(Topic ID: 28788)

Worst hack/repair you ever saw.

By mcclad

10 years ago


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  • 4,093 posts
  • 693 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 8 days ago by cottonm4
  • Topic is favorited by 296 Pinsiders

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    There are 4,093 posts in this topic. You are on page 82 of 82.
    #4051 42 days ago
    Quoted from sparky672:

    "Palnut" is a brand name and they make all kinds.

    We used Pal nuts in some areas of aircraft assembly. I always wondered where the name came from. I never thought of it as being a brand name.

    #4052 42 days ago

    Pal nuts are not your pal.

    #4053 42 days ago

    I always liked those pal nuts, chrome is snazzier looking than the rubber caps. I don't think I've ever had one come loose. I'd never put the rubber tips on a game that originally came with the chrome nuts, doesn't look right. When removing I just pull up on them a little at first while turning, no big deal.

    #4054 42 days ago
    Quoted from frenchmarky:

    I always liked those pal nuts, chrome is snazzier looking than the rubber caps. I don't think I've ever had one come loose. I'd never put the rubber tips on a game that originally came with the chrome nuts, doesn't look right. When removing I just pull up on them a little at first while turning, no big deal.

    I don't mind them on Volcano. Although I have a couple that refuse to spin off and just spin. I've had moderate success by removing the post and gently hammering the "threaded" end square-ish. It gives the nut some fresh metal to bite into. Otherwise, I replace the post.

    #4055 42 days ago
    Quoted from frenchmarky:

    I always liked those pal nuts, chrome is snazzier looking than the rubber caps. I don't think I've ever had one come loose. I'd never put the rubber tips on a game that originally came with the chrome nuts, doesn't look right. When removing I just pull up on them a little at first while turning, no big deal.

    I ended up putting black rubber ones from PBR on a Blackout I had. To me they fit the darker theme of the game better than chrome would have.

    #4056 42 days ago
    Quoted from cottonm4:

    We used Pal nuts in some areas of aircraft assembly. I always wondered where the name came from. I never thought of it as being a brand name.

    There ya go, proof that they stay put. You got an airplane you definitely don't want stuff falling off the thing. 8D

    #4057 42 days ago
    Quoted from cottonm4:

    ... I always wondered where the name came from. I never thought of it as being a brand name.

    Palnut® is a registered trademark of somebody...

    Tinnerman Palnut Engineered Products LLC recently acquired by ARaymond... now known as ARaymond/Tinnerman.

    https://www.araymond.com/en

    https://www.advancecomponents.com/araymond-tinnerman/

    They make different kinds of "Palnut" fasteners... some self-thread and some push on.

    #4058 42 days ago

    Police Force double hack. Used a large rubber ring for belt, custom shooter range target.

    20230206_134139 (resized).jpg20230206_143537 (resized).jpg
    #4059 42 days ago
    Quoted from frenchmarky:

    There ya go, proof that they stay put. You got an airplane you definitely don't want stuff falling off the thing. 8D

    Quoted from sparky672:

    Palnut® is a registered trademark of somebody...
    Tinnerman Palnut Engineered Products LLC recently acquired by ARaymond... now known as ARaymond/Tinnerman.
    https://www.araymond.com/en
    https://www.advancecomponents.com/araymond-tinnerman/
    They make different kinds of "Palnut" fasteners... some self-thread and some push on.

    I need to correct myself. I have been away from aircraft for 10 years. We had a nut called a jap nut. I have no idea where the name came from.

    #4060 42 days ago
    Quoted from cottonm4:

    I need to correct myself. I have been away from aircraft for 10 years. We had a nut called a jap nut. I have no idea where the name came from.

    Are you sure they weren’t “jet nuts?” I think that is the common term, at least that I’ve heard.

    #4061 40 days ago
    Quoted from pinballplusMN:

    Police Force double hack. Used a large rubber ring for belt, custom shooter range target.

    Nice touch with the bare circuit board right out there! I love the black 'Borg-type' conduit.

    Edit: I guess the circuit board is like that on the original...a little ugly.

    14
    #4062 37 days ago

    Why aren't all my boards like this?

    zifs (resized).jpg
    #4063 37 days ago
    Quoted from KenH:

    Why aren't all my boards like this?[quoted image]

    I especially like the ZIF socket that has a notch cut into it to make room for a neighboring socket.

    In all seriousness, this was probably rigged up as a test board of some sort meant for testing chips in batches.

    #4064 37 days ago
    Quoted from ForceFlow:

    I especially like the ZIF socket that has a notch cut into it to make room for a neighboring socket.
    In all seriousness, this was probably rigged up as a test board of some sort meant for testing chips in batches.

    Looks like it may be a Commodore 64 computer. Probably sitting on someone’s test bench that does repairs.

    #4065 36 days ago

    C64 motherboard and C64 rev. 3

    c64 (resized).pngc64 rev b (resized).jpg

    #4066 36 days ago
    c6444 (resized).jpg
    #4067 35 days ago

    Really thankful for Steve Young to fix this.

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    #4068 35 days ago

    I thought this was RTV from someone trying to repair this toasty coil. I later found out it was plastic from the coil that had melted and oozed out around the bracket.

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    #4069 35 days ago

    "That fart smell of steam; that band-aid smell of melting nylon"...

    #4070 35 days ago

    A friend of mine picked up a Williams Hurricane for repair recently. There was something very unusual looking at the top of the glass. Upon closer inspection, my WTF meter went well past redline. This is Weapons Grade Stupidity IMO!!!

    I am going out on a limb here and saying that we have not seen this before in the thread. That said

    How about some piano hinge trim?

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    #4071 35 days ago
    Quoted from wrd1972:

    A friend of mine picked up a Williams Hurricane for repair recently. There was something very unusual looking at the top of the glass. Upon closer inspection, my WTF meter went well past redline. This is Weapons Grade Stupidity IMO!!!

    I am going out on a limb here and saying that we have not seen this before in the thread. That said

    How about some piano hinge trim?

    I can think of 3 reasons why this may have been done.

    1) The operator wanted to give someone the ability to clear stuck balls, but wanted to make sure the coin box and/or coin switches stayed locked up.
    2) The original part broke, so someone came up with a creative fix
    3) Someone had no idea how to actually open the game or lost the keys, and came up with a creative fix.

    #4072 35 days ago

    Maybe I am missing something. But how would this allow a way in to clear a stuck ball?

    #4073 35 days ago
    Quoted from wrd1972:

    Maybe I am missing something. But how would this allow a way in to clear a stuck ball?

    Pull up the PF glass and the side rails and glass all come up together. There were some games actually designed like this...the Bally Fireball series -- the games were Fireball, NipIt and OneMillionBC -- if not those games it was something around that era.

    #4074 35 days ago
    Quoted from KenH:

    Pull up the PF glass and the side rails and glass all come up together. There were some games actually designed like this...the Bally Fireball series -- the games were Fireball, NipIt and OneMillionBC -- if not those games it was something around that era.

    Yup. I noticed the siderail bolt was missing.

    #4075 35 days ago

    I’m pretty sure the side bolt at the top of the rails is not used on DMD games. They would interfere with the side hinge when placing the head down.

    #4076 35 days ago
    Quoted from KenH:

    Pull up the PF glass and the side rails and glass all come up together. There were some games actually designed like this.

    Hurricane wasn't one of them. I believe there's a plastic piece that should be there, which you can see in the pic linked below. Factory piece is likely partially broken or they couldn't find a correct replacement, so they used something similar (for the glass) and put the hinge on top. You can probably find the correct part number for that part in the WMS parts book on Planetary website. Availability is going to be tough.

    https://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=1257&picno=21796&zoom=1

    #4077 35 days ago

    Not sure what the reasoning was here but seemed to work fine…

    40E44C71-E217-40B6-868F-BD52C7252CE9 (resized).jpeg
    #4078 34 days ago

    Target hack. Compensating for worn parts. This is so target doesn't fall down. Coil wrapper needs a better wrapper so spring won't wear through.

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    #4079 34 days ago
    Quoted from sparky672:

    That's the "thread" made by the acorn speed-nut.

    We’re talking about the acorn/PAL nuts?? I throw those stupid things right in the garbage where they belong. Total shit. They’ve ruined plastics and been a terror for too long

    Quoted from undrdog:

    I’m taking the hit for this hack, 'cause I just did it. Some Gtbs used stupid rubber caps on post screws to hold the plastics down.
    Not having any, I cut up a rubber ring & drilled a hole for the post with my handy Dremel.
    [quoted image]

    When you said rubber I was confused! You needed the rubber caps? Titan sells the rubber post caps. I bought 20 of every color so I’d never need to use those awful acorn nuts again. Those rubber/silicone caps are awesome. And if you color match they blend in and enhance the artwork on the plastics.

    #4080 33 days ago

    I’ll try Titan. The posts may be too thin to thread with 6-32. Was worth a try.

    #4081 33 days ago

    I don't consider this a hack as the intentions were good. Notice the screws hitting the lane change switch. Issue was blowing chips on the switch matrix. Very intermittent issue tough to find.

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    2 weeks later
    #4082 13 days ago

    I guesss a roll pin wasn't handy.

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    #4083 11 days ago
    Quoted from Zigzagzag:

    TFTC driver board.
    Note to self : stop buying games that have been routed in Italy.
    [quoted image][quoted image]

    I'm with you! I need pinballs in my collection but I usually see that are sold abroad it's tragic!!!

    #4084 11 days ago
    Quoted from cottonm4:

    I need to correct myself. I have been away from aircraft for 10 years. We had a nut called a jap nut. I have no idea where the name came from.

    From REDDIT:

    6 yr. ago
    "Yeah from what I've googled, jap nut and jet nut are the same. A friend mechanic and I were talking about it and he said I've never heard them called that and instantly bought up the race card. I was just wondering if anyone knew where the name came from and if it does have anything to do with race? I work with an older gentleman and he constantly calls them jap nuts."

    6 yr. ago
    We call them missile nuts.

    6 yr. ago
    Another Successful Failure.
    Because they look like little Japanese hats.

    6 yr. ago
    At my place, almost everyone calls them either lock nuts or whatever their L-size is, so an L3, L6, L8. Only one or two really old salts call 'em jap nuts.

    #4085 11 days ago
    Quoted from Flipsteen:

    I guesss a roll pin wasn't handy.

    Everybody knows you use a stop nut and ~#6 screw or whatever fits the hole.

    #4086 9 days ago

    I guess the tech didn't have an EOS switch for this score reel in a #College Queens.

    EOS Hack (resized).jpg
    #4087 9 days ago

    Revisiting the "pal nut" discussion from above. I hate the stupid chrome nuts on non threaded posts. A lot of people offered tool solutions etc. I like originality but as one of my repair guys,( bought my BK2K from him), explained. Using the rubber post caps allows a ball hit that might otherwise break a plastic, to pop the rubber post cap off instead. I install rubber post caps and save the originals. I would replace or include them if I ever sold a game. The rubber post caps don't bother me looks wise except on my Domino and maybe Volley.

    Edit: yes I know BK2K didn't have the metal nuts.

    #4088 9 days ago
    Quoted from Pinbub:

    Using the rubber post caps allows a ball hit that might otherwise break a plastic, to pop the rubber post cap off instead.

    Not a bad idea. I really played it safe and cut out plastic protectors from 1/16" clear polycarbonate. I simply traced the original plastics onto paper carefully marking the holes. Then I drew an outline around each one, slightly larger, maybe 3/16". Used the templates to cut out the shapes in the polycarbonate. I sanded and polished the edges smooth and installed them underneath all original game plastics. The original posts are long enough to accommodate the extra 1/16". Now there is no longer any place where the ball could possibly contact original game plastic - it's always going to strike the edge of the polycarbonate if it strikes anything. And unlike plexiglass, the polycarbonate is practically bullet-proof.

    #4089 8 days ago

    New style head latching hardware.

    20230312_161734 (resized).jpg
    #4090 8 days ago
    Quoted from Mikespinball:

    New style head latching hardware.
    [quoted image]

    I don't think so lol

    #4091 8 days ago
    Quoted from sparky672:

    I simply traced the original plastics onto paper carefully marking the holes.

    You can get some fine point sharpies and draw around your plastics directly to the poly. If the poly protective cover is missing, you can lay down some masking tape and make your lines. Then make your cuts. This will save you the time of not having to draw twice.

    Screen Shot 2023-03-12 at 6.29.37 PM (resized).jpg

    #4092 8 days ago
    Quoted from cottonm4:

    You can get some fine point sharpies and draw around your plastics directly to the poly...

    Hahaha... you'd think somebody with a drill press, bandsaw, belt sanders, and polishing wheels would have a Sharpie and some tape.

    But seriously, I apologize for not initially explaining well enough. In my case, paper templates were 100% necessary for test fitting. Because it's easier trimming paper with scissors than mucking up the polycarbonate multiple times.

    TLDR version: Polycarbonate guards are not exact traced reproductions of the original plastics. The guards are intentionally larger, but only on the edges where the ball might contact. For the large plastics around the edges of the playfield, the guards only represent smaller sections of plastic, and only for edges exposed to the ball. Some guards had to stop short where the original plastic covers wood rails. For plastic that spans ball lanes, or with posts that hold plastic along with metal brackets, etc., there were many unique problems to be solved with curves and clearance cuts that do not quite match the original plastic. Therefore, each one was mocked up using paper templates and adjusted for best fit, and best look, before any polycarbonate was cut & drilled.

    #4093 8 days ago
    Quoted from sparky672:

    there were many unique problems to be solved with curves and clearance cuts that do not quite match the original plastic. Therefore, each one was mocked up using paper templates and adjusted for best fit,

    OK. I see. I thought you were just doing a straight trace around.

    But you might want to get a couple of Sharpies

    There are 4,093 posts in this topic. You are on page 82 of 82.

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