(Topic ID: 218168)

Official "HARDTOPS" thread

By Skypilot

5 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 3,332 posts
  • 505 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 9 days ago by PINTEC
  • Topic is favorited by 284 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

Topic poll

“If we produce a Hardtop for this game would yo purchase it?”

  • High Speed 174 votes
    13%
  • Firepower 128 votes
    10%
  • Silverball Mania 62 votes
    5%
  • Time Warp 30 votes
    2%
  • Mata Hari 55 votes
    4%
  • Blackout 94 votes
    7%
  • Tri-Zone 26 votes
    2%
  • Swords of Fury 74 votes
    6%
  • Space Station 78 votes
    6%
  • Fathom 70 votes
    5%
  • Pinbot 134 votes
    10%
  • Eight Ball Deluxe 124 votes
    9%
  • Strikes and Spares 56 votes
    4%
  • Kiss (Bally) 71 votes
    5%
  • Supersonic 51 votes
    4%
  • Grand Lizard 80 votes
    6%

(Multiple choice - 1307 votes by 787 Pinsiders)

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Topic index (key posts)

5 key posts have been marked in this topic (Show topic index)

There are 3,332 posts in this topic. You are on page 16 of 67.
#751 4 years ago

I'd like a Hurricane.. I'm thinking of sanding and retouching - but there's no way I could compete with the 'as new' quality you're offering - fantastic..

#752 4 years ago
Quoted from Bill_Froog:

I'd like a Hurricane.. I'm thinking of sanding and retouching - but there's no way I could compete with the 'as new' quality you're offering - fantastic..

I'd be surprised if they made a Hurricane. Seems like all the playfields I've seen were in pretty good shape.

#753 4 years ago
Quoted from eyeamred2u:

Oh good, it is only an IPA! LOL I was worried haha

Did you think it was lighter fluid

#754 4 years ago
Quoted from dnaman:

There appears to be so much opportunity here for this company's product.

Yeah if they sit on it much longer they will get passed by here pretty soon.

#755 4 years ago

As requested. Looks like time for a new superband. The grime by the pop bumpers just rubs right off.

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#756 4 years ago

Yep, I can't wait for a F-14 and space station!!! Truly hope as they get the process down that things move faster for them!!

#757 4 years ago

I wish you made one for FunHouse! I need to get mine replaced!

#758 4 years ago

Please consider making a hardtop for Bally Space Time, 5000 produced, and Time Zone, 2500 produced. You can use same playfield on either machine. My Space Time playfield is so bad it is beyond restoration. Machine was stored in a unheated shed for many years by former owner. Mechanically machine work's great. Your company is the only answer to restore the playfield.
Thank You

#759 4 years ago

is there a good possibility of a Grand Lizard hard top?

#760 4 years ago
Quoted from busa32927:

is there a good possibility of a Grand Lizard hard top?

Announced last October:

”Hello All,
We are happy to announce or next 5 titles we plan to have available in the next 12-14 months (by end of 2019). They are....

Eight Ball Deluxe (permission pending)
Pinbot
Swords of Fury
Grand Lizard
Blackout

We do not (nor is it necessary) take pre orders. Please just keep your eyes open for the announcement here as each one hits the market.”

#761 4 years ago
Quoted from cmack750:

Announced last October:
”Hello All,
We are happy to announce or next 5 titles we plan to have available in the next 12-14 months (by end of 2019). They are....
Eight Ball Deluxe (permission pending)
Pinbot
Swords of Fury
Grand Lizard
Blackout
We do not (nor is it necessary) take pre orders. Please just keep your eyes open for the announcement here as each one hits the market.”

Man oh man, I hope EBD is one of the first out the chute and shows up this summer. I'm in for three of them....my keeper EBD, a project EBD I'm going to flip, and an EBD for a buddy of mine.

#762 4 years ago

Ohhhh I didn’t realize they had actually listed out EBD. Maybe I don’t want to sell mine after all...

#763 4 years ago

When they do start making an 8BD they better stock up on supplies....

#764 4 years ago
Quoted from AUKraut:

When they do start making an 8BD they better stock up on supplies....

Ahahaha, I can’t believe it’s not already out. It’s such a great game and a lot of playfields are just BEAT.

#765 4 years ago
Quoted from KSUWildcatFan:

Ahahaha, I can’t believe it’s not already out. It’s such a great game and a lot of playfields are just BEAT.

They did say "pending permission".

#767 4 years ago

Eight ball deluxe followed by a Pinbot and I would be set, Can't wait

#768 4 years ago

A hardtop coming soon (we think) really makes me rethink selling mine..bleh

#769 4 years ago

Still hoping for an Elektra upper and lower set. Most are blown out and I could use a set...

#770 4 years ago
Quoted from Robotworkshop:

Still hoping for an Elektra upper and lower set. Most are blown out and I could use a set...

Definitely not this year.

#771 4 years ago

Sniff, Sniff still waiting on F-14 or Space Station, I will be patient though!

#772 4 years ago
Quoted from heni1977:

Sniff, Sniff still waiting on F-14 or Space Station, I will be patient though!

F14 repro playfields are almost ready now. I know it's a bigger price difference but sometimes you got to get what's available when you can.

#773 4 years ago
Quoted from BertoDRINK1:

F14 repro playfields

I have a NOS pf that is being clear coated right now. But I do have the original tore down and ready to ship to them when they are ready to do F-14. And yes there is a sizable difference between repro pf and hard tops.

#774 4 years ago
Quoted from heni1977:

And yes there is a sizable difference between repro pf and hard tops

Yeh Hardtops play faster!

#775 4 years ago

I've seen a number of posts from people who want Hardtops for games where someone is making a full playfield.

This from the original post : "If any of the playfield manufacturers( CPR, Mirco, others) are making or planning on making a playfield it is off limits for us."

Has that changed somewhere and I missed it?

#776 4 years ago
Quoted from middaleman:

I've seen a number of posts from people who want Hardtops for games where someone is making a full playfield.
This from the original post : "If any of the playfield manufacturers( CPR, Mirco, others) are making or planning on making a playfield it is off limits for us."
Has that changed somewhere and I missed it?

Must have changed since Taxi and Black Knight both playfields were made previously by CPR, though has been some years.

#777 4 years ago
Quoted from middaleman:

I've seen a number of posts from people who want Hardtops for games where someone is making a full playfield.
This from the original post : "If any of the playfield manufacturers( CPR, Mirco, others) are making or planning on making a playfield it is off limits for us."
Has that changed somewhere and I missed it?

Yeah, that is weird. Even the playfield guys have gone head to head a time or two. And with the new digitally printed method supposedly they never quit making them?

#778 4 years ago

The original post also says "If a company has already made the playfield it may qualify for a hardtop. Example=Taxi".

I'm assuming BK also falls under the "previously made" category? It does make it hard to understand what they can and cannot license. I would assume if someone is making a full playfield the odds of getting a Hardtop anytime soon are slim.

Though given the pace of release, the odds of getting any new Hardtop seem to be slim.

#779 4 years ago

I have a question for those who have done a Hardtop. I have been asked to apply a Firepower Hardtop. The person started sanding and doesn't trust themselves to get it right. So I have the playfield and noticed that he has sanded low spots around some of the inserts. It's hard to see but you can see it by the shadows in the picture. What do I do to level it all out? Sand down a wider area? Lather on the clear?
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#780 4 years ago

I think you may end up filling in some of the wood, sanding flat, and putting in new inserts. Or look for another donor playfield.

#781 4 years ago
Quoted from 64bsstp:

I have a question for those who have done a Hardtop. I have been asked to apply a Firepower Hardtop. The person started sanding and doesn't trust themselves to get it right. So I have the playfield and noticed that he has sanded low spots around some of the inserts. It's hard to see but you can see it by the shadows in the picture. What do I do to level it all out? Sand down a wider area? Lather on the clear?
[quoted image]

Hmm, that's sort of tough spot to be in. Having cleared old playfields before, which involves dripping clear into the cupped insert areas, this doesn't look like a small task. You could try to just drip (flood) those areas with clear and sand it smooth, using the remaining art as a guide. That might not work though because the clear will sand off a lot slower than the art.

So what I would probably do if I were you is to sand off the rest of the art, then clear it. Sand it a little when it's ready and you will see all the low spots. Drip clear into those areas until you think you are above level with the playfield. Again, let that harden and start sanding. Repeat until everything is level.

Like I said, I don't think they did you any favors.

#782 4 years ago
Quoted from desertT1:

Hmm, that's sort of tough spot to be in. Having cleared old playfields before, which involves dripping clear into the cupped insert areas, this doesn't look like a small task. You could try to just drip (flood) those areas with clear and sand it smooth, using the remaining art as a guide. That might not work though because the clear will sand off a lot slower than the art.
So what I would probably do if I were you is to sand off the rest of the art, then clear it. Sand it a little when it's ready and you will see all the low spots. Drip clear into those areas until you think you are above level with the playfield. Again, let that harden and start sanding. Repeat until everything is level.
Like I said, I don't think they did you any favors.

It's hard to tell how bad it is in the pics, but I bet you could get away with putting the hardtop on like that. It looks like the low parts are above where the posts are, not the switches, and wouldn't really impact ball travel. The hardtop itself shouldn't really sink into those areas unless someone is applying some hard pressure to it. That's probably the lazy way out, but I would wager you'd be ok?

#783 4 years ago

After thinking about it a little, maybe I would sand off all the art, drip clear in those inserts, and level them out. I say sand off the rest of the art so you don't trap any under the clear somehow, and it's not that hard. The clear isn't for a cosmetic thing in this instance, it's a support thing for the hardtop. I know it wouldn't be too bad, but I am seeing the hardtop sag into those areas over time. It might not, or even be noticeable, but it would be a concern of mine if this were a task I was working on.

#784 4 years ago

Will look like crap. Sand it flat and fill the valleys. Take your time this isn't a race. Read Vid's Comet guide

#785 4 years ago
Quoted from Robotworkshop:

I think you may end up filling in some of the wood, sanding flat, and putting in new inserts. Or look for another donor playfield.

^This^
If you chooose to repair this playfield, I would replace the inserts and set them to the level of the playfield. I would then gouge the wood around the inserts and apply a woodfiller/Bondo to level the field.There is way to many variences in that as it stands.

#786 4 years ago
Quoted from Skypilot:

^This^
If you chooose to repair this playfield, I would replace the inserts and set them to the level of the playfield. I would then gouge the wood around the inserts and apply a woodfiller/Bondo to level the field.There is way to many variences in that as it stands.

Keith, that's exactly what I was thinking. I don't think I can leave it and let the Hardtop bridge the cavity. I'd have to sand away a lot of area to make it smooth that way. Was thinking some self-leveling poly or something but I'm not sure what happens to the inserts then.

#787 4 years ago

Well I would do one of these again that’s for sure! Great product and east install.

Anyone got a beat up game I can buy that’s on the hardtop list?

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#788 4 years ago
Quoted from jdoz2:

Well I would do one of these again that’s for sure!

LOL!
That has to be the most beat playfield I ever saw! Hardtops are so awesome!

#789 4 years ago

Product update this week? SoF maybe...

#790 4 years ago

EBD! EBD! EBD!

#791 4 years ago

I emailed Bruce last weekend asking about the possibility of EBD in 2019. This is the reply I got:

"Yes, it is going to be started soon. No time line given... as we are always behind. Think next 12 months... "

#792 4 years ago
Quoted from Mathazar:

I emailed Bruce last weekend asking about the possibility of EBD in 2019. This is the reply I got:
"Yes, it is going to be started soon. No time line given... as we are always behind. Think next 12 months... "

Thanks for the update! Now that I’ve definitively decided I’m keeping mine, I’m 100% in for a hardtop. Can’t. Freakin. Wait.

#793 4 years ago

Please make Kiss!

#794 4 years ago

"Soon"..." think next 12 months"

These are not closely related.

#795 4 years ago
Quoted from StylesBitchly:

TX Sector and Robo-Wars!

Yes please - 2nd these Premier playfields, seems quality was really bad on these. I would definitely buy Robo-Wars.

#796 4 years ago

You guys better have time on your hands - read the posts on the High Speed Hardtop - it is coming out (latest is 4 week from now - which means mid July) but it took months beyond original dates they stated. The guys who make the hardtop state repeatedly it is not their primary business so it is a side project.

I am fine with the longer wait times when you get a nice product that is way easier to install than a new playfield with the shiny coat of fresh plastic.

Just realize if it is not their prior stated next tables - it could be years away. I think EBD was next - or I think I read that somewhere. I have no association whatsoever with the project but I read on the forums that was next. Just saying if you read the High Speed hardtop discussion you will get a feel of how long this takes. After waiting myself for a High Speed I could see them maybe doing at most a couple tables a year at best.

#797 4 years ago

It can go quickly. But, patience is a virtue.
I've done 4 of the prototypes and simpler, earlier playfields like Evil Knievel & Mata Hari went "quickly".....ie: several months.
Firepower took longer. (Guess which one I really, really wanted!)
It might be a situation like early CPR before they had their "Art Team".
With the improving economy their day jobs are probably getting busier also.
And, OuterEdge did those Firepower backglasses, too. Lot's going on from a limited crew with limited time means the Hardtop you want will take some time.
Not that much different from the other sources. I'm just glad they can be available. I'm old enough to remember when a new playfield was not available in any form. (Hmm, guess that was really the start of the 15 year wait?)

#798 4 years ago

I’ve had my hard top installed for several months now. I’ve noticed that one of my inserts has started to “cloud” — basically this opaque whiteness seems to be spreading from the edge. Anyone else experiencing this? Not sure if it’s the hardtop or something I messed up on install.

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#799 4 years ago
Quoted from Spraynard:

I’ve had my hard top installed for several months now. I’ve noticed that one of my inserts has started to “cloud” — basically this opaque whiteness seems to be spreading from the edge. Anyone else experiencing this? Not sure if it’s the hardtop or something I messed up on install.

It's been almost 3 months since my hardtop install on Mata Hari...no issues yet, knock on wood. How did you prep your inserts before laying down the hardtop? I sanded 600-800-1000 then put on a couple of thin rattle can coats of Krylon Crystal Clear Gloss.

#800 4 years ago
Quoted from Mathazar:

It's been almost 3 months since my hardtop install on Mata Hari...no issues yet, knock on wood. How did you prep your inserts before laying down the hardtop? I sanded 600-800-1000 then put on a couple of thin rattle can coats of Krylon Crystal Clear Gloss.

Pretty much followed Vid's guide exactly. My only deviation is that I used Krylon Crystal Clear like you instead of 2PAC.

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