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Now cleaned and retaped to clean up some art.
Mostly the yellow sun on the front. The factory version was a little sloppy from screen overlapping. Mine will stay true to that but be a little cleaner just so it doesn’t look like my own work was too sloppy.

More importantly I revised the yellow stripe with some more aggressive patterns a bit more in line with what was originally there. Not identical but giving a very similar impression.

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Now unmasked and we are ready for the final clear.

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Wow, nicely done!

Looks..... radical

Final clear is sprayed.
It is a 65/35 gloss to matte ratio.
This should dry down to a nice sheen that is not too glossy nor too flat
Will know more about how that settles in tomorrow it depends on much more than just the ratios. Application,humidity and much more can all play a small part in the final finish but the ratios are pretty solid and reliable as a whole.

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Chris: you did a great interview on Loser Kid. Those who wish to have a better idea of what goes into clear coating a playfield I would suggest a listen to their latest broadcast.

The more aggressive splatter pattern if a far better match, IMHO. Your earlier scheme was better aligned with the small splatter and colors on the art, but it was lost when viewing the game at more than a few feet. This looks like this was a factory job. Very nice work (as always)!

That is very close to original looking!!

OP
Quoted from High_End_Pins:
Now unmasked and we are ready for the final clear.[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

I like the choice to redo the spots to bigger ones... looks good.

OP
Quoted from High_End_Pins:
More importantly I revised the yellow stripe with some more aggressive patterns a bit more in line with what was originally there. Not identical but giving a very similar impression.

Sweet, love it! I didn't want to say anything before since cameras can lie, but the first splatter was barely visible to me. This new one screams late '80s, early '90s neon "X-treme" culture. I like it even more than the factory art, because it was derivative of the blue/black area. Too much of the same pattern.

100 pages of excellence.

As others said the rework on the “Spots” was well worth it and looks much as intended from the factory.

Another example of the amount of trial and error to get it to HEP standards. The experience to pull this off and preserve the original decals. Most would shy away from attempting and live with new decals. And many of us that would attempt to preserve them would probably destroy or create more work on the existing decals. And only a few are capable of actually ending up with a presentable restoration/touch up to this level of the existing decals.

Your work really separates the difference from what a shop job is to a true restoration. Excellent work as always!!!

Curtis is still training.
Between the constant late night eating with the pregnant girlfriend and mamas cheesecake we aren’t making a huge impact on the scale but his fitness continues to improve.
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I finally got the last main harness off the BSD
This usually goes a bit quicker but there was just so much to work through. Both in volume and repairs.
This is the switch harness. Every switch less just one and every target will now be on a plug.
Time consuming but when wires are hacked and parts are really rough it helps give some real estate back to the harness and frees minor brackets to be polished or at least cleaned better. DF374063-70D2-4958-BF62-A02E70015C02 (resized).jpeg

This is what is left behind to either rework or duplicate. We are looking at all new runs of GI and sockets, switches etc
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OP
Quoted from High_End_Pins:
Curtis is still training.
Between the constant late night eating with the pregnant girlfriend and mamas cheesecake we aren’t making a huge impact on the scale but his fitness continues to improve.
[quoted image][quoted image]

You're gonna be a grandpa?! Congrats!

Quoted from edward472:
You're gonna be a grandpa?! Congrats!

Yes I am. Thanks!

Now I am ready to get some playfields sanded and polished for assembly.
I stack them up in the sanding and polishing room.
image (resized).jpg
First will be BSD
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Sanded
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Polished.

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Now Radical image (resized).jpg
Sanded
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Polished.

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Quoted from edward472:
You're gonna be a grandpa?! Congrats!

Grandpa HEP!!! Congrats Chris..... tell Curtis in lieu of cigars we're looking forward to see what BOURBON BARREL beer he gives out!

Next is Harlem Globetrotters
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Sanded
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Polished

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What are your thoughts about adding Mylar to BSD where the ball lands on the playfield from the shooter lane for home use?

TOTAN
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Sanded 3B40B3F5-0D96-470F-B2B1-DC90E8CD586C (resized).jpeg
Polished.

image (resized).jpg

Fathom sanded
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Polished.

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Not bad Grampa, not bad! Any tips on buffing a playfield without overheating the inserts? I know you prefer the wool pad over foam because I pay close attention to your posts. I also think you use Meguiars 105, but I'm looking for some pointers on your method if possible.

How come your polished play fields don’t have all the holes filled with polish

What’s the trick? Am I using too much?

Quoted from mollyspub:
What are your thoughts about adding Mylar to BSD where the ball lands on the playfield from the shooter lane for home use?

Mylar anywhere the ball drops is a good idea.
Some spots can be hard to predict and place at a glance.
What I usually do is play the game a couple times and then I can usually spot a small impression or traction mark where things are landing and then cut and place a small Mylar section more accurately.

Quoted from NYP:
Not bad Grampa, not bad! Any tips on buffing a playfield without overheating the inserts? I know you prefer the wool pad over foam because I pay close attention to your posts. I also think you use Meguiars 105, but I'm looking for some pointers on your method if possible.

I sand with with 800,1200,then 1500.
Using only machines not hand sanding(trenches) nor block sanding(flattens the playfield too much and ruins game play IME)
I like a one step polishing method with a single compound and the wool pad with the looser fibers works best for me on playfields because of the many holes in the surface and because it is the quicker method requiring less buff time.
The less you have to buff the less heat you are generating consistently.
I keep the buffer moving quickly.I would rather do 200 quick passes over it never focusing on one spot than really grind into it on 50 slow passes or have to use multiple pads and compounds because all that overheats and over works the surface.
Doing that can look 5 or 10 percent nicer sitting on a coffee table under the lights but it is going to scuff and show wear even worse and will probably play poorly.

Radical cabinet is dry

I can screen the back of the head now.
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There is a lot of area for such a little screen but I am sticking with the program on that and just using the traditional system 11 screen. I think the WPC version would have filled it in better. Especially on the funny shaped Bally heads of the time.

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This is the matte clear used on the Radical cabinet now dry. D109C1E3-AD51-44DD-BC87-94AB2F3F80BF (resized).jpeg

You would think it would make the surface look semi transparent at a minimum but it actually does not.
Just knocks a little or a lot of the gloss off the clear depending on ratios.

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Working on assembling the BSD playfield as well.
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The metal conditioning and the really poor previous restore attempt have made it drag out a bit but should be pretty much downhill from here. A42E1FE8-C970-4D46-8368-931D6B43C0AA (resized).jpeg

A area like this doesn’t look like anything more than a nice new game but when you start out with a bunch of rust,corrosion,broken parts and hacked assemblies it is a much bigger transformation than it would seem.

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I have run into a couple things installing the playfield.
The first one was something hawknole pmed me to look out for that is the flipper Lane guide alignment.

I laid the guides on there solo and checked them over 08B89854-FB1F-4E35-BB9D-BADBBB4B2D61 (resized).jpeg

Adjustments were needed on both sides with the right being the worst.

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The next thing we’re the wireguides.
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The holes are too small 324B1B94-8612-4DD2-A115-42A7F82BDE7F (resized).jpeg
Enlarged them as needed549F90B7-A041-450C-8636-952A3C65AE8F (resized).jpeg
Then set them using my custom wire guide gauge
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After that I discovered a missing post hole
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Drilled it out. The cliffy made that easy enough to locate but the factory deflector would have done the same.

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You would think after making so many fields , these errors would be taken care of at the factory...

Quoted from chad:
You would think after making so many fields , these errors would be taken care of at the factory...

Yeah. Between the missing holes,inaccurate dimples,insert issues and clearcoat problems it makes you wonder if they ever check anything or even care at all.

Have you ever come across a perfect install-ready playfield? I'd imagine even factory ones can have issues.

Quoted from chad:
You would think after making so many fields , these errors would be taken care of at the factory...

you would think, but I'll bet locations that were never correct are still are never re-addressed even with the reproduction playfields. given the number of dimples present on both the top and bottom side of a playfield, it's really easy to get one wrong or miss it altogether

I know that I ran through 7 revisions of correction for all of the topside hole and dimples with CPR and joust playfield. every time that I thought I had everything correct, I found something "off" just enough to make me re-measure and have them reposition things for another run and another subsequent check

Damn it! Every time I check out this thread I need to get home and have a BBQ...

OP
Quoted from High_End_Pins:
Yeah. Between the missing holes,inaccurate dimples,insert issues and clearcoat problems it makes you wonder if they ever check anything or even care at all.

Exactly. If I paid a grand for a piece of wood, I shouldn't have to do anything to it, let alone enlist your expertise. You do wonderful work, but you shouldn't "have to" on these brand new expensive playfields.

Made it through the ball guides and post on the BSD.

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Shared a cherry banger then tried on Jesus’ tuxedo t shirt in medium . It fit perfectly. Way past what we call “Father Bedtime “around here
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OP
Quoted from High_End_Pins:
Made it through the ball guides and post on the BSD.[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

I really like the green posts up top.

I enjoyed your interview on Loser Kid podcast. Glad to hear that you enjoy the restoration of Bally SS games. I own a collection of 12 different SS games. My podcast just did a review of Centaur. Other Bally games to come. You or some of your followers might be interested.

Starting to build up the BSD underside.
I am pretty much just building a new one in many ways.
New switches,targets,lamp sockets,scoops ,sling arms and all new screws.
Just about the only way to go on a game like this in the condition it was in if you want to leave no doubt about what you are sending back to the owner.

image (resized).jpg

Quoted from Nhpolarbear:
I enjoyed your interview on Loser Kid podcast. Glad to hear that you enjoy the restoration of Bally SS games. I own a collection of 12 different SS games. My podcast just did a review of Centaur. Other Bally games to come. You or some of your followers might be interested.

Thanks. I hadn’t done any podcast or interviews for a good while but things are more interesting these days and the hobby continues to change so there is more stuff to talk about.

OP
Quoted from High_End_Pins:
Starting to build up the BSD underside.
I am pretty much just building a new one in many ways.
New switches,targets,lamp sockets,scoops ,sling arms and all new screws.
Just about the only way to go on a game like this in the condition it was in if you want to leave no doubt about what you are sending back to the owner.[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

I'm assuming the new scoops are from mantis ?

Looks like you have moved away from pop bumper lamps with the stiff metal legs. Is this due to the poor quality? How do you secure those different ones?

Quoted from Elicash:
Looks like you have moved away from pop bumper lamps with the stiff metal legs. Is this due to the poor quality? How do you secure those different ones?

The new 12" flex lead sockets are so much nicer than the old tin leg ones.

I dont know of anyone who would choose the old ones unless you are doing a retro kind of thing.

Quoted from mollyspub:
I'm assuming the new scoops are from mantis ?

Yep.

Quoted from Elicash:
Looks like you have moved away from pop bumper lamps with the stiff metal legs. Is this due to the poor quality? How do you secure those different ones?

Yes the poor quality and much higher cost of the metal leg version has made me make the switch.
The higher cost isn’t the issue so much but when coupled with lower quality and breaking far too easily or requiring extra steps it is a bad combo.

This is how I use the wire lead style.
It can vary depending on what’s around them or how they are tied to the lamp harness.
The BSD runs them off the GI specifically the orange,white/orange strand.

First some clear tubing this will be used to further insulate the wire that runs through the bumper bracket.
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Push it in there until it bottoms out and is long enough to clear the bracket area
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Cut them out. Need three.
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Now slide over the pass through lead. I use an old bracket to guide my routing. 3D7A74FE-BC97-458A-93D4-7D70804F805D (resized).jpeg

Stapled down. Critical not to press too hard on these when stapling because you can pierce the insulation or even cut the wire right in half.
63F5E815-FFBD-4C95-B396-76705628D577 (resized).jpeg375BC8DC-BAFB-4EAD-B972-4FF72A88F9A7 (resized).jpeg

I then use screw terminals to make similar junctions to the factory one with the exception of color coordinating and giving some wire to either make a plug or jumper to a socket depending on how it maps out once I place the harness and other parts.
46044AD0-922B-4DE7-A13A-B289E82332B2 (resized).jpeg5CA2A817-9508-4405-97E7-C42B6F9A03E0 (resized).jpeg4C13FD68-F5E9-443B-8099-B887BEE9C62E (resized).jpeg

This is what was originally there for comparison.

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OP
Quoted from High_End_Pins:
Yes the poor quality and much higher cost of the metal leg version has made me make the switch.
The higher cost isn’t the issue so much but when coupled with lower quality and breaking far too easily or requiring extra steps it is a bad combo.
This is how I use the wire lead style.
It can vary depending on what’s around them or how they are tied to the lamp harness.
The BSD runs them off the GI specifically the orange,white/orange strand.
First some clear tubing this will be used to further insulate the wire that runs through the bumper bracket.
[quoted image]
Push it in there until it bottoms out and is long enough to clear the bracket area
[quoted image]
Cut them out. Need three.
[quoted image]
Now slide over the pass through lead. I use an old bracket to guide my routing. [quoted image]
Stapled down. Critical not to press too hard on these when stapling because you can pierce the insulation or even cut the wire right in half.
[quoted image][quoted image]
I then use screw terminals to make similar junctions to the factory one with the exception of color coordinating and giving some wire to either make a plug or jumper to a socket depending on how it maps out once I place the harness and other parts.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
This is what was originally there for comparison.[quoted image]

Thank you for sharing Chris!

Working through the GI.
These are all new sockets and color correct wiring.
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73750DA0-DA44-43A0-A68D-DC12774271FA (resized).jpeg
When they run really close you can tie the leads together socket to socket for a little cleaner look and simplicity. 25BA7AB3-3FEC-4A7F-A339-117700E6275D (resized).jpeg

Placed on plugs that are keyed specifically for the GI.
10798387-4A00-4D82-B557-291946438CD1 (resized).jpegC4CABC71-B2A0-4300-B5D9-3C20B0C365A7 (resized).jpeg
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592275BE-FA23-4F67-BD1B-B3228B87B2AC (resized).jpeg
This is just a small example of what was there originally and how it was configured.

027F13B7-3E08-4B48-B0CB-0A84827D0E2D (resized).jpeg

Do you only stock your wire collection in 18awg? So you don't mind replacing a smaller wire with 18awg as long as they are color correct?

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By High_End_Pins

5 years ago

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