I'm in the club

Cab is pretty worn and the PF got some wear but everything seem to work as it should. It's already led's, cliffy's and a rottendog fliptronics card in it. Oh, previous owner also swapped to a new clear ramp plastic

Already ordered overlays for the PF (mansion and magnets above), new apron stickers, star posts, rubbers and some other stuff. Will also add the magnet fuse kit to be on the safe side. Currently going through the whole game cleaning and polishing everything; It will be great when fixed.

I have to do something about that abomination of a coin door; the ugly metal brackets have to go but I don't want holes left so I am considering getting a brand new door.

TAF (resized).jpg

here is a couple that had the plates like yours . filler in holes and a squirt of paint . cheap AND good

Looks great, holes are very hard to see. What type of filler are we talking about, QuickWood or something else?

I'm about to apply the mansion & magnet overlays but never done that kind of work before, so what's the recommended approach?

* Should I just clean the worn PF with Novus and then apply the overlays ontop or should I first try to use QuickWood or similar to "fill" and level the worn areas to avoid potential cavities? Perhaps filling is unneccessary if the overlay is thick enough to not bend downwards ?

* Apply the overlay "dry" or use the "wet method" ? I've never done the wet method so a quick 101 would be great in that case.

* Some parts of the mansion are bare wood, if I use the wet method won't the PF absorb the fluid and swell/crack later on?

Appreciate any input on the above.

While renovating my game I checked the flipper coil markings and realize they don't all match the manual:

---------------Manual---------My game
upper right......FL-11630.........FL-11630
upper left........FL-11753.........FL-15411
lower left........FL-15411.........FL-11753
lower right......FL-15411.........no idea - wrapping paper missing

It seems like a previous owner swapped the upper left and lower left coils by mistake, or is there actually a good reason for my current coil configuration?

Also, the lower right coil is missing the paper, can I measure the resistance to find out which type it is?

Those are plastics that was abandoned beween the prototypes and the release of the final game. Not used.

After cleaning the newly bought TAF I started playing on it and realized immediately that the kick-out hole outside the Thing box doesn't eject the ball reliably. The coil get the ball almost out of the hole, but then it falls back in again. Sometimes it get the ball out but most often it will fail to eject ~10 times and then the thing have to come and take the ball out instead.

I have cleaned the whole eject assembly and changed sleeve, but didn't help. I noticed the plastic end of the plunger have a weird "waist-line" slightly below the tip, might be it have brushed against the switch arm close by and worn the plastic? I also noticed my coil is an AE-28-1500 while the manual on ipdb.org states it should be an AE-30-2000.

I've done some googling and it appear that others having the same problem with this hole on TAF have changed their "weak" original AE-30-2000 coil with the stronger 27-1200 and get it to work fine, but it kind of feels like a hack. Shouldn't the original coil, or my current (stronger?) AE-28-1500 be enough?

Note: the pics were taken while cleaning, so the black dot on the plunger tip for example is not a hole as it looks like but dirt that I've already removed.

Looking at the pictures right now I also realized the wooden edge where the ball is supposed to go up seem to have a deep dent, meaning maybe the ball gets "stuck" against the small edge and fall back in? Perhaps I should try fill it with some quickwood.

TL;DR

Should I buy a new plunger, a new stronger coil or both?

hole (resized).jpg

coil (resized).jpg

plunger (resized).jpg

Update regarding the Thing outhole above. I looked closely at the plunger angle and realized it hit above the center of the ball, thus not lifting it up properly. So I just added a #8 spacer between the kick-out assembly and the playfield (hold in place by one of the two screws for the actual assembly) and now the ball ejects properly every time.

One of my flashers for the cloud in the topbox won't work. Looking at the PCB for the twist-socket the contact points looks very worn. I've tried to find someone selling these PCBs but can't find them.

An ugly solution would be to simply solder the two cables directly to the black lamp socket, but that feels like a last resort.

I'm guessing trying to flow some solder over the missing parts won't work at all; perhaps wrapping tin-foil to replace the missing parts? I'm hoping someone here have a better fix for my problem.

pcb (resized).jpg

I assumed the solder would refuse to flow out/stick to the worn parts of the trace.

Thanks for the advice all, I will try this asap.

Update to the flasher PCB issue:

I tried to flow solder over the worn parts but as I suspected the solder didn't want to cover the parts where the trace were gone from the PCB. In the end I installed the twist-socket in the PCB and by turning it only halfway around it still rests on the intact trace, thus the flasher working.

I have no idea how I were supposed to get the solder to coat the clean PCB surface (where copper trace were gone), don't think its possible tbh. If you have succeeded in this then please tell me what I did wrong.

Anyway, problem solved, although not as nicely as I had hoped.

Several of my pins have had different sized screws holding <insert assembly x here> to the playfield. It seem the thinner screws are normally what should be there but when some screw holes have been enlarged they have been replaced with larger screws to keep fasten properly. Maybe this is the same for you.

My uppermost target switch at the swamp entrance is constantly being bent backwards (into the swamp) quite a bit. The switch registers but it's annoying to bend it back all the time and it looks bad when bent.

The two lower switches doesn't seem to have the same problem (guess it depends on ball angle/velocity for the different targets and the fact that the lowest one have the steel assembly directly behind it to act as a stop).

I know there are reinforced targets but I can only find oblong ones and the swamp targets are round. I've been thinking about making a sturdy metal piece (with drilled holes to fasten using the target screws) to put behind it and act as a stop. Anyone recognize this problem and have any good solutions?

swamp (resized).jpg

Deleted

Its identical to the other two targets. Perhaps the metal backing on this particular target has been bent so many times the metal got fatigued. Its easy to bend that target , not much force is needed.

https://www.free-play.se/produkter/kabinettdelar/kabinettdekaler/apron-dekaler/the-addams-family-apron-decal-set.html

It's not transparent but it also isn't completely "filled".

My bookcase (the blue plastic part) gets loose after a number of plays. It seems like the rotating motion of the bookcase unscrews screw nr 38 (inside the bookcase plastic) from the shaft 34 beneath, as I get more and more "up an down slack" on the shaft that holds it all together. If I tighten screw nr 38 its all ok for a while until the problem gets back again.
Screw 38 have washers with "teeth". Could I have the wrong screw? Looked at Marcos but they didnt have the exact part number so not sure if mine is correct or not.

The lock nut 37 is firm and in position so shouldnt be an issue.

Any suggestions on how to permanently fix this issue? Its annoying to tighten the screw over and over.

I know that loctite and similar exist but never use it in fear of stuff getting hard to disassemble in the future. Perhaps I should make an exeption in this case thought.

The screw is inside the bookcase so in case it would get stuck really hard then the whole plastic assembly will be impossible to take apart without breaking it.

If it only drops it now and then it could be one of the wires leading to the coil that are broken inside due to cable movement when hand moves.

Any play in the hand assembly? Its not releasing the ball against the ball guide in front of the box?

I replaced the standup target with a brand new one today and it no longer bends backward when hit.

The mounting metal plate in the old target had a large crack in the metal at one of the rivets and that was apparently enough to make it bend a lot.

My blue bookshelf pad doesnt use any adhesive at all, it has a snug fit vertically and is kept in place by the screws that hold the upper plastic to the bottom circle. There is a small plastic edge in front of it too that keep it from going forward.

I (still) have a problem with a "wobbly" bookcase, basically the large blue plastic base gets loose over time. It seems like screw #38 (inside the bookcase) gets unscrewed/loose after X number of bookcase-turns (a couple hundred or so, its not immediately) so the whole plastic wobbles when a ball passes over.

The manual states the screw is a "MS 8-32 x 5/8 P-PH-S-Ny". As a non-american the last half is really confusing to me, please break down what "P-PH-S-Ny" means in detail? PH is for Philips head?

What I'm interested in most of all is if the screw is supposed to have a "built in" spacer with notches that is supposed to lock it down or not. The manual (pdf from ipdb) is really grainy and I can't tell if its supposed to have a spacer or not, and if so, what type (flat or notched).

As my game had some paint wear in the orbit loop near the thing hole I just added a strip of adhesive mylar around that whole area, including tightly around the hole. This was after I had cleaned and repainted the wear as best as I could ofc.

The mylar should protect that area from future wear.

As soon as you get the game working I would add a few spotlights to it, the stock PF is way too dark imo.

I've added one at the upper right flipper illuminating the whole bookcase area and another near right lower flipper aiming at the mansion area. Game gets much more enjoyable when you actually can see the ball properly

Ok, I didn't even know I missed this metal plate switch cover, but I've actually had a few balls trapped behind that switch so obviously I need it.

I searched https://www.moll.no/pinball/jsparts/TAF.php below "main ramp" but didn't find the metal part in question, only the simple switch bracket that I currently have (01-9476-2).

So, anyone know what the part number for the metal sheet, or even better, know anyone selling them? If not I guess I could make my own from some scrap metal I've got, but still prefer buying one for less hassle.

That is what I have too.

Could that plate have been added to the later TAF Gold pins?

So it seems that older TAF doesnt have the switch cover and somewhere in time the fact that balls getting stuck behind the switch made them add the plate in production.

If only someone knew the partnumber for it.

Thank you so much! I did search Marco for addams parts earlier but somehow I must have missed it and thus thought it was a special part being unobtanium. Time to put an order then.

As the damage is straight in front of the chair the most probable cause is the chair VUK constantly shooting the ball at the same area on the playfield. Fix it up and then put clearcoat or a sheet of mylar to protect the area.

One of those two switches are probably flaky and not always registering a ball, thus the ball just sits there and not moved further.

Check them in the switch test.

The only thing I need to figure out now is why the chair and swamp kick out are weak. Hopefully a good cleaning will help

Probably dust in the coil sleeve, worn coil stop or a mushroomed metal plunger...or all three combined Check those things and they should be stronger again.

I do my lightning mods myself. Mods I've bought had their alligator clips removed instantly, I really don't like/trust clips when it's so easy to just solder the cables instead. Clips might fall off and/or shorting stuff due to being metal.

Welcome honored guest!

Yes, sell your TAF first, then look for a DI. Doing a "pin swap" is so much more hassle.

TAF is a really dark game and need more lights. I installed two extra spotlights with great results imo. One near the bookcase, lighting the whole upper area around bookcase/bear ramp/train and a second on the right slingshot illuminating the mansion area.

Will try post a picture tomorrow.

Wait, there is a nut also? Isn't that thing both pivot point and "nut" all in one? I dont think I got an extra nut on any of my pins.

Welcome honored guest.

I had some strange issues with my right chair led,. Turned out one of the metal legs from it (inside the chair) were touching a leg of the left chair led. Bent the legs apart properly and my issues went away. Maybe you have a similar problem?

Many (including me) install a couple of spotlights connected to the GI to add some more light to the playfield. I added one on the right slingshot and another to the right of the bookcase. Will check if I have pictures saved somewhere.

This game is way to dark from factory.

+1 to this.

Tinkering and fixing is actually lots of fun (apart from saving you money). I'm probably playing 30% and fixing 70% Just dive in and learn how to do it yourself.

I don't have the list of rubbers but an advice: when I change rubbers on a machine I always order a few extra for most sizes. Rubbers doesn't cost that much and it's so annoying to realize you are missing just one or two. Also, if you order more rubbers later on you might get from another batch with a slightly different color.