Hardtops #2, Pharaoh ( ** This product is a game changer**)

** OK. I needed to edit this ,Its not about Pharaoh, its about" EVERY GAME" you love that will never get a playfield remade this is the alternative/answer**
I have been fortunate to be working closely with Bruce over at Outsidedge . With the successful launch of the Space shuttle hardtop (Pun intended). Its on to number two, Pharaoh.
I will be documenting installation of their product. Keep in mind that this is pre-production.
Outsidedge has shown great commitment to launching its Hardtops only after testing of each top.These pinball machines were in production many years ago and were subjected to several changes mid production.That means that not everything you and I believe correct is necessarily true and gospel. Outsidedge knows this and does a great job trying to eliminate any possible issues that arise.

Please feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them.I will direct any technical question that I cannot answer to the fine gents at Outsidedge.

FYI
Space Shuttle is now available for purchase through their website http://www.pinballgifts.com/

Post last edited 6 years ago.

#2 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

I am in possession of two games. As I said in the first post,changes are made mid stream. notice the colors and artwork.

Pharaoh 002 (resized).jpg

Pharaoh 003 (resized).jpg

Pharaoh 001 (resized).jpg

#3 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Hardtops can be installed without removing most of the wiring and mechanical s from the bottom of the playfield. In this case the playfield was completely stripped due to it being the host. If your not comfortable with full playfield restoration I suggest a top strip only. I also highly recommend that you take many pictures of the dismantling of your playfield. I will go as far as taking photos of posts with a ruler next to it .
IJ 2015 114 (resized).jpg
Document,document,document........You will thank me later.

Playfields ready to ship to Outsidedge.

Playfields back home with Hardtops Pharoah 001 (resized).jpg

Pharoah 002 (resized).jpgPharoah 003 (resized).jpgPharoah 004 (resized).jpg

#4 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Once complete,this game will be going on route at Stonehenge in Akron Ohio. We wish to subject the Hardtop top daily punishment as pinball machines were originally designed for. mjpinballs cant wait!

#5 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Added over 7 years ago: Introduction video link,

Post last edited 6 years ago: “Adding videos”

#6 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Added over 7 years ago: Second video added,

Post last edited 6 years ago.

#7 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Added over 7 years ago:

Post last edited 6 years ago.

#8 6 years ago

OEP

Outsidedge

Inactive member

Thank you for doing this Sky Pilot! This will obviously be our first multi level playfield. We look forward to seeing your installation and working through any issues.

#9 6 years ago

mjpinballs

Pinside member

Clinton, OH

20y 102K 607 89 234 1

Cant wait to test the Pharaoh at Stonehedge the league player are super pumped to try it out.

1 week later

#10 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Well I was hoping to use placeholders 4,5 and 6 to add content but apparently that's not an option.
I'm putting together a few instructional videos on Hardtop installation. I will post them when they are complete.

Added over 7 years ago: I could not edit my placeholders but I was able to add to them.

Post last edited 6 years ago.

#11 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Meanwhile here are a few pictures of the process.Pharoah 019 (resized).jpgInitial sanding of the inserts.Pharoah 018 (resized).jpgPharoah 014 (resized).jpg
I started at 80 grit and went all the way to 2500 grit.Pharoah 008 (resized).jpgPharoah 022 (resized).jpg

Pharoah 023 (resized).jpg

#12 6 years ago

mjpinballs

Pinside member

Clinton, OH

20y 102K 607 89 234 1

Looking good

#13 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Ready to repopulate.

Pharoah 025 (resized).jpg

Pharoah 024 (resized).jpg

#14 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

The colors make such a great difference.The lower playfield is in my proto-type game. I plan to install a Hardtop on it eventually also.

2017 012 (resized).JPG

#15 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Progress

2017 021 (resized).JPG

2017 020 (resized).JPG

2017 022 (resized).JPG

#16 6 years ago

MVP

Grizlyrig

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 111K 3,370 1

This is impressive nice product and nice pics and videos showing us.
-Mike

#17 6 years ago

MJO

arcademojo

Pinside member

10y 131K 5,513 30

Wow! Can't wait to do mine.

#18 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Quoted from Grizlyrig:
This is impressive nice product and nice pics and videos showing us.
-Mike

Mike,
Thanks for the compliments. I've never made videos before and really have a hard time not being critical of myself. I was told by others ,short and to the point works best,hoped they were. I considered going the route of the gents doing Drunk History but I probably would have installed it on the bottom side.

#19 6 years ago

NMS

nikpinball

Pinside member

Cleveland, OH

10y 77,050 1,249 7 30

Crap i bought a congo and listed my pharaoh for sale..... This is making me wish i wasnt selling. Cab is great but playfield has some face wear.

#20 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Quoted from nikpinball:
Crap i bought a congo and listed my pharaoh for sale..... This is making me wish i wasnt selling. Cab is great but playfield has some face wear.

This is what excites me about this product. I have let several games go because I didn't think they could be brought back...well,guess what.

#21 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Progress is being made. So far no issues.

IMG_3724 (resized).jpg

IMG_3725 (resized).jpg

IMG_3726 (resized).jpg

IMG_3727 (resized).jpg

General Pinball 007 (resized).jpg

General Pinball 006 (resized).jpg

#22 6 years ago

OEP

Outsidedge

Inactive member

This is all looking amazing Keith! Nice job, and we appreciate your willing ness to prototype the title. We look forward to all the other titles we are getting ready to start also.

#23 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

General Pinball 013 (resized).jpg

General Pinball 011 (resized).jpg

General Pinball 010 (resized).jpg

#24 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

The top of the playfield populated with no issues. Time to install the mechanical s underneath and see how this thing plays.

The pictures do not do this thing justice. Its sweet!

General Pinball 017 (resized).jpg
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General Pinball 018 (resized).jpg

#25 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Bump

Ask questions,this is the answer to blown out playfields......

#26 6 years ago

EJL

BladeFury

Pinside member

Fort Wayne, IN

8y 84,050 1,075 1

Just awesome! Just got a Pharaoh a couple weeks ago and this would be awesome to buy!

#27 6 years ago

robertmee

Pinside member

Raleigh, NC

12y 82,800 6,430 15 9

Hmm....I know where a roached out Pharoah is locally. What's the cost?

#28 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Quoted from robertmee:
Hmm....I know where a roached out Pharaoh is locally. What's the cost?

The first one,Space Shuttle, is $298 at their website. I'm going to guess this one will be somewhere close to that. Outsidedge can chime in on this.

#29 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

I have the Prototype blues......
Pharoah 026 (resized).jpg

The underside of the upper playfield is done. One more to go then maybe

#30 6 years ago

ROB

Rdoyle1978

Pinside member

7y 117K 18,144 14 6

WOW. I don't have either of these games but now I sure wish I did! This is incredible

#31 6 years ago

SKN

Skins

Star Pinball Restoration

12y 101K 4,375 47

Looks great. I have passed on pharaoh as a restore candidate because of the lack of repro/nos playfields or one with a playfield decent enough to restore. I may have to hunt one down now. Kudos.

#32 6 years ago

AJO

aobrien5

Pinside member

Highland, IN

11y 90,300 3,974 5 8

Jeweled insert look come through nicely?

These really do look great, I'm just slightly conflicted about the lack of originality. It's certainly better than blown out, though!

Curious what it's going to be like in 5-10 years.

#33 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Quoted from aobrien5:
I'm just slightly conflicted about the lack of originality

Could you elaborate .

#34 6 years ago

MJR

MRudowsky

Pinside+ Frequent

Exton, PA

8y 52,800 273

Nice job on the videos! The advice you were given was spot on and perfectly followed, short and to the point. One question: for the areas of the hard top that don't have the adhesive (around the top of the lower playfield and apron area) do you cut that material away or is it just left 'unattached'?

Looks fantastic!

P.S. if Outsidedge is watching...High Speed please

#35 6 years ago

AJO

aobrien5

Pinside member

Highland, IN

11y 90,300 3,974 5 8

OP
Quoted from Skypilot:
Could you elaborate .

It's not paint on wood. I'm aware this is a personal problem.

#36 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Quoted from MRudowsky:
One question: for the areas of the hard top that don't have the adhesive (around the top of the lower playfield and apron area) do you cut that material away or is it just left 'unattached'?

Its left there. In the case of Pharaoh it ends up locked in everywhere.

Pharoah 029 (resized).jpg

Pharoah 028 (resized).jpg

#37 6 years ago

JOE

yfz450

Pinside member

12y 76,800 1,313

What a great product. My Barracora playfield is roached. I would buy this in a minute if they make one for Barracora.

#38 6 years ago

TPD

teekee

Pinside member

Canton, OH

14y 104K 6,065 11 13 2

Terrific product! Great videos!

#39 6 years ago

SAP

seshpilot

Pinside member

11y 112K 2,530 169 3

Wow!!!

#40 6 years ago

NGP

Gnatty

Pinside member

East Aurora, NY

11y 80,100 2,307 2 12

Great video presentation, short and sweet! Looks phenomenal

#41 6 years ago

CAD

Crispin

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 133K 3,428 1

For those that had lost all hope... Best pinball product ever!! So many games will be saved!

#42 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Quoted from Crispin:
For those that had lost all hope... Best pinball product ever!! So many games will be saved!

^^^^^^^^^that

#43 6 years ago

MAX

mbaumle

Pinside member

Gloucester Township, NJ

8y 119K 4,200 18 32

How's the clarity of the inserts with this product? I know it's trifling considering how incredible everything else looks, but nothing makes a playfield "pop" quite like crystal clear inserts where the facets are all visible.

#44 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

The game is almost back together. I will light it up and shoot a video.Stay tuned.

#45 6 years ago

OEP

Outsidedge

Inactive member

Quoted from aobrien5:
Jeweled insert look come through nicely?
These really do look great, I'm just slightly conflicted about the lack of originality. It's certainly better than blown out, though!
Curious what it's going to be like in 5-10 years.

Good question! We will see how they wear over a number of years. However, truth be told... I am betting in 5 years that the Hardtop solution still looks way better than most machines it was designed to fix look currently So.. point being, if there is no playfield replacement available, and the field is planked/worn and has missing artwork, what is to loose? Again, this is NOT a new play field. It is just a stop gap to make the machine look and work like it was intended to that has FAR more robust wear characteristics than anything else ever devised. All I can say is that it has been 1 year now since the first one went down in my personal collection, and it still looks and works great.

#46 6 years ago

OEP

Outsidedge

Inactive member

Skypilot... I am eagerly awaiting your first game once you get it back up and running. I think you will be very happy It all looks amazing... as it should

#47 6 years ago

AJO

aobrien5

Pinside member

Highland, IN

11y 90,300 3,974 5 8

Quoted from Outsidedge:
Good question! We will see how they wear over a number of years. However, truth be told... I am betting in 5 years that the Hardtop solution still looks way better than most machines it was designed to fix look currently So.. point being, if there is no playfield replacement available, and the field is planked/worn and has missing artwork, what is to loose? Again, this is NOT a new play field. It is just a stop gap to make the machine look and work like it was intended to that has FAR more robust wear characteristics than anything else ever devised. All I can say is that it has been 1 year now since the first one went down in my personal collection, and it still looks and works great.

I don't doubt that it's wearing we'll, but what about lifting or loss of adhesion? Don't get me wrong, I think these things are awesome and have their place, but sanding down the playfield as the first step still makes me cringe.

#48 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Quoted from aobrien5:
sanding down the playfield as the first step still makes me cringe.

Trust me ,It was not easy for me to do either,but now that I see the end product I would do it again in an instant.

#49 6 years ago

???

pindaz

Pinside member

Perth

7y 20,550 25

Ok , How does this work for us Aussies ? where do you get them from? How much do they cost? postage? OMG hurry up with the response this pin has been in pieces for months now. lol.

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#50 6 years ago

SKY

Skypilot