Wichita, KS
Quoted from PinballPimp:You guys know I have stencils for this game correct?
I used your stencils when I painted my Star Gazer cabinet. They worked great.
(Topic ID: 202660)
Linked Games
Star Gazer
Stern Electronics, 1980
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Quoted from PinballPimp:You guys know I have stencils for this game correct?
ordered one set for my upcoming project when i get the PF/BG combo from John 
Quoted from yancy:Belt sand, clearcoat, call it a "whitewood." It'll play like greased lightning and be the most fun game in your collection. Friend of mine did it to a Quicksilver like 15 years ago, when old Stern games were a dime a dozen.
Was this the one that was for sale at Expo a couple years ago?
Quoted from dothedoo:Was this the one that was for sale at Expo a couple years ago?
Yup, it come back around.
Quoted from yancy:Yup, it come back around.
Ah, ok. I remember it being advertised as a whitewood and it was pricey. Many were skeptical about its authenticity, and now we know it was with good reason. Thanks for clearing that up.
4 months later
Quoted from hisokajp:I assume there aren't but anyone makes good repro pop bumper cap with the ridges? so much better than the repro plain ones :/
Somewhere in RedKetchup's Star Gazer build thread from 7 years ago, he included a file that you can print the lines/ridges onto some clear decal media and get the lines on your pop caps.
It has been quite a while since I have read thru this thread that inspired me to take up the challenge to build my own Star Gazer.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/my-stargazer-crazy-project/page/2
Laval, QC
Quoted from cottonm4:Somewhere in RedKetchup's Star Gazer build thread from 7 years ago, he included a file that you can print the lines/ridges onto some clear decal media and get the lines on your pop caps.
It has been quite a while since I have read thru this thread that inspired me to take up the challenge to build my own Star Gazer.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/my-stargazer-crazy-project/page/2
I can beleive it's already 7 years i completed this project... there is a lot more part available right now compare when i made it! Star gazer is still one of my favorite!
Quoted from Redketchup:I can beleive it's already 7 years i completed this project... there is a lot more part available right now compare when i made it! Star gazer is still one of my favorite!
i was reading that, but couldn't find the file itself for the pop cap?
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/my-stargazer-crazy-project#post-1061503
Quoted from cottonm4:Somewhere in RedKetchup's Star Gazer build thread from 7 years ago, he included a file that you can print the lines/ridges onto some clear decal media and get the lines on your pop caps.
It has been quite a while since I have read thru this thread that inspired me to take up the challenge to build my own Star Gazer.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/my-stargazer-crazy-project/page/2
working on that now, i was talking to djblouw about the wire ball rails. I got the rail for Mantis but the guide is the next ?
Funny this pop cap thing came up. I made a Cnc jig to hold a cap and I’m in the process of testing out some runs to actually reproduce actual recessed graphics like the original heat stamped ones.
Quoted from hisokajp:i was reading that, but couldn't find the file itself for the pop cap?
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/my-stargazer-crazy-project#post-1061503
here you go...
Star.Gazer_Pop.bumper_8decals_OTTOgd_Jun20-13.pdfQuoted from play_pinball:I’d be in for a set if djblouw made those. The ones made for QS were great.
Started painting my cabinet for my scratch build already.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Looks good. You picked a nice shade of blue.
Quoted from Redketchup:here you go...[quoted image]
thank you!
Χαλκίδα
Quoted from Axaios:Hello. This is really good. I think I will also use it on my star gazer.
One short question. Is this in scale?
as far as I remenber... yes!
Quoted from hisokajp:i was talking to djblouw about the wire ball ra
Quoted from play_pinball:I’d be in for a set if djblouw made those. The ones made for QS were great.
Thanks guys. Yes, I can make these, but I need some measurements, as I don't have a pf in my possession:
1) For all the straight ones, I need the center-to-center of the hole dimension (within a 1/16", so calipers is best)
2) For the curved one (top right), I need a straight on picture of the pf in this area. And something in the picture for scaling (like a US quarter sitting on the pf).
PM me the info, so I can check it and make sure I don't need anything else.
Quoted from Axaios:Hello. This is really good. I think I will also use it on my star gazer.
One short question. Is this in scale?
Yes, the art is in scale. I made this file.
Printed on waterslide decal paper, I suggest one doubles the application of the stars and lines decals or the bulb light fades the blue colour.
Spinner decals, instruction cards, and other stuff here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/would-you-prepay-500-us-for-a-new-stern-seawitch-or-star-gazer-playfield/page/22#post-4066406
Quoted from djblouw:2) For the curved one (top right), I need a straight on picture of the pf in this area. And something in the picture for scaling (like a US quarter sitting on the pf).
i have a flat bed scanner if that works with a JohnW PF repro?
Quoted from hisokajp:i have a flat bed scanner if that works with a JohnW PF repro?
That would work for curved piece. Just make sure there is something to reference for a dimension. Even if we measure something in the scan, it could work.
Quoted from djblouw:That would work for curved piece. Just make sure there is something to reference for a dimension. Even if we measure something in the scan, it could work.
got it, i'll do that tomorrow.
Quoted from djblouw:Thanks guys. Yes, I can make these, but I need some measurements, as I don't have a pf in my possession:
1) For all the straight ones, I need the center-to-center of the hole dimension (within a 1/16", so calipers is best)
2) For the curved one (top right), I need a straight on picture of the pf in this area. And something in the picture for scaling (like a US quarter sitting on the pf).
PM me the info, so I can check it and make sure I don't need anything else.
Quoted from hisokajp:got it, i'll do that tomorrow.
Thanks to hisokajp I now have a set of the wire ball guides sent to him for confirmation. If everything checks out these will be for sale soon. PM me if you're interested in a set.
1 week later
Quoted from djblouw:Thanks to hisokajp I now have a set of the wire ball guides sent to him for confirmation. If everything checks out these will be for sale soon. PM me if you're interested in a set.
For those of you that are going to build a Star Gazer, or need replacements, the wire ball guides are ready to go:
My Star Gazer build is progressing. This has taken awhile as SG had to take a back seat while I had other pins that needed work and life in general has been taking up a lot of time.
This is my play field wiring. I still have to wire in one drop target and add Molex connectors to the pops. I also need to clean it up and redo some of the tie wraps. But it is almost there.
How I constructed this would not have been easy, and perhaps not possible if not for Shawn at Third Coast Pinball and his exceptional wire harness kits.
Here is a side view. Since Shawn supplied this kit with a separate harness for the GI lights, a separate feature light harness, and separate wiring for the solenoid harness I decided to install the wiring in layers.
So why install it in layers? Trouble shooting.
The GI harness is the harness closest to and lying on the play field. Instead of using the bare wire and having to solder the red and white wires to the bare wires I went with PVC stranded wiring 100% for the GI lights. One reason will become apparent shortly.
The feature lights harness is also lying on the play field. However, for the return feature light wiring, I used the copper foil tape (I used the copper tape on my first restore (Big Game) and I am having excellent service with the copper tape. Using the tape gets rid of a lot of wiring bulk in the harness. Using the copper tape dictated that I use 100% PVC wire otherwise there would be the risk of have the bare stranded wire make contact with the copper foil tape and short everything out.
The middle later is the switch layer. All of the switches wiring is easily accessible if you need to do some switch work. But light and switches cause relatively few problems.
The top layer is the solenoids layer. In my few short years with pinball, solenoids seem to cause the most problems. And it always seems that the solenoids wiring is always buried somewhere in the middle of the huge factory harness and offers the headache of trying to figure out which coil has shorted out and is blowing the 1 amp slo-blo fuse. I know. There are DMMs for that kind of work. But having EZ accessible solenoid wiring appeals to me.
So, my solenoid wiring is on top and easily accessible which can make trouble shooting much more easy. One other item I am doing differently is how I am running common yellow solenoid wire to all of the coils.
Outside of the flipper coils which are not fused, there are nine (9) solenoid coils to wire up. I am going to use a double fuse setup. I am short for one fuse holder but you will get the idea.
One 1 amp slo-blo fuse will control four solenoids: the outhole, the right sling, the right drop target, and the right pop bumper.
Another 1 amp slo-blo fuse will drive five solenoids: the left sling, the left drop target, the top drop target and both the right and center pop bumpers.
The cost to add a 2nd fuse is minimal.
The advantages: The solenoid load is split 5 to 4 instead of 9 to zero.
And when a fuse blows you will know immediately which set of solenoids, left or right, is causing the problem. Now, instead of having to cut the two solenoid wires from the fuse holder to see which side is causing the problem, the bad side will have the blown fuse and the split fuse wiring will cut trouble shooting time in half.
Overkill? I suppose. But it depends on your POV. The extra wiring is cheap. It took some extra hours to it this way but I also learned a lot about pinball wiring.
I still need to Molex the pops, wire in the pop lights, wire in my EOS switches and do some tie-wrap work to clean it up. But the big stuff is done.
And then I can roll it over and finish the top.
EDIRT: You will also notice that the top drop target is using the bottom mounted switches. After trying to trouble shoot and adjust the switches on Nine Ball and being too damned old to stand on my head for that kind of work, the bottom mount switches are better for the hard-to-reach drop switches.
EDIT #2: I also used all of the wire that Shawn suppled with his kit. Instead of cutting it to length, the wire has been looped and tie wrapped so if extra wire will always be available in an effort to avoid the need to ever have to place a wire.
Quoted from hisokajp:interesting take on the common voltage for the controlled light
I took pains to make sure that every connection point has two ways to stay connected on the copper tape. It took a little head aching to figure the optimal way to run the copper.
The tape is the kind that the adhesive used is conductive to electricity. But every overlap where the copper changes directions needs to be soldered. I did not know to do this on my Big Game until I had it all back together; I am paying for that lack of knowledge with sporadically flickering lights. I will need to remove the play field on that one and remove all of the wire harness and then solder all of those overlap joints. And then put it back together; I'll get to that task---someday.
Quoted from play_pinball:Excellent, thanks for posting that cottonm4! Once Shawn gets the next batch of SG harnesses out in the next few weeks, I’m gonna start assembling mine and this will be really helpful.
You need to be aware of this thread, if you are not already.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/star-gazer-harnesses-back-box-and-play-field
Quoted from cottonm4:You need to be aware of this thread, if you are not already.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/star-gazer-harnesses-back-box-and-play-field
Added to favorites for my own build
1 week later
My SG is shipping from California to the east coast tomorrow. Cannot wait to pull that plunger for the first time. I’ve been searching for this title forever. Truly spectacular example of this table.
2483BFA3-BE69-4B8E-B85C-4038B30BDFBA (resized).jpegAA83C5EB-86F5-4DE6-ABDB-B318B0BC785F (resized).jpegE3F27D7A-A313-4F0C-BBE8-393949222426 (resized).jpeg 2 weeks later
Okay so finally finished wrestling season and started digging back in to this Star Gazer build. With the help of djblouw and
cottonm4 I discovered I had wired several switches incorrectly. I went through the playfield last night and discovered 6 switches that were wired wrong. Finally put the playfield back in the machine and crossed my fingers and..... I didn't cross them hard enough apparently. The good news is the machine is performing much better than before. Previously the switch matrix was a jumbled mess with almost nothing registering as the correct switch number in test mode. All coils still fire correctly in test, displays, and lights are all working correctly all positives. My issue now is I have several switches not registering.
Most appear to be on the yellow-red column. Then my left drop targets aren't registering at all which means that drop target bank doesn't reset during game play, but it does fire the coil during test. Also since my outhole is on the yellow-red line I can't get past ball 1. Lastly the tilt switch on the tilt board in the cabinet is causing a pop bumper to fire and not tilting the game. I did not test the tilt-bob actually, but instead it is like a slam switch that is on the tilt board so maybe that is why I'm off on something...hmm... Anyway I highlighted the switches that are not registering. If you have ideas on what I should be doing next please let me know. I'm definitely just going to re-check my switch wiring and orientations, but if those are all correct where am I looking at next?
pasted_image (resized).pngQuoted from Tsskinne:Okay so finally finished wrestling season and started digging back in to this Star Gazer build. With the help of djblouw and cottonm4 I discovered I had wired several switches incorrectly. I went through the playfield last night and discovered 6 switches that were wired wrong. Finally put the playfield back in the machine and crossed my fingers and..... I didn't cross them hard enough apparently. The good news is the machine is performing much better than before. Previously the switch matrix was a jumbled mess with almost nothing registering as the correct switch number in test mode. All coils still fire correctly in test, displays, and lights are all working correctly all positives. My issue now is I have several switches not registering.
Most appear to be on the yellow-red column. Then my left drop targets aren't registering at all which means that drop target bank doesn't reset during game play, but it does fire the coil during test. Also since my outhole is on the yellow-red line I can't get past ball 1. Lastly the tilt switch on the tilt board in the cabinet is causing a pop bumper to fire and not tilting the game. I did not test the tilt-bob actually, but instead it is like a slam switch that is on the tilt board so maybe that is why I'm off on something...hmm... Anyway I highlighted the switches that are not registering. If you have ideas on what I should be doing next please let me know. I'm definitely just going to re-check my switch wiring and orientations, but if those are all correct where am I looking at next?[quoted image]
First thing I would with what you highlighted is check continuity at each switch to see if there are any breaks between the switches.
Do the white/blue wire and check all combinations of switches to make the the B/W wire is connected between any 2 switches
Quoted from cottonm4:First thing I would with what you highlighted is check continuity at each switch to see if there are any breaks between the switches.
Do the white/blue wire and check all combinations of switches to make the the B/W wire is connected between any 2 switches
Thank you.
Following the advice of a few of you I found I was missing some continuity, between a few switches. Wired in some jumpers there and boom game is good to go! Add another Star Gazer to the world! Huge thank you to Mk1Mod0 for building these harnesses,
greatwichjohn for making these playfields and backglasses, and Mantis for making the ball guides as well. Huge thank you to
djblouw for helping me everytime I had questions, and
brenna98 and
schudel5 for helping provide me with photos of their personal machines when I need help identifying some wiring and things. Lots of others in this thread and forum helped as well especially
Redketchup who I think was the first to document a build of Star Gazer. I finished it around 11 PM last night and I played until about 2:30 AM, today at work sucks but it is worth it. Still have a few small finishing touches to put on it but overall I'm super happy with it. Next up I'll tackle Quicksilver build sometime this summer. And yes it is currently sitting in my kitchen, just the room with the most space for me to work on it the last two days, it will be getting relocated to the pinball room this weekend.
pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).png 3 weeks later
Brisbane
Well I have to say I didn’t think this day would ever happen, I have joined the Club
I have been looking for one of these for a few years now , a SG came up in a local Market Place wanting to know what’s it worth, I had been busy with work all day and wasn’t able to check FB all day, so it was some 11 hours later when I discovered the post about SG , I thought it would be long gone , sent a message and got told not sure if we are selling but would let me know if things changed
I could not rest at that so I was like a dog with a bone I pursued it and a few days later I had SG in my shed
Now here is the funny part up until that point I had never seen or laid my hands on a SG, I am a bit of a Old Stern Junky I guess
The machine had been sitting for About 5 years not used and before that was operated like most
The machine also is an Australian Delivered machine back in 1980
Australia’s Allotment for SG was just 10 units only and this game is 10 of 10 which makes it rare I guess
The machines Number is also a little strange in that the head box was stamped twice with two different numbers 547 and 548 , but the front of the cabinet was only stamped once 547, I wonder how this had come about
Anyway here a few pics , I have shopped it out new rubbers Leds , rebuilt flippers , got all lamp sockets working what a pain they are
Cabinet Playfield has a little wear tear for its age & insert cupping , the girl on the playfield has the tassel on her leg which I believe was adjusted later
It has yellow spinners one is incorrect and it has the white stand up targets
Ohh and above all it is a Fun Game to play , happy to of joined the club , now to find the next
Classic Stern
1 (resized).jpg12 (resized).jpg2 (resized).jpg3 (resized).jpg5 (resized).jpg9 (resized).jpgQuoted from Dicky:The machines Number is also a little strange in that the head box was stamped twice with two different numbers 547 and 548 , but the front of the cabinet was only stamped once 547, I wonder how this had come about
Either a new hire on the line or a worker stamped the wrong back box by mistake. What is stranger is the 548 is double stamped for another factory mistake.
Nice score.
Also, could you put up a couple of pics of your play field and plastics with the lights off and just be lit up with room lighting, please?
Quoted from cottonm4:Either a new hire on the line or a worker stamped the wrong back box by mistake. What is stranger is the 548 is double stamped for another factory mistake.
Nice score.
Also, could you put up a couple of pics of your play field and plastics with the lights off and just be lit up with room lighting, please?
Hi Cottonm4
sure no problem , I was thinking about Stamping the Head Wrong , maybe the Lunch Siren went and the worker stamped it just as he went for lunch then came back & picked up the Punch & forgot he had already Punched it , who knows
Anyways see below pictures of plastics playfield in Natural Lighting , hope that helps
13 (resized).jpg14 (resized).jpg15 (resized).jpg16 (resized).jpg17 (resized).jpg18 (resized).jpgQuoted from Dicky:Hi Cottonm4
sure no problem , I was thinking about Stamping the Head Wrong , maybe the Lunch Siren went and the worker stamped it just as he went for lunch then came back & picked up the Punch & forgot he had already Punched it , who knows
Anyways see below pictures of plastics playfield in Natural Lighting , hope that helps [quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Very nice. 
1 week later
Quoted from jake35:Does anyone know what paint code or color would be correct for the blue and white on the cabinet?
Try post # 210.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stargazer-club/page/5
Or perhaps this if you want foo foo can.
Just joined the club! Has all original paperwork including Stern paperwork from sale when new..
After getting home and setting it up, now It credits and kicks ball in shooter lane, but flippers and pop bumpers aren't working. Something must have gotten disconnected during transport from Virginia to TN.
20210414_205529 (resized).jpg
Quoted from jake35:Just joined the club! Has all original paperwork including Stern paperwork from sale when new..
After getting home and setting it up, now It credits and kicks ball in shooter lane, but flippers and pop bumpers aren't working. Something must have gotten disconnected during transport from Virginia to TN.
[quoted image]
at least you know your rectifier board and under PF solenoid fuse are working, best check voltage presence on the other solenoid and if there is, continuity to the solenoid's SDB which is likely to be cable/connector issue or transistor blown on the board.
amazing find for sure it looks great, it is interesting that you have 2 yellow and 1 white spinner
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