Sorcerer
Williams, 1985Update Status:
1 out for finish, 1 in for printing, 1 finished masking, 3 ready for masking, 1 waiting on second initial sealer, 2 being repaired.
1 High Speed out for finish, 1 in for printing, 2 finished repairs
1 EBD in for printing, working on 7 more.
Sorry if this has been answered already in this thread somewhere:
1) Can you restore/repair playfields with significant wear in the main part of the playfield - let's say as much as 1/16" of thickness gouged out around the inserts over a large area?
2) Any estimates on what it costs to ship the playfield back to the United States (say to Minnesota)?
It's still $500 US returned. You send up the bare playfield with the lenses intact. I will repair usually at no extra cost. Use USPS only & value @ $20! My mailing info is here. Greatpinball.com
I picked up a sorcerer about 4 months ago with (1) 3/4" diameter wear spot in it, other then that, no other wear at all. I'm on the fence about restoring the playfield or just touching up, and clear coating?
I hate to make this decision, any advice?
HELP!!!
Quoted from PinballOrphanage:I picked up a Sorcerer about 4 months ago with (1) 3/4" diameter wear spot in it, other then that, no other wear at all. I'm on the fence about restoring the playfield or just touching up, and clear coating?
I hate to make this decision, any advice?
HELP!!!
From what I got, while watching this.. it's not technically a 'restoration' - it's the same as getting an entirely new playfield.. 
IMHO, if I were in your pants, I'd do it.
I have been looking into trying this for a playfield I have on an Eight Ball. I find that lighter colours show more of the pixilation (for lack of a better word) when the CMYK inks get mixed together. Darker colours like Sorcerer should be better. Can someone take a really close up photo of the red or purple to see what it looks like?
Quoted from Kawydud:Received my playfield today, such a thing of beauty! Thanks again John.
Lucky !!!
-mof
Yes I need to get these done. More keep coming in. I will say the last screw up with playfield clear coats was the fault of finish clear coats & not me! I see the same residue on sides or inside pop bumpers, etc. with new Star Gazer playfields. This weekend the next bunch of Star Gazers go out, & I focus back on restorations. I'm a 1 man operation + contractors, & I continue to work my 6 day job the last 18 years.
Quoted from mof:Lucky !!!
-mof
I hear ya on that!
Quoted from jwilson:I'm curious about the under-plastics portions - shouldn't they be white? Why is it cream?
The areas under the plastics are supposed to be cream. The only white areas are the wizard's beard, hair and eyes, some details in the dragons, and the smoky stuff at the bottom of the playfield. John, I see you have the areas under the pop bumpers also in white, was this based on the proto playfield? I've only ever seen them as bare wood.
Quoted from jibmums:The areas under the plastics are supposed to be cream. The only white areas are the wizard's beard, hair and eyes, some details in the dragons, and the smoky stuff at the bottom of the playfield. John, I see you have the areas under the pop bumpers also in white, was this based on the proto playfield? I've only ever seen them as bare wood.
I have been doing white since day one. Only 1 person has asked me to mask them. The main reason is if there is wear, or worse condition from sanding bare. It might look way worse, which is now nice & clean. When this playfield gets done, wood under the pops I will post pictures.
2 more just came in so now I'm up to double digits in for restoration.
I dunno, the white is fine. Honestly, nothing is ever 'perfect', and whether its white or cream hardly matters. what matters is the amazing wizard/dragon artwork is recreated and preserved under layers of clear.
I am hoping to get my sorcerer stripped down at some point this year so I can send the playfield off. Loving these photos!
So I have 2 scrap sorcerer playfields that are good candidates for reprinting. I can send the playfield in to John (you pay shipping), he restores it and when you get it back you send me your original playfield after you do the playfield swap. This way you don't have to tear down your game until you have the new playfield to pop in.
1 of them has already been claimed and the other one has not. I just packaged them up today to ship in to John. PM me or email me and I can put you down for the second one. I would prefer that your core be something that I can possibly restore by hand at a later date (the ones I am sending in are lost causes going that route).
Thanks
Kris
Here are 3 that are masked, & they are all getting the pop bumpers masked as requested. Yes your delayed playfield is 1 of the 3. There are 7 going through the process, 3 standing by, & I guess 2 more in transit. Trying to get restorations finished while I have a little breather in new playfields.
001.JPG
002.JPG
003.JPG
004.JPGAre you still doing Space Shuttle playfields?
Yes there is one Space Shuttle playfield in the que.
Here are the 3 Sorcerer's with masking removed.
001.JPGI need a Sorcerer period. Awesome work John.
2 more were done. Troy & Stephen Thaxton which I have lost my contact info. Restorations will pick up speed again after Summer is over. The clear coat contractor has finally acknowledged his problems at times, & has stopped blaming me for problems with finish clear coats. Here is Stephen Thaxton playfield done.
Quoted from Khatarlan:John's got my Sorcerer PF as well - eager to get a bright fresh PF back again! The game room doesn't feel right w/o
I know what you mean. I'd love to actually see my playfield someday. Can't see the detail but that last pic looks like the registration is dead on.
Quoted from Squeakman:Can't see the detail but that last pic looks like the registration is dead on.
Actually... If you take a closer look at the red inserts near the bottom of the playfield... The golden accent dots don't make it all the way around the perimeter of each of the red inserts in the lower playfield. I call them 'Crescent moons'...
-mof
Even with new production of playfields they can be off a little at times. Even harder with the very old Colorspan 9840, & having to mask the playfield for white. Colorspan is a belt fed, & has to be faked out to print with paper (doesn't like holes).
I have 4 EBD & 1 Sorcerer getting ready for the printer. 1 SS, 1 EBD, & 3 Sorcerer ready for initial sealing 2 coats varethane, 1 acrylic white, & 2 coats varethane. A bunch of other playfields are sanded & getting repaired with epoxy. So all the rest of Sorcerer & Space Shuttles will be repaired over the next 2 - 4 weeks. My focus this winter is to get these & the 14 New Star Gazer playfields done. I hope to have all restoration playfields into the printer before March.
Maybe its just me, but I would much rather be able to just buy an overlay for $300 and install it myself. In order to ship out a playfield for restoration I have to strip it completely anyway. It would just be a little more work to sand it and install the overlay. It would save a year or more of waiting, $400 and would certainly save a TON of work on John's end. It just seems like it would be a lot more efficient to print and sell hundreds of overlays than the current method of trickling restored playfields out. Or maybe offer both options: self installed overlay or full treatment.
Quoted from jkashani:PM sent
To who? Me?
Looking for Chad Riley info. It has been years with this playfield going through a restoration. I have had to install overlays to finish up the ones still in for service. The printer doing restorations stopped taking in them, & the colorspan went to the dump.
So, is this like, still a thing?
I just picked up Sorcerer and although the playing field looks beautiful for its age, I would love to bring this machine back to pristine.
Quoted from CalibrunKnight:So, is this like, still a thing?
I just picked up Sorcerer and although the playing field looks beautiful for its age, I would love to bring this machine back to pristine.
It's my understanding that John is not doing them anymore.
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Halifax, NS
Saint Paul, MN
