Meteor
Stern Electronics, 1979
Quicksilver
Stern Electronics, 1980I too have the BGresto backglass in my Quicksilver it is very nice
But light penetration was a issue I had to put those Quad LEDs behind it , to get a decent light
But I also have Coos backglass in Big Game & it is amazing & the colours penetrate a lot better with LEDs
Big day today.... connected what I could, crossed my fingers & turned her on for the first time. Happy to report no explosions or electrocutions! Boards fired up properly, speaker working, GI lights powered on, LED displays all worked properly. I’m pretty impressed so far.
Now it’s onto tearing down the Meteor playfield for parts, then working on restoring the drop target banks.
94B2900A-B1B0-4FAA-9190-27F6FAB789EB (resized).jpegQuoted from HoakyPoaky:Sorry Meteor. You had a good run, but now it’s time to harvest you for parts.
So nice having a rotisserie on hand for these moments.
[quoted image]
Wow, that's an unbelievably nice Meteor playfield to be parting out.
Quoted from Pinballer73:Wow, that's an unbelievably nice Meteor playfield to be parting out.
Usable yes, but not amazing - considerable planking and paint loss. It would make a fun wall piece. (Not trying to make anyone wrong, mostly don’t want op to feel badly about his harvest.)
Enjoying the progress you’re making! I’m impressed that you’ve soldiered on through the winter. Are you still working in the garage or did you move into the house?
Edit: I can see from the pictures that you’re still in the garage!
Quoted from pinheadpierre:Usable yes, but not amazing - considerable planking and paint loss. It would make a fun wall piece. (Not trying to make anyone wrong, mostly don’t want op to feel badly about his harvest.)
Enjoying the progress you’re making! I’m impressed that you’ve soldiered on through the winter. Are you still working in the garage or did you move into the house?
Edit: I can see from the pictures that you’re still in the garage!
I wasn't going to bother responding, but yes you are correct. On close inspection it is definitely not an unbelievably nice playfield at all. It's getting stripped for parts that will be used for more builds & the playfield will eventually be backlit & hung in my game room.
I do everything in the garage. The big propane heater keeps the space relativity toasty 
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:I wasn't going to bother responding, but yes you are correct. On close inspection it is definitely not an unbelievably nice playfield at all. It's getting stripped for parts that will be used for more builds & the playfield will eventually be backlit & hung in my game room.
I do everything in the garage. The big propane heater keeps the space relativity toasty
I do apologise. I'd only looked at the playfield photo on my tablet, without enlarging the photo. On closer inspection as you said, the planking and paint loss is evident. Regardless, it's your playfield to do whatever you like.
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:I do everything in the garage. The big propane heater keeps the space relativity toasty
In Nevada though... how cold does it get in the garage? I know it drops in temperature; but also know that golf still goes on in the relative area!
(and if you're a Bills fan from Buffalo... you must be used to A LOT colder. lol)
Meteor stripped & cleaned. Now it onto restoring the drop target banks.
I’m also getting quite a few PMs about parts. Just FYI, I’m keeping my extra meteor parts for future restores. I’m sure this won’t be my last classic Stern scratch build.
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Am I overthinking this?
I was all set to begin installing these 6-32 T-nuts. Obviously this is a modification because the old sterns used just a long bolt instead of t-nuts.
So I remember reading to buy the longer post studs, to make sure they screw & extend through the t-nut for a solid fit. All I could find are the 530-5012-02 replacements from Pinball life & Marco. They are 2 inches long.
When I checked on the playfield, it appears they won’t extend all the way through the t-nut. But these 2 inch are standard size. I can’t find anything longer.
Drilling a forester bit into the underside to get the t-nuts to sit deeper seems like a drastic move.
I think I’m over thinking this.
5711156B-4E5B-4B57-9223-0782CA4F4546 (resized).jpeg#8 screws won’t fit through the playfield posts. Hence why these 6-32 2inch posts are standard. Plus I don’t have 8-32 t-nuts anyway.
I just don’t think the screw has to go all the way through the t-nut. It would be nice, but I don’t think they make the longer screws
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:#8 screws won’t fit through the playfield posts. Hence why these 6-32 2inch posts are standard.
yes there was a long discussion on this. Some of the options included using the shorter post with these method giving you a little more thread into the Tnut, that's what i used for my quicksilver scratch build.
If you want the original longer post, there isn't a good way to do this without only getting a few threads in your Tnut. Else best use Stern factory solution with a screw/bolt coming from underneath the PF through the post with a nut on top.
Edit: oops I didn’t see you also mentioned this.
I thought of a workaround for this that I did to get a better connection: 1/2” forstner bit to route out some depth for the t-nut. Worked great and wish I had thought of it sooner, before I put my game together.
Did this on my F2K because there just wasn’t any way of getting a post to get a good thread over the spinner bracket and using the shorter posts caused the spinners not sit right. Only took about the thickness of the t-nut (edit for clarity: the flat part) from the playfield.
Quoted from play_pinball:Edit: oops I didn’t see you also mentioned this.
I thought of a workaround for this that I did to get a better connection: 1/2” forstner bit to route out some depth for the t-nut. Worked great and wish I had thought of it sooner, before I put my game together.
Did this on my F2K because there just wasn’t any way of getting a post to get a good thread over the spinner bracket and using the shorter posts caused the spinners not sit right. Only took about the thickness of the t-nut (edit for clarity: the flat part) from the playfield.
i kinda like that solution actually!
Quoted from play_pinball:Edit: oops I didn’t see you also mentioned this.
I thought of a workaround for this that I did to get a better connection: 1/2” forstner bit to route out some depth for the t-nut. Worked great and wish I had thought of it sooner, before I put my game together.
Did this on my F2K because there just wasn’t any way of getting a post to get a good thread over the spinner bracket and using the shorter posts caused the spinners not sit right. Only took about the thickness of the t-nut (edit for clarity: the flat part) from the playfield.
Yes I think you are correct. And I want to use the correct 1-1/4 inch size posts I bought, not the shorter ones.
I tried to find a t-nut with a slightly longer length shaft, but with no success. Can’t find longer post screws either. So I did some experimenting on my old meteor playfield for comparison, by countersinking with a 1/2 inch forstner bit....& just hammering in the usual way. I discovered a couple things....
1) When hammering & using the 1-1/4 inch post, the 2 inch post screws are just not long enough. Only a couple threads are getting into the t-nut. It’s just not secure enough for my liking. And even when hammering with a soft blow hammer, it still requires significant force to drive the t-nuts in. I’m hesitant to do that on my $1600 playfield & crack the clearcoat.
2) Countersinking is the way to go. But not by much! Only half the depth of my forstner head bit. And since the hole going through the playfield is smaller than the t-nut, it needs to be drilled just slightly to allow the shaft of the t-nut to fit. But only drill just a 1/4 inch...do not drill through the playfield! Then I used the felt pad washer method to pull the t-nut into the countersunk hole. When I screwed in the post, it was nice and solid.
I didn’t want to drill more than necessary, but I think in this case it’s the right way to do it going forward
C015E6D3-D467-4818-AFFC-B65826264013 (resized).jpeg0478E94C-9526-47FB-BC8D-159988456D51 (resized).jpeg7509E394-117B-4895-B236-9AE46A751E7A (resized).jpegC1C7B11B-70C4-45DC-9C93-F4D2A854955B (resized).jpegWhat is the felt pad method? Do you tighten that all the way down to the playfield and the felt pad squeezes the t-nut in place?
Quoted from play_pinball:What is the felt pad method? Do you tighten that all the way down to the playfield and the felt pad squeezes the t-nut in place?
Yes pretty much. Put the screw with washers through the hole, screw on the T-nut & position, then slowly use a screwdriver to tighten the screw & pull the T-nut into the wood. No hammering. The thick felt is the only thing making contact with the clearcoated playfield, and large washers help to distribute the pressure across the surface.
There is a dedicated tool for this, but I'm not sure of the name. The washer method seemed to work well for other people.
The only bad thing was that I used a zinc screw. In my efforts to make sure the T-nut was embedded securely, I applied too much pressure & snapped off the zinc screw head. So either don't overtighten, so use a better quality screw that can handle the torque.
I will make one more point, just to remind myself....
The holes in the playfield are large enough for a #6 screw to pass through. The shaft of the t-nut is larger, so the hole will need to be enlarged with a 3/16 drill bit I believe.
Use a stop on your drill bit to make sure you don't drill down too far, and RUN THE DRILL IN REVERSE just to be sure. All it takes is one mistake with your brand new sharp bits to bite hard, and the next thing you know you've gone though to the playfield & tore up your clearcoat.
I'm just debating if it's better to enlarge the hole, then countersink with the forstner....or do it the other way around. I have to experiment with that again tonight. You just want to be sure everything is centered when drilling.
So with a deep breath & a steady hand, I proceeded to begin countersinking holes for the t-nuts with the 1/2 inch forstner bit.
Placing a depth stop on the bit was not possible, so I just had to be careful. The goal was to drill down 1/8 inch into the playfield. Luckily this PF wood was pretty dense & hard. I just went in in short bursts.
After that was done, I had to widen the hole with a 3/16 bit, to allow space for the shaft of the t-nut. I ran the drill in reverse & used a depth stop to ensure I didn’t drill too far down.
Success! Glad that part is over. But I’m glad I did it. The original single bolt method Stern did at the factory was a cost saving measure, and it's just not adequate strength. When I pulled these bolts from the Meteor, alot of them were bent, due to repeat bashing. Eventually the holes in the playfield may widen & then the post is loose with no way to secure it. There were only 2 posts holes where I didn't have space to place a t-nut, by the standup targets near the pops.
With the t-nuts installed these posts will be rock solid, using a standard 2” post screw, and the correct 1-1/4” posts.
I should add I did the drilling with the PF on a hard flat surface, not in the rotisserie.
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Use something like this:
https://www.rockler.com/learn/accurate-drilling-without-a-drill-press
Quoted from slochar:Use something like this:
https://www.rockler.com/learn/accurate-drilling-without-a-drill-press
Yes that would have made things a little less stressful. Good to know for the future!
So I attempted to install the t-nuts just using the washer method. Due to the fact the t-nuts were recessed, it was difficult to get the teeth to bite into the hard wood before screwing & pulling them in. They kept twisting as the screw began to tighten, thus bending the teeth & starting over.
After doing this over & over, I decided to borrow a friends tool to make it easier. Not sure what it’s called, but just added a wingnut below the playfield, then squeezed & readjusted a few times to get the teeth dug in. Don’t squeeze too hard though.
Then I just removed the wingnut & tighten further to draw the nut into place. Tension can build quickly. Be careful not to slip off the head of the screw & scrape your screwdriver across the clearcoat!
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EDIT: see post #471. I forgot to install the #10 t-nuts for the apron screws.
Just realized I hadn’t posted in a while. I’ve been cautiously proceeding on prepping the playfield for assembly.
Kruzman did the clear application, which is a lot thicker than the standard Mirco. Most the holes were predrilled, so all those holes needed to be prepped & the clear removed from them. Using Kruzman’s kit, I dremmeled out each screw hole CAREFULLY, then applied the included glue to seal the edge of the clear around each hole. Apparently this seal protects the clear from cracking after a screw is placed.
Talk about stressful. 60+ holes and have one slip up & you’ll skid your dremmel tip right across your playfield. I went slowly & it worked well. I had acetone on hand on a q-tip, just in case I dropped glue onto the playfield. No disasters but I’m not sure all of that was necessary. I guess I’ll find out when putting things together.
I feel like I’m one dumb mistake from a disaster. Doing your first playfield swap sure is a learning experience.
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B8924430-60FB-405C-81C9-FFD5251F1EF9 (resized).jpegSo next was attaching the new wood rails from Reese Rails, as well as attaching the metal underside rails from the Meteor. I bought these wood rails awhile back & figured it would be pretty simple. Boy was I wrong.
The rails were predrilled, which was not really ideal. They were off slightly. And so was the lengths. And they weren’t centered so well either. And all these playfields are slightly different, so additional holes had to be drilled by me, which would have been much easier & more exact if I did it all myself. Next time I will just cut & make them myself.
Of course the metal rails from the meteor didn’t line up with the holes on the QS playfield. And I didn’t have the right length 1-1/4 inch screws with, so I had to by cheap zinc ones from HD in a pinch. So I countersunk the heads further to be sure they were flat for the metal rails to go over the top of them. Then I attempted to attach the wood rails by hand.
Guess what happened in the first screw? Snapped it. Now I had the broken shaft of the screw embedded in the wood rail. Took me hours to get it removed. I should have taken I photo but I was so pissed off. At any rate, I got the wood rails screwed in, along with the metal ones. What a pain. Should have taken 20 minutes. Instead it took hours. Yet we press on....
EDIT: The metal side rails are incorrectly oriented here. See post #420
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To lay down the braid first or the sockets? Not sure if there a right way to do it, but decided to go with the latter. Easier to solder & lay the wire exactly where I want it.
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Looking good! Love putting pink LEDs in the orange inserts. Looks way better.
Slowly moving forward...
258CBB12-5D61-42E8-BD75-47384A77FA53 (resized).jpeg8C648784-34D9-49D4-A277-23542550F676 (resized).jpeg6169BE58-A7DD-4609-B65A-DBC94F680FD6 (resized).jpegQuoted from HoakyPoaky:Testing lighting as I go
awesome!
Quoted from HoakyPoaky:What a pain. Should have taken 20 minutes. Instead it took hours. Yet we press on....
You are a patient man 
More sockets, stapling & soldering....while remembering not to connect GI & controlled sockets on the same string.
EDIT: I laid the braid down too close to the upper rollover switches. See post #210
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Case in point... the controlled socket for the LT spinner insert requires a jumper insulated wire to another controlled socket. Can’t run the braid to it directly. I’ll do that later after more assembly.
Speaking of sockets, these are the types I’m using. Tall ones for the inserts, and the others for various GI sockets.
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The half inch GI sockets I got from Marco are pretty lousy. The backets are huge & I had to trim them. And I’m not sure what kind of plating is on them, but it was hard to get solder to flow onto them.
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I also purchased some lay down sockets for additional lighting at the rollovers, saucer & under the apron.
These are the wiring references from the harness kit. It was confusing when I first read them, but now it’s making MUCH more sense now that I’m working on the wiring.
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Run the jumpers & solder, then test with the 6V battery pack. You can test out your LED colors before finalizing everything.
With the 2 LED flex bulbs, I didn’t think the lay down sockets were going to work well at the rollover inserts. So I’ll adjust the placement once the switches are installed.
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I also added an additional lay down GI socket, to add lighting later to the saucer. Once I get the switch & arm mech added it will be easier to decide which bulb to use. But I’m really not liking the opaque saucer plastic. It was all I could find a couple months ago, but I’d like to find something translucent or clear that diffuses light better.
Harness test fitting to make sure everything lines up properly. I was under the assumption that the GI harness & the Controlled lamp harness would be separate for easier assembly. But mine arrived combined all into one harness. No big deal. Just took a little more time to sort it out.
EA43DFCB-27BF-46A8-BEDC-6967D7A75419 (resized).jpegSo I should point out that I’m testing for continuity as I go. Every socket back to the individual pin. That way after soldering, I am 100% certain if there’s a problem, it’s likely a bad connection at the boards, not due to a bad soldering job or a mistake with the wiring.
5656F855-02F7-403C-8E3B-4AA79AC12136.jpegI’ve noticed in other threads that no one really documents the process as they go, so I’ll try to do my best here.
So I’m starting with A2J1 & just working my way through it using the list Third Coast sent me. First is the Pin1 Red & pin8 White 18G power wiring to locations RW1 through RW8.
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Brisbane
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