Addams Family, The
Bally, 1992Quoted from comment23:Do you do your own nickel plating and powder coating?
No both those require some serious things.Chemicals for the plating and a big oven for the powder.
The nickel and often powder are done locally then I of course polish the nickel and refinish the powder.
It is just about having a solid base to work off of .
Quoted from darkryder:Stunning job on that TAF resto, the attention to detail is just over the top, wow. The black legs and cabinet hardware look amazing, this thread makes me miss my TAF. Thanks for sharing your tricks of the trade, mad respect.
It makes me miss my old TAF too. Oh, wait, that was my old TAF.
Great job on the restore.
Quoted from Jodester:It makes me miss my old TAF too. Oh, wait, that was my old TAF.
Great job on the restore.
We will probably need to bring some white gloves to the next pinball party with this game. 
Quoted from Arcade:We will probably need to bring some white gloves to the next pinball party with this game.
You mean, play it?!?
Quoted from xsvtoys:You mean, play it?!?
Love the Spinal Tap reference. 
Quoted from Jodester:It makes me miss my old TAF too. Oh, wait, that was my old TAF.
Great job on the restore.
You can visit your old TAF any time. 
Just keeping you on your toes with my observations, I love sharing and learning techniques from others who do restoration work and appreciate the replies. One thing I am still trying to figure out is the best method to remove the glue once you pell off the old cabinet decals ( or silkscreened laminated plywood as many like to remind people that they are not really decals). I notice some people use a random orbital sander and sand them off and some use chemicals and scrapers. Would LOVE to figure this out and hear how you do it. Maybe I don't have the same luck with the ROS because I use and electric one and not compressed air version tool?
The yellow plasti-dip sleeve. You called it a sleeve. Does that mean you buy them or you dip them yourself? Don't see them for sale anywhere, think it would be a good aftermarket product. The lockdown bars have them too on most ( not all) and makes a nice finishing touch. Old ones clean up easy enough but most times they are torn.
You got lucky to have an original smoked ramp on this, cleaned up nice. I have tried smoked and clear and prefer the smoked , I agree the clear looks odd to me and don't like the way the wires show. It takes a lot of time to change the harness like you did nut those are the details we expect from you now .
I assume you use the same coil wrappers from planetary, I have found they unravel after a short time. I have been using doublesided scotch tape at the end, I'm wondering if you do anything, my guess is carpet tape? I'll try that with the blue pads next time, thanks for that tip.
Quoted from NYP:The yellow plasti-dip sleeve. You called it a sleeve. Does that mean you buy them or you dip them yourself?
I don't know how Chris does it but I plasti-dipped mine and it came out nice. I had to dip 3 times though to get a decent thickness.
Quoted from meSz:PF looks horrible Chris ...... it has a big white spot in it Novus should care for it!!!
Yeah. I never know if those light reflection shots are a good thing or not.
I like them though
Quoted from High_End_Pins:Yeah. I never know if those light reflection shots are a good thing or not.
I like them though
Yea.
On the first pic I thought, "Why did he leave his buffing pad on the playfield."
Man......... this is simply...... amazing. Its only been 16 days and youve created another masterpiece! What does something like this cost to have done? I see people bring you games, so im assuming any cost would be for the resto and not the game itself?
Just about ready to flip and start wiring.
Going with a different scheme in the jet bumper area because I always want each game to be a little different even at a glance.
The yellow bodies have to be shaved to be the correct size.
I will likely change the cap scheme as a result but that will come later so just know that it is part of a bigger final vision.
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Ready to wire starting with the switch harness that will get an extensive rework.
First roughed in place.
Rusty and tarnished parts will be polished or replaced.
Beat targets will also be replaced.
Generic wire chains will be replaced with color correct wiring and sub assemblies will be created in places that will clean up and simplify things.
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Loom brackets were nickel plated.
TAF uses a very tall version that isnt really needed once I go through the wiring so I will be using the equivalent shorter version .
I like to save these longer ones and use them on a game that really does need them which is Safecracker.
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just wanted to say thanks again for sharing!
I always learn lots and it helps me strive to do something better on the next game I touch.
Small example on sub assembly.
These 4 chained together with just plain yellow wire and direct soldered to harness .
New in place .
Now wired with correct color wire and fixed to a single plug for easy isolation or removal if needed
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Going with new pop bumper switches.
The old ones are more trouble than they are worth this time around .
By the time I replace the spoons,polish the blades,clean the contacts and resolder the frayed wire connections I can just as easily replace .
You might notice some discoloration in the playfield wood.Those are stains from the rust/corrosion of the metal.I sanded the playfield nice and clean but did not trench those out because it would thin it down too much and they are acting as a nice map for parts placement.Wont be seen once fully assembled.
Quoted from High_End_Pins:Going with new pop bumper switches.
The old ones are more trouble than they are worth this time around .
By the time I replace the spoons,polish the blades,clean the contacts and resolder the frayed wire connections I can just as easily replace .
You might notice some discoloration in the playfield wood.Those are stains from the rust/corrosion of the metal.I sanded the playfield nice and clean but did not trench those out because it would thin it down too much and they are acting as a nice map for parts placement.Wont be seen once fully assembled.
That playfield looks familiar, Chris. I recently bought a TAF for my daughter that had similar moisture issues. It was ugly. I also had stains like yours that would never come out. No way would I have wanted to restore that one. I would also have been plating everything because of the corrosion. Instead, it got stripped down and cleaned up as well as possible and is now a great players game for her and her husband.
Don't you love when you remove screws from the playfield and the portion of the screw that was in the wood is corroded.
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:That playfield looks familiar, Chris. I recently bought a TAF for my daughter that had similar moisture issues. It was ugly. I also had stains like yours that would never come out. No way would I have wanted to restore that one. I would also have been plating everything because of the corrosion. Instead, it got stripped down and cleaned up as well as possible and is now a great players game for her and her husband.
Don't you love when you remove screws from the playfield and the portion of the screw that was in the wood is corroded.
I swear moisture issues are the worst They can be overcome but it usually adds a whole extra element to what is already a difficult process.
I know your not there yet, but any secret to get the bookcase turntable level?
On mine, I just can seem to avoid a lip on one-side between the turntable and the playfield. I've shimmed in 3 ways to Sunday, and still cant get it perfectly level.....
Quoted from High_End_Pins:I swear moisture issues are the worst They can be overcome but it usually adds a whole extra element to what is already a difficult process.
Which leads to the guy that sends you a game that he got cheap because of issues, thinking they don't matter because the game is getting restored, only to find out it costs more because of the issues than if he would have paid more for a nicer base game.
Don't get me started on that.
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:Which leads to the guy that sends you a game that he got cheap because of issues, thinking they don't matter because the game is getting restored, only to find out it costs more because of the issues than if he would have paid more for a nicer base game.
Don't get me started on that.
The funny thing in this case was I thought I was sending a pretty nice players condition TAF to HEP as a starter point. I knew it had some water damage, but I did not know it was as extensive as what it quickly became readily apparent it was here.
Quoted from TigerLaw:The funny thing in this case was I thought I was sending a pretty nice players condition TAF to HEP as a starter point. I knew it had some water damage, but I did not know it was as extensive as what it quickly became readily apparent it was here.
Didn't mean to point fingers at you, TigerLaw. Just making a general observation. I will say, even I've looked at games and thought they looked pretty nice. It's not until you take a game fully apart, I like to call it getting intimate with the game, that you find out the true condition of the game.
Quoted from High_End_Pins:Thing was rebuilt and rewired with strain relief and protection.
I love it. Thing's no longer at risk of catching carpal tunnel syndrome.
Quoted from TigerLaw:The funny thing in this case was I thought I was sending a pretty nice players condition TAF to HEP as a starter point. I knew it had some water damage, but I did not know it was as extensive as what it quickly became readily apparent it was here.
It was fine really.Had good bones.Nice topper,useable original ramp and playfield.All three hard to find in a base TAF these days.
Games like this make it easy to know what approach to take to the restore.
Some of the HUOs and protos I get in can be much harder to decide on.
Quoted from lb1:I love it. Thing's no longer at risk of catching carpal tunnel syndrome.
Too late for me so I at least tried to save Thing.
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:Ok, Chris, it's Friday. Someone over in my thread mentioned that shit you drink you call beer.
Here are my choices this afternoon.
I am pretty sure laws of decency are broken when grapefruit is mixed with beer so scratch that one first.
Quoted from philwojo:i'd normally be all over the Leinie, but that one isn't my favorite of theirs. Since I'm a Chicagoan go with the 312 to start it off!
I would start off by going back to the store to buy BEER!!
These are my top picks for the budget minded high octane beer drinker.
Not really my first choices but these are largely available and all can be had for under $10 in forms of large single bottle DM,4 pack 90m IPA,and 6 pack GM.
That is also how I rank them.
Quoted from High_End_Pins:These are my top picks for the budget minded high octane beer drinker.
Not really my first choices but these are largely available and all can be had for under $10 in forms of large single bottle DM,4 pack 90m IPA,and 6 pack GM.
That is also how I rank them.
I liked you already, but a fellow Golden Monkey fan, you're "golden"!
Quoted from dmacy:I liked you already, but a fellow Golden Monkey fan, you're "golden"!
Cheers to you my friend.I am going to pace myself by using the small glass .
Quoted from High_End_Pins:Cheers to you my friend.I am going to pace myself by using the small glass .
I have to admit, I like the sounds of that one. I've found if it says blonde or golden in the name, it's usually pretty good.
Cheers!!
Quoted from High_End_Pins:I am pretty sure laws of decency are broken when grapefruit is mixed with beer so scratch that one first.
LOL I haven't tried it yet. We were at the Seattle show one year and someone offered me a beer. I forget the name. It had a hint of something in it but I couldn't figure out what. It was grapefruit, but again, just a hint.
It's one of those beers you'd drink one on a hot day after mowing the lawn. You couldn't drink them all day or throughout an entire restoration.
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Matthews, NC
Bermuda Triangle
Novus should care for it!!!
Vancouver, BC