Deez probably has the highest play game with a hardtop. Last I remember his Space Shuttle had about 2000 plays and no complaints.

So if I'm doing a game with rollovers (Future Spa, for example) the idea is to remove the rollovers, install the hard top and then put the rollovers back in even with the hard top? Makes sense.

Shawn

Check out Vid’s Comet Hardtop thread: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-hardtop-restoration-comet/page/3#post-5024390

Classic Vid, he does a great job addressing rollovers on a Hardtop there.

Got a shipping notice from FedEx! My HS Hardtop should be here on Tuesday.

Potential solution to star insert issues: make small star insert hard top circles that can be rotated to match the star insert pattern. If you could make that along with a star insert switch plastic (whatever you call the white part that moves inside the insert) that was the same thickness as the hard top taller it might encourage some folks to go ahead with an install if they're scared of having to remove and level a star insert.

Will someone please let us know when EBD is ready . I was told some time in 2019 . Thanks good day

The star insert was my biggest concern before install. Turned out to be real easy. My hardtop was hanging over the edge of the playfield a bit, so I was able to practice with the mini dremmel drum sander on the side of the hardtop. After a bit of practice I felt more confident.

Post #791: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/official-hardtops-thread/page/16#post-5040424

Trying to reconcile info across various posts from Vid’s general resto posts and his Comet Hardtop one, specifically around inserts.

I’d guess that nearly every insert on my PF is raised, with the amount varying from a fingernail’s thickness to maybe twice that on a couple. I’m reading to sand them down to the PF, but also to reglue and/or replace any that are raised.

Thoughts on what the threshold is here for sanding vs reglueing? I’d suspect that the adhesive on the Hardtop would prevent any re-raising of inserts, but interested to know what other’s experience has been.

Thanks!

There is no adhesive over the inserts of a hardtop, correct? I would sand down and then put glue around each insert, or at least as much of the perimeter that you can.

ugh, hardtops shut down until further notice, not good for me since i was about to place my first order with them on monday, just damn

on another note, does anybody have a firepower hardtop they can part with?

Get in line buddy! Lol

Any news on this? I needed three of them. Just thankful I got a Flash Gordon when I had the chance!

have heard nothing on this,
i keep hoping some one will reach out to me and sell me one ...... keep hope alive or is it give hope a chance? hope for change?
anyway all bs aside, am hoping i can find one fairly, have a play field with horribly warped arrow type inserts and i really want it out of my house

You'll likely have to wait for Outside Edge to come back online and start producing them again. At $300 a pop, I doubt many folks stockpile them for future projects and have extra laying around to sell. At that price point, I usually wait till I'm ready to start the work and then purchase.

Just became aware yesterday of this product. OMG this really sounds fabulous considering the price of repro playfields...if available. But Damn they are shut down. Really hope that this is not a sign of discontinuing the product.

So I need a Black Knight hardtop when they open up. Money in hands guys.

I think they were just overwhelmed by the number of orders coming in. They should be back up and running soon.

Those guys are a commercial printing company and do the hardtop thing on the side. I read somewhere on their site that they're using their $1.5M printing press for their hardtops and that they're shutting down while they "retool their production". That retooling is likely being driven by their day business and it, of course, affects their hardtop side business. Here's hoping the retooling results in increased capacity that shortens the time between taking hardtop orders and shipping once production resumes!

I think I remember reading somewhere it was going to be 6 months

I just received my High Speed (it's beautimus!) and I'm looking forward to getting it installed. It will replace an awful, bubbling vinyl overlay that I made the mistake of using about a year ago.

Good luck with the retool. I for one will be patiently waiting to see what comes out of your shop later this year.

Sweet!

Thanks for the update. Us fans of your product truly appreciate it.

Solar Fire
Maybe some day.
Good news about a great product!

Is there somewhere where we can put a vote in for a hardtop title? I'd like a Flash Gordon but acquired the game after the production run ran out.

I hear all my project machines cheering in the storage unit! Great news and appreciate the post.

I'm trying to fix it up for someone, waiting for some chips for the MPU, re-capped the Driver and Sound boards, if it fires up then I will have to decide what to do. The playfield is trashed sadly otherwise it could be decent.

Good to see an update....patiently awaiting to order a space shuttle HT.

Do you need an extra populated playfield? I have one that I was going to use to help with a Hardtop install. Planned to build it up then swap out the whole thing. That way the original was intact and used as a reference.

I've missed all the Flash Gordon games that came up and am just moving on to something else. So I don't really need to hang onto it.

If someone has a cleared Swords of Fury PF, I would be interested. I'd buy 2 if available

.

I need a twilight zone hardtop. my game is great but the Playfield is destroyed be the sun the last owner let it get. Please help I will pay twice the cost of it if you could make one special order. Also I need one For the mini Playfield too.

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Is it possible that future runs of hardtops with in-line drops are not completely cut out at the drops (like the roll overs are currently done) so that they can be dremeled exact after install to help prevent ball hang ups?

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100% agree

Licensing may be a bit of a challenge(?)

If you are will to spend twice the amount, what about a new PF? The job is cutting everything over but someone might offer that service. I know that you would be in for more but I like my TZ and would have done it if I hadn't found a HUO.

Where is the best place to get updates from Outside Edge? This thread?

I was hoping to go on their website & subscribe to an email update list, but I don't see that option anywhere. This is rather surprising for an online based company.

I just want to place an order as soon as they are back up & running. Thanks

Hi, I'm hoping to get a 1985 William's Comet ordered when you're back to shipping, are there any already made or am I going to have to wait for it to be que'd up in production?

I gave up hunting down a stockpiled Mata Hari hardtop. I imagine they are going to slammed with orders once they re-open the store. I think they only print to order.

Initially they were stocking product, but they were overwhelmed with orders once people started giving testimonials about the quality. A friend said that they are scheduled to have a booth at Expo in October. I'm thinking they will resume their sales online after Expo.

This is interesting to hear that they would go to the trouble of having a both to show their wares when it sounds like there is already a high demand while 'being overwhelmed' for the product while running this as a side business. They haven't been able or willing to communicate with this interested audience, any of their work in progress type updates etc... Who else, which audience would they be trying to target at a show? That doesn't make sense to me. Let's just get back online and rolling out new titles. The orders are waiting.

If you sit on your laurels basking in the demand of current sales, one day when those sales dry up, you're out of business. Why do you think large brands like coca cola, Nike, Amazon spend millions on advertising? They are industry leaders, but they are still out there hustling, and creating brand awareness. Because the next guy, with the next best product is right around the corner. Also, part of this retooling is to generate more capacity. The demand right now may exceed their current capacity, but will it exceed their new retool? Only they know that, but if they were happy meeting current demand with current output, why retool at all.

I get the frustration with lack of communication, but they gave an update 30 days ago, and said it would be 6 weeks before the next update. Theyve not broken any promises yet, so I would say be patient. They're taking a risk by shutting down at all for the better of the community. They could have continued a slow churn, but they're looking to offer us perhaps more flexibility in titles and faster turn around. They should be commended, not chastised.

Lol... that’s a good point. I have no problems with the way they’re doing things, but it sounds like somebody just wants to go to the show. No big deal. I do wish they at least had a mailing list or something though.

It’s a shame that licensing and copyright destroys competition that would otherwise satisfy the demand that turns us all into weirdos because we want a sacred $400 piece of plastic.

Not sure if it has been brought up but any chance they are working with Deeproot for their playfields. Robert said he wants to be able to hit his playfields with a sledge hammer before they leave his factory, if anyone's playfield right now could hold up to a sledge hammer hit it could be a Hardtop.

Now THAT is an interesting theory.

Just thank God that Hardtops will never pool or chip People are losing their damned minds about that right now.

That's what I'm saying, it would be great if Hardtop was teaming up with a big manufacturer. Who wouldn't want to potentially sell a few thousands more units of whatever their selling.

I'm a fan of the Hardtop product, my Comet won Best in Show Restoration at the SFGE show a couple months ago. I couldn't tell you how many times I had to explain that it Wasn't a new playfield, it is a giant plastic sticker but it was the only pin with a Hardtop at the show. Most people had no idea what they were playing on and that's a good thing.

After all this clear coat stuff I looked at my HUO Star Trek Pro Vault last night and sure enough I have whatever you want to call it Pooling, lifting around posts less than 800 plays and a playfield protector on since day 1. My Comet got several hundred plays at the SFGE show and came away without a single scratch and that's amazing. If it was a major company selling pins and I had issues they could just send me another Hardtop would be less than a few days work for the average pinhead to pull the top side off and replace it.

Either way I'm in on a Blackout when production starts back up.

Side note I've recently found out about this S100 wax it doesn't leave residue to get get stuck under shooter lanes or whatnot. Great stuff.

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