I am going to document my first attempt to rebuild a T2 I purchased 11+ years ago for $750

It was in awful shape when I got it, it was a routed game but I think it spent the last few years of its life in a bar. It stunk to high heaven. The playfield was in terrible shape, never cleaned or waxed. There is a knife or tool gash in the PF itself. How does that happen?

The cabinet is in terrible shape, eyes gouged out and chipped many places. So this is, based on what I am doing really a re-creation rather than a restoration. I plan on keeping the cabinet and repurpose it for another game. It will need a lot of work and bondo.

So that is all the bad stuff...

The good....
I have an original Williams NOS PF that was cleared 9 years ago and prior to getting it cleared it was signed by Steve Ritchie at a pinball show. I had heard the NOS PF didn’t get diamond plate like the production games did and it was confirmed when I got the PF.

I just performed a swap of all Bridge rectifiers and caps on the driver board. The Caps were swollen at top and the BR and caps were all original.

I have also just finished swapping out all the IDC connectors to crimped pin molex versions.

So my plans for the game are as follows, not necessarily in order;

1) Build new cabinet from Birch ply. - purchased
2) Apply new cabinet decals. -purchased
3) Remove and wash all parts that can be washed, they are black from no love from the operator. - process already started
4) change out GI and other lights to LED - looking for suggestions please
5) Powder-coat rails and legs.
6) Determine if I want to go back to a Williams MPU or leave the rottendog board in place - Suggestions?
7) Try to do something with the ugly gun shooter on the PF- Suggestions - I thought I read somewhere there was something out there for that....

8-100) Much much more.

Some pics and a video or two below in the next post.

-Nacman

8B66A85D-C543-47A6-A536-F63DBB461509 (resized).jpeg92A2E444-383B-4805-8B31-E988E960A4B3 (resized).jpeg89FEF128-A5C0-445C-B417-58929D2AC7AA (resized).jpeg3DC87467-29A2-4369-A7C7-1485636E7F5D (resized).jpeg05B35C13-50F3-4EFC-BA70-BC27081D1850 (resized).jpeg7894E187-0BE1-40B5-9D56-B0F791D59AB5 (resized).jpeg

78F604E2-0252-43B3-97AA-59F26C533B8A (resized).jpeg

Today I produced the cabinet sides after rough cutting them a few days back. Both are identical in shape and size and I used my existing cabinet as the source measurement. The back cabinet and front coin door are rough cut. I sanded and re-painted the back box light door as well. I also tested my Mitre lock bit for duplicating the interlocking design Williams used on their cabinets. After lining up the router bit, it seams to work well.

179CFC70-7400-43D5-B6D5-FE329621341C (resized).jpeg3E0484E8-7996-4DBE-BDC7-DD10E4B533DE (resized).jpeg3F918759-9930-4C19-B5AC-DC5D6F7754AF (resized).jpeg

All the Williams cabinet pieces have been cut to size and mitered as required. Test fit today before cutting the coin door.

13BE8C16-F8D0-409E-927B-36659DE850B1 (resized).jpeg

400B2DCF-555A-4F99-9BBE-2039D20E61DB (resized).jpeg

CB8B684C-454C-46E3-8259-959E742DA99D (resized).jpeg

The coin door hole was cut, along with the start button hole which took some planning due to the two different diameters. Also drilled was the gun handle for the shaft actuator, lock down mounting holes and the coin door bolt holes. The bolts that hold the gun on the cabinet will be drilled after the cabinet is all put together.

Waiting on bar clamps before I glue up the cabinet.

5F008EC4-2BB0-4C0C-9C19-B4908A719162 (resized).jpeg

E6C40C71-FD77-4AB6-9983-6FEF4F45AB89 (resized).jpeg

Back of the cabinet vent cutouts done. I am going to reduce the AC power cord hole size down to the cord diameter and add a strain relief cabinet insert.

0E55E0E4-4278-43F5-BAE9-FBBB6B6F9E3C (resized).jpeg

Thanks Rdoyle1978 chad @cosmokramer.

I gotta tell you, the best Forstner bits for the money are Diablo’s. I had one, used it for the start button. But the flipper buttons are double recessed, the outside is 1-1/8, and the inside is 1-1/4. I practiced using spade hole bits and round hole saws....Split the top layer on practice board. Not the Diablo’s. Home Depot just delivered the two a i need for the flippers today. I also received the bar clamps for when I glue up the cabinet this weekend.

I finished routing the cabinet top in the back that has a recessed edge and the rectangle access hole for pf wiring harnesses. It came out nice!

EE6434C1-1B6D-4813-B29C-3E53160E46FB (resized).jpeg

7EB5608F-198F-4787-8D8C-E09ABD4C4759 (resized).jpeg

EAE1065A-4BFE-40FA-9661-30E15BEC616C (resized).jpeg

F394BF0C-AC18-45E0-8504-1D4450F8CAD8 (resized).jpeg

Dry fit the cabinet tonight and will glue it up on Saturday. I am happy with how it turned out. Corners are tight and the bottom floor is birch, not mdf. It will be heavier but I think less prone to issues. The bottom fits in the recessed edges of the side and back. Had to be lightly tapped into place. Nice and tight.
2A0D8A64-A8EE-47EA-A35A-2CE7F88C6E0B (resized).jpeg8C83866A-3DCF-471D-8D39-F60ADB46B274 (resized).jpeg

WonderMellon Do not let my workspace fool you. I have acquired tools from relatives who have passed away, I have bought some over time and bought a few here lately.

I have no woodworking experience, not even is shop in High School. Youtube is your friend. checking and rechecking with a friend prior to cutting is also helpful. Two heads are better than one kind of thing.

The router miter lock lock bit was the most daunting but in the end it was fairly easy. I started out using the plan that can be found on this website for the Williams cabinets. However I ended up transitioning to measuring my T2 cabinet as I found some very very minor discrepancies. Since you have a source cabinet or two you should not have any issues. I could not source easily grade “A” 5-ply birch. What I am using I got from Home Depot and $50 a sheet. I think the main difference is the top layer of wood is very thin as it is the prettiest. Without very sharp cutting tools it’s prone to flaking which will require some filling and sanding as I have experienced. Even with the sharp cutting tools it’s going to happen. What I found that reduces it almost to nothing is putting a backer board behind anything that I am drilling and Clamp it prior drilling and that keeps it from splintering. As far as cutting (table saw and circular saw) I bought a blade with the most teeth I could find and I did not have any problems. Cutting the miter joints with the router caused the most flaking.

feel free to ask me anything but I would tell you jump in the water is nice.

It has been a little while since I posted because work took over and the heat of the summer has slowed me down as well. But nonetheless I have primed the cabinet using an HVLP paint sprayer and using original Kilz. It has been sanded to the point it feels smooth as glass.

I have also just completed the back box and will be painting it shortly. The final color is going to be gloss lacquer black.

024C2A74-AC2F-4EBA-97A9-9BC102ECE00A (resized).jpeg

097DDB6D-F383-473E-82DE-08FC1F09A7A4 (resized).jpeg

43B7537C-39CB-4B0F-A2E2-CDBD9C0F6888 (resized).jpeg

C94279DE-499B-49D8-82B9-187DB27AB215 (resized).jpeg

77FD9861-D9E8-4FEF-944F-886C80FA2CE0 (resized).jpeg

516B423F-D5EC-40BA-B1AA-9E5629B9FA25 (resized).jpeg

879E9172-020C-439F-9FBF-4CD9A969F7B3 (resized).jpeg

BE2B0BA1-1D6D-4A9B-823C-315F8E813B63 (resized).jpeg

I was, and still may at a later time, powder-coat some of the external metal. However, I really like the dark blue in the side art, so I went with a blue metal flake spray paint. Since this is going to be a home use game for me, it should wear ok.

Here are a few shots of the legs and back box hinge.

7D535E63-5DC0-4852-840F-C1386173A322 (resized).jpeg

8C40E0C3-A0A4-4D4E-83A6-889FD1155E00 (resized).jpeg

91CFEBDC-C1E5-4433-AE4E-81BB8F964631 (resized).jpeg

I failed to mention and I think it’s really important is I bought a cheap sandblaster cabinet since I already had a large compressor. I sandblasted those legs and then wipe them down with solvent before I spray painted them. The legs looked like this lockdown bar assembly, which was also sandblasted.

image (resized).jpg

This is a shot in the dark but I think I’ll ask anyway. I’m getting ready to start transferring all the playfield equipment to my new place yet.

My new play field has got the holes drilled for the Tnuts but it is not Tnutted.

There’s also are missing holes in the new playfield that are missing for the numerous bumper posts and Ramps that are secured with nuts on the bottom side that have that self locking Teflon on the old PF.

Last I have two wires that I am 99% sure where added after the fact and the are in the loom for playfield solenoids. Problem is the wires are cut on both ends of the loom so they’re not connected to anything and I can’t find anything that doesn’t have a missing connection. They are larger wires as if they may have carried higher amps than play field lighting for example. I’m going to attach pics but I have some questions as it relates to all three issue.

1) Since the new play field is clearcoated and the holes need to be drilled through the clearcoat I’m concerned that I may spider crack it when I do. SUGGESTIONS?

2) The holes that are missing, like the example pics with my two fingers on the old play field and in the new play field, how do I know how to exactly line up the holes where they belong?

3) Has anybody got any idea what that brown and blue wire might be or seen it somewhere done to another T2?

There’s no kind of template I can lay up on the new play field is there?

image (resized).jpg

image (resized).jpg

image (resized).jpg

image (resized).jpg

Thanks for both replies. The wax paper is a great idea and perfect. The PF has been curing for 10 years.lol. I bought it a long time ago and had it cleared as it wasn’t cleared from the factory. I will let you know my progress!

This post died on my part because I became real sick. So much so I had two surgeries and the last ended up taking out my entire large intestine (Colon). Life got really sideways. I am finally recovered and adjusting to my knew normal, but I at least feel good, good enough to start again on the T2. It will probably be after Christmas time but look for further updates.

-Nac