How will you remove the old plastic/rubber coating?
(Topic ID: 266398)
Quoted from RonSS:How will you remove the old plastic/rubber coating?
I cut it and scraped it all off and I'm right now in the process of dipping it all in the Plasti Dip
Ended up.getting 2 more dips on it which puts it at a total of 4 dips. Pretty sure that should be plenty but may do 1 more dip just to be sure before reinstalling it again this afternoon.
Ok so I dipped the cradles 1 more time for a total of 5 dips. Then I went to work reinstalling them which was a pain in the ass. After all was said and done I had the quality control department play a game to test for proper functionality. It passed the test.
Quoted from RonSS:Good stuff Bill!
Thanks Ron. I will very soon be starting my lane extension project. Mopar is going to be sending me some pics and hopefully some guidance on how he does this. As soon as I get that info I will be full speed ahead to go from 13ft to 19ft. I do still have some funky scoring going on when in flash mode but other than that she is almost complete. Only other things to do still are relocate the power switch and the credit button from the top of the machine. I had seen a video where Clay rigged a switch to the coun return button for free play use and would like to go this route.
20200511_105153 (resized).jpgWoohoo I found this little tool at walmart for like $3 and it was just what I needed to get the little nails out that hold on the metal docorative strip up left side of the lane. Now I can get this out to Chris at st louis ball bowlers to get rechromed.
20200529_150346 (resized).jpg20200529_150338 (resized).jpgOkay so I have now eliminated all major mechanical issues for the most part and will be moving on to re purposing a section of lane from a second ball bowler that I purchased. I will have to do some modifications which I have already started taking the one section out where the shin guard goes which I will then be taking another part off of a second section of the lane from another bowler which will then allow me to run the bolts through there to connect up to the lanes on my bowler. I still have to cut the ramp section off and rebuild the ball return lane which will be the last process. That Recreation of the ball Lane I've already contacted a local woodworker and he will be helping me with that part of it. But I am happy so far with my progress and hopefully within the next week or two I can Marcus off the list also. If anyone is still following along I just thought that I would post this info to let you guys know that I am still chugging Full Speed Ahead on this project.
20200531_120113 (resized).jpg20200531_132400 (resized).jpg20200601_102208 (resized).jpg20200601_102213 (resized).jpg20200601_102239 (resized).jpgHeaded out to st. Louis ball Bowlers now to drop off my piece of decorative metal strip that goes up the left side of the lane. Going to have Chris work some voodoo magic on it and go from beast to beauty. It'll start like this and it'll end up looking sexy like this one.
20200601_111305 (resized).jpg20200601_111330 (resized).jpgStill chugging along albeit slowly but this retrofitting stuff is much more tedious. So rhis 1st piece is the piece of the spare lane I need to remove and then add to my lane that i'm repurposing. It will be going right here once I cut a new board. Yes cut a new replacement board because the damn thing broke when I pulled it out. Ughhhhh!!!
20200603_140053 (resized).jpg15912296396485158480262969788572 (resized).jpg15912296652988425558889520302753 (resized).jpg15912297442359210079532935274647 (resized).jpgHey on the bright side, it's nice that it broke BEFORE you had everything done and were moving it into place 
So I have finally tackled the top pricing card that had my power switch and credit button in it. I relocated the credit and power buttons underneath the coin box area. The old setup was seriously nasty looking but now the new card and plexi have been installed and looking great.
Quoted from PM_Jeremy:Nice! I used new brass screws from the local ACE hardware store for mine.
Good idea Jeremy I think I will go that route as well. Thx!
Frankfort, NY
Quoted from PinDeLaPin:The old setup was seriously nasty looking but now the new card and plexi have been installed and looking great.
Just curious was the plexi a piece you bought, cut and drilled or was it purchased that way. If you did the work what process did you use. Thanks.
Quoted from bssbllr:Just curious was the plexi a piece you bought, cut and drilled or was it purchased that way. If you did the work what process did you use. Thanks.
I bought the new card and the plexi already with all the holes from Chis out at st louis ball bowlers.
Made some cosmetic upgrades on the bowler today. I sent off the old metal trim to be rechromed with Chris out at st louis ball bowlers. While I was out there picking it up I grabbed a new ball stopper as mine was missing and was just a chunk of rubber someone nailed on. So here are the before and afters and i'm very pleased with them.
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Quoted from Silverstreak02:Great detail work.
Thanks! I'm trying to act like I know what i'm doing 
Picked up some 6ft pieces of 1/2x1/2x3/8 angle iron the other day. Drilled 15 holes in each piece and will mount them up the sides of my lane extension to resist any warping. She is slowly coming along i'm not really in a huge rush wanna make sure it's all done right the 1st time.
20200616_155543 (resized).jpg20200616_155610 (resized).jpgI am thinking of making my own big ball bowler. And how the lane pieces connect is of interest. Would love some pictures of that process when you get there. The above post already giving me some ideas.
Quoted from orangestorm87:I am thinking of making my own big ball bowler. And how the lane pieces connect is of interest.
I like to say, when putting the formica on the lane, you'll want to first contact cement
1/8" thick cork to the plywood, then contact the formica to the cork. If contacting the
formica directly to the plywood, the rolling of the ball will create an unnatural and an
unpleasant sound..
Quoted from Mopar:I like to say, when putting the formica on the lane, you'll want to first contact cement
1/8" thick cork to the plywood, then contact the formica to the cork. If contacting the
formica directly to the plywood, the rolling of the ball will create an unnatural and an
unpleasant sound..
Great info as usual! I wasn't sure if he meant the lane surface or the structural support of the lane.
I was actually talking about the structural support of the lane, as well as how the lanes physically connect and how you make sure they line up (aka not having a ramp).
So your picture of the routed groove and comment about metal rod through makes sense but I bet seeing two lane pieces joined would make it more clear.
But the cork board is a good idea if I can ever find the "bowling" formica. Otherwise was thinking about just leaving the plywood lane deck plain.
Quoted from orangestorm87:I was actually talking about the structural support of the lane, as well as how the lanes physically connect and how you make sure they line up (aka not having a ramp).
So your picture of the routed groove and comment about metal rod through makes sense but I bet seeing two lane pieces joined would make it more clear.
But the cork board is a good idea if I can ever find the "bowling" formica. Otherwise was thinking about just leaving the plywood lane deck plain.
The only place you're going to find the bowling lane formica brand new is from St Louis ball Bowlers and it's like six hundred bucks. Then you still have to mount that to a plywood lane. The lane sections connect together so what do you do with a male and female section and then underneath is where those rods get put through the slots and that actually physically holds the sections together.
Quoted from orangestorm87:I was actually talking about the structural support of the lane, as well as how the lanes physically connect and how you make sure they line up (aka not having a ramp).
So your picture of the routed groove and comment about metal rod through makes sense but I bet seeing two lane pieces joined would make it more clear.
But the cork board is a good idea if I can ever find the "bowling" formica. Otherwise was thinking about just leaving the plywood lane deck plain.
As I said the lanes attached with a male and a female joint which is Hollow and it runs beneath the ball return Lane and that's where the cabling also runs through.
20200617_150743 (resized).jpg20200617_150757 (resized).jpgIf you're just making a game from scratch I'd say pick up some wood formica without the dots, etc.
If I ever completely change mine I'll be going the blue/grey wood look for my lanes. Resale blah blah blah, I think it would look neat!
Shoot me your email or start a new thread and post some of my end of lane pics for you as well.
Bill, keep at it man!
I almost bought that machine, from Manhattan Illinois, off of Craigslist a few months back. The owner was selling a shuffle, and in the small print of his add, was the bowler. I really thought it was funny how the guy thought his Shuffle alley was worth $1,700.00 and the ball bowler was worth five hundred less. He must really like that shuffle alley. I was talking to the owner and made an offer, and then I sat on it for a week. It was still available, but I couldn't pull the trigger. My Uncle has a Caravelle, which is the shuffle version of the Sabre, and I just don't like the game. If I had ample room, I would of snatched it up, but my basement is already full of games and I already have a United Falcon that I restored fifteen years ago. So for me to buy this game meant that I would have to get rid of the Falcon, which I cherish. So I let the Sabre go. I'm glad to see that you bought it. You seem to really enjoy the game, which is great. I also would like to add that you are doing a fantastic job on bringing, as you call it, "this old girl" back to life. Keep up the good work. I'm enjoying your post and your progress.
I've been looking for a United Cypress bowling machine, because it has all seven of my favorite United games. I told my wife that if I found one, I would buy it. I found one in California. I'm in Illinois. Ouch, $700.00 shipping. The game is a real dog. I am having buyers remorse, but at least it's what I wanted...sort of, lol. Enough of hijacking this post. I'll start my own post on my Frankensteins monster. Hopefully, one day, I can yell "It's alive."
Quoted from popperette:I almost bought that machine, from Manhattan Illinois, off of Craigslist a few months back. The owner was selling a shuffle, and in the small print of his add, was the bowler. I really thought it was funny how the guy thought his Shuffle alley was worth $1,700.00 and the ball bowler was worth five hundred less. He must really like that shuffle alley. I was talking to the owner and made an offer, and then I sat on it for a week. It was still available, but I couldn't pull the trigger. My Uncle has a Caravelle, which is the shuffle version of the Sabre, and I just don't like the game. If I had ample room, I would of snatched it up, but my basement is already full of games and I already have a United Falcon that I restored fifteen years ago. So for me to buy this game meant that I would have to get rid of the Falcon, which I cherish. So I let the Sabre go. I'm glad to see that you bought it. You seem to really enjoy the game, which is great. I also would like to add that you are doing a fantastic job on bringing, as you call it, "this old girl" back to life. Keep up the good work. I'm enjoying your post and your progress.
I've been looking for a United Cypress bowling machine, because it has all seven of my favorite United games. I told my wife that if I found one, I would buy it. I found one in California. I'm in Illinois. Ouch, $700.00 shipping. The game is a real dog. I am having buyers remorse, but at least it's what I wanted...sort of, lol. Enough of hijacking this post. I'll start my own post on my Frankensteins monster. Hopefully, one day, I can yell "It's alive."
Very cool you are about the 5th person who has reported they almost bought my machine. Thankfully I have had great support from many and none as much as from @mopar. Without his help through great advice and parts and most of all positive reinforcement at just the right times. My Sabre is mechanically almost 100% done I discovered a scoring issue only in Flash mode i'm trying to knock out now. I'm also trying to get my 6ft lane extension built which will bring me to 19.25ft. Once this project is done I plan to take some time just to enjoy playing the machine for a while. Phase 2 will involve a complete tear down and refinish all wood and repainting of the head unit. I'm in no real hurry for phase 2 but would like to have a goal of knocking it out within the nxt 5yrs. Until then I have my nxt project sitting in the garage waiting for me to start on it. Heres a sneak peak!
20200424_144151 (resized).jpgSo when I was in a game of Flash the scoring was not registering correctly. It didn't put the wrong score every frame but it would do it two or three times throughout the course of a game. I finally got it figured out just this evening. I took the wiper arm loose as it looked as though it was making contact with two rivets at a time at certain points. I adjusted the Bakelite board by loosening the two screws that hold it on then reassembled it I have now put 8 games on it afterwards that it has scored correctly ever since. Check that one off the list. So for an update on my Lane Extension I'm doing in case anybody was wondering. I was supposed to have started on it this past week but the guy that was supposed to start working on it hurt himself. I've located another guy who thinks he can make the alterations so I'm supposed to meet with him on Monday and have him evaluate it. Hopefully more info of the positive kind to report next week on the Lane Extension. I'm the worst bowler on the planet and really have no interest invreal bowling but am loving my machine. I can only imagine how much it is going to change when I add on 6 more feet to it.
So i'm going to be getting my ball rails and my coin door rechromed here in july. The lock had been drilled at some point and so I was looking for a new lock. In the process of removing the old lock body I noticed that I think i'm missing the part that actually drops down into the wood that hols the coin box in the locked position. Can anybody please post pics of their locking assembly so I can figure this out?
20200621_192909 (resized).jpg20200621_192821 (resized).jpg20200621_193019 (resized).jpg20200621_193027 (resized).jpgQuoted from PinDeLaPin:Can anybody please post pics of their locking assembly so I can figure this out?
On the backside of the lock, instead of a flat stock, a gear is bolted on.
When the key is turned, the gear rides in the grooves of both of the rods,
and travels one upward, while the other travels downward.
I'll see about getting a pic tomorrow.
Quoted from Mopar:On the backside of the lock, instead of a flat stock, a gear is bolted on.
When the key is turned, the gear rides in the grooves of both of the rods,
and travels one upward, while the other travels downward.
I'll see about getting a pic tomorrow.
Well thats no good cause i'm missing the 2nd rod and that gear.
United used this type of coin mech and box in the late 50s and early 60s on their shuffles.
I have a couple machines missing theirs, so I need to hang onto the parts I have, but I'm
sure Chris has extras around. If you'd like it totally complete, the backside has a covering
plate.
IMG_0296 (resized).JPGIMG_0297 (resized).JPGQuoted from Mopar:United used this type of coin mech and box in the late 50s and early 60s on their shuffles.
I have a couple machines missing theirs, so I need to hang onto the parts I have, but I'm
sure Chris has extras around. If you'd like it totally complete, the backside has a covering
plate.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Great pictures Tim those are very helpful. I reached out to Chris @ st louis ball bowlers and he has the parts so i'm gonna swing by this afternoon and grab them.
Well it's been a good day. I stopped and picked up my coinbox parts now I just need the new lock I ordered to show up. Also a buddy of mine started working on the new solid oak legs the other day. Here is the 1st one all done awaiting stain and polyurethane.
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