(Topic ID: 106693)

Space Shuttle rehab by newbie... oh noes

By goingincirclez

9 years ago


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#1 9 years ago

Hi, I posted an intro of sorts at this thread here> https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/an-idiot-gets-his-first-pin-hilarity-soon-to-ensue ; from there and another post, some folks asked for pics and progress and such. So here goes…?

Before I get into it, please indulge me a bit because I feel compelled to explain myself: frankly, this is all a little intimidating! I’ve read lots of stories and how-to’s and marveled at the talent here on Pinside. The knowledge and restorations on display are utterly astonishing! I hope someday I’m better equipped to achieve the same. Though I’m terribly self-effacing, I seriously believe I could do it and might enjoy some bragging rights…

...but not this time. I know many will raise pitchforks and say anything less than perfection is an affront to the hobby. Truly, I get it: you’re gonna spend resources on something you can only do once, so go all in to the point of obsession and do it right! I concede the wisdom there because it’s how I approach most of my projects (within $ and sometimes time constraints). Often, I won’t even start something I’m not sure I can do right, unless it’s so far gone I can’t possibly make it worse...

So hear me out because here’s the thing: this is my first pin. I didn’t buy it for just myself, but half with (and for) my wife. And for our daughters. All for the purpose of PLAYING IT and having fun - DUH! Happily, from clocks and watches to hi-fi’s and cars to models and furniture, fun lies in all manner of D-I-Y projects and my achievement rap sheet is a mile long. Breathing new life into old things is perhaps my true calling. But I also love old things well preserved in a state that betrays their life.

To illustrate this, consider a car show: be it a concours or cruise-in, I greatly respect the talent, resourcefulness and dedication required to restore and preserve an ancient vehicle in a showroom-new state - let alone better than factory-floor. They absolutely deserve adulation. You can learn immeasurably from the process and lifestyle.

But I spare even more affection for the soldiered survivors in the parking lot: older vehicles living workaday lives, sporting unique tales on their imperfect fenders, weathered chassis, and worn (but comfy!) upholstery. The ones that look good for their age, and run even better, but clearly aren’t (and may never be) trailer queens or garage trophies. Nonetheless, like a revered old relative, they bear their experience with pride, and you can’t deny their right to honest blue-collar respect.

Of course some things are beyond excuse: survivors deserve respect, but heaps should be stripped of their history and restored, or parted out so others may endure. And I do have standards. Where to draw the line?

Back to Space Shuttle: a respectable and desirable game, though not obnoxiously so. Common enough to still be found affordably in nice shape. And plentiful for those seeking to acquire and perfectly restore to better than new at considerable expense - even though they'll never be as valued as a well-worn Medieval Madness.

So here’s the deal with mine. It was a route survivor that last operated in a club in Florence, KY (a Cincinnati metro burb), before it was purchased by a woman in Oxford, OH in 1999. She had it as her children grew up, and made reasonable efforts maintaining and cleaning it. She had the fold-out manuals and assorted spare small parts. She’d attempted a battery box install - even if it didn’t work, she’d the sense to eschew the integrated holder. The playfield was nice but worn in a few spots, though she kept it waxed (more on that later). Rubbers had been replaced at least once, and the playfield plastics and toys were clean and well preserved.

Residue beneath and around the Quarters Vending sticker indicates it had one more route life previously, but I don't know what it wasResidue beneath and around the Quarters Vending sticker indicates it had one more route life previously, but I don't know what it was

She was asking $900, but due to a non-functional pop bumper and some other admitted minor quirks I offered $600 and she countered $700, which seemed fair, though I asked more questions. While testing it out to answer them the day before I arranged to drive to get it, the flippers quit so she dropped it to $550. I knew flippers are easy, and everything else seemed to work (except voices maybe?). So for 94% original with no major defects, a clean cabinet, decent playfield with intact components, and perfect glass, I figured that was a reasonably good deal.

But perhaps the best part was, the doorway wall next to where the machine lived in an attached garage, was almost completely blackened with scribbled scorekeeping and related graffiti and boasting. 15 years of dated play history showing the game was truly well loved and enjoyed. She referred to it as a member of the family; indeed, a friend of hers who was there to assist us with loading was surprised to see it go.

It's not worn too bad, but truth be told I was a little disappointed in how dirty it wasIt's not worn too bad, but truth be told I was a little disappointed in how dirty it was

As we conversed I accidentally discovered more backstory: her oldest daughter (doubtless author of many of those scrawls, and implied heir to the machine) - had recently been killed in a car wreck, at 23. The seller was seeking closure by moving on in more ways than one. I discovered all when I asked about an interesting bicycle she had, which I might have offered to buy for one of my girls. But she clearly wasn’t ready to let that one go, so I didn’t ask.

She said she wanted her Shuttle to find a good home where it would be fixed up and played. She was amused it would be “going back home to Kentucky” after bringing so much joy to her family. As we loaded up I told her it was funny that she’d not responded to any of the emails I’d sent weeks ago, but only the text I finally, desperately resorted to when I noticed the number the umpteenth time I saw the same damn CL listing after a month of taunting. She remarked, “Shoot, with everything else going on, I completely forgot to check that email address. You’re the only one who actually texted….”

I know what you're thinking: 'oh, Space Shuttle's pf always gets beat up in the pop area, so that's pretty good actually...'  I thought the same, but what my potatocam shot doesn't show is the MYLAR all over the damage.  D'oh!   And yet the toy shuttle itself is in remarkably good shape... interesting.I know what you're thinking: 'oh, Space Shuttle's pf always gets beat up in the pop area, so that's pretty good actually...' I thought the same, but what my potatocam shot doesn't show is the MYLAR all over the damage. D'oh! And yet the toy shuttle itself is in remarkably good shape... interesting.

A serviceable Shuttle listed for a month with no takers or texters? Either something was up, or she wasn’t really motivated to sell it outright… or maybe I was meant to find it after all.

It isn’t perfect. But it’s a survivor that was cherished and enjoyed and cared for through most of its 30 years. It has a story to tell, and one I should honor. If I stripped it bare, that story would be lost forever under the shine of an “as new” machine. I’d like it to look great, but with just enough character of use that upon closer look, you can tell it’s felt the influence of human hands...

****

OK, how does that even happen?  I'm guessing a randomly placed sling mylar was already removed?OK, how does that even happen? I'm guessing a randomly placed sling mylar was already removed?

I have most of the skills to strip and refinish this, but not the bankroll, and definitely not the space. In fact, it’s in my living / dining room for all to see and live around - not a garage or dedicated workshop. So rather than question every decision I made in life, I’ll accept that last point as a defining constraint and CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! I can’t explode this thing all over the place for weeks on end (living room, remember). Forget total disassembly and a rotisserie! The playfield will have to stay in the cabinet, so spraying is not an option. Also, I’ll be hosting distant family and friends on rare visit(s) starting in just a few weeks, so I’m really keen to have this “done” by then. Just as well, because at this point I’m not purposely trying to fix what is not (or should be) broken.

So, since restored Shuttles are common enough to be the same, and I’m not made of money, I chose to honor and revitalize this machine as best I can in a confined open space. At the end, I hope to have renewed it with tributes to its past in addition to breaths of my personal spirit… as we hope to keep this machine for many years to come...

(TBC...? Sorry if I made you my followups here should be more to the point. I just wanted to explain my approach to this.)

#2 9 years ago

Sounds like that pin made a lot of people happy for many years. Look forward to following your thread as you bring this Space Shuttle back to decent playing condition. Not all machines need to be fully restored.

#3 9 years ago

Very cool story! Have fun, its a classic, great pin that saved pinball from the vids.~SpOoKy

#4 9 years ago

Heck yeah! I picked one up last year in much worse shape and I've loved every minute of the fix-up process. It's still kinda ugly, but it's alive and getting daily plays at my office. Great game, simple but super exciting. Enjoy!

#5 9 years ago

I am in the middle of a fairly indepth restore on my space shuttle but i still agree that they can also just be played and enjoyed without all the work.

#6 9 years ago

Clean it and play it. Great find. That game would have been gone in 20 mins had it been for sale around here.

#7 9 years ago

The actual shuttle on there is in amazing shape.

#8 9 years ago

What an awesome story. Thank you for sharing it.

Don't let the lack of funds or space bother you. Frax and I currently have in the living room four machines on legs and one EM with a head over on one side and the body pushed into the corner behind the kitchen table on the other along with a machine on legs beside our bed in our bedroom.

As for the machine itself, stick to your guns. I wish our original Shuttle playfield hadn't been so completely worn as it became a completely different game to play after we swapped in a CPR playfield. Clean it up and enjoy it. I'm looking forward to watching your progress. We (and quite a few others here) have pictures from when we tore down and swapped ours, so if (when?) you run into a problem don't hesitate to ask about it.

#9 9 years ago

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I’m actually pretty far along right now… only because that in itself is farther than I intended (or thought I might have) to go, oops...!

I blame Vid and his perfection manuals

So anyway, guess I'll begin documenting where I’ve been. I apologize in advance for lousy photos - since this isn’t my day job, and I tend to fall into projects and steps unexpectedly and not realize “I should photograph that”, the potato cam is usually the only thing handy. Even when that doesn’t happen I rarely take enough “before” pictures… I have a fear that would jinx things somehow

***

EVAL

First things first! Before unloading the machine, while its legs were off I decided there would be no better time to polish them (and banish howevermanyears’ worth of surface rust, paint chips, and spider eggs… boo hitchhiking arachnids)...

legs.jpglegs.jpg

You can clearly identify the first one I’d worked on. I used a wire brush wheel in a cordless drill (outside, because Rust Dust is Worst Dust), and then followed up with Brasso. They look much better now.

Oddly enough, while doing this I discovered my legs are a mismatched set of one 27.75” and three 28.5”. I’m not sure which is correct; apparently WIlliams spec is the 28.5, but the 27.75 seems to fit flush against the cabinet best...

TiltSwitch.jpgTiltSwitch.jpg

Once the machine was re-legged and inside, I opened the coin door and fixed the broken ground strap I noticed during the demo. I also noticed someone had a creative way of defeating the tilt bobber: rather than adjust it properly, they lowered the bracket. I hope that wasn’t a “fix” for some other issue, as it seemed too easy to do the right way and thus obvious for me to put back where it belongs.

MPU.jpgMPU.jpg

When the seller demo’d the unit, all the displays and electronics seemed to work, but there was a bit of buzzing in the backbox and speakers, and I wasn’t hearing the voices. I tightened several PCB mounting screws and discovered the absence of several more. The char seemed highly alarming, so I removed the board and investigated (the trouble code label is only half legible thanks to elbow grease and an ME pad). Of course I now know that resistor char is as typical as battery rot…

MPUback.jpgMPUback.jpg

...The seller admitted her attempted battery holder install didn’t work, and I think I know why… that’s a lot of solder, and not really binding. I can't be too harsh though because a lot of my early solder work wasn't much better.

In addition, I also found a couple potentially shorted mounting pads, and split them with an Xacto blade.

Unfortunately the grounding mesh in this part of the PCB (below the battery cradle) is pretty well stripped by the mounting hole. I’m assuming I’ll have to run a jumper to a good portion. I’ll also have to jump that oxidized trace below the pin connector. But other than that, I think this MPU board is in pretty good shape. At least I hope so.

I’ll address the issues when the Williams System (3-11) overhaul kit as recommended by Vid, arrives from Great Plains Electronics.

Power.jpgPower.jpg

So, apropos for my pin’s space theme, I have a Space Shuttle powered by a Comet So, the power module is a System11 version - not the cleanest look adapting the GI harness, but apparently it works. Nonetheless I included new 4-pin Molex connectors in my Great Plains order.

Not wasting any time on safety matters though, notice the rectifier fuse update was never performed on this machine. That is no longer the case: my first official “mod”!

RESULTS

So, after this cursory inspection and fixing the obvious “red flags”, and cleaning the switches I had ready and visible access to, I powered on the machine. It sounded significantly cleaner, but still a little staticky in the backbox speaker - I hope the PCB overhauls will help more.

I played around with the faulty pop bumper and determined the switch needed replacement as the seller advised BUT it otherwise could be manually made to work. Still, not properly playable like that, and the bodies are looking a bit worn too. I also fooled around with the flipper mechanisms - not really sure what I was doing, but just exploring how it seemed they should work, checking movement, learning...

Using the official Williams Space Shuttle Manual, I stepped through the diagnostics. Each one passed - including not just ALL the switches, BUT also the flippers which were dead as could be in the demo! The ramp drop-target bank reset is sluggish, though I hope it's just a coil rebuild for that.

When I got to the sound test, sure enough there were no voices. When I found the diag switch on the sound board, I noticed the pot nearby. Turned that and AIRLOCK!

Effin’ A!

All the lights worked too (except a few burned bulbs). OH MY GOD this thing is AWESOME

And it’ll be more so once I get to fixing that pop, and rebuilding the flippers (one is a Data East - that ain’t right!). Oh, and hmm, she gave me a ton of spare bulbs, but to change them gotta take things apart….

(I took the Red Pill... the rabbit hole is deep...)

#10 9 years ago

OK, continuing the saga here if for no other reason than to make it a public diary I can copy back to my own site someday, ha ha. But first things first, a couple specific replies:

Calvin: Yes, that shuttle has kinda baffled me considering the absolute beat condition I've seen most of them in. As dirty as the playfield was, I expected a kiwi... instead not only does it have its wings, it's barely faded! It did need a little repair which I'll get to.

Quiddity: Thanks! Your approach sounds much like my own - I've had chairs and furniture exploded in the living room (I used to think $500+ to reupholster a chair was insane until I did my own), and earlier this summer I think I had about 5 turntables in various states of repair; I fixed a vintage 1968 KLH with/for my 9yo and that was a bit of a process, but fun. Our house is definitely "lived in" as my wife likes to say. I'm tempted to tear down my car's motor in there, but... yeah. Pins are cleaner

OK, onward with the process....

CLEANING

So when I began to investigate the burned GI bulbs, I noted the amount of disassembly required to access them, and decided that's not something I'd like to do too often. So I investigated LED's... and quickly decided throwing a bunch of LEDs in a game I'd yet to even play, or verify as 100% functional, AND looked that dirty... would be far too much sizzle, not enough steak. So before I pulled the trigger on the LED order I decide to really make them worth it.

So here's as good a comprehensive "before" shot as any I bothered to take:

PlayDirtZoom-18.jpgPlayDirtZoom-18.jpg

Notice the contrasting half-moons in front of the slingshot areas? Ugh... that's where the mylar was applied early in the machine's career. You can really see how dirty the rest of it is! Just to the right of the stop-and-score indicator, I'd used 2 full ME bricks with 81% Isopropyl, to find the original color. I began to wonder if the playfield really had ever been waxed. But I found enough wax traces in the posts and ramp edges and other nooks to satisfy myself that the seller had been honest. Still, I gues "cleaning" and "waxing" are two different things; clearly she'd never done one of them.

This was going to be a job.

SealDirt-980.jpgSealDirt-980.jpg

The photo is lousy, but you can see lots of ball swirl embedded deep. You might also notice that train car #W11 actually looks, kinda, almost, maybe, if you quint right and pretend: white! That was another targeted effort to see what I was in for...

Essentially, I decided to visually break up the playfield and target specific elements at a time. In the next photo, compare the "Space Train" engine to car #A8:

CleanSpaceTrain2.jpgCleanSpaceTrain2.jpg

That was with another 1/2 ME brick. I found cutting the ME bricks into fourths, made them easier to work with in addition to providing more clean faces to work with. My wife also bought me a pump bottle from a beauty shop: you flip the cap, and press the applicator into the lid which then pumps a small amount of liquid onto your applicator. This seemed silly to me at first, but saved a ton of time and aggravation (no having to flip over bottles and wait for drops or impatient squirts), as well as reduced the risk of spills. I think she said the bottle was only 1 or 2 dollars.

More train washing:

CleanSpaceTrain.jpgCleanSpaceTrain.jpg

And so it went in sections... slowly, methodically... I'll have more details to come. But it was getting better all the time...

PlayDirt.jpgPlayDirt.jpg

REPAIRS

While cleaning the pf I discovered an alarming problem that I never would have thought to ask about, and I'm sure the seller had no idea either. In between the ball kickout and the shooter lane, there is only about 3/4" of wood between them. Over the years, balls rolling over the edges had worn this down narrower, and the center ply lamination was popping out... I probably could have removed it if I forced the issue. In addition, the bottom of the shooter lane was worn wider (like the bottom of a thermometer), and the rest of it was pretty well rattlesnaked (Is that a term? It had ridges and lines similar to a rattlesnake's tail ).

After pondering this for a night or two, I decided to try some wood epoxy to seal in that center ply, rebuild the proper profile for the eject lane, and smooth out the shooter lane.

Clamp.jpgClamp.jpg

Here I'm using a clamp to keep the laminated plys properly sandwiched flat as it cures.

Once the expoy set, I used 3M sanding pads wrapped around a length of small diameter pipe to sand the shooter lane smooth. <(I think I read that trick in Vid's playfield guide.)

I thought about staining the "Natural Color" epoxy to match the pf... but I actually liked the contrasting color and how it faded, with a taper, into the shooter lane like a smoke plume, which is sort of appropriate You can't see all of this when the ramp is reinstalled though. At any rate, I decided to leave the epoxy color as-is, for a subtle yet tasteful tell-tale of the machine's history and my repair.

ShutRep1.jpgShutRep1.jpg

While it was in great shape, the Shuttle Defender had of course suffered some typical wing damage. Fortunately, it had thoughtfully (if crudely) been tended to in the past, which kept it from getting worse. I reinforced the damaged portion of the wing with Styrene and Model Cement, then restored the surface shape with contour putty.

ShutRep2.jpgShutRep2.jpg

Oddly enough, the natural color of the contour putty is almost a perfect match to the level of fading/yellowing of the shuttle itself! Contour putty shrinks as it cures, so I'll have to apply another dose or two. Meanwhile, the modeler in me couldn't let the white thruster nozzles pass... I painted them black, and later added the properly realistic grey trim along the wing edges. I have more ideas for the shuttle too...

... but that's all for now...

#11 9 years ago

Great job so far. ill be watching closely Would you mind showing me a better angle of the switch arm underneath you shuttle toy ? Im trying to redo mine and need a visual .

#12 9 years ago

ok i just took a look and realize what my problem is . Im missing the front part of the assembly . Im going to post on the space shuttle thread and hope someone has an extra on i can buy.

IMG-20141020-00409.jpgIMG-20141020-00409.jpg

#13 9 years ago

Hi Superbee, I posted in the Shuttle Crew Members' Lounge and looks like you're getting fixed up there... but if you still want the wire dimensions let me know and I'll see if I can dig mine out (it's off the shuttle at the moment).

Hmm, guess I'm rambling too much again, pretty quiet here. Oh well. Continuing for documentation's sake:

PAINT

So yeah. The pf needed a ton of M.E. scrub-a-dub. Although I was supremely careful to STOP if I saw the lightest traces of paint on the bricks, a lot of damage was inevitable. Especially around insert keylines, and where the original paint was feathered into spots that were already worn.

GridRough-339.jpgGridRough-339.jpg

But something funny happened: you'll note the previously "clean" areas under the sling mylars, now look dirty compared to the rest of the pf that I ME'd. D'oh!

So at this point, I was pushing my luck and the amount of effort I wanted to invest. I already went far beyond what I'd originally expected to do, and didn't want to repaint the entire thing. So, I removed the mylar and cleaned a bit to blend the areas, but left those portions looking just a *little* dirtier compared to the rest. It's part of this machine's history, and if if anyone ever notices it enough to ask, it will be an interesting story. In my opinion, at least.

Advice I got after opening another thread suggested I was so far invested, I'd no other choice than to clear the pf SOMEHOW. So with that in mind, I ordered the Creatix paints recommended by Vid and set to work. WOW! As I commented on his awesome pf resto guide: I've used lots of different paints over the years, but Creatix are like nothing else. They are simply incredible in all aspects and well worth the price. If I take nothing else from this experience, those alone were worth it.

ShuttleBadgePractice-401.jpgShuttleBadgePractice-401.jpg

I practiced the paints and my brush technique on repairing the badge. Looks pretty good, but another round of ME cleaning wiped it out. Oops.

There are two things that greatly work in my favor since I'm freehanding. The first is Space Shuttle's pf art is pretty basic - that is, geometric and flatly colored. The second is that even when it left Williams' plant in 1985, this particular playfield wasn’t perfect. They pass 1st and even 15th glance but the registrations are not all uniformly aligned: on the lower end the light blues shift either way, while the oranges shift left toward the upper.

So as long as I keep them minimal and clean, any of my own touch-up edges should not be that much worse. They might even be authentic!

GridRough-339.jpgGridRough-339.jpg

I imagine that newer repros and restorations are corrected and more uniformly printed - if going through the trouble, I’d demand nothing less. I’ve done my own graphics and reproductions and it’s pretty easy to rip off clone after perfect clone. On the other hand, it’s the minor imperfections that give a piece its unique character.

PaintGrid.jpgPaintGrid.jpg

GridDone.jpgGridDone.jpg

The hotdog flashers were the biggest challenge. I debated long and hard about using decals to repair them, and an ebay seller had a set available to do all the playfield inserts. But I didn’t want to spend $50 on a comprehensive insert set when all I needed was two. And why destroy all the others which were mostly intact?

I have an ALPS decal printer and have made all kinds of custom graphics and such, but it won’t print that aged off-white color. And in the time it would take me to draw the letters on the computer, I could simply paint them instead. I attempted to match the faded white and even had it, or so I thought. But it always seemed to dry whiter. Eventually I decided to simply leave the subtle mismatch as another tell of the machine’s history and my own misguided efforts. Sigh.

That ended up being the right decision because it turns out that on ebay has a major flaw: its “SPACE SHUTTLE” hotdog letters are entirely white. And truth be told, looking at my original inserts I thought the same, and assumed the drop-shadow outline was simply that. I originally painted them that way...

BadgePlatformFix.jpgBadgePlatformFix.jpg

...Later I checked the opacity of my touched-up keyline rings by shining a light through the inserts, and discovered the hotdog letters have FINE BLACK OUTLINES. D’oh! I’m thrilled I didn’t spend $50 on a decal set, just for it to be wrong! So I went and painted the outlines myself.

Yes, that might seem needlessly obsessive given the other shortcuts I’ve taken, but everything is a tradeoff of sorts. I do what I can.

BadgeDone.jpgBadgeDone.jpg

Finally, here's the infamous pop-bumper area:

After removing the mylar...After removing the mylar...

Filling in the chips and roughing in the letter shapes with black paint...Filling in the chips and roughing in the letter shapes with black paint...

Applying a custom mix to match the surviving original yellow...Applying a custom mix to match the surviving original yellow...

Not bad for freehand work? It was tight working in the confines of the cabinet corner. Still, I'm pretty pleased...

#14 9 years ago

looking good my friend !!

#16 9 years ago

Son of a bitch! Nice work!

LOL @ jukes in the living room. We bought one for my wife's birthday this year, had no experience at all with jukes, and got it working. Pretty much thanks to a forum that's the juke equivalent of this one and some good old pinball repair know-how! Oh, and Rock-Ola has the MOST AWESOME MANUAL EVER KNOWN TO MAN...

#17 9 years ago

Gotta say I read your other thread about how you got your first pinball machine and now this one.
Goingincirclez has to be the best newest pinball owner ever!
Most entertaining post on the forums.

#19 9 years ago

Coming along great. Love resto threads. I swear next time I'll take pictures of the entire process of mine. I just get lazy.

#20 9 years ago

No time for the next dissertation chapter tonight, but while waiting for other things to settle I roughed up a quick vector sketch of an idea I had to dress up the backbox speaker panel. I have to work out a few details to see if it's feasible as I envision, but I do have an inside source that could make it for me.

SSSpeakerPanel copy.jpgSSSpeakerPanel copy.jpg

Otherwise, what was hopefully the final coat of Varathane went on tonight. If it doesn't mess up, I'll have to invoke the names of many deities as I take the leap of faith to wet-sand and pray that I don't fark it up at the end. Oh, how I'm nervous about that! It took me this long to get comfortable sanding between clear coats, trusting that the fog really would disappear. Which of course it did...

...but no more clearing to fix that. Just slap-skating around sheets loaded with abrasives and billions of teeny tiny particles. Oy vey!

#21 9 years ago

"From Shittle to Shuttle" should have been the title of the thread

#22 9 years ago

Been busy the last few days with (among other things) running my first 5K, and my oldest daughter was enlisted to re-enact one our town's famous ghosts for a large public event - pretty awesome. But I've still been plugging away, with lots to backfill and catch up here.

If anyone is interested in that speaker panel, I posted a few mockup proposals on Page 11 of the Crew Members' Lounge. Check them out... *maybe* I can have requests fulfilled.

OK then... on with the Continuing Saga of the Shittle...

Caution!

Here are pics illustrating the potential screw-up I narrowly avoided and mentioned earlier. I was considering a full set of pf insert decals on ebay - indeed, it would have completely changed my approach to this project. Note the picture from the listing:

Anything missing?Anything missing?

The Space Shuttle Hotdog letters are all-white, with drop-shadow outlines presumably filled in by the insert, which is red. Makes sense.

But here's what I saw when I shined a flashlight through the inserts to check my work to that point:

LitLine.jpgLitLine.jpg

LitLite2.jpgLitLite2.jpg

The lines are BLACK - that restoration set does not include them! Talk about a head-scratcher: probably not a big deal if you replace the whole sticker BUT, why'd they go through the trouble to design a set and eliminate them in the first place? Adding 'em yourself wipes out time you tried to save! As you can see, I painted the lines in on the portion of lettering I added. Saved $50 and only spent a few minutes. I actually have the skills and equipment to design and print my own decals, but that would have taken much longer given the small area in question.

TOOLS

I don't have pics, but for touch-up brushes I will recommend the Windsor & Newton line. I got mine at Michael's and they have been fantastic. I got a 0, 00, and 000, probably for about $4 or so each. That was a leap for me since I use those sizes in scale modeling a lot, but I would usually get those cheap multi-packs of a half-dozen or more brushes for the same price as one. Those cheap brushes work well for incidental uses and my models, but good brushes are appreciably better. They hold paint well and don't glob it out, offer suberb control and "feel", clean well, don't puff up, don't shed, and don't flake handle paint into your work. Win win win win win!

As for other tools...

Earplugs???Earplugs???

On the right is the pump bottle my wife got me. She now says it was $8, not two - $8 for a tiny little bottle?! BUT that lid is the key: the concave reservoir holds just enough liquid, which you determine by the number of lid presses you do. Dab your applicator and go. It was far handier than I thought it would be!

As for the earplugs: a quick inspired hack which may only apply to my situation:

pfmask.jpgpfmask.jpg

You know what they say: build a better pinball, they'll build a better idiot. Or something like that, because I decided to...

CLEARCOAT

As I mentioned here and a few other relevant threads, my situation limits me to an in-cabinet resto. No stripping every component. Even if I could or wanted to (I did suppress the urge a couple times), there is NO PLACE I currently could take or bring the pf for working on. A month or two from now, maybe my basement will be safe again but long story (in short: don't ever give two young girls free reign to "remodel" their bedroom)!

Welp. So that means not only do I have to clear in-cabinet, in house... I also have to do this:

pfmask2.jpgpfmask2.jpg

Yep: leave a few components installed, but they mask well. Since I can only use Acrylic (water-based) Varathane and apply it with a brush, I'll at least have some control over the overage and mess so I'm not too worried about the targets. They need a little cleaning anyway.

But dang that's a lot of bulb sockets to potentially ruin. What a PITA to mask off properly and... AH! EARPLUGS! Just cut 'em in half and shove the fat end into the bulb sockets: they expand to seal the socket and BOOM, done. Might be a little clean-up afterward, but nothing unreasonable.

Clearing is a pretty straightforward process. There are dozens of threads here on Pinside on how to do it. Of course most all of them shy away from brushing - for sensible reasons - but as I explained elsewhere, I accepted my situation and plowed ahead.

My advice: Follow the directions on the can, CLEAN your area and PREP your workspace. Use CLEAN NEW BRUSHES of a proper size, and work deliberately in nice, smooth strokes. CLEAN BRUSHES IMMEDIATELY after coating. I used the Varathane straight and did not glop it on - in fact I probably kept it a little thinner than I needed to, and minimized backbrushing. I gradually thickened subsequent applications slightly, but I knew I would be using several coats so I wanted to keep the overall thickness down.

Having read many threads on the clearing process, I adapted my process to something like this:

1) First thin full coat to seal everything under a single consistent "membrane" of clear.
2) Second thin full coat to self-level and see what I'm in for
3) Sand (400 then 600, aggressive)*
4) Thin full coat to level over the sanded areas
5) Fill insert edges and other spots - keylines, worn spots, and other low areas. I used my 00 brushes for this, simply letting the Varathane "drip-flow" out of them. This was time consuming but very, very, necessary. Fill a little more than you think you need because the Varathane does shrink.
6) Sand*
7) Thin full coat to trap and seal the earlier spot-fill edges.
8] Fill edges & spots (which are much smaller and almost invisible, but it pays to seek and feel them out).
9) Sand (400 & 600)*
10) Thin coat
11) Thin coat again - wow, getting close!
12) Sand (400 & 600, then 1500 cuz I had it handy)*
13) Thick coat for surface tension

*After every round of sanding, I vacuumed the area, wiped everything down with Naptha, and tacked up any remnant spots. DUST IS THE ENEMY KNOW YOUR ENEMY AND BANISH HIM AND HIS MINIONS

Varathane recommends a set time of 2 hours between coats. So, when I knew I'd be doing two successive "seal and level" coats (without sanding), I applied the first before going to bed, then before going to work the next morning I wiped the area and applied the second coat. I would let that cure the recommended 24 hours before sanding. Apparently the oil-based Varathane may cure differently.

The very first coat, dried.  Ugh.  Still lots of grooves and swirls and... crap, I really made a mistake with all this didn't I...The very first coat, dried. Ugh. Still lots of grooves and swirls and... crap, I really made a mistake with all this didn't I...

Oct14eve.jpgOct14eve.jpg

I know "the longer the better" but I'm not a pro charging for luxury nor do I have spare space to keep this out and in process for weeks on end. So I had to move it along. On one lousy night weather wise, I ran a dehumidifier. Hey, I try.

OK, so that's enough talking from me for while... pics will do it from here:

Oct15.jpgOct15.jpg

A wet coat, before I focused on the keylines. The brush strokes are unavoidable but do level out a bit.

Oct17eve.jpgOct17eve.jpg

About the 3th or 4th coat, after sanding.  It looks horrible after sanding, but always fixes like magic with the next coat. About the 3th or 4th coat, after sanding. It looks horrible after sanding, but always fixes like magic with the next coat.

307359x.jpg307359x.jpg

307361-i.jpg307361-i.jpg

Look ma, no keylines!Look ma, no keylines!

As of now that "final coat" is 4 days into curing while I tend to household stuff, rebuilding the power board, Vid-bulleting the MPU board, fixing other bits, and such. I got great advice from a pinsider named Pinfidel, which has inspired me to try one last round of sanding and a finish coat using a diferent process, because apparently I've come really far and better than most for brushing, and am *this close* to a knockout finish.

Ah, the challenge of perfectionism...

...meanwhile the cries of sooooooo many parts waiting to be reinstalled, taunt me. Agh!

#23 9 years ago

Go on....
image-321.jpgimage-321.jpg

#24 9 years ago

That's a lot of work using that varathane, but your results look great. I tried that with the first game I did (Laser War) and didn't like the cloudy results.

Are you unable to take that PF out of there and bring it outside onto a sawhorse and use the Spraymax2K method?

#25 9 years ago
Quoted from thedefog:

Are you unable to take that PF out of there and bring it outside onto a sawhorse and use the Spraymax2K method?

We live in a high-traffic area with neighbors (one a general contractor sharing the driveway and doing a remodel generating massive amounts of detritus and dust) within arm's length on either side, and the Fifth Squadron of Old Kentucky Leaf Assaulters all around... and it's fall of course, so sadly, no. I've seen some of the DIY spray tents and such but the weather would NOT cooperate, our yard is a wind tunnel besides.

I don't think I've ever had the truly "easy way" out of any project I've undertaken...

#26 9 years ago
Quoted from goingincirclez:

We live in a high-traffic area with neighbors (one a general contractor sharing the driveway and doing a remodel generating massive amounts of detritus and dust) within arm's length on either side, and the Fifth Squadron of Old Kentucky Leaf Assaulters all around...

pun.jpgpun.jpg

Varathane away!!!

#27 9 years ago

Running busy lately, have more updates re: repairs, cabinet idea, speaker panel mod idea, and just the general plodding process, slow and steady.

But I thought I would share the following photos meanwhile... because I have finally reached a landmark and after a minor setback, the final coat of clear is curing! Is the result 2PAC infini-cure lazer-smooth perfection? Of course not. I was manually applying water-based Varathane. But I think I came a lonnnnnng way:

Before...Before...

After...After...

I guess I can be happy with that!

#28 9 years ago

That looks great!

#29 9 years ago

So what was the last step that produced that awesome finish???

#30 9 years ago

wow, that looks great !

#31 9 years ago

Yay, time for another update rollup - and here ya though the terrors went away after Halloween! Sorry ya'll.

I'll get to the clearing process in a minute. First I must test patience the same way I tested my own. While waiting for the Varathane to dry properly, I decided to yank the boards and rebuild them. Er, I yanked them BEFORE I prepped for the final coat - don't want to knock and shake old electro dust & scuzz onto a curing playfield!

BOARDS

Soldering used to be a mystical process to baffle and frustrate me. I'd done it since I was a kid so it was simple enough and yet, some days I was a voodoo master, other days nearly burned the nieghborhood down. I could never understand how doing the Exact. Same. Things! could yield such inconsistent results (even when accounting for variances in components and wires and such). I'm usually one to blame the musician and not the instrument, but... yeah. Turns out a good soldering iron makes a huuuuuuuge difference!

Don't let the Body by Fisher-Price looks fool you:  the Hakko 888 is an awesome toolDon't let the Body by Fisher-Price looks fool you: the Hakko 888 is an awesome tool

Got one of those a few years ago and never looked back. Soldering is something I now do with more consistent results and confidence. If you're considering something like this, STOP IT and just get one - it'll be the best $75 you ever spent on your hobby.

Of course DE-soldering was still a hassle. Usually my desoldering sessions involved just a couple components, so I would make do with the iron and fingers and props and a seance to pluck the components... not pretty, but worked. But between the power and MPU boards, there was a ton of stuff to do. Bleah. I was concerned about the components but didn't want to spend $200+ on a dedicated Hakko-level desolderer. So I got one of these...

Radio Shack. 14 bucks.  Gets HOT so be careful, but if you know what you're doing...Radio Shack. 14 bucks. Gets HOT so be careful, but if you know what you're doing...

...and it was like falling in Hakko all over again. WOW. How did I ever get by without one? "By venting and cursing and making us run for our lives..." my wife informs me. Ah. Little dramatic there, maybe, but...

Anyway. Desoldering iron. GET ONE. And turn your worn out power supply from this:

308197-i.jpg308197-i.jpg

Into THIS

308196-i.jpg308196-i.jpg

During the process, I found a discrepancy in the official Williams manual, and my machine's own history. See the little vertical diode all by its lonesome? It was not marked in the diagram. And its paired mate either did not exist, or did not match owing to an earlier replacement... I couldn't be certain which on account of the diagram, even though it was in the schematic, maybe? I had my suspicions, but didn't want to risk my machine.

I posted this topic to ask why: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/so-where-is-zr1-on-a-williams-power-board

And got my answer in a couple hours. Pinside is awesome. Whenever my day job of IT angst puts me in "I Hate Technology" mode, I just have to remember things like this.

Anyway, back to the Hakko and the kits I got from Great Plains Electronics, and here is the result:

308198-i.jpg308198-i.jpg

Not only are all the caps replaced, but I replaced the high-voltage section with the zener drop to lower the voltages, to preserve the plasma score displays. At least that's the intent. It looks beautiful, but the true test won't come until I install it and don't set anything on fire.

I also had the same results on the unobtanium Sys9 MPU, but as I admitted on Vid's buletproofing guide, I got a little nervously carried away. Will they work? Should I rebrand this game as "FIRE!"? Stay tuned...

CLEARING PROCESS - CONTINUED, DONE

When I posted about my final coat of clear, I opened another thread asking for advice regarding brushed-on, water-based Varathane because it seems the folks here who actually do it that way are rarer than a nun in a brothel. I got some good advice and encouragement from Pinsider, who suggested the use of Lamb's wool for the final coat to eliminate brush streaks.

I read a bit on the method, and it made sense and seemed simple enough. So I tried it and... ugh, it didn't work. BUT I absolutely do not blame Pinsider, because something just seemed... weird? With my wool and the pf as it was. I experimented with the wool on other woods and yeah, it worked WONDERFULLY, for a smooth stroke-less finish. But on the pf it swished and siwrled and pooled and left hairs everywhere. But it SHOULD have worked!

Anyway, that setback was a bother but it did force me to go a bit more insane on the recovery and sanding process. And the experiment did show that there could be better methods than using a brush alone. So on my next trip to the store I looked around, and one of these things struck my eye:

PaintPad.jpgPaintPad.jpg

A foam pad with millions of tiny little synthetic bristles. The application process should be the same theory, put perhaps a little more consistent given the solid backing platform and uniform bristle length?

Since this was so much larger than my brushes, I finally removed all the last obstacles off the playfield - gah, it's amazing how much time that takes. But wow. The results totally exceeded my expectations!

The only trick is, you CANNOT lift or remove the applicator from the surface mid-stroke, or the surface tension of the liquid may pull some bristles from the pad. Ask me how I know. Even a perfect application may yield a couple incidental bristles, but they are totally manageable and, compared to brush strokes, far more tolerable.

I was truly amazed at how smooth the varathane was... I didn't think it was possible if you're not spraying.

But of course, since everyone who knows me remarks how I have the Curse of Murphy's Law more than anyone else they know, I did get a random overlap mark on my final coat - and right over the bonus light grid at that, ugh. Even after a week of curing, I have not found a polish (Meguires, 3M, Turtle Wax, Plast-X which is essentially like Novus)... that I like, they all seem to cloud. So I don't have that perfect laser-class flat pf that I would get with spray. But you know what? IT STILL LOOKS AND FEELS ONE THOUSAND PERCENT BETTER THAN IT DID!

As someone wisely said above, "The enemy of good is perfect". This is better than good to me - GREAT even - but chasing perfection could ruin everything I'm seeking to do. So if I have better than good, with a little added unique character, what more can I ask for?

I'll have to come back and add other photos... need to get some other stuff done now. And more updates besides...

#32 9 years ago
Quoted from goingincirclez:

As someone wisely said above, "The enemy of good is perfect"

Perfection is the enemy of good enough. - Kalashnikov (inventor of the AK47) channeling Voltaire

#33 9 years ago

Those are impressive results. When Clay started testing different clear coats and processes over on pinrepair.com he used different brushes, but I know what you mean. It's rare to see brush application over here.

His take seemed to be that if you didn't mind sanding, it didn't matter what methods you used to apply it, because your result would be the same.

I have a NGG that has like 3 very small wear spots where inserts shifted a bit and the keylines wore away. The rest of the playfield has nice diamond plate and no issues at all. I've wondered if I couldn't just rough up a small area with sandpaper, re-paint the keylines and brush on auto clear and sand it back smooth. I may try it some day, just to see.

Anyway, thanks for documenting your hard work here. Very nice.

Dan

#34 9 years ago
Quoted from goingincirclez:

I also had the same results on the unobtanium Sys9 MPU, but as I admitted on Vid's buletproofing guide, I got a little nervously carried away. Will they work? Should I rebrand this game as "FIRE!"? Stay tuned...

You can use a SYS11 MPU on SYS9 games. You may or may not need to populate the audio section though and/or add some missing headers (J14/15/16). The EPROMs just need to be converted over to 256k for the System and two 128k's for the sound samples. The audio volume pot control and the speaker output are the only pin headers that are swapped in the layout as far as I could tell (J15 & J16 I think), but they're keyed anyway so it is obvious which goes where. Got my Comet booting last night using a SYS11B MPU. SYS11B are almost fully populated (just needs the TDA2002 and a few caps and resistors), SYS11Cs have nothing populated on the audio section, so you'll need everything (including CPU, PIAs, RAM, D/A, TTLs, OpAmps, dozen+ resistors and caps). Anything SYS11A and prior will work, with the exception of SYS11, which might need a few jumper changes and ground mods (not 100% sure on this).

#35 9 years ago

This thread made for great lunchtime reading. OP, you are very articulate and descriptive - are you a writer by trade? I really appreciate seeing the Varathane process documented; I need to get off the dime and seal my touchups on C37 and Space Mission.

#36 9 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Kalashnikov (inventor of the AK47) channeling Voltaire

Hmm... that quote takes on quite a different shade in context of the AK's renown. Still, "good enough" for me.

Quoted from Curbfeeler:

if you didn't mind sanding, it didn't matter what methods you used to apply it, because your result would be the same...

...I've wondered if I couldn't just rough up a small area with sandpaper, re-paint the keylines and brush on auto clear and sand it back smooth. I may try it some day, just to see.

Your situation doesn't sound too far removed from mine, and that's essentially what I did between coats. It's a little more work than you think - if only because the keylining required multiple touch-cure-sand-touch-repeat sessions, but it DOES work. My only concern would be blending your touched areas into a pre-existing clear surface... I don't know what the original Diamondplate is, but in any case, to avoid bad interactions, you're probably best off by applying a single consistent basecoat of your same touch-up clear, across the entire playfield. Then go over your keylines. Er, paint before you base-clear.

(I'm not an expert mind you, I just dare play one in my thread, ha ha).

Quoted from thedefog:

You can use a SYS11 MPU on SYS9 games... (knowledge drop)

Thanks for that summary... I've caught bits and pieces of that elsewhere around here. It's nice to know there are options and to that end, I'm not too worried about making the machine unusable. But it's kind of a principle and pride thing - I'd rather not shell out buku dollas for something I could preferably not need. And if I swapped to a Sys11 and encountered similar issues - what then? Better off learning and fixing it myself if I can... but I do understand that not everyone can do so.

Quoted from swampfire:

are you a writer by trade?

Not by trade, per se. More of a lifelong wannabe. I formerly blogged, though rather infrequently. I used to have fun commenting on Jalopnik before Gawker screwed it up, then contributed to Hooniverse.com for a while before realizing when compared to other talent, I'm neither truly witty nor concise. I currently write reviews for Model Railroad News but it's more of a spiff gig...

...maybe someday I'll finish my novel. Ha!

#37 9 years ago

OK... back from choosing the lesser of two senate evils. And the kidspawn are out to sow discontented merriment, so I've got some time to catch all the way up.

Cabinet

All things considered, my shuttle's box is in really good shape compared to what I've seen others work with. A few nicks and scratches but nothing major - compared to when I promptly fell apart (lousy 30-year womb-exit warranty!), it's almost new...

LeftUnloaded.jpgLeftUnloaded.jpg

How do you know you've been parenting girls for too long?  When  pink hardly phases you anymore.How do you know you've been parenting girls for too long? When pink hardly phases you anymore.

Nonetheless, I fixed what I could. Did you know that matching paint is a PITA? I did! Even so it never ceases to amaze that you could probably harvest every paint chip in a tri-political area and not come up with an exact match. In my situation, the cabinet has faded differently on all sides, which I find an interesting part of its unique, historic charm. Even though it means I need 4 blues and 3 whites and 2 reds and 1 pink and that is an awfully colorful way of saying I am an idiot...

What I will eventually do is use the chips that are closest to get craft paints to mix, etc. Some are awfully close right out of the bottle, so that suffices for now.

The stencil lines are cleaner and the blue scratch is gone.  Not bad for 10 minutes of actual work after 20 of sorting color chips.The stencil lines are cleaner and the blue scratch is gone. Not bad for 10 minutes of actual work after 20 of sorting color chips.

But while looking for paint, I discovered an idea. The inside of the cabinet was horribly faded and scratched from pf servicing. At Lowe's, I got one of their $2.90 Valspar sample bottles mixed in the closest color I could find - since it is inside the cabinet, the match is not as critical.

Then I mixed some of this stuff into it:

$7.  But a little goes a lonnng way and did I mention I have two girls?   This will get used for other things - of that I am certain.   Plus I'll admit, I love me some sparkly twilight blue, my first car was that color...$7. But a little goes a lonnng way and did I mention I have two girls? This will get used for other things - of that I am certain. Plus I'll admit, I love me some sparkly twilight blue, my first car was that color...

I brushed it on the insides, let it dry, and then coated it with some brush on Triple-Thick clear acrylic glaze...

Ah-choo!Ah-choo!

It's runny there but I did this to see the contrast of straight v. coated paint. The clear coating both seals in the flakes, and helps them pop. They don't photograph well at all... but in natural light, they twinkle and fade just like natural starlight! <-- get it now?

Of course, this begged the issue of raising the playfield - and scratching it up again. There's an easy fix for that!

I give to you: MOUSE FURI give to you: MOUSE FUR

Some felt cut into strips, sprayed with adhesive on one side, then pressed into place. BOOM.

And I'll tell you something else that felt did: it filled the side gaps and created just enough soft drag, to make lowering the playfield a much smoother, safer operation. It's not as prone to get all crookedy when moving, nor does it feel as free to rocket down by gravity (I mean it of course WOULD fall, it just feels more controllable). WHY did they not do this at the factory?!

May I now direct your attention to the PVC pipe there. That's because the factory hood prop is a COMPLETE F***ING JOKE! Seriously, don't even TRY to use just the prop in a safe fashion. Of the two recesses in the playfield, one is only slightly more useless, and either will damage your machine or yourself if you rely on just that. Speaking of impending death, would it have killed Williams to put a second one on the other side at least? I cut that 1" PVC pipe to a suitable length that locks into a bracket on the pf. It stores in the cabinet. It's lightweight. It's a big tube you can use to yell at people and blow dust out of (or into, if that's your roll) hard to reach areas. It's also like a 2-dollar, 2-minute investment in safety and stability. You're welcome, Williams!

Oh, wait...

#38 9 years ago

This is my new favorite restoration thread. I'm not even really sure why, but it is. Favorited in a heartbeat though.

#39 9 years ago

I did a few blog posts about color-matching techniques:

http://reelsonfire.blogspot.com/2010/10/color-matching-with-magic-palette.html
http://reelsonfire.blogspot.com/2010/10/color-mixing-results.html

I wish I had time to keep the blog current; I get 10 visitors a day even though my last post was in 2011.

#40 9 years ago
Quoted from goingincirclez:

other days nearly burned the nieghborhood down.

Really the WHOLE neighborhood? lol
jk great read as always and it's looking better and better

#41 9 years ago
Quoted from swampfire:

I did a few blog posts about color-matching techniques:

Wow, those are great! I'm pretty decent at mixing matched colors but never heard of the magic palette, and never thought of photographing a comprehensive one against an object. And that's in spite of me making a custom ALPS palette for color-matching custom decals and such, which is a conceptually similar process.

Where can I get a magic palette?

Oh, I had to laugh at your frustration regarding the same company labeling two completely different colors with the same name. I often mistrust printed color guides for that reason - you have to wonder how and when they were printed, with what batch of dyes and inks, and if they were stored the same way, exposed, faded, etc... that could explain some variance. Yet in the end, one person's "Red" is another's "Candy Apple", "Fire Hydrant", "Clown Nose", "Moonlit Cardinal", "Maroon"...

#42 9 years ago

I think I got all my art supplies from Dick Blick, but you can probably get them on Amazon too.

I'm glad I'm moving back into 70's and 80's games. There's something very satisfying about playing a game I've spent dozens of hours restoring.

#43 9 years ago
Quoted from goingincirclez:

That's because the factory hood prop is a COMPLETE F***ING JOKE! Seriously, don't even TRY to use just the prop in a safe fashion.

This is especially true of pre-sys11 games. I wish I took a picture of the busted screw that holds the prop in place on my Comet. Not only is the prop inefficient, but the screw that holds the prop in place to swivel probably can't hold more than like 10lbs, so any additional push or weight on it and POP, screw head breaks off and PF comes crashing down. I use bungie cables.

#44 9 years ago

I respect the by-hand paint and clear techniques and your results speak for themselves. Not everyone has the setup/space for a paint booth. Did you use any special version of Createx for hand painting? It seems most sets are advertised specifically for air brushing, but not sure if there's a difference

#45 9 years ago
Quoted from Aeolus7:

It seems most sets are advertised specifically for air brushing, but not sure if there's a difference

Like everything else, a seemingly simple topic like "paint" can be incredibly nuanced, but I'll try to give you a nutshell synopsis from my experience:

"Airbrush ready" simply means the paint is thin enough to spray right out of the bottle. Thinning paints can be aggravating owing to different pigments and solvents and formulations and subsequent shelf lives and whatnot, so this "mere convenience" can be significant. At any rate, airbrush-thinned paint is about twice as thin as a classic Testor's enamel. And the typical "cheapo craft" acrylics used so often here, are like mud by comparison!

So can you use a regular brush with airbrush paint? In general there's no reason not to, but that's where nuance comes into play. The Creatix brand seems formulated for artists and general use, and as such has wonderfully thick, dense pigments. Brands for scale modeling such as Polly-scale, Floquil, Model Master, and Tamiya, tend to use thinner pigments so that fine scaled details are not muddied up by thick paint. You can still brush them, but even coverage over large areas can be tough. Light colors tend to be especially problematic if not translucent. This is not the case with Creatix (again, Creatix is not marketed to modelers). Model Flex is probably the closest "model" paint to Creatix I can think of in terms of overall consistency, but it is expensive. That said, it has (or had, I'm not sure it's still made) a very large palette.

I hope that helps...!

#46 9 years ago

Absolutely. Thanks. I have a stripped playfield I'm not quite sure what to do with yet. It could definitely use touch ups. I would hate to spend all that time/money rebuilding parts, polishing metal, cleaning, and reassembling only to be disappointed that I didn't touch up & clearcoat. Perfection is tricky as you suggested and it's a fine line between sealing in imperfections and touching up

I just know that the bottom section of WW would be a beast to color match & get clean lines (pic is just before mylar removal and cleaning)image.jpgimage.jpg.

#47 9 years ago

Ah! Whirlwind!! Of all the titles I've discovered that are out there, that one (and/or a Dr. Who) became my Official Next Project Target! Er, I mean, more like "wish". And, er, yeah, I need to finish this one first. Of course.

But anyway, small world... and congrats!

If the mylar removal wasn't too destructive, that one doesn't look too bad. You still have mostly flat colors, so just take your time to get the matches right. If you use the brushes and sizes I recommended, you'll find that painting the lines is not as hard as you think. Also, remember that you can use the obstacles to your advantage: that one scraped spot in the orange, was under the apron edge and not very conspicuous, so practice there. And if it's in a really inconspicuous area to begin with, don't sweat it too hard - people shouldn't notice those while they're playing.

The tough spots are where a dot-matrix fade was used - as in the lightning bolts under the scoring multipliers. Those can be approached a few different ways, case by case, depending on what's needed vs. your abilities and desires.

#48 9 years ago

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Sorry to hi-Jack your thread... I should start a separate thread for touch up advice. The dot-matrix fade is really what's making me question doing the touch ups. I have some soft streaks left over from the mylar pull that I can't get off without damaging the paint. Most noticeable on the blue. "Luck" of the draw on System 11 mylar I suppose.

I think the dot fade is beyond my skill level, but I could definitely focus on other more obvious, solid color areas. Hopefully that wouldn't make the non-touched up areas stand out more. I could bite the bullet on a nicer playfield, but where's the fun in that?

Carry on with the good work!

#49 9 years ago

Movin' right along to the eventual payout... This here's a biggun' so pour a cold one!

Boards, II

Just a couple more pics about my board rehab. First, because the MPU board is the freakin' Son of All Muthaboards (a.k.a. obnoxiously large), I rigged up a prop to assist in the rehab process:

BoardHolder.jpgBoardHolder.jpg

It's the base / stand from an old all-in-one PC. I scrapped the compy part long ago, but its solid metal base with adjustable hinge plate seemed too potentially useful to throw away at the time. And it only took up space for 4 years until I finally had the eureka moment. Yay, pinball!

Anyway, here's the MPU rehabbed:

Ahh, potatoes: They may grow in the dark, but can't take photos for $#!^ in it...Ahh, potatoes: They may grow in the dark, but can't take photos for $#!^ in it...

Note the rebuilt lamp matrix. Bad photo, but you might be able to tell my board has the odd set of 2n6548 transistors in that section. These caused me quite a bit of grief owing to tight spacing, as I posted in Vid's guide. So double-checking my work here made me do a thorough inspection of the rest of the board, and I found at least 3 more bad transistors elsewhere. So I had to place another order from GPE - and I went a build myself a decent field kit as well.

The moral is, there's always a lot to learn! At least I labeled and dated my work, and the fuses, and cleaned up the corroded ground trace and fixed the battery box the first time I had it out...

Also labeled this just to remind me (and warn anyone else) that it's no longer a stock board...Also labeled this just to remind me (and warn anyone else) that it's no longer a stock board...

Repairs II

The ramps are original and in pretty good shape, but on closer inspection there were hairline cracks behind the chrome mounting plates.

RampCrack.jpgRampCrack.jpg

I used MEK (MethylEthylKeytone; aka liquid plastic model cement) to seal the cracks. Then for added reinforcement, I cut strips of 3M Tartan strapping tape I had on hand, and added them beneath. I figure the fiberglass strands in the tape will add strength and durability, eliminating the chance of the clear tape tearing should a crack reappear.

There was also a chunk missing from the left side of the drop target ramp. I've seen repairs made with epoxy that is then painted to match... but I decided to try and eliminate a step. Not to mention paint flakes. Actually the hit me when I picked up my desoldering savior at Radio Shack and saw this stuff there:

UmoldColors.jpgUmoldColors.jpg

It's plastic that melts at 140 degrees, and it was 50% off so I figured it would be worth a shot. First I cut a backer from black styrene sheet I keep for modeling purposes, and glued that to the ramp wall. Then I melted some of the black U-Mold; it turns into a pseudo-putty I was able to press into the repair to build the proper, smooth profile. The dried (cured) plastic is a very good match to the original vacuum-formed ramp, and easily trimmed, sanded and filed. And since the pigment is integrated it should look that way for a long time!

Yay, that indestructible #^&amp;%@ stranded tape is finally good for something other than getting trolled by!Yay, that indestructible #^&amp;%@ stranded tape is finally good for something other than getting trolled by!

As for other repairs, there wasn't much more beyond flattening the plastics. I tried several different methods but in the end a plate-glass sandwich for the sun to feast upon worked best. One of my slingshot covers had previously been cracked and respectably repaired with mylar; I lucked into an undamaged pair on ebay for $10. When they arrived, it turned out be the same seller I'd previously found (via Craigslist of all places) and purchased a set of 3 red & white circle targets from, for the same price (indeed, three complete used switches for $10, versus one new plastic painted circle for $4? DUH)... Small world!

MODS

--The hole, the hole... figure out the hole!

So my cabinet had this hole, see. Right next to the coin door, under the pull knob:

Dear Cracked Astronaut, we recommend retirement but don't worry, it's a cushy assignment with a pinsion.Dear Cracked Astronaut, we recommend retirement but don't worry, it's a cushy assignment with a pinsion.

Who put this there? When? Why? I had no idea. On the inside were four telltale screw holes, but I still can't guess what would have been mounted there, for what purpose.

Originally I planned to fill the hole and match the paint, but then I realized something. As in, this is in our living room... and while I like things LOUD, my wife often does not. And it would be nice to play this while other people are watching TV, or in bed. As well as wake the neighbors with AIRLOCK AAAAAUUUUUGH111!! Perhaps all three in the same session! How to adjust this on the fly...?

I unscrewed the mount for the volume pot, flipped the pot, reattached it to the mount, and extended the wires. The pot's integrated knob wouldn't extend through the hole, so...

VolumeMod.jpgVolumeMod.jpg

I used a short length of 1/4" ID aquarium tubing stretched over the knob, and a piece of model kit sprue jammed inside to for strength. The sleeved sprue extended through the hole, allowing me to...

...remove the sticker we proudly affixed to our car during the launch of STS-135 in 2011, before we traded it in a few weeks ago?...remove the sticker we proudly affixed to our car during the launch of STS-135 in 2011, before we traded it in a few weeks ago?

...attach a knob that looks like it was made for this title! $3.00 for two at Radio Shack - Gah, I'll miss them when they go under. Now I can adjust volume on the fly if need be, without opening the door and interrupting a game. Also, the pot bracket still mounts atop a ground strap, just as it did in its original location. I love mods that maintain a stock-intent appearance.

Speaker Panel Concepts

Discussion in the Crew Members’ Lounge encouraged me to make 3 concepts for my speaker panel mod. After tweaking the art for proper stenciling and dimensions, here they are:

307192-i.jpg307192-i.jpg
307193-i.jpg307193-i.jpg
307195-i.jpg307195-i.jpg

I've submitted them for fabrication and hopefully I’ll have samples in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I’ve thought of a mod for the small square panel between the coin IDs on the coinbox door, and maybe a keychain. Need to see if I can sneak those into the same turnaround timeframe….

--To be LED, or not to beLED?

It’s not so much a question as a Red vs. Blue philosophy 'round here.

Subjectively, I respect both sides: there's something to be said for a stock appearance, which I generally prefer in most cases. I've rebuilt things favoring bulbs and tubes and their nice soft glow. On the other hand, I work in a server room full of twinkly bits that never cease to captivate, and it's funny how illumination mods can breathe new character and life into things.

Objectively, there are close to 150 sockets in this machine - some of which are quite inconvenient to access. LEDs last longer. They run cooler, reducing waste heat and associated yellowing and warping. They also run more efficiently, reducing consumption and prolonging component life.

The wannab-engineer in me made an easy decision: LEDs. But holy heck how complicated can this hobby be? I thought an LED was an LED: choose ye color, brightness, voltage, and be ye done. BWAHAHAHAHAHAOOOKAAY that's not quite the case, and I was handily overwhelmed. Every vendor has MULTIPLE DOUBLEPLUSGOOD SOLUTIONS for all your LED PEDANTISM NEEDS...

Sigh. I just don't want to change bulbs or fry my components! /wahmbulance

While comparing vendor options, I stumbled upon Comet Pinball's sampler promo of 150 bulbs for 100 bucks. You pick an assortment of 100 (different?!) whites, and they fill in an assortment of various colors and other spiffy bits to round out the kit. Thus you can sample and tailor things to your tastes. Seemed sensible and the price was highly competitive, maybe even the best I'd yet figured. So I placed an order, with a comment that I was a newbie doing a Space Shuttle and if this was not a good idea given possible ghosting and retina surgery and whatnot, to please advise and/or cancel the order oh and I don't think I need the pinks and purples for this game KWIM?

CometPack.pngCometPack.png

Ten minutes later the phone rang long-distance from Florida. Thanks to political garbage I screen things. When someone named Art from Comet Pinball started talking, I picked up the phone.

In all my years of ordering stuff on whim and want and wtf, this was unheard of. Art said he saw my note and wanted to talk a bit, and proceeded to explain the product line a bit better and suggest ways to better my choices. I didn't really have the heart to tell him that I was a newbie who didn't know WTF he was doing yet, but I didn't want to give him carte blanche either. So he listened and we discussed, talked about Florida and NASA and such for a bit, and in the end he took an insert-by-insert count to compiled a custom set of appropriate colors, with a few other experimental samples, personally tailored to my machine. I think I even ended up with a handful more than 150 bulbs! I can honestly say that level of attention and service from "random internet vendor" is something I *NEVER* experienced before - and I've bought a lot of stuff. So I promise I am not a shill, but I know when excellent service deserves word-of-mouth. And what an introduction to the world of pinball! Thank you Arthur, and Comet Pinball.

So yeah, my bulbs arrived like 5 days after I got home with the machine. It would be a while before it would even make sense to open them, let alone decide which should go where. Nevermind forgetting what some of them are (they are not always labeled well and once they're out of the bag fugeddaboutit).

Meanwhile, I decided my pop bumpers looked like CRAP and needed a total rebuild:

Were they once white?  Or is that smokers' yellow?Were they once white? Or is that smokers' yellow?

Having received spare switches and posts from the seller I still needed all new bodies, springs, yokes, skirts, etc. While browsing Pinballlife I saw these:

Oooooooooh prettyOooooooooh pretty

Hmm. Man, those dot rings would look AWESOME around Space Shuttle's pop lattice, don't you think....??! Hafta get some 555 sockets and rewire things a bit...

...and all the while, keep telling myself, "Neither Rome nor your model railroad were built in a day... Patience is an overrated virtue..."

...But eventually, as in MONDAY... exactly one month to the day of loading it my ground-based shuttle, I finally got everything put back together...

Note the warning sticker under the apron... yeah, kinda important with Varathane.Note the warning sticker under the apron... yeah, kinda important with Varathane.

...Forget Rome. It's time to hold my breath....!

#50 9 years ago

I'm so glad that I've remembered to keep up with this thread.

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