(Topic ID: 141593)

Gottleib Big Broadcast Special....information please.

By pindoc1

8 years ago

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Latest reply 8 years ago by Dr_of_Style
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I have been collecting pins for almost 20 years, all solid state games. Recently I was given a 1933 Big Broadcast Special. It is in pretty good condition (and works). I would like to restore it and I am looking for information and a possible source for parts.

The problems:
1. The legs are missing. I think there were some originally as the original ads state that all models came with legs, even the Special table top model. Also, there are screw holes in the cabinet where the leg screws would go. A source, or even just pictures and dimensions would be appreciated.
2. I am not sure the shooter rod is original. The ball lift button is orange plastic like I have seen in some pictures but the shooter rod knob is grey metal and cylinder shaped. There is no nylon tip on it. The tip is mushroomed but there are factory cut radial scores at the tip.
3. All of the mechs (working penny coin mech, ball lift and shooter rod housing and knob) on the front are an unfinished rough dull grey metal. The pictures and flyers show shiny chrome. What is correct?
4. What is the finish on the playfield and what is the best way to clean and preserve it?
5. The cabinet is painted black (original, I think) and scratched and worn. Not terrible but not pretty. Is it better to just clean and leave as is or sand, fill and repaint?
6. The ball lift will sometimes spit out 2 balls instead of 1 and sometimes the ball will just bounce back down. Any suggested fix for this?
7. The lock is missing.
8. The bottom panel is delaminating.
9. The shooter spring seems a little weak.

I called Steve at Pinball Resource and he suggested I try the Pacific Pinball Museum and forums. I got a very nice email back from Mike at the Museum who suggested I try the Pre-War Pinball Group on Yahoo. I applied for membership and was rejected by the moderator for undisclosed reasons with a form email from Yahoo. It is a closed group and you can't look at anything on there or ask questions without being a member. Not sure what the issue is.

Anyway, any help would really be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Bruce

Except for some of the Rockola pins, most of the 1930's stuff is going to be a make do/scrounge sort of thing in terms of sourcing parts. Sometimes it's a matter of finding just enough other examples of a title for comparison, or at least other examples from the same manufacturer, to get a sense of what is most likely correct. But overall, it's challenging.

Legs will most likely have to be fabricated from 2"x2" stock. Sometimes usable sets of legs will appear on eBay or at shows, but the games used a lot of different styles, so making some based on best guess from the ad pictures would be reasonable. At least the ad picture shows the tops of them and how they attach.

From the IPDB pictures, the shooter shown there looks to be original and correct. So probably no tip on the plunger, and another orange piece on the knob side (but the one shown looks broken). Could survey other Gottlieb games from 1933 and see what else they used too.

The pictures on IPDB show dull grey metal, not shiny chrome. Most of that stuff was just cast metal, so the dull grey would be correct.
http://ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=235&picno=59022

The playfields from that era used either a Shellac or Lacquer over the silkscreen. So cleaners that won't dissolve those finishes would be the thing. Naphtha to wipe down/get the major dirt, Millwax to clean, then a good carnauba wax to preserve. These are not high mileage playfields, so cleaning, and a protective coat of wax is plenty.

Original is original. And only original once. If it's not horrible, leave it.

For the ball lift, there may be some mechanical tweaking possible, but often these are not highly precise mechs.

Thank you very much.
Too bad about the chrome. Looks nice in ad. False advertising?
I'll do some more digging and probably fabricate some legs although cutting out the corner for the cabinet looks like it will be difficult
Thanks again.
Bruce

Any other ideas/opinions out there?
Thanks

If you are thinkin bout makin legs, cut you a couple long 45's from some scrap, and clamp to the legs.
that will make them flat on the table saw, but on edge for the blade. then you can hold them correctly, and make multiple cuts to remove enough material to get the notch the right size. is that what you were asking?

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Gottleib Big Broadcast Special....information please.

By pindoc1

8 years ago

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