(Topic ID: 220072)

Vids Guide Hardtop Restoration: Comet

By vid1900

5 years ago


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    22
    #1 5 years ago

    People always ask me questions about restoring their playfields with vinyl decal overlays. I always reply that they usually wrinkle under playfield posts, or the clearcoat melts them, or they quickly fade, or they stretch during installation making alignment a problem, or something else bad happens to them over time. So I don't install or recommend them.

    So last year we all saw a new overlay product that was printed on PETG plastic from Outside edge:

    http://www.pinballgifts.com/hardtop.html

    This seemed like it would address many of the problems with a conventional overlay decal.

    So a customer brought me a Comet and a Future Spa for restoration....

    -

    The next question you will ask is "Vid, why do you restore the Comet in a conventional way?", "Why not repaint and water slide decal the playfield?"

    Good question.

    The answer is that up until the last few years of Williams existence, they made the most crappy playfields ever seen. The paint is like chalk, the topcoat is almost nothing - these things were meant to be disposable.

    Look how 99% of all Comets appear wherever there was no Mylar; tons of planking, faded, chalky garbage.

    1 (resized).jpg1 (resized).jpg

    Python drew so much little detail in the artwork, that it would be a $1600 restoration job to repaint and waterslide decal a Comet.

    4 (resized).jpg4 (resized).jpg

    So that's too much work for a game that only sells for $2500 restored.

    -

    Osirun did a great job documenting his Comet restoration here:

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/williams-comet-hardtop-installation

    #2 5 years ago

    So what is the Hardtop actually?

    It's a sheet of PETG plastic, ~30mils thick, printed with the playfield artwork on the backside, then a layer of 3M adhesive is laminated over the artwork.

    No adhesive is applied to the inserts, so that part of the artwork "floats" above the actual playfield inserts.

    So it's a laminated sandwich. Plastic/Ink/Adhesive

    The ball will have to wear through 30mils of plastic (about the thickness of the unembossed part of a credit card) before it hits the ink layer!

    Here is the backside (the sticky side):
    5 (resized).jpg5 (resized).jpg

    #3 5 years ago

    This is going to be interesting ... as always

    #4 5 years ago

    On the topside, you can see the artwork through the PETG. Some pics on the web showed that the protective plastic on the playfield was opaque, but this Hardtop sheet was clear.

    If you get one with opaque paper on the topside, be sure to remove it before gluing it down. Alignment is the most important thing, and you need to be able to see what you are doing.

    6 (resized).jpg6 (resized).jpg

    Note that they appeared to have removed Pythons Dnck joke from the Hardtop. Here is the original art:

    7 (resized).jpg7 (resized).jpg

    Hopefully they can correct that in the next printing.....

    #5 5 years ago

    So how do we start?

    We remove the playfield from the game.

    We clamp it in a rotisserie, and remove EVERYTHING from the topside of the playfield.

    Unsolder the outhole kicker mech and put aside. Label your wires!

    Back out all the wood rail screws 1/2 way and leave them in the playfield. Mark all the rails with an arrow on the bottom, pointing to the top of the playfield.

    Take some pictures once you get the playfield plastics off, because there are a ton of playfield posts that you won't remember where they went.

    If you lose your photos, I posted some here for reference:

    https://pinside.com/pinball/archive/comet/gallery/shopout

    Don't take everything off the backside, that is a bunch of needless work on a $2500 game.

    8 (resized).jpg8 (resized).jpg

    Sexy, I know.

    #6 5 years ago

    Next job, remove the factory Mylar.

    Williams' games had such crappy topcoats, that they started just putting Mylar over the entire center portion of the playfield at the factory; rather than just around the slingshots like Bally used to.

    It's hard to know if if you are going to need heat or cold to remove old Mylar.

    In general, heat is better on old games, but on this Comet, freezing worked great.

    Here I used a can of "Air Blaster" that kids get high with. By turning the can upsidedown, the propellant freezes the Mylar, making it separate from the adhesive.

    Don't get frostbite from touching the frozen game, or spraying yourself. Be careful.

    I froze about 6 square inches, waited about 30 seconds, then lifted the edge with a razor blade. Then I froze the next section, not allowing the lifted Mylar to come in contact with the adhesive again.
    9 (resized).jpg9 (resized).jpg

    There was also Mylar in the shooter lane and up across the "1986" in the top arch.

    #7 5 years ago

    What's all the weird up & down topography of the PF?

    #8 5 years ago
    Quoted from TheLaw:What's all the weird up & down topography of the PF?

    Python makes me dizzy

    #9 5 years ago

    Next, we need to remove the adhesive left behind from the Mylar.

    First, I pack baking flour down into the adhesive. I rub it in as hard as I can.

    Then I dampen it with 98% rubbing alcohol.

    Now the adhesive comes right off with a nylon scraper.

    You can see the glue slurry in a pile.

    10 (resized).jpg10 (resized).jpg

    Don't let this slurry dry on the playfield, or it will leave a mess again.

    Scrape it up and throw it away while wet. Wipe the area with a paper towel dampened with alcohol to make sure you got it all, and move on to the next section.

    #10 5 years ago

    The next steps are going to involve sanding, so we need to get the rollover switches out of the way.

    It would be a ton of work to remove them all, so instead we pull them below the surface; away from the sander.

    Zip Ties are the easiest way to do this:

    IMG_4617 (resized).JPGIMG_4617 (resized).JPG

    IMG_4618 (resized).JPGIMG_4618 (resized).JPG

    Zip tie all the Standup Switches, mechs and flipper mechs safely under the playfield. You don't want them dangling and getting damaged.
    13 (resized).jpg13 (resized).jpg

    #11 5 years ago

    We need to get the upper Star Rollover switch off the playfield completely (you will see why latter in the guide).

    Take one of the switch screws out, loosen the 2nd screw.

    Rotate the switch away from the insert. Retighten the loose screw to hold it there.

    15 (resized).jpg15 (resized).jpg

    Heat insert up GENTLY with a hair dryer.

    Then push it out with a socket from a socket wrench.

    16 (resized).jpg16 (resized).jpg

    Discard the old insert, you will be installing a brand new one latter.
    17 (resized).jpg17 (resized).jpg

    Here is the brand new unit:

    https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1238

    #12 5 years ago

    The Shooter Lane and the Saucer holes will need to be sanded/painted because you will see them after the Hardtop is installed.

    Don't rush and skip this step, or it will haunt you every time you look at your game.

    IMG_4612 (resized).JPGIMG_4612 (resized).JPG

    When you replace these plastic parts, they are called "Eject Shields", so you know what to search for:

    https://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=4693

    #13 5 years ago

    Following

    #14 5 years ago

    Will you be repairing and/or reshaping that saucer before the Hardtop install?

    -Steve

    #15 5 years ago

    Excited to see this!

    #16 5 years ago

    Doh, I wish you had posted this before I did mine. Mine came out real nice, but I'm sure I could have picked up a few tips and tricks. Anyway, thanks for posting.

    #17 5 years ago

    I will probably be doing this to a high speed once this comes out and love the tutorial.

    #18 5 years ago

    Following! Thanks for sharing!

    #19 5 years ago

    The worst part about the whole Hardtop installation is that you have to destroy the existing artwork.

    IMG_4624 (resized).JPGIMG_4624 (resized).JPG

    There is no turning back at this point.

    The older vinyl overlays could be heated up with a hair dryer and peeled off, but the aggressive adhesive on the Hardtop is permanent.

    You have to especially get all the old ink off of the inserts, because you see these directly through the Hardtop.

    I scraped off the insert ink with a sharp chisel, held at a 90* angle to the insert (not at a 15* angle like you would normally use a chisel).

    Then I LIGHTLY sanded the inserts flush with the playfield with 220 grit sandpaper.

    You don't want to make the inserts any thinner than they already are, because they will crack; so don't go crazy sanding them. Get the old ink off and get them flush to the playfield - that's it.

    You don't have to sand any further than 220, because you want the inserts to have some "tooth" so the clear will stick. Unlike a normal playfield, the faces of the inserts will no longer be serviceable once the Hardtop is over them. No chance to fix any ghosting or lifting.

    Re-glue any inserts that are loose, and replace any that are cracked or faded.

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration#post-549849

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration#post-551302

    Fill any cupped inserts so they are flush with the playfield:

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/17#post-1717646

    Glue down any raised inserts (don't risk sanding them thinner):

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration#post-551406

    Once all the inserts are absolutely flush, you can go ahead and flatten out the rest of the playfield with 220g.

    Sand off any loose or flaky finish.

    Sand down any humps in the wood.

    Fill any splits or cracks larger than 1mm with epoxy and sand flat.

    There will be paint down in the grooves around the posts, don't worry about sanding that out. Your goal is a completely flat surface, not necessarily a "whitewood".
    20 (resized).jpg20 (resized).jpg

    #21 5 years ago

    Vid,
    Thanks for your tutorial. Please mention the inportance of sanding and clearing any areas that will show through after installation, such as the shooter lanes and areas on different games wher no art was present in the original playfield.
    On some Hardtops outside edge chose to leave the areas clear. On some title such as Wizard the clear area in front of the flipper was colored in wood tone.

    Also remind people that any of the inserts that are cupped can remain that way but the artwork needs to be removed.

    #22 5 years ago

    Vid's post literally says 220 Grit in it twice...

    #23 5 years ago

    Next we work the Shooter Lane.

    The Shooter Lane is a special case in restoration. You need to sand the dirt out of the wood grain that is changing direction with every layer in the plywood - but if you sand too deep, the ball sits too low or off center. You can't just keep sanding, sometimes you have to paint your way out of a bind.

    If you just keep sanding the dirt and wear away you get this:

    shooter21 (resized).jpgshooter21 (resized).jpg

    ...and you don't want that.

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/3#post-640071

    Nubies sand until it looks clean, then when they clearcoat, all the hidden dirt is amplified.

    The trick is to sand, then wipe with Naphtha. The Naphtha gives you a 'sneak peek' at what the cleared playfield will look like.

    Here is what my first Naphtha wipe looked like:

    21 (resized).jpg21 (resized).jpg

    So it looks terrible. Wear along the top, dirt and still some of the old topcoat in the wood. I'll keep sanding a little more.

    Now I have this:

    22 (resized).jpg22 (resized).jpg

    Better, but still some deep dirt just in front of the switch slot. I decide to just barely paint it, and the next Naphtha wipe looks good.

    -

    Finally, the fresh new Maple looks too white for a 1985 playfield.

    So I tone it all down with some Polyurethane.

    Even Poly that says "non yellowing" turns yellow, so this actually helps blend in my paint repair too.

    I put 2 coats of Poly down. This will also seal all the 'end grain' in the groove, so my final clear coat will shine like glass.

    24 (resized).jpg24 (resized).jpg

    I continue the Poly up the Shooter Lane, until it becomes hidden by the playfield plastics.

    #24 5 years ago

    As shown a few posts back, the Saucers were badly worn.

    Here you can see I've patched it with some wood epoxy stick and wiped with Naphtha for contrast. There was no way to sand out the damage.

    25 (resized).jpg25 (resized).jpg

    After sanding to restore the shape, I painted the epoxy and surrounding wood to a reasonably believable shade.

    I freshened up the white at the base of the Saucer hole. Not super bright, complete white, but that half-assed white like an OEM Williams playfield.

    They then got 2 coats of Poly to seal up the end grain.
    26 (resized).jpg26 (resized).jpg

    (sorry about the focus, I zoomed in on another picture, lol)

    #25 5 years ago

    .

    #26 5 years ago

    So once you have all the wood that is going to show through the Hardtop Polyurathaned, it's time to prep for clearcoat.

    1. Sand all the Poly with 220 grit so the clearcoat has some tooth.

    2. Put old light bulbs into all the lamp sockets, so you don't get a bunch of clear down inside of them.

    3. Protect Star Rollover holes with the cap from a 2-liter soda bottle, so you don't get clear into these holes.

    4. Wrap up all the playfield umbilical cords inside a zip lock freezer bag so clear does not get on the connectors.

    5. Vacuum the playfield, then wipe with a Tack Cloth.

    6. Shoot your clear.

    27 (resized).jpg27 (resized).jpg28 (resized).jpg28 (resized).jpg
    #27 5 years ago

    Thread of the year right here fellas!

    I have two Comets, a Future Spa, plus a few other machines that are candidates for a hardtop so this is really appreciated.

    #28 5 years ago

    Vid, what do you think would happen if you didn't clear the playfield first? I'd originally gotten the impression all you needed to do was sand down the playfield and put the protector on top

    Quoted from KornFreak28:

    He didn't say he used 220 on the actual playfield did he?

    Quoted from vid1900:

    Once all the inserts are absolutely flush, you can go ahead and flatten out the rest of the playfield with 220g.

    #29 5 years ago

    I stand corrected. Deleting my posts....

    #30 5 years ago

    Are you sanding by hand or with a palm sander? I'm going to hardtop a Taxi this fall so this is very helpful. Just wondering how to keep all the sanded off "dust" out of everything below the playfield? Go slow and shopvac as you go? It seems like I'm going to have stuff flying everywhere in there...

    15
    #31 5 years ago
    Quoted from grantopia:

    Are you sanding by hand or with a palm sander? I'm going to hardtop a Taxi this fall so this is very helpful. Just wondering how to keep all the sanded off "dust" out of everything below the playfield? Go slow and shopvac as you go? It seems like I'm going to have stuff flying everywhere in there...

    I'm using a palm sander.

    Let the dust fly.

    I take the playfield outside the shop and blast all the dust off with the air compressor into the neighbor's garden.

    #32 5 years ago

    Here I shot 2 coats of 2PAC clearcoat, 15 minutes apart.

    Because I sanded off 95% of the old finish, I did not get a single fisheye in the clear.

    More details on shooting clearcoat here:

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/16#post-1667058

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/16#post-1670975

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/19#post-1782151
    29 (resized).jpg29 (resized).jpg

    30 (resized).jpg30 (resized).jpg
    #33 5 years ago

    The 2PAC is hard enough to handle in a few hours, so you can start rebuilding all the mechs now that the heavy dust is out of the way.

    1. Rebuild the Flippers. Even if they are pretty good, you are going to want new Flipper Bushings so that the flippers don't drag on the new thicker playfield, so you might as well rebuild them 100%.

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-upgradingrebuilding-flippers

    2. Rebuild the Pop Bumpers. These are always worn out on Comet, so a 100% rebuild is needed on these too. Comet is kind of a dark game, so fast forward in this thread to see how brightened up the pop pit.

    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-rebuilding-pop-bumpers

    3. Rebuild the Slingshots. After 35 years of heavy abuse, you know these things have never been rebuilt. Feel the arms for play. Getting the play out of the system will really liven these up. New arms can be hard to find for sys9 so you'll see later in the thread how to update them.

    4. Clean and lube the Saucer Kick Arms. There is a single lube point for the metal on metal pivot, don't put too much oil (I use Zoom Spout Oil), about 1/10th of a drop. You don't have to rebuild these because they are not part of the "high action" playfield mechs, but de-cruding them will keep the new playfield cleaner.

    5. Clean and lube the ball trough kicker. Again, no need to rebuild, but clean it up and oil the pivot.

    6. Re-decal the Dummy, Ducks and Rabbits.

    92a13edd99546259cd86407e67f6b1c446e99777 (resized).jpg92a13edd99546259cd86407e67f6b1c446e99777 (resized).jpg
    #34 5 years ago

    Awesome wish this came out a month ago. I'm slow and work suck so i'm still putting my Comet back together after the hardtop install. It still came out Awesome. I did completely rebuild those pops what a pain installing the new switches.
    Thanks for the post it will help me on my next one.

    #35 5 years ago

    After a few days your clearcoat will be hard enough to wetsand out any crud that fell into your clear.

    The playfield has to be ABSOLUTELY smooth! Any trash that you can feel with your fingers will telegraph through the Hardtop.

    Run your hands over the finish and find any trash. Wetsand it out so that the playfield is totally flat.

    If trash fell onto an insert, sand it out AND buff the area to a mirror shine. Remember you can see the inserts through the Hardtop.

    I did not have any pictures of this step, as I shot the clear in a downdraft paint booth - nothing fell into the finish (I'm not always that lucky, lol).

    #36 5 years ago
    Quoted from zacaj:

    Vid, what do you think would happen if you didn't clear the playfield first? I'd originally gotten the impression all you needed to do was sand down the playfield and put the protector on top

    You have to clear over the inserts to make them look good through the Hardtop, so I just figured it's less work to just shoot the whole thing.

    The 2PAC is harder wearing than soft Polyurethane, so it protects the Saucers and Shooter Lane too.

    The 3M adhesive is really sticky, so I'm sure it will stick to bare wood.

    Just make sure you feather the cleared inserts into the bare wood nicely. You don't want humps telegraphing through.

    #37 5 years ago
    Quoted from vid1900:

    I'm using a palm sander.
    Let the dust fly.
    I take the playfield outside the shop and blast all the dust off with the air compressor into the neighbor's garden.

    Thanks! Same question for the clear I guess...how do you avoid clear coat spraying through all the open switch "holes" in the playfield and sticking to everything below?

    #38 5 years ago

    Here we actually install the Hardtop.

    1. First clean up the area around your rotisserie. Make sure there is NOTHING you can trip on.

    2. Close your garage door. Turn off any fans. If any debris falls onto the playfield, it will telegraph through the Hardtop, or show through the inserts.

    3. Vacuum everything, the Hardtop, the playfield, the rotisserie, yourself.

    4. Wipe the playfield with an actual Tack Cloth. They are only $1. DON'T BE AN IDIOT AND SKIP THIS STEP.

    This is a one-shot deal, if you somehow screw up, there is no way to fix it.

    -

    Get a 4 foot light fixture and put it under the rotisserie, facing upwards. We need all the inserts lit up so we can center the Hardtop properly.

    31 (resized).jpg31 (resized).jpg

    If your Hardtop has paper over the face side, remove it now. You have to be able to see how the inserts line up, NOT how the holes line up.

    THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS IF THE INSERTS LINE UP.

    ^ Read the above again ^

    We can drill new holes to make everything line up (and we will be drilling lots of holes, believe me), but the inserts can't be fixed latter.

    So don't align the playfield holes with the Hardtop holes, ONLY pay attention to the inserts.

    -

    So why can't the Hardtop holes simply align with the playfield holes? Because they made 8000 Comets, so different vendors had slight variations in how they made the playfields for Williams.

    Tooling wears, wood contracts and expands, all that physical stuff.

    So on our Hardtop alignment, we need to focus all our attention on the inserts.

    If we have to "split the difference" because we can't get a perfect alignment, then we want the lower part of the playfield (you know, the part the player sees the most), to be the better aligned section. The inserts at the very top of the playfield are of less importance than the ones directly under the players nose.

    As I slid the Hardtop up/down/left/right, I found that the best alignment had the Hardtop actually running 4mm off the left side of the playfield:

    32 (resized).jpg32 (resized).jpg

    This is not a problem at all. We can drill new holes, we can't move inserts!

    (I trimmed the Hardtop runoff with a Hand Plane, you could use a sander or router)

    craftsman_37041 (resized).jpgcraftsman_37041 (resized).jpg

    Once you find the best possible alignment, clamp the Hardtop in place at the BOTTOM of the playfield.

    Why the bottom? Because if anything is going to get misaligned along the way, we don't want it to be near the player.

    Double check that nothing moved, and that your alignment is still good after clamping.

    Take a deep breath, lift the Hardtop up, and start peeing the backing from the adhesive - starting from the bottom.

    Gently lay the Hardtop down, gently pressing as you go.

    The adhesive really grabs, so just let it flow until you have laid the top down.

    That's it, breathe!

    Use a soft cloth and press down the Hardtop, making sure it's all stuck down.

    Peel off the Shooter Lane strip and lay that down, following the edge of the playfield.
    33 (resized).jpg33 (resized).jpg

    #39 5 years ago

    Now that you have the Hardtop installed, wax the entire surface (this will be your only chance to have a completely unobstructed waxing), and immediately put the rails back on the playfield.

    You don't want the playfield sagging or popping out inserts.

    I left all the rail screws 1/2 in the playfield, so it was easy to clamp the rails in place, and run the screws up and in.

    If you labeled all the rails on their bottoms with a arrow facing the top of the playfield when you took them off, you will save tons of time. Some of the rails look like they could go either way - but can't.

    #40 5 years ago
    Quoted from grantopia:

    Thanks! Same question for the clear I guess...how do you avoid clear coat spraying through all the open switch "holes" in the playfield and sticking to everything below?

    2PAC is not sticky clear like Poly, so it really does not "flow" into holes and drip down onto everything below.

    So you don't really have to worry about it.

    If you had big holes like 80s Bally's pop bumpers, then you might want to put some blue tape on the back of the playfield, but no hole on Comet was big enough to worry about (except the Star Rollover hole, where we did not want the sides of the hole getting any overspray).

    #41 5 years ago

    Speaking of the Star Rollover, it's time to install a new one.

    34 (resized).jpg34 (resized).jpg

    You will see that the hole over the Star Rollover in the Hardtop is too small. You need to enlarge this hole, using the playfield's existing hole as your guide. You can use a router with a pilot bit, or a Dremel with a grinding stone.

    I'll assume you are using a Dremel, because you don't look like the router type.

    Install this stone from your Dremel kit:

    0902336-24 (resized).jpg0902336-24 (resized).jpg

    Then, slowly start enlarging the Hardtop hole. As you near the edges of the playfield's hole, use it as a guide to make the Hardtop's hole the exact same size. Do not enlarge the playfield's hole.

    Use your new insert to test if the hole is the right size.

    When it just barely fits, stop, you are done.

    Remember, the Star Rollover is NOT ready to be installed straight from the bag.

    First, remove the white star, and sand the face of the insert flat. It is NOT flat from the factory, it is concave. Put a piece of 120 grit face up on a table, and flatten the insert's face. Then switch to 220, 400, and decide if you want to buff it out to a mirror, or just leave it more defused at 400. The choice is yours.

    Sand the outside edge of the insert with 120grit so the glue will have some tooth. Glue will not stick to the slick sides as it comes from the factory.

    Wax the playfield around the hole, do not get wax in the hole.

    Mix up some epoxy, put the glue in the hole. Make sure to get 100% coverage, especially the ledge that the insert sits on.

    Using a flat block, push the insert in, flush with the playfield surface.

    Clean up any glue, even if a haze of it dries, because you waxed the playfield, it will come off with your fingernail.
    35 (resized).jpg35 (resized).jpg

    41 (resized).jpg41 (resized).jpg
    #42 5 years ago

    Now onto the Pop Bumpers.

    The Pop Nail/screw heads are larger than the Hardtop holes, so enlarge the holes to exactly the head size with a drill bit.

    Tap the nails into, and below the Hardtop surface.

    36 (resized).jpg36 (resized).jpg
    #43 5 years ago

    WOZ was the last dark game made.

    Nowadays, games are super bright and attractive.

    Older games look like they are broken next to today's new models.

    -

    Old Pop Bodies, were made of translucent plastic that allowed light to shine through.

    New, replacement Bodies are completely opaque white.

    So not only do you have an older, darker game, but your rebuilt Pops are completely dark. That sucks.

    Lucky for us, Pinball Mods and Pinball Center (for us Europeans) have Clear Pop Bodies

    32837699320_e3cc2e725b_z (resized).jpg32837699320_e3cc2e725b_z (resized).jpg

    http://www.pinball.center/en/shop/pinball-parts/playfield-parts/bumper-parts/2420/pop-bumper-body-transparent-03-7443-5

    http://pinball-mods.com/oscom/game-specific-products-star-trek-the-next-generation-pop-bumper-body-p-42.html

    So now you can actually rebuild your Pops, and have a brighter playfield.

    -

    But wait, there's more.

    A single LED lamp is bright, but we can do better.

    Comet LEDs sells a pop bumper light with multiple LEDs !

    https://www.cometpinball.com/Pinball-Pop-Bumper-LED-Light-p/11smdbmpdisc.htm

    37 (resized).jpg37 (resized).jpg

    Unfortunately, the bright LEDs are all on the top side of this lamp. I don't know anyone that wants the bright LEDs shining up into their face, but someone must want it like this.

    I wanted the bright lights to illuminate the playfield, rather than my face, so I unsoldered the leads, flipped it over, and soldered my own leads on the proper side.

    I might have voided my warranty.

    38 (resized).jpg38 (resized).jpg

    The vibration from the pops often makes the lamps turn on and off. So I skipped the socket entirely, and wired it directly to the GI circuit. No sockets, no flickering.

    Ready for their caps, dim lights on top, bright lights facing downwards :
    39 (resized).jpg39 (resized).jpg

    #44 5 years ago

    As always, I love your restore posts Vid...

    I doubt I'll ever use this product, but it's nice seeing just how a pro does thins kinda stuff.

    #45 5 years ago
    Quoted from indypinhead:

    I doubt I'll ever use this product,

    Pricier than I thought...but if you got nothing else going might as well.

    #46 5 years ago

    How do the clear pops look?

    Sweet, even on my junky phone.

    40 (resized).jpg40 (resized).jpg
    #47 5 years ago

    Speaking of GI, did you know that it's way easier to test and troubleshoot the GI while the game is still on the rotisserie?

    If you are using LED bulbs, connect any nice sized 6VDC or 6VAC wall wart to the tabs of any GI socket for a second. If a bunch of bulbs flicker on, you can now leave it connected as you troubleshoot the ones that are not lit.

    If no bulbs come on, you probably have a dead short, so don't leave the wall wart connected until you find it.

    Remember there are probably a few GI "strings" (circuits), so you may have to move it around to light all the bulb groupings.

    LEDs are pretty low wattage draw, but feel the wall wart after a few minutes and make sure it is not getting too hot.

    Troubleshooting shorts or dead sockets is SO easy when you have full access to both sides of the playfield.

    Try it on your next restoration.

    71mHuogPL8L._SL1500_ (resized).jpg71mHuogPL8L._SL1500_ (resized).jpg
    #48 5 years ago

    Than you for the great guide vid1900 I am waiting for them to come out with a game I need fixing.
    Now on to the important question, how does it play?

    -28
    #49 5 years ago

    Gmkalos's guide to Hard Tops...

    1) throw it in a metal garbage can

    2) grab some matches

    3) get a CPR pf and re-clear it

    4) mix a drink, grab a joint...now you'll get hard and feel on top! lol

    58.JPG58.JPG59.JPG59.JPG
    #50 5 years ago

    vid1900 So you install the star rollover insert AFTER you put on the hardtop? I’m guessing so that it’s flush with the hardtop. I wouldn’t have thought of this!

    There are 161 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 4.

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