Thanks for all the help on replacing ramps and lamps. There is a lot to be learned from just doing it one time. It is interesting how all the gates and switches interact to provide the play flow. I polished all the plastics and was amazed at how clear they became and how dirty the microfiber towel became at the same time. I installed plastic savers under the plastics and am pleased with how they fit and look. Next up will be the Cliff protectors for the ramps. I decided to get a new soldering iron since my usual one is 20 years old. The new one is a soldering station type with rheostat and such.....and it worked a treat! I replaced switch covers and added new ones to the naked ones up top. The two large black ones got replaced with orange ones from FunHouse to tie in with the orange on that ramp. All the playfield lamps topside got LED's and so did the backbox. I lied......3 didn't get replaced.....the Pinbot Value lamps near the top of the mini playfield proved too much of a pain so they are untouched. I need to invite lyonsden over for dinner and con him into the contortions needed.
LED additions are sort of a brain game. You have to figure out what you want areas to look like, then (if this is your first time with LED's) make a guess at brightness and lens type, and finally be prepared to move/change some lamps to reach your vision. I went with Comet's lamps for most of my items. I used Natural White under the slings and flipper returns. The rest of the main playfield got Ice Blue, the pop bumpers got 6 LED fan shaped red bulbs, and the helmet got blue Comfort bulbs. All LED lenses are frosted. I love the playfield as it looks now. It has a clean look down at the bottom and a subtle tinting of blue elsewhere. New ramps let you see so much that was too dark to see that it is amazing. You can follow the ball over the entire playfield now and when the new flashers go off, it is wonderful.
The backbox was harder than the playfield for me to figure out. It is mostly Natural White and Ice Blue with a few other highlights. Some of the fun things are the Flame LED under the apple, the slow color changers for the brides 4 faces near the speakers, and the ultra purple lamp behind the wine glass. I used frosted lenses where I could and may change a few to clear (the bonus values up her leg). All in all, I am happy with the outcome and have a new respect for those who have nicely colored machines of any title. It isn't the easiest thing to make come out perfect when you replace over 100 bulbs. My hat is off to those of you who do it!
Hickory, NC
thank you guys!
