Have you ever played a Williams Blackout from 1980?

I was able to play one at a local show for a few hours all to myself, and found it to have great flow. I never forgot how much I liked having three spinners to rip when lit, and two banks of drops -- I was determined to own one some day. No multiball meant I could wait... Well, I'm glad I decided to stop waiting!

I picked this one up from a friendly local Pinsider, and it was just as described -- mildly shopped out, very good condition, and setup well already.

I’m going to estimate this one at 40+ hours. I expect no backbox surprises, since it’s already survived some time in a few collectors' homes

ipdb:
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=317
-mof

EVALUATION:
=====================
PARTS/GRADES (8.5) overall
=====================
* Apron: 9: has some noticeable scratches that are just "character flaws", replacement not required.
* Boards: 9: Everything seems to be working.
* Cabinet: 8: very nice
* Backglass: 8: has a few nicks. Pretty darn good.
* Displays: 9: All digits working.
* Inner Cab: 9: Cleaned up just fine. Nothing alive in there.
* Legs: 8: Legs are fine.
* Parts: 9: a broken plastic.
* Plastics: 9: a broken plastic
* Playfield: 8: full mylar, with sunken inserts. Might go playfield protector at some point.
* Pop caps: 9: Look great.
* Shooter and Assembly: 7: Will clean this all up.
* Side Rails: 9: Flat and clean enough.
* Smells: 9: Smells fine. Nothing stands out.
* Transformer: 9: Looks good.

==================================
Shopping List ($100 budget, $73 current, $27 available)
==================================

DONE:$73
* shooter spring $1 (have 'em)
* solenoid sleeves $1 (have 'em)
* new rubber set (need ‘em) $20 <==
* pop caps x 3: $21 (have 'em) (I want to try other colors)
* flipper bats $10 (have 'em) (I want to try other colors)
* flipper rubbers $5 (have 'em) (I want to try other colors)
* return springs for flippers (have 'em)
* Replacement plastic right rear corner $15.

SOMEDAY: ?
* CPR playfield if they ever do one. This one has many raised inserts but really flat and clean mylar. It's great for now. It would be a treat to have a perfect one some day.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER: I am not a "purist" so if changing something from original is not for you, DRAIN THIS THREAD NOW! haha...

Home and setup. Plays great...

So I'm going to do this thread a little differently. I'm intentionally going to begin posting 30 days late, so that I have a backlog of consistent daily updates ready to post. Think of it as a daily one hour update of progress. This will be much more interesting than intermittent weekly posts. I can already guarantee 30 days of very good progress. =)

-mof

Day1: Feb25, 2018.
20180225_blackout-at-home3 (resized).jpg
20180225_blackout-at-home (resized).jpg

Like an idiot, I'm going to skip the post-purchase checklist, and ASSUME my friend had this thing in a good place.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/post-purchase-checklist

But, I am going to start the master shop job checklist, and move these items around each day...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/shop-job-master-checklist

Here we go!
CABINET (15-20 hrs)
* Cabinet protectors, Install the metal PBL ones
* Cabinet, clean and wax
* Cabinet wires, clean them for appearance
* Coin door carriage bolts, remove and clean or polish them
* Coin door flap, remove and de-rust it (if stainless steel)
* Inserts, ensure they are all flat. Adjust and re-glue any that are not
* Leg bolts, polish and reinstall
* Legs, de-rust, polish and wax. Install new leg levelers and floor sliders
* Power, check all board Test Point’s (TPs) against spec
* Power switch, clean it and the bracket
* Speaker panel trim, clean and polish it
* Transformer board, remove and clean under it if possible, (sand and varnish if possible)
* Transformer brackets, ultrasonic and reassemble, clean up transformer

HEAD / BACKBOX (10-15 hrs)
* Backbox, clean the lamp board, tumble and reassemble door brackets
* Backglass, install new grip tape to better hold the backglass channel and trim
* Backglass channel, (if stainless steel) polish, clean or replace
* Battery pack, install remote one
* Connectors, check all connectors for burn, and replace connectors where needed
* Displays, review displays for proper rubber gaskets and replace with strips of weather insulation to ensure the glass cannot touch the displays, either in game, or in transport
* Fuses, review and replace to spec
* Fuses, review recommended upgrades to improve safety and add a few if advised
* GI lamp board, get it to proper level and height so the displays line up properly through the backglass
* Grounding mods, study what can help the integrity of the machine, and perform them
* Power board, replace 30 year old caps
* Solder joints, check all boards for cold solder joints and reflow as needed

PLAYFIELD (15-30 hrs)
* Acorns, install new set to match plastics
* Drop target assemblies, molex, ultrasonic and reassemble
* Inlane switches -- ensure max moonwalking, and no ball trapping
* Instruction card -- update with rules, and replay score card
* Posts, tighten, tumble and re-fill all stripped holes
* Posts, Ensure all posts are in the correct spot with healthy screws. Unscrew/screw them all back in
* Rubber kit, install new one
* Solenoid sleeves, review them all, and clean or replace them
* Spinner, paint strip it, spray paint it, bake on the paint, and reassemble it
* Star posts, clean and wax, and reinstall

DONE FOR ME (12.0)

* Switch test (ensure CPU and Physical switches all register each switch)
* Switch adjustments (1-2-3 lanes, inlanes, outlanes) (.5)
* Plug, ensure it’s in good shape (0)
* Switch test (ensure CPU and Physical switches all register each switch) (.5)
* Lamp sockets, review that all work properly, and clean/replace any that need it (1)
* Flipper button switches, replaced with new parts (1)
* Flippers rebuilt (4)
* Solenoid test (.5)
* Display test (.5)
* Install new leg levelers (.5)
* Solenoid test
* Plug, ensure it’s in good shape, or replace
* Display test
* Lamp sockets, review that all work properly, and clean/replace any that need it

DONE (31.5)

* Legs, set pitch and level (.5)
* Cabinet, troll it for parts with magnetic wand, and vacuum/clean it out (0)
* Cabinet wires, ensure the 4 harnesses move freely when playfield is rotated up/down (0)
* acetate covers for the instruction cards (0)
* GI lamp board, remove all bulbs, and install only 10 (my personal taste) (.5)
* Dipswitches, set them for freeplay, etc and/or set functions using coin door buttons (.5)
* Flipper buttons, ultrasonic and reinstall (.5)
* Displays, review displays for proper rubber gaskets and replace with strips of weather insulation to ensure the glass cannot touch the displays, either in game, or in transport (.5)
* Stationary targets, ensure they have good foam behind them, clean, and adjust them (1)
* Slings, tune properly (.5)
* Go full LEDs -- minus the slings and flipper return frames (I don't like flicker down there) (.5)
* Flipper assemblies, molex and adjust (3)
* Flipper return frames, remove bells, and install new set from Cliffy, align for perfect ball flow (in both directions, this could require filling and drilling new holes) (1)
* Choose best pop cap color (1)
* Lamp (controlled) test - Fix controlled lamp issue (1)
* Treasure Cove mylar on Playfield, clean and wax (1)
* Replace flipper bats for best color and adjust (1)
* Unwind saucer coil to make it stronger (1) (twice)
* Ball stops (above saucers), ensure they are polished and clean and reinstalled, add a light, change out plastic (1)
* Plastics, clean and flatten (1)
* Plastic protectors, create new ones from scratch for vulnerable high use areas (1)
* Review any shots that send balls at the flippers, and adjust alignments as necessary (1)
* Shooter, ultrasonic, and re-install; replace 1" spring if needed to keep tip from scraping against PF (.5)
* Coin door, clean it (clean up old stickers if needed) (.5)
* Lockdown bar receiver, de-rust, clean and reinstall it (1.5)
* Lockdown bar, de-rust, clean and install new foam (.5)
* Playfield brackets, (that seat in the lockdown bar) tumble and reassemble (1)
* Make new stickers !!! (2.5)
* Pops, rebuild all three and adjust all leaves to hair-trigger perfection, install new skirts and lamp sockets (2.5)
* Wires, inspect EVERY wire termination for breaks/fraying and cut/re-solder as needed
* Slam Tilt (put rubber around for home use)
* Coin door, check wiring and make sure it's all zip-tied away from colliding with the lockdown bar arm
* Paint pen black on inside and outside of cabinet, coin door, and head edges to clean up the look (.5)
* Backglass, clean both sides carefully
* Install solenoid saver board from weebly (.5)
* Plastics, install new ones where needed, and verify you have the supporting hardware (correct posts, etc)
* screws on blue buttons (.5)
* Apron, trough, and shooter gauge clean 'em (use a minimal gentle cleaner, don’t remove any paint -- install new sleeve) (1)
* Backbox, clean and vacuum it
* Playfield guides and edges inside the cabinet, clean/wax them for ease of movement (.5)
* Felt side of cabinet, front of cabinet (.5)
* Playfield glass channel, polish it (1) - (30)
* add foam to the dispays and high points on the light panel to lock in the backglass - (.5)
* Displays, wipe down glass and rubber
* Blue insert bulbs (.5)
* Shooter Lane protector, polish and reinstall (.5)

First thing I noticed is -- I get to make a new section called "Done for me" -- why? The previous owner already took care of some things, which is a little bit of a time saver... Let's see what was already done for me...

DONE FOR ME (10.5)

* Switch adjustments (1-2-3 lanes, inlanes, outlanes) (.5)
* Plug, ensure it’s in good shape (0)
* Switch test (ensure CPU and Physical switches all register each switch) (.5)
* Lamp sockets, review that all work properly, and clean/replace any that need it (1)
* Flipper button switches, replaced with new parts (1)
* Flippers rebuilt (4)
* Solenoid test (.5)
* Display test (.5)
* Install new leg levelers (.5)
* Adjust evil horseshoe drops to always reset (THIS CAN TAKE FOREVER) - (2)

Huzzah! ~8.5 hours of free work included in the deal, I'm liking this already...
-mof

Of course the first weekend required *hours* of play-testing to get a sense of what needed fine tuning (or not) in the game:

1. Do the orbits return right? Too frequently the ball drains SDTM off a left-right orbit
2. Do I like the flipper swing range? Yes I love it -- it's very narrow. No easy-trapping here at all.
3. Does the Blackout Saucer have enough "umpf" to eject the ball hard at the flippers? No way, it's super weak.
4. Any line of sight issues with bright bulbs? A few.
5. Any pops need adjustment? Not really.
6. Are the horseshoe drops solid? Yes, incredibly so.
7. Is the shooter aimed properly, and not sweeping the drops? I think it's right... I only got a sweep once, and that appears to have been a fluke.
8. Is the backbox too bright and reflecting on the playfield? Yes... fix it!

-mof

I want to start out with a clean cabinet so when I drop screws... Yes screws will be dropped. I can find them very quickly.

Also the backbox is killing me with 40+ 44s in there. Way too bright. Captain Neo's rule of 10 47s or less is the best way to go. Always. I think I'll put the light behind the planets and the exploding meteor ONLY...

I also noticed the backglass wasn't sitting level in the head. The lines at the top of the artwork were not parallel. So I added some tiny pieces of foam into the channel where the glass rests. Straightened up good.

A few other details:

* Cabinet, troll it for parts with magnetic wand, and vacuum/clean it out (0)
* Cabinet wires, ensure the 4 harnesses move freely when playfield is rotated up/down (0)
* acetate covers for the instruction cards (0)
* GI lamp board, remove all bulbs, and install only 10 (my personal taste) (.5)
* Dipswitches, set them for freeplay, etc and/or set functions using coin door buttons (.5)
* Legs, set pitch and level

More playtesting!

20180304_level-BS (resized).jpg
20180304_cleaner-cabinet (resized).jpg
20180401_cabinet-clean (resized).jpg

Cool. thanks...

They were a bit crusty to start with... now they are all cleaned up...

I want to go to blue buttons, but I see these are longer... bummer.

* Flipper buttons, ultrasonic and reinstall (.5)

I like to use an emory cloth and smooth out some of the rough edges as well...

-mof

20180303_buttons (resized).jpg

20180303_clean-button (resized).jpg

An idea so crazy it might just work... I'll report back...

* Displays, review displays for proper rubber gaskets and replace with strips of weather insulation to ensure the glass cannot touch the displays, either in game, or in transport (.5)
* Stationary targets, ensure they have good foam behind them, clean, and adjust them (1)
* Slings, tune properly (.5)
* Go to full LEDs (.5)

It's common that I get a machine with no foam behind the standup targets. I really like to add a thick piece behind each one. I feel like the target will last a lot longer, when it has a shorter range of motion and something soft behind it...

Also, I really like to nudge machines, and have a quiet backglass. When you look at a machine 35+ years old, you typically see one or zero pieces of foam in there from the factory. I like to add them to a few displays and high points on the lamp board. Then I'll shake the machine a bit, and I want to make sure there's no more jiggle. This sounds better, and more solid, and of course means the backglass will experience more wear. Do yourself a quick favor, and make sure you don't have any rattling backglasses in your collection...

Tuning the slings is pretty intuitive... Get that front leaf vertical, and not bent -- then get them as hot as possible, but unlike pops, you can't have them a hair's width apart, or they machine gun, so you get them close, but not super close... adjust, and playtest, and adjust again...

Checklists are my friends, thanks...

6.5 hours in.

* Flipper assemblies, molex and adjust (3)

I very much enjoy having the flexibility to remove a flipper assembly when I choose, and leave a strong soldered connection in place at the lugs... I like to molex the flippers at minimum and remove them and clean and adjust them. In this case, I was lucky that all the parts were new, but the previous owner had not chosen to put the WPC era return springs on there. By doing so, it added another 5% power to the flipper. Why? Because there is no longer a spring slowing down the action directly on the solenoid. Do I know this for a fact? No. Was I able to observe this and see stronger shots? Yes. My favorite aspect though is having the flippers snap back into place quicker -- which allows for better saves...

I tried something new -- instead of securing the return springs with a hex screw into the PF, or using a hole in the flipper bracket... I just went right into an already used hex screw in the assembly frame. Seems to work just fine...

Also -- I had some buzzing on one flipper, much like what you get with an EM sometimes... and I found that the flipper gaps were not set correctly, and there was in fact a melted spacer. I simply carved away the excess plastic with an exacto knife, and used it as-is. Just fine. In this case, I used a few singles, and a double.

Looks like I'll have to snap a few more pics for "after"

-mof

20180225_melted-switch (resized).jpg
20180301_before-molex (resized).jpg
20180401_flippers7 (resized).jpg
20180401_flippers6 (resized).jpg
20180401_flippers3 (resized).jpg
20180401_flippers2 (resized).jpg
20180401_flippers5 (resized).jpg
20180401_flippers4 (resized).jpg

* Flipper return frames, remove bells, and install new set from Cliffy, align for perfect ball flow (in both directions, this could require filling and drilling new holes) (.5)

Of course, you never *really* know how a game plays at its best until you install Cliffy flipper frames in there. It's not just the ball hop, it's also the velocity of the ball when it hits the flippers by getting the install alignment just right. This game has great flow. The design is superb. Be sure and maximize that good feeling by using Cliffy's enhanced frames which adds a little height to the ball guide...

Now when the ball comes in fast through the ball guides, it whips around the corner and into the flippers without any loss in ball speed. It really makes a difference.

Added a purple bulb just for fun...
Polish up those screws and bells too...

-mof

20180303_purple-on-yellow (resized).jpg
Blackout (resized).png

Very true...

I love color matching parts to fit the game playfield and backglass art better. I tend to add blue into games. I did it with High Speed, Sorcerer, and Cosmic Gunfight.

I'll start with the flippers.

I want them to feel more like other asteroids -- which are black and blue.

Do I go with black rubber on blue, or blue rubber on black?

One rule I have is the rubber MUST have contrast against the PF so that you have more confidence on the location of the flipper. I don't want it to blend in...

-mof

20180303_black-wins (resized).jpg20180303_try-black-flipper (resized).jpg20180303_try-blue-flipper (resized).jpg20180314_new-flippers (resized).jpg

Ship sailed. Blue on black matches the asteroids best... (The flipper plastic on the other one was too bright and violet as well.)

Mof

When I first got into the hobby, I had a mylar-covered Diner, and so I bought a kit from Treasure Cove to polish the mylar. It comes with attachments for your drill. It works great. I have no idea if the solutions they provide can be replicated using other products or not. You sure have to shake those bottles up years later... they really separate.

So, the keys to a happy TC job are:

1. Tape off everything good with extra wide blue tape.
2. Do your 3 passes with the TC -- use as LITTLE product as possible to minimize dust you create and kick out (dried product)
3. Stop and vacuum up all the dust
4. THEN remove the tape
5. THEN vacuum again
6. THEN kick all your dust down into the trough area like a normal fella, but hopefully it's very little dust.
7. Then you can wax the mylar...

The ball travel is much more pure and clean afterward. Highly recommended.

-mof

supplies out...
taped off...
mirror like shine...

TC-products (resized).png
20180303_TC-tape (resized).jpg
Before? Not sure...
Before? Not sure...
After...
After...
Glossy
20180305_TC-gloss (resized).jpg

Time to try out various pop cap sets. There's definitely too much red in the upper playfield, and orange as well. The red pops blend in too much with the red rollover plastics and the orange planet right next to them.

1. I love the blue
2. Yellow looks very sharp too... the orange stickers help.
3. Red gets lost

Red is out.

* Blue makes more sense with the theme, that these are asteroids to blow up...

Going to go with blue pop caps, and create decals later. Yellow-clear pop bodies and yellow skirts.

Decision made...
-mof
20180303_try-red-caps (resized).jpg
20180303_try-yellow-caps (resized).jpg
20180303_try-blue-caps (resized).jpg

With the playfield mylar polished and waxed, and the new Cliffy return frames in there, and new flippers, this thing needs hours of play-testing at this point.
-mof

Here's a little movie:

Just added:

"HEALTH DISCLAIMER: I am not a "purist" so if changing something from original is not for you, DRAIN THIS THREAD NOW! haha..."

to post #1 to help limit the number of health-related incidents on Pinside today.

-mof

* troubleshoot controlled lamps problem (1)

After watching that video, I noticed a problem with the controlled lamps for 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x. It took some troubleshooting, but it had to be a short... Lo and behold it was the disc contraption that holds all the lights -- a bulb was grounded to that disc! Look out!

-mof

20180305_short-fixed (resized).jpg

One along the edge.
Mof

Ok, good to know...

* Unwind saucer coil to make it stronger (1)

I didn't like how weak the right saucer was ejecting the ball, so I decided to remove it and unwind it a bit...

At first I did 50, then 100 windings. It has helped. Sometimes, the ball goes right to the right flipper without dinking off the sling.

Next chance I get, I'll do another 100 at least. It's fun to experiment.
-mof

20180312_solenoid-windings (resized).jpg

* Add light to out-hole and add a blue plastic (1)
* Polish the ball stop and wax it
* BEND the ball stop down a bit so that the ball goes THUNK when it hits it
* Play-test until the ball sounds great

-mof

20180324_ball-stop5 (resized).jpg
20180324_ball-stop1 (resized).jpg
20180324_ball-stop2 (resized).jpg
20180324_ball-stop4 (resized).jpg
20180324_ball-stop3 (resized).jpg
20180312_blue-hole (resized).jpg

Enjoy...

You want the tiniest of a gap between ball and stop when it's seated.
-mof

20180324_ball-stop6-minimum-distance (resized).jpg

An hour a day -- that's all it takes -- you can do it!
Go tighten up a game that needs your love...

-mof

Also noticed from the movie that the slings are not flat-flat

* Plastics, clean and flatten (slings!) (1)

Cranked oven up to 210 F -- grabbed some glassware, and wait 20 minutes or so...

-mof

20180314_flat-plastics (resized).jpg
20180314_flat-slings (resized).jpg

I like how well they hold even with only a few threads available -- especially where I've added a layer of plastic underneath...
-mof

* Plastic protectors, create new one from scratch for vulnerable high use areas - center targets (1)

I really love making these now:

1. keep lexan on hand
2. trace plastic with a sharpie
3. trim with tin snips (thanks for the tip, Mark Davis!)
4. barely have to sand at all on the belt sander
5. do front and side edges with 120/220/400...
6. use hot poker and start two holes, finish with drill press...
7. use 99% IPA to remove all sharpie
8. check fit, often one hole needs to move a little bit...
9. install and use nylon nuts to really keep everything snug
10. rejoice!

20180322_protector2 (resized).jpg20180322_lexan-protector (resized).jpg

* review any shots that send balls at the flippers, and adjust alignments as necessary (1)

After much play-testing, I discovered that on a clean orbit, sometimes the ball zooms around and goes SDTM.

This is a very interesting part of the game.

There are several spots to adjust to get a true line on the ball:

1. The grained ball guide, and it's final mounting screw just after the spinner
2. The one way gate and it's cross-bar that can be bent in different ways
3. The rubber that forms the wall for the "side-lane" on right

I fiddled with all of these adjustments for an hour, until I got a straighter line... It's a small thing, but now only about 1/10 orbit shots goes SDTM, and that's something I can tolerate.

The goal is to add up 20 small 5% improvements, and add 100% more fun into the physics of your game...

-mof

20180305_orbit-alignment (resized).jpg

While polishing the DOUBLE mylar action on this thing, I noticed that there's a lovely yellow circle around each pop skirt -- I think I'm going to have to work with that accent some day...

-mof

20180304_doube-mylar-yellow (resized).jpg

* Shooter, ultrasonic, and re-install; replace 1" spring if needed to keep tip from scraping against PF (1)

Went with blue, since I'm adding blue into this game to get the playfield to better reflect the amount of blue in the backglass (had to do this with highspeed as well)

-mof

20180412_shooter-clean (resized).jpg

PM sent.

I'm starting to move away from play-ability stuff and into cosmetics and bullet-proofing.

* Cleaned up the coin door (.5)

-mof

goo-gone (resized).png
20180318_sticker-removed (resized).jpg

* Lockdown bar receiver, de-rust, clean and reinstall it (1.5) Install two new screws...

When you take the glass off a LOT to make tweaks -- you see three things all the time (This 3-4 hours, is VERY worth it)

1. lockdown bar foam
2. lock down bar receiver
3. The two playfield arms that seat in the lockdown bar receiver

It is so easy to clean these items up... and lasts forever!

I first remove the receiver, then spray it down with mean green and give it a quick scrub... Into the tube of derust solution it goes for a few hours. Remove it, rinse it, dry it, and install it. Wax the areas with no zinc plating left if you wish... You can't mess this step up!

-mof

Before
20180327_ldb-receiver1 (resized).jpg
20180327_ldb-receiver4 (resized).jpg
20180327_ldb-receiver2 (resized).jpg
20180327_ldb-receiver3 (resized).jpg
20180327_ldb-receiver5 (resized).jpg
20180327_ldb-receiver6 (resized).jpg

* Lockdown bar, de-rust, clean and install new foam (.5)

I first remove the lockdown bar, scrape off the old foam with a plastic razor blade, then spray it down with mean green and give it a quick scrub... Into the tube of de-rust solution it goes for a few hours. Remove it, rinse it, dry it, install new foam and drop it in.

20180415_new foam (resized).jpg

And with that, we've hit the 20 hour mark, and it's time to play a few games, and aim for a high score.
-mof

"The more you restore, the higher the score" - mof.

1,243,620

20180314_new-GC-1-243-620 (resized).jpg

Playfield brackets get a nice careful buffing on the wheel... (1)

Shiny is shiny!

-mof

20180327_bracket1 (resized).jpg20180327_bracket2 (resized).jpg20180327_bracket3 (resized).jpg