I am back to lightbulbs.... 47s and 55s to begin with. The red 55s... has anyone tried coloring them with a red Sharpie? Acrylic paint has been suggested. I am also shopping for bulbs in quantities. Testing them has revealed that I don't think I need to replace them ALL.
What did you do on your Friday afternoon? Well I listened to a wise pinball restorer and decided I have asked enough (not all) questions and it was time to begin.
I started cleaning the exterior of the game. Tar from cigarette smoke is some nasty sticky stuff. Paint chipping away and I recognized that some sprucing up would help my enthusiasm. First I made a tool to help remove the bulbs in the light board. Some of the bulbs separated glass from brass requiring pliers to completely remove. As I went, I made a chart identifying bulb type and locations. Next I will test them all and clean them up to be reinstalled.
After wiping down and using a stiff bristled brush to flake off all loose paint, I applied two coats of a white primer. First coat looked yellow from tar residue. It was like painting 85 little rooms - walls and floors. I don't have spraying equipment so I did it with a brush. A small brush being careful not to get paint into the lightbulb sockets. What a difference a little paint can make.
I will trace the artwork (using old clothes patterns) that is on the machine and begin the search for the proper paint. Spray cans will be used. Stencils will be made from matboard (it would be ideal if the stuff came in 48 x whatever... 42 x is just a little short). The areas that are sand on the beach appear to be speckled. The other colors (red, white and blue) will be easier to match. The coin door pattern will be made up from images of Laguna Beach machines I have seen on the web.
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