both the right flippers? but the left ones works well? Most likely a bad connection on the always closed EOS switch (or a worn one). Try clean it and tighten it for a nice and strong contact, or replace it if you have a space one.

You can always test the ground by shorting the flipper coil ground tab (the outside one on the non banded diode side) to make sure that is not it.

Soon, buddy, soon. I've got a whole mess of parts just sitting by my front door to bring you, plus a Goldeneye cab in the shop!

I think I'll feel a lot better about this F2K if I can touch it up to be a hair less noticeably ugly. I don't need perfect but that much wear right in the center... don't love it. If I can get that minimized somewhat I'd definitely take you up on the protector.

The backglass actually looks better out of the game than I thought so that's a relief.

I feel a little better about them this morning after putting them on legs. They're by no means great but I think I can work with them. Magic needs to take priority though because I will quickly not have room for it if I start bringing my classic Stern pins out to the shop like I had planned on early March. So it needs fixed up, shopped, and moved out. Sooner rather than later.

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27dnast how are the contacts on your flipper button switches, on the cabinet?

That Magic has a nice looking play field. And it is just a pretty play field. But Stern sure sucked pond water when it put that gawd awful green apron on. Like they had a stack of left over Hot Hand aprons that needed a foster home.

I'm sorry, I told you wrong.

Here is what you want. With regards to the black cable, one side is ribbed. The ribbed side goes to the left. And then both tabs get screwed down onto the ground braid.

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In that case I'd give a hardtop at least a try. The resale on F2K is not that great in most cases so it makes a hardtop almost the only feasible option.

There's some wear on the playfield but all in all it looks pretty decent. I like the art, but don't see magic as something I'd keep on merits of limited funds and space. The apron is pretty ugly but I think it works. Idk.

Agreed. No way on earth would I pump $1000 into an F2K for a new playfield. I do have a FIXED meteor "gold" (EYEROLL) hanging on my wall that I need to swap someday...

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That magic PF is in really good shape. Usually they are way more yellowed and worn.

Most F2k playfields look like that. I'm glad I got my CPR PF/BG when the prices were a lot cheaper, but I really like the game. (Even before the new rom)

I think I can make something of this magic, I hope. Glass is kind of flaky, I really need to seal it i guess (I've never done it, the prospect makes me nervous). Then put a toggle switch in because someone cut it out... why?!

These two are going to be interesting...

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To use it in another game.

I mean I guess but man, they're not that expensive!

Did you find a spot somewhere else where the previous owner had moved the on/off toggle? Maybe his grandkids were as good as mine at finding power switches.

If you needed a magic backglass, Atari_Daze makes an amazing quality translight for it. Here’s a before and after

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I think they’re good to go, but will clean

Don't seal it. Against all of the popular wisdom I read when I came here in 2015, sealing does not work. Imagine placing a small button or something similar on your glass and then covering it with tape. Now apply your sealer/glue on top of the tape. Did you somehow by magic somehow manage to seal the button to the glass by applying glue to the tape?

I bought a Strikes & Spares where someone had sealed it. Entire sections of ink had pulled away from the glass with the sealer sort of holding it all together in one piece.

Use superglue. Bring it down with you and we can really glue it up. I had to do this to a Game Plan Captain Hook that was starting to flake.

Sounds like you're gonna be super busy soon!

That’s weird. I’ve sprayed probably 20 backglasses at this point over the last 20 years and never had anything like that happen. I’ve been using Krylon Triple Thick and I spray the whole glass. Would I do it to a glass that didn’t need it? Absolutely not. But if you have small flaking developing it’s worked for me to stop that from going further. For anyone who does spray, I highly recommend covering up the score windows and other non-inked glass with painters tape. I spray right over it and peel it right off the next day after it dries. As always, ymmv....

I passed on a F2K second playfield for $325 that had the wood grain in the wrong direction, noticeable in the shooter lane. Wish now I had bought that. The wood grain was pretty cool.

Is there a way to adjust the drop target bank down position so they sit flush with the playfield? Swapping out new targets on my seawitch, can't see how I'd adjust that.

I did spray and area of one glass and it seemed to work. And then I got the S & S and it was a peel fest. I can see where if there are cracks in the ink and maybe a flaking, but if you Triple Thick over a loose flake that has lost its bond to the glass eventually its going to let loose, IMO.

The Game Plan I was working to save had huge flakes. Superglue was the only remedy I could figure out for holding them to the glass.

Got pics? I'm confused on what could cause the targets to be setting too high. The main problem is with them setting too low.

Yeah, they are sitting low. Trying to figure out how to bring them up a bit. Not seeing how I'd adjust the rest bar down position....

Unless you're getting swinks replacement targets, the commonly available repros are slightly too short. AFAIK, the best you can do is add a shim to your mech so the targets just can't go any lower.

If you’re covering the whole glass, you’re essentially creating a large single backing for the entire glass that is adhering to everything on the back. I’m not sure how something would continue to flake off from that. Again, my experience is with doing the entire thing, I’ve never done “spot” sprays. Steve Young had a product way back when called “Cover Your Glass” which he sold as the first backglass stabilizer product. Turned out that product was notorious for doing what you described when the backglass was exposed to sub-freezing temps, so they eventually discontinued it. I’ve never heard of that happening with Krylon TT though. I can see what you’re talking about with large flakes, but on things like the GTB flesh tones from the 70’s and 80’s which are notorious for tiny flakes developing and breaking off I don’t think there’s another solution.

Guess I wish I new about swinks making them before I bought them from marco, lol. Good idea on the shim though, that seems easy enough to rig.

Swinks - info on availability and ordering if you don't already have this link:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-tombstone-drop-targets-13a-11-any-interest

FYI. The drop targets sold by PBR, Marcos and PPS are all the same design. PBR owns the mold and makes them in house. I’d buy the new Swinks design even though they’re more expensive.

The Swinks drop targets are so superior to the commonly available ones, it cannot be over stated.

Worth. Every. Penny.

I’ve been meaning to post these pics for a while now…I had Cliffy make protectors for the kickout holes on Lightning.
He made a batch, so if you want a set, just drop him a line!

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thanks for mentioning the stern tombstone drops guys

just if anyone is interested send me a message and not go straight to Shapeways - Shapeways ones are my design and is my shop front but are more expensive as you are buying them one at a time and they give poor discounts. I order in batches of 75-100 to get a much better price which I pass on and it's the community out.

v3's on the left are replicas of the original
v4's on the right are replicas but modded with the back of the target filled in

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These targets are fantastic, I love mine!

They do work fantastically. I do wish you'd make some with the hood, just for the "correct" look on post-1979 games!

Though @onemoresean's post here makes me wonder if the hood actually contribute to brick issues? https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/meteor-club-we-will-let-you-know-when-the-danger-is-past/page/54#post-7427331

Meteor 123 rocket targets were always non hooded. The meteor drop bank shipped both ways.

Is there someone that makes the decals (various colored S, Stars, numbers or blue dots) for these drops? That was the only thing holding me back from trying them out.

Sure, but I'm not specifically referencing Meteor. Just happened to be the example and the commonly available repro targets all have the hoods, but the plastic and size is not to original spec. Swinks' targets seem sturdier (better response) and are the correct height. Just would be nice to have repro targets for later games that actually used the hood. Cheetah, F2K, etc just look "wrong" to me with the tombstones.

I’m gonna put in an order soon for a set for my Lightning, which bricks somethin’ awful. That could make for an interesting test case.

What material are these made out of?

I love Steve Young and pbr but he's really missing the correct plastic for these stern and Bally targets.

I have a large stash of vintage used ones I pull from instead of the new trash. Eventually I'll get some Swink's ones as needed.

I thought he was working on the hooded style?

TractorDoc has made them in the past. Maybe he can make some for you. Otherwise try Marcos.

PA12 Nylon which are solid filled but mine are firmer than the repros from PBR, Planetary etc in which these are more flexible which contributes to bricking as they flex back and return forward before they can drop.

I would consider doing decals if people could send me accurate scans

I made my decals in AI, happy to send you the files if you want.
Lightning bolts should be easy to render as well…

Not totally, the little newspaper for sale rags are still going in my neck of the woods.

Seabitch is a pretty damn fast SS at 6 degrees. Surprises a lot of people.

On my Seawitch, the tip of the plunger doesn't touch the ball when at rest (roughly 1/4" short), making plunges fairly inconsistent (or I believe this to be the issue). Is there an adjustment I should be making, or perhaps there exists a shorter barrel spring or longer shooter rod, longer rubber tip, etc.?

I switched to a high tension blue spring as a workaround, but it's still pretty inconsistent.

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Did you replace the barrel spring with one of the newer ones? They are usually longer. I smooshed one down in a vise to get the adjustment right.

You can also bend the tabs down on the shooter guide to get it closer as long as the ball is solidly on the shooter groove it's ok.

Thanks, that makes sense. I haven't replaced the barrel spring, but it does look like someone swapped in a new one relatively recently. I'll give it the onion in my vise

Looks like I'm buying a couple of Altek MPUs, and probably lamp boards as well. These MPUs are nasty. The rest of the boards will go out for diagnosing and cleaning up as needed (I already have a stack of boards being looked at). I assume the MPUs will just get gutted and then pitched but we'll see.

I think I saw at least a couple of quarters inside each cab though so I'm definitely making money there!

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No knock to Alltek but Weebly boards are cheaper, custom code options pre-installed, expansion slots for further code updates, and you can get a repro SB-100 from him if you need it.

Fair point. I'll have to go look those up. I think both are awesome products and I'm glad both exist.

And to ad some perspective here, when the first Alltek boards came out in 2002 it allowed a lot of pins to be played again that had bad stock mpus. You had to tell Alltek which game it was for and he would burn roms for that game. Later Alltek developed the all in one board for all 52 Bally and Stern games. Weebly went the next step and allows you to run custom roms.

I’m glad that we have two manufacturers for Stern boards as it encourages competition between them.