(Topic ID: 262687)

Gottlieb Atlantis

By leckmeck

4 years ago


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  • 175 posts
  • 30 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by leckmeck
  • Topic is favorited by 25 Pinsiders

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There are 175 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 4.
#101 3 years ago

Christ almighty this looks amazing. Really raising the bar here for all of us! Bravo.

#102 3 years ago

Jason - how are you cleaning your switch stacks - are you disassembling and polishing each leaf?
(If so, I'm sure you are replacing all the insulation leaves with new ones )

#103 3 years ago
Quoted from stashyboy:

Pinball porn! Interesting they used these 5 digit play meters (same on my current restore) on this game. No record of 100,000 rollovers. Hopefully an experienced tech can tell by the signs of wear throughout the game mechanisms and playfield.

This meter is at 99,975. It’s heading back to zero for the new playfield!

How does your ball return kicker assembly look? Mine is worn out. Same pattern of wear that DirtFlipper wrote a forum post here about his Atlantis. His was worse, but he also had 150k plays on the meter—which is interesting that they mixed 5 and 6-digit meters on this game.

I’m replacing mine with a different assembly. I think Gottlieb learned that the long-term viability of that kicker design wasn’t great.

#104 3 years ago
Quoted from fanuminski:

Jason - how are you cleaning your switch stacks - are you disassembling and polishing each leaf?
(If so, I'm sure you are replacing all the insulation leaves with new ones )

Hey Mike! Haven’t seen you on Facebook in a while. Hope you’re doing well.

The formed switch actuators come apart easily, so I polished those. They really shine up. Switches on the outside edge of the stack I polished a little, too.

#105 3 years ago

Shined up the bolts and installed the score motor board. Feels good to have this done.

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#106 3 years ago

Just beautiful. There is an Atlantis for sale about 1000 km from here and seeing your amazing work is nudging me towards the phone.

#107 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

Shined up the bolts and installed the score motor board. Feels good to have this done.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Man. Those screws are so shiny, they look chromed!

#108 3 years ago

As I was putting some of those motor board screws in this morning on my 2001 project, I thought of your post. Even though they had been tumbled, I quickly went over to the bench and did some more hand polishing on them. LOL.

#109 3 years ago

Replay unit.

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#110 3 years ago

One down. Three to go.

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#111 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

One down. Three to go.
[quoted image]

Looks great as usual. Don't you love having to unsolder the coil to really take it apart completely?!

#112 3 years ago

phenomenal work.

#113 3 years ago
Quoted from stashyboy:

Looks great as usual. Don't you love having to unsolder the coil to really take it apart completely?!

No kidding! The next generation of Gottlieb’s score reel assembly is so much better. It’s interesting they engineered a new design at the same time the industry was going solid state.

#114 3 years ago

Finished all the reels today. The hundreds reel was the dirtiest and exhibited the most wear. There was a groove in the channel for the “solenoid sled”, a broken EOS switch for the lock-in circuit, and black powder everywhere. I can thank the 500-point relays for this mess. These worn parts I relocated to the 10k reel where they can enjoy semi-retirement.

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#115 3 years ago

Ball count unit. Thanks to pinhead52 for the replacement disc.

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#116 3 years ago

Man, this is like pinball porn!

#117 3 years ago

Tonight I decided to try my hand at reproducing relay labels, the ones with the rounded corners. I never bothered trying to do these in the past. No way I could hand-cut rounded corners with a perfect radius. But a plotter could do this. The trick is getting the registration right for the two different steps—printing and cutting—so the text is aligned well inside the label. I figured out a way to do it, and the results turned out pretty good.
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#118 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

Tonight I decided to try my hand at reproducing relay labels, the ones with the rounded corners. I never bothered trying to do these in the past. No way I could hand-cut rounded corners with a perfect radius. But a plotter could do this. The trick is getting the registration right for the two different steps—printing and cutting—so the text is aligned well inside the label. I figured out a way to do it, and the results turned out pretty good.
[quoted image][quoted image]

Damn....looks brand spankin' new! I would buy a set of those! (hint-hint)

#119 3 years ago
Quoted from stashyboy:

Damn....looks brand spankin' new! I would buy a set of those! (hint-hint)

I can hook you up.

#120 3 years ago

never seen an EM so clean and shiny. disturbing...

#121 3 years ago

Finished the last of the relays. Lightbox is done.

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#122 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

Finished the last of the relays. Lightbox is done.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Your attention to detail is just incredible. It truly blows my mind.

#123 3 years ago

Tonight was spent doing boring, tedious work cleaning and polishing all the little bits of hardware that go top of the playfield: screws, washers, faceted posts, mini-posts. Not my idea of a good time.

One fun thing I did do, however, was install the ball snubbers.

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#124 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

Tonight was spent doing boring, tedious work cleaning and polishing all the little bits of hardware that go top of the playfield: screws, washers, faceted posts, mini-posts. Not my idea of a good time.
One fun thing I did do, however, was install the ball snubbers.[quoted image]

Is that a new playfield or did you paint and clear coat the original? Looks awesome!

Going over these posts have inspired me to do a restoration on a Domino I just picked up. I got the game to play but now I need to deal with a moldy and mildewy cabinet.

Alberto

#125 3 years ago
Quoted from Peruman:

Is that a new playfield or did you paint and clear coat the original? Looks awesome!
Going over these posts have inspired me to do a restoration on a Domino I just picked up. I got the game to play but now I need to deal with a moldy and mildewy cabinet.
Alberto

It’s a reproduction playfield that was produced by Wade Krause a few years ago.

Good luck with your Domino, Alberto!

1 week later
#126 3 years ago

Some of the hardware went onto the playfield tonight. I made sure to grind off the cleats at the bottom of the metal rails so they don’t leave bite marks. Those damn things are trouble.

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#127 3 years ago

Unfortunately the holes in the middle rail will need to be modified because their current alignment leaves some ink exposed in the shooter lane, which is unacceptable.

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#128 3 years ago

Also, I should have widened the pilot holes for the runway shield because I wrenched one of the washer-head screws trying to turn it. I should have stopped when I encountered resistance. If anybody reading this has a replacement suggestion, I’m all ears.

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#129 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

Also, I should have widened the pilot holes for the runway shield because I wrenched one of the washer-head screws trying to turn it. I should have stopped when I encountered resistance. If anybody reading this has a replacement suggestion, I’m all ears.
[quoted image]

I hate those screws. The slot is so shallow they always cam out. I generally don't use them, just end up using extras of the nickel-plated screws that hold down the top art Etc.

#130 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

Unfortunately the holes in the middle rail will need to be modified because their current alignment leaves some ink exposed in the shooter lane, which is unacceptable.
[quoted image]

Ditto. Left it as it is. Doesn’t really bother me.

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#131 3 years ago
Quoted from stashyboy:

I hate those screws. The slot is so shallow they always cam out. I generally don't use them, just end up using extras of the nickel-plated screws that hold down the top art Etc.

A quick survey of my other Gottlieb games revealed just two other games that used this style of screw on the runway shield. Seems like it was a mid-70s thing only.

I’d switch to a regular screw, but I want to cover the marks left by the old washer heads. Plus I already widened the pilot holes so it will accept these thicker washer-head screws, so I’m stuck. Fortunately Ken Head is sending me some replacements.

#132 3 years ago
Quoted from Electrocute:

Ditto. Left it as it is. Doesn’t really bother me.
[quoted image]

Glad to know I’m not alone! That’s the frustrating part of transplanting old hardware to a new playfield: finding these misfit things and having to deal with them, or not.

In my case, I decided to do something. It took a bunch of drilling, dowels, egging, and toothpicks to make a difference. In the end, however, there’s still a sliver of artwork showing.

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#133 3 years ago

Moving day.

This is the fourth swap I’ve done. I always go right to left. Why I cannot fathom.

Still need to screw it all down and solder the braid for the light circuit, but my old bones are pooped from stooping low. I’ll do the rest tomorrow. Someday I need to fabricate a higher swapping jig.

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#134 3 years ago

Great work as always! Maybe you can shed some light on this question. I have probably done a dozen Playfield swaps. I have never changed the ground braids. I could understand doing this if one is changing most of the sockets, but in my experience, the ground braid is almost always in very good shape. Occasionally, I do one or two small repairs. I just don't see a big benefit. In fact, I think there is a bigger benefit using the old one as the bends and staple locations are already they are.

#135 3 years ago
Quoted from stashyboy:

Great work as always! Maybe you can shed some light on this question. I have probably done a dozen Playfield swaps. I have never changed the ground braids. I could understand doing this if one is changing most of the sockets, but in my experience, the ground braid is almost always in very good shape. Occasionally, I do one or two small repairs. I just don't see a big benefit. In fact, I think there is a bigger benefit using the old one as the bends and staple locations are already they are.

You’re right, it only makes sense if you change out the lamps. Here all of them were rehabilitated (see https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/gottlieb-atlantis-3/page/2#post-5663750) and now they look too nice for shabby old braid with its solder/flux stains and staple bruises. It’s also kinda fun to install because you get to play factory electrician.

#136 3 years ago

Long, long, LONG day in the shop today.

One of the star rollovers was occasionally sticking, even with the switch blade pushing against it and gravity helping because the playfield was upside-down. I popped out the star (which was kinda tricky) and found that there was excess plastic on it introducing friction. It got a shave with a razor, and now it works as it should.

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I installed the replacement ball return assembly I bought from Ken Head. It’s different than the one that came with Atlantis, which had a design Gottlieb used on only a few games then abandoned due to its propensity for wearing out. This game ought to be kicking balls into the shooter lane until the heat death of the universe.

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While fastening things, I discovered that one sling and one pop bumper were out of tolerance, which caused things to bind. Can’t have any friction impeding high-speed action, so new holes were drilled. The pop bumper was off by a fraction of an inch, so I had to put in some dowels first. I’m not happy about the extra holes, but I’m happier that these parts are now moving freely.

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Lastly, I installed the drop target bank and the new braid for the light circuit.

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#137 3 years ago

Do you think you could share a photo of the rig you have the playfield sitting on?

Alberto

#138 3 years ago
Quoted from Peruman:

Do you think you could share a photo of the rig you have the playfield sitting on?
Alberto

Sure, I’ll take a picture of it when I get a chance. It’s a primitive thing, just some 2x4s screwed and glued together to mimic how the cabinet cradles the playfield. It mounts on a sawhorse or can sit on the floor. I grafted some shelves on both sides for placing tools. It’s a crude but effective operating table I’ve used for all my projects.

#139 3 years ago

Here it is, @peruman.

When I originally made it nine years ago, it was much shallower and could not accommodate playfields with low-hanging components when it was placed on the floor, which I needed for spraying clearcoat. Around five years ago I made it taller, hence all the weird joints. Then I added some shelves on the side. There are also some hooks you can barely see for tools and cords and such.

It ain’t pretty, but it works.

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#140 3 years ago

Last night I hooked up the playfield to test a few things. It’s 100% operational, but there are a couple of bugs:

The outhole switch needs adjustment. Even after catapulting the ball, the switch remains closed for a micro-second as the ball leaves the forked cradle, causing the O relay to engage again for another 120° turn. It’s incredibly marginal and happens only intermittently.

The two inserts near the uppermost advance/special standup target aren’t lighting. I traced the problem to the P relay. One of the switches must be misaligned. I didn’t dare fix it because I don’t want to prop up the playfield without the aprons, which I won’t install until I get the new rails I bought from @steveintexas.

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#141 3 years ago

Tonight I started fastening some posts, which is very stressful because you really need to bear down on the slotted screws to get them into the virgin pilot holes. I might loosen up the rest of them.

A reproduction plastic set produced by PBR eons ago is going into this game. Unfortunately, the adhesive used to affix the protective backing has deteriorated and is sticking to the plastic. The worst part is the residue is on the artwork side, so you can’t clean too aggressively. I spent 45 minutes removing this stubborn gunk using a combination of hot water, Goo Gone, Novus 2, and my fingernails. And that was for just two pieces! I still have most of them to do, including the giant one that goes over the drop target bank.

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#142 3 years ago

I suggest you predrill the post screw holes. Ken(Pinhead52) shared that tip with me when I did my Quick Draw playfield. No need to snap a screw off in the new playfield.

Unfortunately I don't recall the drill diameter he recommended.

#143 3 years ago
Quoted from MikeO:

I suggest you predrill the post screw holes. Ken(Pinhead52) shared that tip with me when I did my Quick Draw playfield. No need to snap a screw off in the new playfield.
Unfortunately I don't recall the drill diameter he recommended.

Here’s another way to thread/loosen the holes for those precarious slotted screws: use a socket to drive a hex-head screw into them first. You get maximum leverage with no risk of your tool slipping off the head and damaging the playfield. Also, these hex-head screws are only threaded as deep as the holes, so they’re stronger—and the shallow threads serve as a perfect indicator when to stop drilling.

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#144 3 years ago

Atlantis is a hard game, so I’m setting it to liberal. Unfortunately, one of the liberal post holes is missing on Wade’s repro. The old playfield told me where to put it.

Interestingly, the old playfield used a mixture of liberal/conservative settings right from the factory. There’s virgin dimpling for the lower conservative post and the upper liberal post.

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#145 3 years ago

Here’s something that will get me pelted with tomatoes: I try to make slotted screws face the same way. Just the ones that are conspicuous.

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#146 3 years ago

Tomato thrown.....for when the post is not snug unless you are over tensioning and that creates its own problems.

#147 3 years ago

Hmm.. There might be some micro burrs in the slots from your flat head screwdriver - you should really sand those
Slots. Start with. 200 grit and move up to 1000-1500

#148 3 years ago
Quoted from leckmeck:

Here’s something that will get me pelted with tomatoes: I try to make slotted screws face the same way. Just the ones that are conspicuous.[quoted image]

If we're being honest, I do the same thing except that I face the slots vertical up and down the Playfield. I think it looks better.

#149 3 years ago
Quoted from fanuminski:

Hmm.. There might be some micro burrs in the slots from your flat head screwdriver - you should really sand those
Slots. Start with. 200 grit and move up to 1000-1500

Hey! If you had simply traded me your Atlantis for my Jacks Open in 2013 I wouldn’t be putting micro-burrs in these slots right now, did you ever think of that?! This is your fault, Mike.

#150 3 years ago
Quoted from stashyboy:

If we're being honest, I do the same thing except that I face the slots vertical up and down the Playfield. I think it looks better.

But then you’re staring straight up into alleys of micro-burrs! Mike doesn’t approve.

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