(Topic ID: 119075)
Linked Games
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Williams, 1993
Topic Gallery
Hudson, NY
What are you doing? Playfield swap, repair/clear coat or just a thorough shop job? If you're just shopping, start cleaning the parts in the reverse order you took them off and putt them back on after you clean and wax the playfield. Rebuild the pops, new sleeves on the coils etc. it's not as overwhelming as it seems. Follow your pictures. Everything follows a logical pattern like a jigsaw puzzle.
Toronto, ON
You went that far... put the PF aside and attack the cabinet. Clean it, prep it, add a new tech chart
http://www.pinballrebel.com/pinball/cards/tech_charts.htm
New cabinet decal maybe
New cabinet stickers maybe
Clean the receiver bar and cabinet metal....go nuts
Eh97ac,
I plan on re painting the in side on the cab but not sure what to do about the outside. It had no fade. But it has really bad issues by the flipped button.
I don't know how to feather the paint to fade it into a touch up.
M
I'm very much in the same boat with my CFTBL. My first complete shop. This is gonna be fun!! 
Wow. You have a beautiful BSD!
My BSD play field is so shot. It's an SP and it looks 100,000 times worse than that. I constantly debate about selling it and buying a new one, but I still haven't found a nice BSD in the area!
I'd clear that play field to avoid any insert damage, the cab looks great! Not much fade, just flipper wear, but that can be touched up easily.
Quoted from Cheddar:you must begin with the fin shanks for the pop bumpers and the gi braid. these are very difficult when you start populating
GI braid ???????
Quoted from eh97ac:Maybe some stealth protectors, see the GnR pics lower down the page
http://pinballpal.com/stealth/
The site is down for orders because of the owners health issues. I wanted some too. 
I hope the owner is ok.
Wow, I commend you for taking on such an in-depth project. Sure hope you took LOTS of pictures o_O...
If it was me, I would prolly either cry or run away.
Quoted from NPO:If it was me, I would prolly either cry or run away.
I do both! But then I come back after I'm all cried out and figure it out. 
You will do things twice, maybe three times with your first playfield swap and restore. My first playfield swap was on my Funhouse. I did it over at least 6 months. I worked on it a few hours a week and took my time.
Start with your pop bumpers, get your socket leads stapled onto the playfield because they are a bitch to do after you get other assemblies attached. If you get frustrated, walk away and take a break.
Have fun!
Quoted from aveamike:it has really bad issues by the flipped button.
I don't know how to feather the paint to fade it into a touch up.M
Some sort of button protector that would hide the wear would be perfect .
Quoted from Cheddar:The gi sockets that are soldered to the bare wire and stapled to the playfield
Wrong era.
BSD is a pretty simple repopulation. I would replace all optos associated with Mist as that can be a PITA if they fail. Also take care when reinstalling the hex standoffs on the topside as being off a little will make the ramps really clunky.
BSD was my first full playfield restoration(I did not do the art/clear though.)
Quoted from RampShot11:Please tell us you took pictures as you tore it down?
I'm hearing crickets..... 
Quoted from kst8cat:I'm hearing crickets.....
Yes, it's an eery silence.
taylorVA thanks for that info regarding the optos.
do you think i should just redo the white side of the optos or both?
and yes everyone, i have taken and am continuing to take many many photos and i am taking notes.
i just fear the day my 3 year old finds this project in the basement.
i plan on doing a full restore and preserving one of my favorite games.
although i have shopped a handful of games this is more first full tears down.... and it takes forever!
i probably have put 20 hours just to get the game in this shape. the labeling really slows things down.
it also takes up a lot of space!
i am going back in forth between the playfield and the cabinet. i do some touch ups and while stuff is drying i move to the cab, which i have already stripped. i want to paint the bottom the same blood red that is on the side. and then i will do the walls black..... i think. it could be very cool to open up a BSD and see red all over. i bought a airbrush for all the paint stuff but have yet to use it.
i don't like the way decal replacement cabinets look and mine is in solid shape. i would prefer to paint the marks by the flippers but am very worried about blending black to black. it seams like a potential problem. has anyone does this before? does anyone have a good link for cabinet restoration? i can't fine anything about blending the same color on a large surface.
i will post pics as i move forward if people are curious.
IMG_1586.JPG
thanks,
mike
Oxymoron? I don't think I'd have it in me to do a full swap. Perhaps I am less of a man because of this but at least I'll hold onto my sanity!
Seriously, though, good luck with your project. I bet it turns out awesome.
Mike... just an idea;
1) I would call several local automotive paint stores. Ask them who they would recommend that does custom paint (like motorcycles, logos and murals).
2) then take your cabinet to several of these guys to see what they can do to touch up (air brush or by hand).
Personally, I wouldn't be happy with a cover up patch, after all the work and effort you're going to do on this awesome game.
Kerry
Quoted from Kerry_Richard:Personally, I wouldn't be happy with a cover up patch, after all the work and effort you're going to do on this awesome game.
I agree completely! At this level of restoration, do it right and be finished. Professional airbrush or new decals. You're already there. Good luck-a great game to have in your hands!!!
Since you have it stripped down, maybe you should consider clear coating the playfield. If you feel confident enough to try it.
what kind of clearcoat are you going to do? I wouldn't ruin this field with varathane if I were you. It will wash out all your colors. Looks like that field is in nice shape and nice color to it.
Quoted from aveamike:this is my first full tear down and I'm now at ground zero.
not even sure where to begin.
If you can get that far, you can rebuild. I'm repopulating a playfield for the first time now, and to borrow the advice of many others: just take your time. The minute you start rushing, getting tired, or cutting corners, things can go terribly wrong... So far so good for me, but you have to be okay with going slow and stopping to think/plan.
Just take your time. I hope you took a ton of pictures and labeled everything. It is intimidating, but then you finish and forget how insane it was and decide to do it two more times. I'm about to start #4....
if you get stuck, you can give my dad a call. he's a tv repairman and can fix anything
fast-times-at-ridgemont-high-3.png
on a more serious note:
Quoted from aveamike:taylorVA thanks for that info regarding the optos.
do you think i should just redo the white side of the optos or both?
do both. you're already gone this far, there's no sense in doing half a job. plus, the LEDs are cheap
Quoted from aveamike:I filled in the dings and sanded down the inside of the cab.
I'm think I'm set on painting the bottom red.image.jpg 346 KB
This might seem like a cool idea at first, but when someone comes to look at it later as a restored pin, it's going to seem cheesy and less professional. Just a thought, obviously its up to you. Maybe there is some kind of "unpainted tan" color hehe. I see there is some blah spots down near the coin door. Not sure how to restore that.
4 weeks later
Quoted from neverahighscore:Send everything to Chris @HEP!
Send everything to Thedefog in NJ and never worry about it again. 
Quoted from neverahighscore:How about this!
I think that looks like crap to be honest. I would have just bought a new cab for it if it were water damaged and customized that. Cool idea, just looks sloppy.
Quoted from thedefog:I think that looks like crap to be honest. I would have just bought a new cab for it if it were water damaged and customized that. Cool idea, just looks sloppy
I agree. Very cool idea. This game has been on the market for a long time. Very unusual design.
Quoted from thedefog:Send everything to Thedefog in NJ and never worry about it again.
Who is Thedefog???????
Quoted from thedefog:I think that looks like crap to be honest. I would have just bought a new cab for it if it were water damaged and customized that. Cool idea, just looks sloppy.
Wasn't the casket cabinet idea originally a one-off promo item for the game when it was being produced?
Quoted from neverahighscore:Who is Thedefog???????
Time for a plug:
http://www.mtv.com/artists/the-defog/
Quoted from thedefog:Time for a plug:
http://www.mtv.com/artists/the-defog/
Thanks for the info. Nice!
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