Personally, I don't see a need to sand the wood unless it's been stained by something and makes it look nasty.

If the numbering is a 4-digit number, or a 4-digit number with a leading zero, it might be the serial number.

Unless the paint is causing problems or looks bad, I wouldn't sand that either. However, if you do sand it, keep in mind that it is lead paint, so a mask is a good idea.

Gottlieb games usually have the serial number stamped in the backbox, in the cabinet body, and depending on the year, the front of the cabinet as well.

So far, what I've been doing is just vacuuming with a brush attachment and scrubbing a little with it when necessary. Also, Wiping it down with paper towels and simple green.

I'm not sure if other folks have come up with better methods, but I imagine there's a few other approaches out there.

I found that a stiff bristle brush and a shop vac work well for getting the dirt out of the inside of the cab, wear a dust mask and scrub around with the brush DRY while holding the shop vac hose near where you are brushing.

If you have any odors like mildew or smoke, try Zorbx , it was recommended to me in another thread and since then my wife no longer buys Febreze. It works really good, has no smell and removes odors almost instantly.

Zorbx is water-based, so don't let it soak into the wood too much.

It's usually best to spray a paper towel then use that to wipe things down.

Sorry, yes, I only spray a dusting of it inside the cab and wait for it to dry, take a whiff, repeat as necessary.

This doesn't mean there aren't situations that might need some light sanding, though. For example, this power board was completely speckled with dark spots left from mold that simply couldn't be cleaned away. The right tools for the job

Before
Parts removed and board lightly sanded with 180 grit
The parts going back on

I haven't bought alot of EM's, but I just got in there with a new soft paintbrush, I taped it to the end of the shop vac hose and gently brushed off the bottom board components to remove as much grime as I could. I cleaned the parts of the plywood I had access to and called it a day. If you are doing a full restoration them maybe you would go to more extremes but for me I just like to clean them up and play them.

Make sure to empty your shop vac before starting so you can retrieve anything you suck up by accident and watch out for loose labels.

Take lots of photos from different angles for each part that you remove. When you think you have enough, take 3 more (as Vid says )

Also be sure to take photos of screws, nuts, etc to give you an idea of where they go. Placing them next to a ruler wouldn't hurt either, especially if you have a dozen different sizes of screws.

I sand the inside on mine....looks new.

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red scotch brite pad does a good job and you can get to spots where an orbital or mouse won't fit.

-c

What's the best tool to get into all the corners when sanding the inside of a cab?

Or is it always best to remove the bottom piece and re-attach it later?

-mof

piece of quarter round w/ sandpaper around it for the corners.

Wow. That looks incredible! Nice work, ForceFlow. Thanks for the process pics!

Sincerely,
Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
www.ElephantEater.com