(Topic ID: 146371)

HEP Vector A Year in the making Finished 12-20-15

By High_End_Pins

8 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

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  • 109 posts
  • 37 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 8 years ago by jibmums
  • Topic is favorited by 10 Pinsiders

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34
#1 8 years ago

This Vector has proven to be a much bigger challenge than I anticipated. Mostly because of my own OCD but it is finally closing out so as I drag it across the finish line I decided to put it up here to celebrate the effort.
Not everyone can appreciate what it takes to bring this era game up to this level (hundreds of pictures in the link help)but to those that can here is the link to the restore and it will complete this week.
http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/album590

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#4 8 years ago

Thanks Larry. Looks like the picture attachment bleeds into the link.

#5 8 years ago
Quoted from GSones:

Great game for the full HEP treatment. Wish it was mine....

Ordered some Centaur stencils from The Pinball Pimp today for your game

#7 8 years ago
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:

Insanely nice, Chris. That's all I've got, man. Insanely nice.
Can I come work for you? I'll buy my own beer.

Yes I always have beer on hand so no need to worry about it.

#12 8 years ago
Quoted from DCFAN:

Looks great. One less game available for Hammer of the Godz.

That conversion looks interesting. I have a pretty rough Vector I was thinking about doing it on.Vector turns out to be a cool game itself with the double glass,playfields and all that. They put a lot into it.
From a restore standpoint I felt like it was more on the Krull level in terms of effort than say your typical Bally SS .

#13 8 years ago

Not sure how I made a blank post so in the interest of content here is a picture of my Christmas tree. 1449795043653-1891263282.jpg1449795043653-1891263282.jpg

#16 8 years ago
Quoted from TaylorVA:

omg, you're an LED guy after all!

The wife is in charge of the tree

#23 8 years ago

Did not realize how the phone pictures displayed differently on here so I changed them.
Anyone know the reasoning behind the different cabinet configurations of this game?I haven't looked into it but they differ a lot.
The door and button location are obvious but the switch,chocking etc is moved all around as well.

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IMG_6020.JPGIMG_6020.JPG

#24 8 years ago

Out of the oven into the frying pan.1449953093145-1316672327.jpg1449953093145-1316672327.jpg14499531236692090580573.jpg14499531236692090580573.jpg

#34 8 years ago
Quoted from dasvis:

Chris - How do you like the pinball pimp stencils?
Last set I bought was from twisted pins & they blew monkey dicks.

They are great. I had a friend scan the Vector cabinet and he sent the scans to Jeff and in just a a couple weeks the stencils were done.
The quality is the best and the alignment boxes make things much easier.

#35 8 years ago

Just about to put the first clear on this one then I will polish the Vector playfield and begin the rebuild as I watch the UFC prelims.

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#36 8 years ago
Quoted from ALJO:

Does it take one year across other pins you are working on as well, or have you been concentrated on this one and only game for one year?
incredibly nice work, thanks for sharing.

I chipped away at it as I work on other games.

#39 8 years ago

Cleared.14499611350372090580573.jpg14499611350372090580573.jpg1449961147504-2008971494.jpg1449961147504-2008971494.jpg

#40 8 years ago
Quoted from Strange:

Looks amazing.
Just wondering Chris has anyone ever commissioned you for a Zacarria restoration? It would interesting to see a HEP Farfalla, Robot, or Locomotion.

A few inquiries over the years but no one has actually done it yet.

#42 8 years ago

Back to Vector. Upper sanded and ready to polish. 1449962417078-1316672327.jpg1449962417078-1316672327.jpg14499627494312090580573.jpg14499627494312090580573.jpg1449962793783-2008971494.jpg1449962793783-2008971494.jpg

#44 8 years ago

Lower sanded then polished. 1449963745446-1598734069.jpg1449963745446-1598734069.jpg

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#45 8 years ago

Shutting it down now. Hopefully I won't be seeing double.......well unless the wife takes off her shirt.

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#50 8 years ago

Repainted the underside of the playfields once more. Now I am ready to reassemble them.1450138192616-1316672327.jpg1450138192616-1316672327.jpg

#51 8 years ago

I am going to convert the flippers to the old style.
The linear set up is ok but there are often issue with binding and alignment where the plunger passes through the eyelets.
The more traditional set up takes that out of the equation. 14501384963672090580573.jpg14501384963672090580573.jpg1450138508766-2008971494.jpg1450138508766-2008971494.jpg

Swapped.1450492110984-761707581.jpg1450492110984-761707581.jpg

#53 8 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Linear are a pile of crap.

I can never talk myself into sticking with them on the games they come with.
I think I did an EBD not too long ago that the owner insisted on keeping them for originality sake and they were a pain .

#54 8 years ago

T nutted playfields hooked together. 1450141962865-1316672327.jpg1450141962865-1316672327.jpg14501419785202090580573.jpg14501419785202090580573.jpg

#56 8 years ago
Quoted from dmbjunky:

I'm curious how you paint the under side of the playfields and keep paint from getting in the inserts or other areas where it's not supposed to be. Do you mask the top just to make sure no overspray gets on the playfield?

A mini foam roller works best. Keep the paint very light on there and just do a little at a time.

#60 8 years ago

Starting to populate the topside.1450146582418-1316672327.jpg1450146582418-1316672327.jpg14501465973012090580573.jpg14501465973012090580573.jpg

#61 8 years ago

Managed to get the final paint and clear done on the Fathom too.
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#65 8 years ago

Playfield is wired and in the cabinet.
Should close it out tomorrow. 14503194967622090580573.jpg14503194967622090580573.jpg1450319507598-2008971494.jpg1450319507598-2008971494.jpg1450319527443-1598734069.jpg1450319527443-1598734069.jpg

#66 8 years ago

Powered up for testing. Full LEDs were requested.Suits the games and theme pretty well.
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#69 8 years ago

I just looked into the 2 inch flipper on IPDB .
Think it definitely makes more since than the 3 inch up there.I thought it looked odd at a glance but it does seem to be common.
So I guess the preferred configuration is having 3 inch lowers and 2 inch uppers.

#73 8 years ago

The only thing left now is the final pictures.1450479150571-1316672327.jpg1450479150571-1316672327.jpg14504792113422090580573.jpg14504792113422090580573.jpg1450479260677-2008971494.jpg1450479260677-2008971494.jpg

#74 8 years ago

Before I take the final pics I am going to do a few compare pics to the original and give a little insight into the thought process.
My goal is never an original style restoration unless someone insist on it and so I will explain through the compare.
First will be color scheme.
I like to match things that can't be changed liked the backglass with things that can easily be changed like paint.
Example
Factory glass is an oranger shade of yellow than the factory cabinet.
Factory glass.
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Factory cabinet yellow.Much paler.
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HEP cabinet yellow.Closer to the glass without making a dramatic shift.1450485893104-384413591.jpg1450485893104-384413591.jpg
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#75 8 years ago

Next is alignment. Making sure the corners wrap around is a manual process.
Factory
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HEP
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#76 8 years ago

Joints and gaps are another concern.
Factory gaps and joints are expected to be obvious but eliminating them can be time consuming.
This would be things like where the cabinet corners come together and the neck is constructed on top of the lower cabinet.
Factory1450486816775-591219497.jpg1450486816775-591219497.jpg

HEP
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#78 8 years ago

To make things more serviceable plugs are installed on major assemblies like target banks.
Factory
Solenoid and switch.
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#79 8 years ago

Flipper switches are put on extended wiring with short protections and capacitors to reduce sparking.
Factory1450491685303-384413591.jpg1450491685303-384413591.jpg

HEP
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The plugs are neatly hidden .It also makes problem isolation much easier.
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#82 8 years ago

A few more pics here and there but I really suggest checking out the album link.11.JPG11.JPG20.JPG20.JPG28.JPG28.JPG

#83 8 years ago

More cabinet
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#85 8 years ago

Playfield pictures51.JPG51.JPG57.JPG57.JPG61.JPG61.JPG

#86 8 years ago

more playfield64.JPG64.JPG70.JPG70.JPG72.JPG72.JPG

#88 8 years ago
Quoted from BoozeMarlin:

Incredible attention to details. Well done sir!!!

Thank you Mr Booze.

#89 8 years ago

Underside.Just want to note that I stuck with the 555 sockets(even though I hate them)because full LEDs were requested and that is what I ended up having to stick with with when putting a kit together for this game.
In its defense on this particular game they were extremely nice not corroded or compromised like they normally are or I would have had to of changed them no matter87.JPG87.JPG what.88.JPG88.JPG90.JPG90.JPG

#90 8 years ago

That closes out this one.
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Now onto this one.IMG_6595.JPGIMG_6595.JPGIMG_6598.JPGIMG_6598.JPG

#93 8 years ago
Quoted from TxJay:

What's the story on that half faded Indiana Jones pin? It's like exactly faded right in the middle. Weird.

Just another tombstone around here.Will get some attention soon.

#97 8 years ago
Quoted from meSz:

Will another thread be started capturing the restoration of Fathom?

Maybe but pretty much any active project always has some form of documentation going on in my gallery.
This is the one for the Fathom.It is pretty much a total basket case.
http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/album624

#100 8 years ago
Quoted from lb1:

A real work of art indeed. It also looks like a very interesting game.
Chris, I am curious as to what you did to the apron. I'm looking at http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/album671/54_G. It looks like it's been clearcoated but not touched up. What's you approach to aprons in general? Do you ever touch them up?

It really depends on how bad they are .
Sometimes they require a nearly complete repaint,other times stripped,painted,decaled, cleared repeatedly.
On an apron like this it really comes down to preservation and living with a minor spot here or there because they are kind of like a can of worms.If you touch up a spot here or there it will be more obvious than the flaw because the age shows in the original paint and you just can't put that aged look back in there. Otherwise your are stuck repainting the entire thing when it is overall really nice for what it is.
These bally aprons in particular are something I avoid repainting when I can unless completely needed because the very fine lines and the small letters.Tough to work around neatly.
The Pinball Rescue apron decals are the best solution but they can no longer be purchased !!!

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