Pulled the witch/cat mech apart yesterday. While it's large, it's fairly straight forward to put together.
Started to pull everything apart and clean everything up. It's overall in very good condition - no messed up wiring, no rust.
While most of the cleaning will be routine, the four (!) motors/gear boxes will need to be disassembled and cleaned.
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Took the witch/cat mech and the X motor outside and tried to split the cases.
The cat motor has roll pins on the mounts to split the case, I will need to get one off to get the case apart.
I HATE roll pins.
I bent and then broke my roll pin punch trying to get one out.
Moved on to the witch motor, drilled out one side of the brass rivets then punched the pin out.
A few were troublesome but I eventually got it all apart.
Cleaned everything with carb cleaner, q tips a brass bristle brush, a metal pick, and paper towels. Dipped the gear that’s pressed on the case side in evaporust for an hour, then put a drop of machine oil at the contact point with the case. It spins much better now. Lightly lubed with Superlube and reassembled.
I hate roll pins.
Will address the cat motor later.
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Home for 24 hours before a long weekend, spent 15 minutes with the new roll pin kit and got all the motors separated (except for the monster motor).
The kit included a nice little hammer and a variety of punch sizes and lengths. It's very Chinese, some of the punches are the same size (top left corner) but overall it's a nice addition! The metal feels more solid than what used on the previous Craftsman one.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DKN48KJ
The brass pins were sometimes difficult to remove. I would get the case in the bench vise and pull out the brass with some pliers, carefully watching the bottom.
I'm a lot more confident with the roll pins.
The bench vise is nice to hold the case steady, line up the punch straight, a few solid direct whacks and you'll feel it from the other side.
I put some tape on there to help catch it if it came out too quickly, but I just also held my hand behind and guided it out no problem.
Inspecting all the gears no teeth are broken (thank god), everything looks like it will clean up nice!
I will also try to take apart the electric motor and see if there's anything to clean.
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngWith lots of work here and there I finally got the witch/cat unit rebuilt. Cleaned the gears with carb cleaner, relubed everything very lightly with Superlube. Except the X motor chain which I used a synthetic motorcycle chain lube. Used #10 threaded rod to replace some of the brass pins (shoutout to @OHEMIO). Others that were close to metal I had to use flush-ish countersunk screws. Had to countersink drill the case a bit there too. De-rusted the crossbar and sprayed it black. Tested continuity and cleaned up the ribbon cable, replaced the cover with new posterboard. There was a point where the cable was rubbing away a tiny bit of insulation against the witch/cat unit so wrapped it with some electrical tape.
Subtle visual differences in these before an afters, but significant mechanical difference!
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Quoted from mrm_4:I'm loving this thread man, cant wait to see it completed!
Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it!
Another coat of stain, I like it dark! I think it will match well with the rest of the game.
Will let this dry overnight, then likely one more coat.
I like spraying the Varathane poly clear, but it's a pain to get the gun setup and cleaned up.
I brushed on a "triple thick" Varathane with another project that turned out real good.
I do have another can of SprayMax I may use, but that stuff kinda scares me.
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from dudah:Will let this dry overnight, then likely one more coat
Give it about a week. Wood can only accept so much stain in quick succession. Once it soaks deep into the grains, it'll take on a deeper/richer color for the final coat.
I've thoroughly enjoyed your progress so far, this is a really neat game that I had never seen before
Quoted from r6emperor:Give it about a week. Wood can only accept so much stain in quick succession. Once it soaks deep into the grains, it'll take on a deeper/richer color for the final coat.
I've thoroughly enjoyed your progress so far, this is a really neat game that I had never seen before
Good point. This is Minwax gel stain. So you apply it thick for 3 minutes then wipe off the excess. I will let it sit for a few days to really soak in/dry out before clearing.
Quoted from ZooDude:Looking good man! I think I followed you down the EM arcade rabbit hole. I wish there was a cool coffee table book about the early em arcades, too many cool games lost to time.
Stoked to see you bring one back from the brink!
B
Thank you both for the kind words! Pinrepair is the best resource I've found. Wish there were more forums and information out there. There's still some info on RGP I've occasionally used.
Great job! I love threads like this. These old gun games really are marvels of engineering and it's pretty cool watching yours come back to life.
With three coats of the satin clear on I guess I'm done with painting.
Couldn't remember where the score reels were, tried spinning them and there was significant resistance so decided to pull them.
First remove the quick disconnects, then 4x 1/4 screws holding it on onto the metal chassis, then 4 flat head screws holding on the reel release relays bracket, then pull the end wiper plate on each one - easy.
Inspecting these, they're much simpler than the ones I did on my other earlier Midway rifle games.
I would like to continue to dispel the myth that these score assemblies are hard to work on - just need to take them apart in order, take pictures, clean and lightly lube everything, and put it back together backwards.
The nylon(?) couplers for the motors are there and in good shape!
I still whipped up a repro in Fusion360.
Making some repro parts will be a good excuse to learn how to 3D print with PETG.
Also inspected the score motor and it is very clean!
I also noticed that the wiring is also very clean and the wiring colors are very vibrant!
Inspected all of the relays, one had some very minor corrosion but the rest look fine!
Hell, even the labels looked nice!
I really believe the abuse the top and back door took over time preserved the internals of the game.
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngThe couplers printed out very nicely and feel very sturdy for just PLA+, gonna give 'em a shot!
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5028646
Pulled off the masking on the cabinet and cleaned up the formica top.
The formica has a few minor defects but overall is pretty nice.
As I cleaned it up, I noticed there was a design on the formica that's pretty nice.
It had a hazy look to it, I was thinking of ways to refresh it without possibly damaging it.
Thought of Naptha, but then used Armor All instead.
It's not totally new looking but much better than it was.
I have some vinyl I may throw down to see how it looks with the rifle.
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngCleaned and relubed in about 90 minutes.
I use a bunch of paper towels and q-tips soaked in rubbing alcohol for the cleaning.
PCBs get wiped down, then scrubbed with a green 3M pad soaked in alcohol.
The infamous leather washers were pretty dry.
I lightly lube all points of contact with SuperLube and haven't had any issues.
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Quoted from ZooDude:I thought you were supposed to use neatsfoot oil for those leather washers? I thought that was a big deal? Is it not? I was under the impression that you had to use neatsfoot or it would cause damage.
B
That's what Steve Young told me.
Since SuperLube is synthetic and a lubricant, I fail to see how it could cause damage.
Spraying many coats of clear, going to let this dry over night then lightly sand with 220 before a final coat (per can's instructions).
It's a paint to put on so many coats, but the spray can makes it much more convenient.
It's very rewarding to watch the coat get glossier and glossier with each coat.
pasted_image (resized).pngThis is like my 6th Midway rifle game, and the first one to have the Midway branded butt plate.
Put the vinyl on the top, it was quick and easy! Trimmed with a new razor blade that came with the eBay vinyl.
It got scratched by the spreader and I missed some debris on the base, so will probably redo it. Easy and cheap enough.
Used the vinyl paper backing to mask and sprayed the bottom, ready for the cleaned up motor mechanism!
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Looks great! I'm surprised you were able to find that part on Ebay. I never tried, but I always heard that finding anything relating to the individual gun parts was nearly impossible to find.
Pulled the Monster motor, last one.
Came apart real easy with just one roll pin, the Monster graphic is in excellent condition.
The gears the Monster pivots on were FILTHY with particle wood - cleaned them up between carb cleaner, a metal brush, nylon brush, qtips, paper towels, and a metal pick.
Took everything apart, cleaned, lubricated, put back together.
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Where do you get those gloves you wear when you're doing all the cleaning? I figure since you're so much smarter than me you will save me the hassle of buying cheap ones that tear all the time 
Thanks!
Quoted from miracleman:Where do you get those gloves you wear when you're doing all the cleaning? I figure since you're so much smarter than me you will save me the hassle of buying cheap ones that tear all the time
Thanks!
Nitrile gloves! Amazon has them pretty cheap. Harbor Freight does also and has some thicker options if you're working on heavier stuff.
Quoted from dudah:Pulled the Monster motor, last one.
Came apart real easy with just one roll pin, the Monster graphic is in excellent condition.
The gears the Monster pivots on were FILTHY with particle wood - cleaned them up between carb cleaner, a metal brush, nylon brush, qtips, paper towels, and a metal pick.
Took everything apart, cleaned, lubricated, put back together.
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Mad skills, love to view your attention to detail. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Quoted from Yelobird:Mad skills, love to view your attention to detail. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I'm far from a HEP or similar but with each game I go over my skills increase, time decreases, and I get a lot more productive.
I'm very proud of this game so far as a lot of the skills I've honed along the way come together in a really elegant delivery.
These old mechanisms gotta be clean, mine were exceptionally filthy and it's satisfying knowing they won't need service for a long time.
Quoted from dudah:Thank you! I'm far from a HEP or similar but with each game I go over my skills increase, time decreases, and I get a lot more productive.
I'm very proud of this game so far as a lot of the skills I've honed along the way come together in a really elegant delivery.
These old mechanisms gotta be clean, mine were exceptionally filthy and it's satisfying knowing they won't need service for a long time.
Completely understand your view and self assessment but while you are not HEP this is also a completely different and (I believe) more challenging accomplishment. Restoring a game of this era has Soo many challenges as you can't simply dial up PinballLife for a new part. Often theres hardly even a written history or diagram to follow you have to simply "interpret" the best path and try to stay true to the history. Rather impressive. Having several of these older era games I know from experience they can be a constant mystery to keep alive lol. Keep up the great work and Hopefully in the future I can barter some of your wisdom to help me through a few of my old game challenges I can't figure out.
Seized a rare night home to myself and threw a few more hours at this:
Finished cleaning the long monster rod/gears, reassembled, reinstalled
Pulled the scenery board, pulled the moon artwork at the bottom of the cabinet
There was tons of wood and backglass particles, vacuumed the whole thing
Cleaned down all the paper scenery - I started slow and ended up scrubbing with lots of paper towels and a diluted simple green solution
I would spray down the scenery, let it sit for a few seconds and wipe with a clean paper towel.
Keep doing that until the paper towel comes off clean.
The paper scenery was suprisingly resilient, I lost no art and it looks much better! Doesn't maintain the same sheen it has when wet but oh well
Cleaning the thermoformed scenery pieces were even eaiser - mist with simple green solution and wipe off. I spent a little extra time and got in all the nooks and crannies.
The colors really popped after cleaning it up!
Pulled the boards and need to order caps
The Adafruit WAV player board I have can't play enough random samples, so I ordered the Sparkfun WAV board HisboyElroy did here https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/replacing-the-8-track-player-in-midway-haunted-house-with-a-sound-card
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngVery cool, I also appreciate you sharing your work, I'm terrible at remembering to photograph everything, so thanks for taking the time.
You've got me feeling a bit less apprehensive about tackling the score reel clutch system on White lightning, I also want to add sounds, will be interested to see how that works out for you
B
Got the WAV board figured out, it's VERY particular about the file type and naming conventions you use.
Got a couple little side projects going also.
I totally re-designed the rifle file and it's MUCH better and more accurate, used variables in Fusion so I can easily change dimensions.
It needs some tweaking but it's 95% there. About 9 hour print time.
While I have a mostly good rifle base, I'd like to have a black one to match the mounting that is perfect!
I will try to remake the rifle butt plate, was very happy how well the Midway logo and the texturing transferred to the silicone mold.
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Went to test fit the base real quick, needs a few small tweaks but it's almost there.
Plugged her in for the first time looks incredible! The blacklight works and the UV scenery really pops.
Coined it up and a game started, rifle fire seemed to work, tripping some of the relays it all was very responsive!
I don't have any of the lower motors plugged in yet but beyond happy with this quick little checkin.
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngI need to put back on the cat/witch targets.
Looking in my art, I only had the art files for one of the cats.
The other cat was severly damaged. Found a decent image on Google and manually traced it and filled in a lot of missing art, about 90 minutes.
New challenge: how to apply the UV paints on top of the laser printed paper (cardstock)?
Problem: The waxiness of the laser printing makes it tough to accurately paint, the paint sits on top and doesn't really soak into the paper.
It applies poorly but does dry, so I suppose I could paint it with enough time and effort. I fear it would look too gloopy.
I thought maybe cut out a stencil with the Cameo and airbrush it on, but the detail is too fine for the cameo.
I thought maybe paint on a clear waterslide decal then apply it, but same problem where the plastic doesn't absorb the paint.
Now I'm thinking of doing a yellow stencil for the whole cat, airbrush the whole thing, touch up the black detail with a brush?
Print the outline for the cat, fill it all in with UV paint, clear waterslide decal on top with just the black detail?
Also thinking maybe color inkjet would be worth a try and hope the ink is less waxy.
Suggestions?
Quoted from dudah:It applies poorly but does dry, so I suppose I could paint it with enough time and effort. I fear it would look too gloopy.
I'm thinking this way, take your time and do layers. I think between the mirror and the distance from the shooter any imperfections would not be readily noticed, worth a try anyways. Just my 2 cents. Great Job on the machine so far by the way! 
Quoted from dudah:New challenge: how to apply the UV paints on top of the laser printed paper (cardstock)?
Problem: The waxiness of the laser printing makes it tough to accurately paint, the paint sits on top and doesn't really soak into the paper.
It applies poorly but does dry, so I suppose I could paint it with enough time and effort. I fear it would look too gloopy.
I thought maybe cut out a stencil with the Cameo and airbrush it on, but the detail is too fine for the cameo.
I thought maybe paint on a clear waterslide decal then apply it, but same problem where the plastic doesn't absorb the paint.
Now I'm thinking of doing a yellow stencil for the whole cat, airbrush the whole thing, touch up the black detail with a brush?
Print the outline for the cat, fill it all in with UV paint, clear waterslide decal on top with just the black detail?
Also thinking maybe color inkjet would be worth a try and hope the ink is less waxy.
Suggestions?
[quoted image]
Have you tried bonding agent? You'd probably have to use a milk paint, but it would definitely stick to the surface.
Woke up with this idea - print the black, paint the rest.
UV paint soaks into the paper fiber, the black acts as a barrier to keep the lines clean, total win!
The brush lines are annoying but I will go over it again.
For how cheap and easy it is, I will take it to keep pushing forward.
Like EM-PINMAN said, between the mirror and distance I'm sure it will look fine.
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Algonquin, IL
Robertsfors