Quoted from BenB:eauclaire.craigslist.org link
Posting deleted. Maybe it actually sold?
(Topic ID: 28788)
London
East Aurora, NY
Quoted from merccat:Would that be a solder tip cleaning wire sponge?
Winner winner!! 
Quoted from mal7887:Found this in Medieval Madness back box. All the Flash lamps had been cut and disconnected.
...couldn't... they just... um... remove the bulbs? The hells? What sort of thought process makes "cut the wires" easier and more desirable than "remove the bulbs" or "disconnect that harness"? Were they afraid some gremlin was going to go in one night and put bulbs back in those sockets and annoy them anew the next time they played?
Newmarket, ON
Quoted from Fortytwo:Found on a college Daze. Flipper switch replacement out of aluminum and copper wire wrapped around. No soldering no fish paper. And metal arm and metal button.
I was shocked to find this. Har har
Quoted from Fortytwo:Found on a college Daze. Flipper switch replacement out of aluminum and copper wire wrapped around. No soldering no fish paper. And metal arm and metal button.
I was shocked to find this. Har har
Shocking!
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.ChrisHiblerPinball.com/Contact
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info
Here's all of my pictures:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinball-horror-pics/page/23#post-4023674
1 week later
Quoted from bflagg:Definitely not the worst, but pretty sweet. Flipper rubber on my project NGS when I got it.
Somewhat innovative...but they should have left the designs face outward.
I always forget to take photos before starting work.
Two different kinds of creative solutions on the same board.
1- Two sockets of different manufacturers and sizes combined into one.
2- One socket that is too large with excess pins removed (also inserted in the incorrect direction).
Quoted from DumbAss:I always forget to take photos before starting work.
Two different kinds of creative solutions on the same board.
1- Two sockets of different manufacturers and sizes combined into one.
2- One socket that is too large with excess pins removed (also inserted in the incorrect direction).
I'm getting a headache just from looking at that.
This is the kind of thing I love to repair.
With my OCD the way it is, even if that worked, I'd have to fix it.
Lots and lots of lifted pads, so good luck with that!
I imagine the back of the board is just as bad, if not worse.
http://www.flippers.be/gottlieb_majorettes_restoration_1.html
when I got my Majorettes it was a complete hack, with a lot of new wiring, switches and much more added in the backbox and cabinet.
In the end I just sent it to Henk De Jager who restored it completely in original condition (and just removed all the added wiring without trying to figure out its use)
Quoted from Archytas:Is it fixing it if it already works? Just to play devil's advocate.
Yes, because I would lose sleep over that.
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:This is the kind of thing I love to repair.
With my OCD the way it is, even if that worked, I'd have to fix it.
I'm much the same. I went to town on the board the very night I got it home. That's why I didn't take "before" photos.
For the record ... the only history of this board that I know is that it came out of a The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard after being replaced by a new Rottendog. The board is revision -04 whereas the game is supposed to have shipped with revision -03. It's actual state is described as it had some weird behavior in the Tommy.
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:Lots and lots of lifted pads, so good luck with that!
I imagine the back of the board is just as bad, if not worse.
There were about 4 or 5 jumper wires in various places across the back of the board. I removed them all in the process of undoing the previous work.
<rant>After spending some time working on boards I completely understand why quite a few repairers won't touch boards that have been previously repaired by someone else. The principle of "you touch it ... you own it" seems to prevail no matter what industry you work in.</rant>
Here are some (closer) photos of the pads and one of a not so unusual finding that I didn't even notice until after I had removed the sockets. The sockets were so obvious that other things were overlooked. The sockets came out cleanly so all this damage was done by the previous repair.
1) alphanumeric PIA
- pin 13 broken trace
- pin 15 broken trace
- pin 17 lifted trace
- pin 19 missing trace (the entire trace is GONE)
- pin 25 missing pad and broken trace
2) lamp PIA (component side)
- pin 23 missing pad and broken trace
- pin 34 broken trace
3) lamp PIA (solder side)
- so nice of the previous repairer to mark the broken traces
4) switch return (rows)
- pin 10 broken trace
5) resistor
- R66 fried
- Q23 and Q24 missing
1_pia_alphanumeric (resized).jpg
Quoted from Majdi:I bet they either didn't have the right sockets on hand, or with them in the field.
Not saying it's right...but I understand.
But why would they even have such sockets in the first place? Are there any production arcade machines that used wire-wrap circuits?
It's such a strange thing to have in your toolbox.
Quoted from DumbAss:... Two different kinds of creative solutions on the same board.
1- Two sockets of different manufacturers and sizes combined into one.
2- One socket that is too large with excess pins removed (also inserted in the incorrect direction).
Ha, ha, ha 
Definitely a great artist and for sure a patriot 
. I love this area :
RWB (resized).pngIt is written "BLANK" so, it should be mandatory "WHITE" 
Quoted from DumbAss:After spending some time working on boards I completely understand why quite a few repairers won't touch boards that have been previously repaired by someone else. The principle of "you touch it ... you own it" seems to prevail no matter what industry you work in.
Exactly, especially when those who practice this kind of repair are praised by some people. If the one who repaired you this board was so good that you claim it, why are you coming to me now?
Myself, I refuse to put my hands in such massacred boards.
Sydney
Quoted from nasco62:This was great repair work
I think I would have used a screw instead 
Quoted from mgpasman:I think I would have used a screw instead
No way...that metal clip inadvertently touching or bridging those coil lugs might add a whole new lightshow to that game!! So good that fire trucks and EMS might even show up.
Quoted from Colsond3:that metal clip inadvertently touching or bridging those coil lugs might add a whole new lightshow to that game!!
The tilt mech was missing. This little gem reminds the user not to tilt the game... you know, 50V through the lock-down bar.
Quoted from nasco62:Why would they use a screw when they have all that fuse wire handy
Number 8 wire fixes everything: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_8_wire
Quoted from ajfclark:Number 8 wire fixes everything: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_8_wire
Never heard this term before. Interesting..
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:Not really the worst ever, but this is pretty bad. And aggravating.
UGH! It looks like a lot of shorts waiting to happen!
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:Not really the worst ever, but this is pretty bad. And aggravating.
Good excuse to go ahead and buy a Ni-Wumpf.
Quoted from dothedoo:Good excuse to go ahead and buy a Ni-Wumpf.
Will they also sell you a new wiring harness? 
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:Not really the worst ever, but this is pretty bad. And aggravating.
The ultimate solution against the stupid connectors that always have bad contacts
The worst thing is that we often meet this kind of DIY.
1 week later
Quoted from algrande:My temporary hack for my AFM drop target
That's a hell of an idea. Nice job
Quoted from algrande:My temporary hack for my AFM drop target.
Can someone please mark this a key post?
Quoted from algrande:My temporary hack for my AFM drop target.
I'm not even sure I'd replace that with the proper part if it's working. It's most certainly stronger than the original part. Now you can put "Better than New!" in the listing when you sell it.
bonus points if the key is cut so that it can open the backbox
it would be a key you would never accidentally lose
Quoted from j_m_:bonus points if the key is cut so that it can open the backbox
it would be a key you would never accidentally lose
Almost every key hack I have pulled opened the backbox. Lol.
Well - I'm glad I found this post. I've only owned ten (so far), so I haven't seen a ton of hacks personally, but here is one I think you all will enjoy since I've seen so many partially hacked power boards. (and it's even my profile pic cause I can't believe it). Apologies for the lower-res - the original is in a backup as this was a few years back. If you guys want a larger one, I can dig tonight.
Bought this sight unseen as my 3rd pin. The backglass was stuck and I didn't want to risk getting it out without proper care and handling. (After all - it was raining and I was a newbie in some random guy's garage from Craigslist). So I loaded it and brought it home. Hey - A Paragon with the usual playfield wear for $400 - what could possibly go wrong.
Get home - open it up... Yep - there's the original MPU with all kinda acid on it. I expected that - and already had an Altek in my cart to purchase. Then I looked at the power board...
...or rather - the complete and total lack of a power board. Literally every single connection was hand wired/connected/soldered either floating or directly to the metal bracket. If you look close at the bracket - the guy took the time to mark the fuse amps and even TEST POINTS!
Given I was new to the hobby and putting in a new MPU - I didn't have the testicular fortitude to power this on to see if this hack worked (or real trust in my abilities to test it all through). With the old MPU in, I can say it had GI and seemed to have display voltage glow (Seller 'turned it on' when I arrived). I included a picture of the 'after' with a new power board and all the wires reworked. Shockingly, it works like a charm with the new boards.
There was another hack attached to the SDB that had two small wires running to a little breadboard - but I don't think I grabbed pictures of it. I'm not sure what it was used for - but I cut it out and the machine still works. I'm guessing it was either related to the pictured hack.
Quoted from statictrance:the complete and total lack of a power board. Literally every single connection was hand wired/connected/soldered either floating or directly to the metal bracket. If you look close at the bracket - the guy took the time to mark the fuse amps and even TEST POINTS!
Given I was new to the hobby and putting in a new MPU - I didn't have the testicular fortitude to power this on to see if this hack worked (or real trust in my abilities to test it all through). With the old MPU in, I can say it had GI and seemed to have display voltage glow (Seller 'turned it on' when I arrived). I included a picture of the 'after' with a new power board and all the wires reworked. Shockingly, it works like a charm with the new boards.
There was another hack attached to the SDB that had two small wires running to a little breadboard - but I don't think I grabbed pictures of it. I'm not sure what it was used for - but I cut it out and the machine still works. I'm guessing it was either related to the pictured hack.
The amount of work done to avoid work!
Quoted from statictrance:And this... Pales in comparison to the power board or even the phantom breadboard hack, but still was an eye roll moment.
maybe that's one of those [forever] bulbs that I heard that the post office is selling. guaranteed to never burn out and he wasn't going to take any chances with the socket ever oxidizing!
Quoted from dudah:This is the best repair I've ever seen. I didn't even notice it at first.
Pinbot visor target bracket. The target bank slides up and down in the channels on the far ends.
After taking it off, I realize the far left end has a big missing piece. Somebody fabricated an elegant curved metal bracket, then held it in place with a L bracket. The precision is so good I'm tempted to put it back in!
I'll take pictures when I get home - but mine was (and currently is till I clear a few projects ahead of it) held together by a whittled plastic block and a piece of bent carpet transition.
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