As a distributor I'm going to say :

1. This fix looks good and nothing negative to say about it, I admire someone trying their best to help folks... but words of caution...

2. JJP is asking people to NOT remove your posts just yet - too many people are getting curious and may be causing potential damage that doesn't exist or need to be done by removing the posts just yet. Not saying at some point JJP may have some sort of commentary and part of that is to 'remove the posts and do this or that' but as of right now I am advising my customers to not start disassembling your playfield. WAIT for the company to say something... it'll be coming I'm sure.

3. In general, doing stuff to your game and causing damage or manipulating something they do not yet have a fix for (if they will) is something that the warranty doesn't cover - the warranty covers your game as you bought it and like adding mods or things to a game and if you do additional / new damage, that's on you, so again 'wait' until JJP has something to say before you start doing home brew stuff. We have no idea if doing this or some other 'fix' is going to be counter productive to what they are going to say. I don't know - just saying wait, then at that time, if this is the best option - you can always do this.

4. Be patient I'm confident both JJP and Stern are working to figure things out at this time to determine, what happened, how to prevent it, and hopefully how to resolve things for existing customers.

5. All of the above is from me, the distributor, and not from JJP or anything official - just saying what I would tell to my customer if they asked me about this. Right now, we are all just saying 'wait', let them figure things out and comment.

Just trying to be helpful to everyone and cautious here - I think it's great this shows results - but I think it's best to wait for official word from these companies, until then a little patience may be warranted. You don't want to look back and say 'I wish I waited for the companies to say something'. Not everyone is skilled at working on games and I don't want to see anyone causing additional issues at this time. I'm sending this to JJP as well for them to see / evaluate etc... maybe it'll help them which is good.

Joe Newhart
PinballSTAR Amusements

Just trying to help with a word of caution... It's like when you cut yourself and you keep lifting the bandage to look to see if it's healed, you know you're not helping anything. I've heard of people saying Stern washers have sunk under the clear - you remove a post and that washer you're taking up clear and art work and creating a chip that didn't exist. Why risk it - leave it as is as the company's issue to you, not one you maybe created or made worse by tinkering around. I also fear people who are not skilled in doing this work and making matters worse - even Dave cautions about procedure... That said I commend him for what seems to be a reliable, cheap, simple fix for those with the skill to do it properly, which he obviously is. Why not wait and see what they come up with then cycle back to this if it's the best option. I'm still going to stand by don't go removing things just yet as my opinion then - the POTC post kit was when they had defective sharps posts that was thought to be a cause / contributor, this obviously is now a clear issue across multiple companies and not the same situation. Just trying to help folks, that's all... Me I'd bookmark this thread and make decisions what to do after other info is hopefully presented by companies.

I haven’t shipped a game since this came to light of late.

My advice to customers is simply don’t disassemble stuff (and repeated by Jack publically) until told to do so and possibly creating a problem by taking up a post and maybe clear or art with it. Then it’s a problem the customer created by their actions. I’d rather if they have an issue it can be presented to the company as ‘here’s what my game looks like as you sent it’ not ‘here’s what my game looks like as you sent it, oh and a lot of other damage I did on my own’. Not a position you want to be in.

Secondly we don’t yet know what if any fix may come from the companies so why do things that might negate your ability to do the things the companies recommend. I stand strongly by my advice to pause, wait, then later if this fix is the best option do it. I’m looking out for the CUSTOMER so his position for warranty resolution is never hindered. Not sure what you’re bitching about.

I don’t disagree you should be able to witness Jesus tap dancing on a PF there seems to be an issue so why risk it and you yourself cause more damage. What is the purpose of removing a post at this stage ? Curiosity ? Someone posted about a Stern with their washers sunk into the clear - if you maybe took a post off and that washer came up with it you now have a more serious uncorrectible problem. I’m just saying there no purpose, companies are saying not to, and as a distributor I don’t want my customers risking anything - leave it as is to be able to document what you have. I’m just trying to protect people is all. Frankly I think Dave’s fix is ingenious, but still I wouldn’t do that until the company you may want something you from later says to do it. Don’t void a warranty folks by making more damage. And no company has told me anything along those lines I’m just saying as a customers advocate that’s my advice.