lol
Well, I know a guy up there who has:
Gorgar
LAH
Mata Hari
TRON
Taxi
LOTR
Metallica
High Speed
Galaxy
BASEBALL ! Slugfest
Bad Cats
BK2K
WCS
and Roy Clark
If these are all playing well, it would be worth the trip.
Quoted from cottonm4:Well, I know a guy up there who has:
Gorgar - haven't even tried booting it yet
LAH - in pieces, need to finish cleaning up for my buddy
Mata Hari - finished hardtop #1, starting on #2
TRON
Taxi - leaving soon
LOTR
Metallica
High Speed
Galaxy -- 2021 code is awesome!
BASEBALL ! Slugfest
Bad Cats
BK2K
WCS
and Roy Clark - missing one drop target but working otherwise
If these are all playing well, it would be worth the trip.
Haha! Come play em!
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:Finally got the top coils swapped over to 600s. Still getting airballs unfortunately. With deflectors no longer being available, what's my next step? Resistors? EOS? Smashing my head into a wall? Haven't swapped my lower 500s to 475s but I don't really expect a lot of difference tbh. Power from the flippers seems fine as is.
Also got my Evos installed. Didn't like the translucent blue caps I bought so I swapped the OGs back in while I look around for something different. Think I may try changing GI over to cool white to see how I like that, I've never been a huge fan of how the cool white underglow of evos contrasts against anything OTHER than cool white GI. My High Speed is a similar deal with warm white GI and Evos and I just don't like the contrast. But imo cool white GI only SOMETIMES works. Witch might be the case where it does.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Inserts all level? airballs are pretty infrequent on my Seawitch... sometimes running too much pitch can cause airballs as well.. so obviously, if you must run that angle, then you need some other creative solution.. but tbh, the game may play faster, but I find the difficulty less with greater pitch unless you compensate with wider outlanes...
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