come on.. next page already... 
(Topic ID: 179489)
Roanoke, VA
The Old Dominion.
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Virginia it is!
Remember that little visit to the Roanoke Pinball Museum last October? Well, let's just say we hit it off, and how.
I was looking for a new adventure, and they were looking for a pinball equivalent of Willy Wonka.
"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship..."
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The Roanoke Pinball Museum is different from anything else I've ever seen. This is no ticket-redemption strip mall arcade. It is a premiere attraction located within a modern six-story hub directly in the center of downtown Roanoke. Butterfly habitats, opera, symphony, aquariums, science, and... PINBALL! All part of a massive $30 million renovation which is dedicated to providing the city with a high-quality cultural experience.
When it comes to pinball, this is about as faincy as it gets. Currently, RPM has the largest collection in the region.
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Center in the Square is the formal name for the organization. Something about that logo looks familiar, doesn't it?
Center, meet VECTOR! Much like the Dallas Makerspace, the Center offers classroom space.
Yep, pinball school will be back in session.
But why Roanoke?
Question is, why NOT? Texas may be the "Lone Star State", but the Roanoke Star is a beacon of things to come for this little city in transition.
Roanoke is a good place to stake a new claim. Four seasons, beautiful country, inexpensive cost of living, and poised for growth. It's "the new Asheville".
Pittsburgh and Allentown are less than six hours away. Virginia Beach and DC in about four. Amtrak has a downtown station for travel all the way up the east coast and it is literally only 1000 feet from the museum's front door. Pinball in every direction!
This is Aimee Simmons, the Operations Coordinator of the museum. We've been working together ever since my original visit.
Remember the recent Disney trip? Yep... she was there. We gathered inspiration for the museum and kicked our new partnership into high gear.
Have you followed the Roanoke Pinball Museum's Facebook page lately? If so, you might have noticed a few changes since our trip. New games, new posts, and a new level of energy starting in 2018. It's already happening. I suggest liking the page if you'd like to keep in touch:
https://www.facebook.com/roanokepinballmuseum/
Starting in April, I will be their new Executive Director. But even this is only the beginning...
Hold your breath
Make a wish
Count to three
"Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of
Pure imagination
Take a look
And you'll see
Into your imagination..."
Thanks for following, truly. LOTS more to say, LOTS more planned, but we gotta stop somewhere.
For my fellow and extremely awesome Californians, fear not! I will still travel. Can't stay away from the CA forever. 
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Hope to see y'all at TPF and Pinburgh!
Wow, Mark Warner thinks ahead.....
Er, I mean congratulations.
I guess Virginia is for (Pinball) lovers.
Congrats Nic.
I was hoping you’d end up on the West coast but looks like you’re in for a great time. Good luck and have fun!
Congrats. From steel guitars to banjos! It sounds like a well reasoned choice and certain its the best fit for you.
Quoted from GreenLED:All you people and your horrible weather and high taxes. I’m barely over two hours from the beach in San Diego and it hasn’t snowed here since the last ice age.
How are your scorpions? 
(Man, those things give me the willies...)
Congrats Nic! Best of luck in your new adventure!
Closer to Chi-town than Cali=better chance for a road trip to check out your new place of employment!
Youre always welcome at my house if ya ever take another journey!
Haven't been on pinside in awhile but saw someone say you were going to be making a big post on here. We never got to meet unfortunately (I was in the running to be a stop on your tour but unfortunately you had to cut me out) but I followed your posts through the good majority of the tour and wanted to say congrats and good luck on the new job. Seems like a great opportunity and it's really cool you're still planning on teaching. Maybe I'll be able to make the trek to a class someday. Best of luck,
-Ryan
Congrats on the move, Nic! Sounds exciting. I visited the RPM just a couple short months ago. What an impressive place! It really had the complete "vibe" with custom painted mural walls, a diverse selection of games spanning MANY decades, clearly posted informative signage better than any other pinball "museum" I've witnessed, but...with some games in need of your help. Ha-ha! It really does seem like the perfect fit. I can't wait to return to see how you've whipped things into shape and put the "Nic" touches on the place. Please say hello to Aimee from me and mini-me. She was such a gracious host.
Happy travels and I'll see you in Texas next week...if you're not huddled in a corner of the hotel weeping from all the prep work. 
Best,
Ryan
I had a funny feeling you would end up on the east coast and I know you will enjoy it, some beautiful scenery including the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive which is unbelievable.
I've never been to Roanoke but will surely be headed in that direction now you will be there.
I'm glad to hear you have found the location that really gives you the opportunity to persude your passon and expand the pinball hobby.
Congratulations. it looks like an exciting and fun place to be, and I suspect will be a perfect launching point for your ideas on makerspaces and similar things. Although I was hoping to meet in person (perhaps you can still make the NW Pinball show?!) it looks like an terrific start to a wonderful stage in life!
Congrats and I look forward to your new adventure here in our area! What fantastic news for the Roanoke Pinball Museum and all the area pinheads!
Really appreciate it folks & my goal is still the same: Spread the knowledge, have the fun.
I will still teach & do mini-tours, but RPM is now the focus. Got some killer things lined up.
In the meantime, one does not leave Texas without indulging in all the proper ways. Last night = Hard Eight.
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Ribs, brisket, jalapeño corn, potato salad, baked beans, and a 16oz Dallas Blonde draft.
If you are coming to TPF and want a complete Texas BBQ experience... Hard Eight is just down the road. Your clothes will smell like mesquite wood and you will leave happy.
Alkmaar
Congratulations Nic, looks like you're in for a new adventure!
As this road trip officially comes to an end, I will probably unsticky this thread in a few days - The tour is officially over. I think it was the longest sticky we've ever had on Pinside (apart from site rules/faq) - It sure was fun following your trips and stories!
Good luck with the new gig and I hope to see you at TPF!
Saskatoon, SK
TY for all the fish Good luck with safe travels, new digs, and new friends. Virginia, never would have guessed it. The closest Hard Eight that I found was located in The Colony, TX. 15 mins or so away.
Quoted from robin:Congratulations Nic, looks like you're in for a new adventure!
As this road trip officially comes to an end, I will probably unsticky this thread in a few days - The tour is officially over. I think it was the longest sticky we've ever had on Pinside (apart from site rules/faq) - It sure was fun following your trips and stories!
Good luck with the new gig and I hope to see you at TPF!
Robin, thank you most of all. The tour would not have happened without Pinside and its members. Nor would it have been so easily shared and enjoyed by so many without the forum’s terrific thread management tools and picture posting features. It made the photojournalism part of the experience a real pleasure. And, dad gum it, I haven’t found an online forum this addictive since the BBS days!
Agreed, it’s time to un-sticky the thread as this is as good of a stopping point as any. Truly, one of the greatest experiences of my life.
See you (and the Pinside army) at TPF!
Congratulations Nick.
I thank you and your special shoes for the US educational pinball inspired walk. Especially a love story with a happy ending.
With all good stories a sequel is surely around the corner.
Best of times ahead I am sure.
Regards Steve
Good luck with the new gig Nic and thanks again for sharing your journey with all of us! You are a credit to this hobby and we all wish you the best 
And now, it is time to tell the sad story of OLD FAILCAGO.
Painting an EM pinball cabinet is a big, ugly job. A job which doesn’t like to be rushed. But sometimes, like the week before TPF, there is no choice but to hurl a Hail Mary and pray.
It worked in 2016 with Snow Derby and 2001.
It worked in 2017 with A-Go-Go.
But it ain’t gonna work in 2018 with Old Chicago.
I had planned to shoot Old Chicago with Montana White paints. However, my monitor is not color-calibrated and thus “Hot Lips” appeared far more reddish in person than the online color swatch.
Of course, I know never to trust online swatches. There is no substitute for doing a color board in person. But... there was no time... and I guesstimated wrong.
The guys at the paint shop told me they could overnight the remaining options (Phantom and Fuchsia)... but they were unreachable on D-Day.
The only other option was a possible “secret weapon”: Benjamin Moore’s low-lustre DTM (direct-to-metal) acrylic enamel. I could buy a quart and color match the purple on the Bally apron... then have it aerosolized in rattle cans. Perfect!
However, store #1 had a broken aerosolizer machine.
Store #2 was no longer offering rattle cans.
Store #3 only had one can left.
Well... one can is better than none, right? WRONG.
The color was dead-on perfect. But stencil day had arrived... do or die... and what came out of the can was a sputtery mess. In desperation, I attempted to lay it on thick and sand it flat before the can gave out completely.
As you can see... this did not go well.
Was it a bad can? Underpressurized? Was DTM not a good match for aerosol cans? Dunno. All I know is that today was an EPIC FAILBOMB IN A CAN.
If you are attending TPF, and you happen to see an Old Chicago in a Bow & Arrow cabinet... well... now you know why.
The end.
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You must have been in a hurry if.you painted the tile floor too! 
. Don’t sweat it. It happens to all of us, but few admit it. Mark it up to the “pinball learning” account. My such account is overflowing!
Quoted from desertT1:Bummer man, but I am looking forward to playing that game.
Yep, at least it’ll be playable!
Quoted from Flowst:Did you make it to NJ? I am home "occasionally" and would have happily invited you over. NO EM's here, but lots of food and beer...and pins.
Yo Flow! I made a stop in NJ last May. Will be up that way again before too long once I get moved to Virginia. If you get an EM, maybe faster still. 
Quoted from Pecos:You must have been in a hurry if.you painted the tile floor too!
Yep... the “TPF rush” got me. The main issue was either low pressure, incorrect cap, inappropriate paint for the delivery system, or a combination of all three.
No time to do the research beforehand... 
Quoted from NicoVolta:And now, it is time to tell the sad story of OLD FAILCAGO.
Painting an EM pinball cabinet is a big, ugly job. A job which doesn’t like to be rushed. But sometimes, like the week before TPF, there is no choice but to hurl a Hail Mary and pray.
It worked in 2016 with Snow Derby and 2001.
It worked in 2017 with A-Go-Go.
But it ain’t gonna work in 2018 with Old Chicago.
I had planned to shoot Old Chicago with Montana White paints. However, my monitor is not color-calibrated and thus “Hot Lips” appeared far more reddish in person than the online color swatch.
Of course, I know never to trust online swatches. There is no substitute for doing a color board in person. But... there was no time... and I guesstimated wrong.
The guys at the paint shop told me they could overnight the remaining options (Phantom and Fuchsia)... but they were unreachable on D-Day.
The only other option was a possible “secret weapon”: Benjamin Moore’s low-lustre DTM (direct-to-metal) acrylic enamel. I could buy a quart and color match the purple on the Bally apron... then have it aerosolized in rattle cans. Perfect!
However, store #1 had a broken aerosolizer machine.
Store #2 was no longer offering rattle cans.
Store #3 only had one can left.
Well... one can is better than none, right? WRONG.
The color was dead-on perfect. But stencil day had arrived... do or die... and what came out of the can was a sputtery mess. In desperation, I attempted to lay it on thick and sand it flat before the can gave out completely.
As you can see... this did not go well.
Was it a bad can? Underpressurized? Was DTM not a good match for aerosol cans? Dunno. All I know is that today was an EPIC FAILBOMB IN A CAN.
If you are attending TPF, and you happen to see an Old Chicago in a Bow & Arrow cabinet... well... now you know why.
The end.
OUCH....well at least youre 2 for 3?
Quoted from NicoVolta:And now, it is time to tell the sad story of OLD FAILCAGO.
Painting an EM pinball cabinet is a big, ugly job. A job which doesn’t like to be rushed. But sometimes, like the week before TPF, there is no choice but to hurl a Hail Mary and pray.
It worked in 2016 with Snow Derby and 2001.
It worked in 2017 with A-Go-Go.
But it ain’t gonna work in 2018 with Old Chicago.
I had planned to shoot Old Chicago with Montana White paints. However, my monitor is not color-calibrated and thus “Hot Lips” appeared far more reddish in person than the online color swatch.
Of course, I know never to trust online swatches. There is no substitute for doing a color board in person. But... there was no time... and I guesstimated wrong.
The guys at the paint shop told me they could overnight the remaining options (Phantom and Fuchsia)... but they were unreachable on D-Day.
The only other option was a possible “secret weapon”: Benjamin Moore’s low-lustre DTM (direct-to-metal) acrylic enamel. I could buy a quart and color match the purple on the Bally apron... then have it aerosolized in rattle cans. Perfect!
However, store #1 had a broken aerosolizer machine.
Store #2 was no longer offering rattle cans.
Store #3 only had one can left.
Well... one can is better than none, right? WRONG.
The color was dead-on perfect. But stencil day had arrived... do or die... and what came out of the can was a sputtery mess. In desperation, I attempted to lay it on thick and sand it flat before the can gave out completely.
As you can see... this did not go well.
Was it a bad can? Underpressurized? Was DTM not a good match for aerosol cans? Dunno. All I know is that today was an EPIC FAILBOMB IN A CAN.
If you are attending TPF, and you happen to see an Old Chicago in a Bow & Arrow cabinet... well... now you know why.
The end.
Do I sense another t-shirt option coming our way? Possibly something along these lines in comic book style? Calling Ryan Claytor...
Schell t-shirt log (resized).png
Quoted from NicoVolta:As you can see... this did not go well
Sadly that looks terrible. Bet that the fuchsia just scrapes off with a finger nail. Many paints do not like to be sprayed on other paints, there can be reactions, like cracking, and or bubbling. Looks like either the tip was wrong on the can, or not enough propellant was injected into the can. 
Re: Nic’s North American Tour
I just read this 11 months after the fact, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
The other Silverball Museum located on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ is cool too!
Went out and bought a Dremel 8220 today. Also ordered some 443's. When the Magic Brushes arrive, look out...
Thanks again! Absolute best thread on Pinside.
Meanwhile... on the road to Roanoke...
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Quoted from an old tournament thread:
I'm not sure what I'm more impressed by, your overhead camera setup, or the fact that you got Howard Stern to attend one of your tournaments ...
David Yopp: Hahaha. That is Benjamin Liggett. Heckuva good young player. You don’t want to face him on an old EM for sure!
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I stopped by Benjamin’s place last night and got Pioneer and Target Alpha running again. He then requested we do an encore of the EM Home Challenge...
...and I was soundly whupped 0-3. Whoa.
Watch out for this guy! Sure, he’s all smiles, but it’s easy to be cheerful when you are an EM Terminator! Whoo... no mercy.
Now on the way to Flip Side in Bristol, TN this evening. Because, hey, we’ll soon be neighbors!
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