any update john?
I sent you an email asking where I stood and for photos of the available playfields but only received a "will do" response and nothing more a week ago
(Topic ID: 48087)
Linked Games
Seawitch
Stern Electronics, 1980-
Star Gazer
Stern Electronics, 1980
Topic Gallery
Halifax, NS
San Francisco, CA
No, it is a different higher production print business that does my printing for new playfields & backglass work. New plywood even 2+ years with some warpage or bowing can be printed. They mask the back & use a suction on the flat bed printer. If the playfields have some warp or bow they further tape the edge down to the table for printing. The restorations were done on a old Colorspan 9840 which is being retired very soon from my original printer. They still do quality overlays & some other printing for me.
John, is there any possibility that you could simply run Sorcerer decks using the same production process that is employed for Stargazer & Seawitch?
I would much rather pay you for a freshly printed Sorcerer deck than crossing my fingers and hoping for it to hit the CPR queue or install an overlay.
Quoted from greatwichjohn:No, it is a different higher production print business that does my printing for new playfields & backglass work.
Fantastic.
-mof
Unfortunately original playfields won't be restored at the other printer. It's also a license problem for me to produce Planetary Pinball product that is in the works from their major parts suppliers.
Seawitch Update: I will get playfields cutting in July & done in small batches. So playfields finished to get this all completed before the end of this year. Hopefully all done before December. Here is a overlay just printed to give you a idea of end result for new playfields.
3 weeks later
Hey John, I sent you the two yellow inserts for my Seawitch playfield. I think you sent them to someone to try and reproduce. Any word on the reproductions?
john,
it's now been over a month since you posted that you were going to send images to those of us still on the waiting list to pick from the 14 play fields which are done. any idea on when that email will send?
My friend here in Sweden owns a Stargazer, but i dunno if this is needed sicne there already exist playfields?
Quoted from 85Txaggie:Hey John, I sent you the two yellow inserts for my Seawitch playfield. I think you sent them to someone to try and reproduce. Any word on the reproductions?
I also sent John a set of yellow arrows for the Seawitch project.
The arrows are still here, & when the time comes time I will try a few different ways for production. The 7 Star Gazers are still out for clear, & the next 7 ready to go for clear. Still waiting on inserts that are missing to finish up the rest. Still have to get the plywood for Seawitch production to the sign shop the last week of this month. I posted a overlay for Seawitch to show the art previously.
2 weeks later
1 week later
Busy summer with my regular 6 day a week job. The first 7 Star Gazer playfields just came back from clear coats. Next 7 should be done by the end of this month or September. Looks like I finally get the first batch of Seawitch blanks to the sign shop next week when I go on vacation. I will post some pictures of these SG playfields in the morning. I will contact people again to get the final SG playfields out, & there are still the over run ones left to do the next 2 - 3 months.
Quoted from greatwichjohn:Anyone with Ed's email info let me know.
Does the email he gives on his web site not work?
Santa, I've set aside December 25-31 to do my Seawitch playfield swap. I'll need 60-70 hours on my side, if I'm fully prepared.
It'll be a swell xmas present if it makes it on time.
I'll start preparing on my end soon.
-mof
Quoted from greatwichjohn:Pictures & the next 7 should be back by the end of the month for clear coats. Here is a picture of the first Seawitch blanks ready for cnc work.
John
You have stated that the Seawitch PFs will be ready by end of this year. Is this still a realistic timeframe?
Thanks.
1 week later
I was having problems with my [email protected] email, which i check less often than messages here. I have been in contact with Ed to hopefully finish the last Space Shuttles here. I took a vacation to enjoy having my brother up from Austin, Texas. Playfields & glass were going out when I had a chance. Pictures of Sorcerer with overlay going out. Winding down restorations for good this year.
Seawitch wood now is going to the shop before September (Monday - Wednesday). I'll post up some pictures of the shop.
Star Gazer guys, if you have still not received your playfield. Let me know. The remaining playfields in production will be on standby until needed. The last 2 batches have some red trans lenses, which are for sale to people not on the list. These had a few more nicks repaired around targets.
Got my Star Gazer playfield and backglass yesterday! They look amazing. Now if i can track down the plastics, i can get this project for my wife off the ground
You guys need to buy a set of my beautiful cabinet stencils and repaint your cabinets to match all these new playfields, back glasses in plastics!
1 week later
Seawitch is getting ready for production. 14 blanks to start off. I just need to verify before cutting starts. Blanks went to the sign shop today.
Quoted from j_m_:thanks for the update john. any word on those last 7 stargazer playfields?
Quoted from greatwichjohn:Seawitch is getting ready for production. 14 blanks to start off
John, great news. Do you still need us to make decisions individually on insert colors?
-mof
When it comes time for printing. I will ask the printer to run one with yellow ink over a white arrow lense. See if that looks ok.
Just an FYI to anyone getting playfields from John. The star rollovers for the playfield are punched through and held in the inner cardboard liner. I didn't discover this until about 6 months after getting mine.
Quoted from frunch:Has anyone installed one of these Stargazer playfields in their game yet? I'd love to see some pics and get some feedback on the game play, clear coat, etc.
Anyone?
Doing it right now. Too early to comment on gameplay.
Clearcoat is great. Print quality isn't the same as silkscreen and the blue is a bit lighter than the original... but still very good when your options are otherwise limited. My original was covered in Mylar and there was no way it was coming up without taking the art with it.
I completed the cabinet a few weeks ago so I should have this playfield work wrapped up in a week or so. Just waiting on some new star posts nfrom Marcos. Seawitch is next in line.
One more thing. I figure this would be a good place to post this.
For anyone looking to update their standup targets when swapping in John's playfields, you can now contact Bob Lengelius to get some new faces. He was doing the translucent Bally ones a while back but I convinced him to make some opaque Stern ones since they are a match for the Bally part.
He's made some in white, yellow and red so far.
You can reach him at: [email protected]
Quoted from Drano:One more thing. I figure this would be a good place to post this.
For anyone looking to update their standup targets when swapping in John's playfields, you can now contact Bob Lengelius to get some new faces. He was doing the translucent Bally ones a while back but I convinced him to make some opaque Stern ones since they are a match for the Bally part.
He's made some in white, yellow and red so far.
You can reach him at: [email protected]
I'm gonna have to get some of these for sure, thanks for posting.
2 weeks later
Art work for Space Shuttle needs work for printing overlays. So these will be late this year hopefully!
Seawitch update, I have been under the weather with a bad right foot the last 3 weeks. So hopefully I go to the shop & give them final ok to start cutting them on Friday. I have ordered 50 box set of double playfield box's for Star Gazer, Seawitch, etc. should be here the end of next week. Checking with Marco Specialties on lense order for next week, likely everything except for yellow arrows.
Got the call today about the next 7 Star Gazer finished clear coats. May be coming Friday.
1 week later
Seawitch production finally gets going this month. Went to the sign shop & talked with the owner Tuesday. Got him up to speed on the second title. They have a original playfield, & a previously cut one. These playfields are being done with 17/32" pinball quality plywood. So adjustments have to be done. I should see the first one for approval towards the end of the month.
Still waiting on the next 7 finished Star Gazer playfields to come back from clear coats. Thought I was going to see them last Friday. Still waiting on the next 50 double box cardboard box's being manufactured. Still talking with Marco about my lense order.
Reply
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!
Donate to PinsideGreat to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
