(Topic ID: 274397)

Bally's Laguna Beach

By plumbertim1

3 years ago


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There are 53 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
#1 3 years ago

This is my first time on this site and am very new to fixing up these machines I just bought a complete Laguna Beach that I plan on restoring to look original. Mine has metal rails, looks like wood under there. What should it be?
Also the paint, is it oil based or lead paint. Does anyone know the color codes or something that will help me match the color. The sand is going to be a pain I know. The paint on the front glass is pulling away from the screen, how should I fix it? Any advice for a newbie?

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#2 3 years ago

First of all, welcome. The rails should be wood. Operators put the metal on to prevent players (i.e., crooks) from drilling through the wood and using various things like coat hangers to trick the machine into thinking there was a ball in the hole. I believe the paint brand was Zolotone. As far as color codes go, I have no idea. There are other folks here who have restored Lagunas. The glass is a reproduction. Other people may have an idea how to correct your problem, but if you are so inclined I have new old stock perfect repop Laguna glasses if it ever comes to that. I see you have a Double Up there as well, is that one operating properly?

#3 3 years ago

Make sense covering the wood. Hopefully it will be in good shape when I take the metal off. You have a back glass for the Laguna? If so I may be interested in buying it. I just now had a step up coil to burn up. Do you have any idea where to get a coil and other parts I'm sure I will eventually? 25-GG-7.
I bought both machines in a package deal. Double up works but I have it sold (hopefully). I played the Laguna a lot as a teenager and lost a lot too. I want to restore it back to original and operate good too.
Thank you for answering, I am new and have tons of questions.
Thanks
Tim

#4 3 years ago

Tim, I have tons of parts as well - many many 25-GG-7's in the bin. PM me your needs and I'll help however I can. Shipping the glass is a concern, but I know it can be done successfully.

Phil

#5 3 years ago

take off the foot rail/lockdown bar and look at the bottom end of the metal rails.

a lot of times if metal rails were added the original wood rails were planed down to a more rectangular shape, so a wood rail conversion will require replacement rails.

for your backglass, the usual approach is to clean the clear areas and coat the entire back side in krylon triple-thick clear urethane. If the ink is flaking, you can push most of it down into the wet urethane or use saran wrap. Google for "pinball backglass krylon", there's lots of web sites and youtube vids.

depending on where the flaking is, it may not be worth trying to do anything besides coating with the krylon to stop more flaking. Damage in the translucent areas of the class is difficult to repair as you need to get the color AND opacity correct - e.g. the green 4/16/75 score area would take some effort with trial and error. Areas that have no light shining through are easier as you just need to get the color close enough then paint black over it.

I'd be surprised if you could get the color combo you'd want in zolatone without a custom mix that isn't available in small quantities.

how far you go in trying to reproduce the original finish is up to you, but most people just sand the old paint off after making stencils and paint with colors from rattle cans and forget about the text/splatter effect that zolatone provided. One option to explore is using a texture paint/primer/roller to get the bumpy surface then paint the other colors on top.

the original colors are different from what you see now due to oxidation and a few hundred layers of nicotine. If you take off the metal rails, the color underneath will be the original, but not all colors used on the cabinet will be under there.

making a machine look nice is whack-a-mole. Repaint the cabinet and the wood rails will look shoddy, refinish those and the foot rail metal plates and buttons will stand out, replace those and you'll be inclined the pay Coos a few $hundred for a near-perfect reproduction mirrored backglass, replace that and you'll notice the crazing in the playfield ink and start wondering how to get a reproduction playfield ... then someone will offer you $150 for the finished game

#6 3 years ago

Thank you for your help. I took the metal side rail off and the wood looks original. But the nails weren't set or puttied. Maybe the metal rail was installed in the factory?
Someone offering me $150 after its complete will not happen. Probably couldn't even get that much! I'll put it in my game room and my family will have to figure out what to do with it after I'm gone.
So far it seems to be a good hobby, mainly because of this forum.
Thanks Baldtwit

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#7 3 years ago

This is cool, following your work on the Laguna Beach which looks awesome. As you already saw, you will get all the help you need to get it going. The Pinsiders here are absolutely great at offering help (and even parts!), and the overall knowledge here of the different machines from all eras (and willingness to share that) never ceases to amaze me.

#8 3 years ago

looks like your metal rails were the kind that bent out near the top so they just went over the original wood ones. I'm kinda sure those are aftermarket.

metal rails that would go around the wood ones were a "New!" item in the 1962 WICO catalog (wico was a coin machine parts supplier).

19-0364 - 37-7/16" - $5.95/pair
19-0368 - 35-7/16" - $5.95/pair

I don't think the bally rails were nailed thru the top, probably someone put those nails in when they added the metal rails.

#9 3 years ago

Six bucks a pair! Inflation runs rampant, but to collectors now even that would be too much. I mean, all they do is get torn off, no one is going to drill through their own machine.

#10 3 years ago

I made my own wood side rails from dowels.
Here's a couple of pics.
My game WAS a metal side rail machine,but, I liked the
"wood" look so wood it is.
Terry K

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#11 3 years ago

Terry, what's going on with the backglass? Is it the camera, it looks like some black blotches are forming or something. This is a Coos glass, right?

#12 3 years ago

Nope, "OK", the glass is perfect, it's the camera guy
who is all messed up.
And yes it is a Coos special
TK

#13 3 years ago

I like the wood side rails. I've never seen wood legs like that, did you wrap it around the metal legs? They look great!
Did you re-paint the machine? I'm planning to sand mine just to get it smooth then paint over the existing artwork with hopefully the right color. There wasn't much difference between the exposed artwork and the color under the metal rail I took off.

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#14 3 years ago

Older games came with wooden legs from the factory. Some operators would chuck them out when metal legs became widely available because they wouldn't snap (they do bend, though, with enough force), crackle or pop. The bingos used special metal legs with an extra plate welded behind the leg to prevent twisting.

Bingo wooden legs have an extra bolt in them (compared to flipper game wooden legs) to help prevent splitting near the bolt holes.

Laguna Beach would have been metal legs from the factory.

#15 3 years ago

Tim., I believe your game was orig wood side rails.
My game was metal. Side rails & legs.
I had a choice, find a "wood" game or make mine a "wood" game.
I really like how it turned out.
The wood legs are very stable as well as a bit more game play.
The new paint job was with help from Coos with stencils
The legs came from Nate at Dixieland pinball. The legs were in
such good shape I just bolted them on.
I mentioned to Nate that he had great legs never heard back from him
TK

#16 3 years ago

I keep hearing "Coos" who or what is Coos? Dixieland pinball is a supplier?
Those legs are awesome! I'm using a shop vac and compressed air to get the dust out. Attached is some progress pictures.
I appreciate all the help!

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#17 3 years ago
Quoted from plumbertim1:

I keep hearing "Coos" who or what is Coos? Dixieland pinball is a supplier?
Those legs are awesome! I'm using a shop vac and compressed air to get the dust out. Attached is some progress pictures.
I appreciate all the help![quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

He's a Dutch collector who makes and sells reproduction backglasses with true mirror lines. He will ship to the USA. He also sells other small cabinet hardware parts.

http://www.coos.net/bingo_e/index.html

Edit: I believe he also sells stencil sets for cabinet art.

#18 3 years ago

Stencil set is probably what I need. I have a NOS backglass coming soon.
Thanks for the link for Coos

#19 3 years ago

If you want perfect buttons (left, right and R) he can provide them, just be ready for sticker shock.

#20 3 years ago

Nate @ Dixeland pinball has lots of buttons.
I believe some are NOS.
TK

#21 3 years ago

You may want to dis-assemble the Bingo and work on it in a different place. Things can get a little messy at times.
Just a thought!

#22 3 years ago
Quoted from JKnPA:

You may want to dis-assemble the Bingo and work on it in a different place. Things can get a little messy at times.
Just a thought!

The machine is smack dab in the middle of my office. But my office is remote and don't have many people in there. Humidity and heat is bad in west Tennessee. If it were in my house my wife would probably throw me and the machine out!

#23 3 years ago

I have a copy of the flyer that Bally put out for the Laguna Beach. Was it originally color or black and white? It would look good framed.
Also there is the "For Amusement Only" tag. Is this a tag from the factory?

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#24 3 years ago

The tag is from the factory. I can shoot you an email with a clean file for your game. Also, I could be wrong but I think all bingo flyers were B&W.

#25 3 years ago

Thanks Phil,
Seems all the flyers I have seen were B&W

#27 3 years ago

When I did research for my flyer, I based it off of existing ones. I used a splash of red, modeled after the flyer for Miami Beach:
http://bingo.cdyn.com/machines/bally/miami_beach/resources/fly-miami_beach-1.jpg

I would love to know the logic in which games they chose to have color on the flyers.

And here's my flyer:
https://github.com/bingopodcast/bingos/blob/master/bingo_emulator/Multi-Bingo%20Flyer.pdf

#28 3 years ago

That machine doesn't have the same art and backglass as mine. Looks good though. Oops, That is a Malibu Beach not Laguna Beach.
Do you still have that machine?

#29 3 years ago

I've never had a Malibu, worked on a few (maybe four?) over the past several years.

The other game, yes, I do still have as I built it.

#30 3 years ago
Quoted from bingopodcast:

I've never had a Malibu, worked on a few (maybe four?) over the past several years.
The other game, yes, I do still have as I built it.

Can you post a picture? I would like to see how it turned out.

#32 3 years ago

I have a lock down bar that has a big chunk of wood out of it, didn't notice until recently. What are the odds of finding one in better shape than this one? Any idea where to look?

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#33 3 years ago

Tim, if you get in touch with Nate @ Dixieland bingo,
I believe you will find a s--- load of "stuff"
Give him a try.
Terry K

#34 3 years ago
Quoted from Terry1:

Tim, if you get in touch with Nate @ Dixieland bingo,
I believe you will find a s--- load of "stuff"
Give him a try.
Terry K

Thanks for the help but I googled Dixieland bingo and all it brought up was Dixieland machines. Does he have his own website?

#35 3 years ago

https://dixielandpinball.com/
Try this Tim
Terry K

1 week later
#36 3 years ago

Does anyone know how too shine up the springs in front of the light? I ran them in my vibratory bowl with walnut shells for 5 days. Didn't help any. Any ideas?
Is there any thing that replaces the little pins that are all around the playfield? I pulled then straight out but they look crappy. I read a post here but can't find it now. The long border (?) springs look ok. Would love to find some new ones but every type I see isn't the right length. But that's a minor issue.
My playfield looks pretty good and the light posts are awesome! Thanks Phil for helping me out.
Terry, Dixieland is out for a few days but he said he might have what I need.

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#37 3 years ago

Tim, you may want to try a metal polish direct on those springs and use a small Dremel wire brush, that may work. I'm surprised by the lack of improvement from the vibratory bowl, that's always worked for me. Is that rust?

#38 3 years ago

i think those things were plated and your coating is gone. Maybe originally nickel plated?

I vaguely recall (start worrying) that once you are down to what looks like copper, you're going to need to paint or plate.

I also recall (two in one post, so at least one is certainly wrong) that someone has home plated the things. Something like this:

but hunt around and see if you can find something. "electroplating" is a good term to search, as well as rechroming.

you can certainly send them out for plating. I absolutely don't recall what what would cost, tho.

#39 3 years ago

I would NOT recommend trying a wire wheel.
I still haven't found the spring I was trying to clean
Terry K

#40 3 years ago

The wire wheel didnt take any of the rust (I guess that was what it was) off the spring. That was a good video. I know how to plate nickle and copper but the removal of the rust was new. Plating is very easy except for chrome. I looked into that one time and after reading the first couple of sentences I knew it wasn't for me. Lots of dangerous fumes.
Phil it looks like rust, I will try the metal polish and dremel before plating it.
I'll let yall know how it turns out.
Tim

#41 3 years ago

Well, I've had a setback. Plating ate up the metal. It acted like the metal was nickel, can a spring be made from nickel? I'm going to try it again but for not as long. Wonder how hard it will be to get more springs like that? I'll check with Dixieland. Can we still say Dixie? Just kidding

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#42 3 years ago
Quoted from plumbertim1:

Well, I've had a setback. Plating ate up the metal. It acted like the metal was nickel, can a spring be made from nickel? I'm going to try it again but for not as long. Wonder how hard it will be to get more springs like that? I'll check with Dixieland. Can we still say Dixie? Just kidding
[quoted image]

stainless steel usually has nickel in it.

getting more springs is easy. Getting ones with no rust but some oxidation is pretty easy. Getting ones that look really good is less easy.

I don't think I have any laying around, but if you're in no rush I can yank some from a parts playfield at the pacific pinball museum.

joe shope lists them in his catalog NOS for $6/each and also lists used ones. Don't know if he still has any.

#43 3 years ago

Just catching up here. Nice project... what I have learned is it is never done so enjoy the process.

#44 3 years ago
Quoted from baldtwit:

stainless steel usually has nickel in it.

It didn't know that about SS. It really didn't look like rust. I polished it with my Dremel tool and it helped a little.
I would appreciate any help on replacing the spring, thank you Baldtwit

#45 3 years ago

I don't know if the spring were made from stainless or something else.

I've never improved them by polishing them unless it's just old wax on the surface. Once they get the white fuzzy oxidation or rust, I think plating is the only option.

anyway, pm me your mailing address and I'll make a trip to the museum warehouse and find ya something.

when you tried plating and got the damage, was the spring the positive or negative?

#46 3 years ago
Quoted from baldtwit:

when you tried plating and got the damage, was the spring the positive or negative

The negative was on the spring and positive on nickel strip. That part of plating I remember because a person would think the part should be on positive.

#47 3 years ago

I have some decent springs I can send you. Let me know how many you need. PM me your address and I will get them out to you.

#48 3 years ago

I didn't plate my springs. I polished them with Novas 2 and then waxed them when I waxed the playfield just to prevent future corrosion.

#49 3 years ago
Quoted from plumbertim1:

Does anyone know how too shine up the springs in front of the light? I ran them in my vibratory bowl with walnut shells for 5 days. Didn't help any. Any ideas?

Sounds like Dennis has you covered with his offer of replacement springs, but I'll still throw this out: I use crushed walnut media and add to it Flitz, the tumbling additive. 24 hours of that does a basic cleaning and oxidation removal. I finish off with Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish carefully applied by hand. It takes time, but the springs look very good. You can use a Q-tip and Mother's around the attachment points on the posts. I believe you also could use a Dremel tool with a felt tip to apply the Mother's, but I'd be careful around the curly areas at the posts or just do them by hand.

#50 3 years ago
Quoted from BlackCatBone:

Sounds like Dennis has you covered with his offer of replacement springs, but I'll still throw this out: I use crushed walnut media and add to it Flitz, the tumbling additive. 24 hours of that does a basic cleaning and oxidation removal. I finish off with Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish carefully applied by hand. It takes time, but the springs look very good. You can use a Q-tip and Mother's around the attachment points on the posts. I believe you also could use a Dremel tool with a felt tip to apply the Mother's, but I'd be careful around the curly areas at the posts or just do them by hand.

I do the same, but have always been too nervous to use anything powered around the attachment points (aside from the tumbler) if I take the rebound springs off the game to polish. I've had too many (ok, 3) shuffle off their mortal coil, so to speak, so no more power tools.

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