(Topic ID: 48087)

New Star Gazer & Seawitch Playfield Production

By greatwichjohn

10 years ago


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  • Latest reply 7 months ago by nocreditdot
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There are 2,551 posts in this topic. You are on page 23 of 52.
#1101 6 years ago

Pictures are a little confusing. The top ones done in the lunch room at the printer this afternoon (previous post). Ones with concrete floor my place. The last 6 Star Gazer are at the printer along with glass for both titles. The body shop may clear 8 Star Gazer, & the 2 Seawitch tests together for finish clear.

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#1102 6 years ago

john:
can we take up a collection and get you a decent digital camera?

my god, that thing that you're using has to be what? 10 years old (if not more). you're taking some great views, but it would be really nice to be able to zoom in and make out the details of your work. time to move up to something that does at least 8MP or higher

#1103 6 years ago

No its only 2 years old. I dropped the last one on the concrete floor. These are from Canon Power Shot, until it lands on the floor. How about I take some close ups on Monday. I'm trying to sell my house, & i'm doing some cleaning before a Sunday open house.

#1105 6 years ago

looks great.

#1106 6 years ago

Guys, I was at John's last night and had a look at these. Holy shit they're nice! Makes me wish I could find an old blown out seawitch to restore.

#1107 6 years ago

Looking good

#1108 6 years ago

This morning I took the playfields in for clear. They were going to do 4 Star Gazer. But they might do another 4 Star Gazer, & 2 Seawitch together or later. I went to the sign shop to discuss Seawitch cnc work. They will get the art file, & do final adjustments for cnc to another playfield. Get that one verified & finally ramp up production this year. The last 6 Star Gazer are in for printing. I will post pictures with clear of Seawitch playfields before the latest one goes to the sign shop (cnc). Like I have said previous, I missed the top white lense (X) that got white ink. I missed the 4 first Star Gazer, that didn't receive white under plastics also.

#1109 6 years ago

Great news, we can start to see light at the end of the tunnel. Will be worth the wait.

#1110 6 years ago
Quoted from greatwichjohn:

This morning I took the playfields in for clear. They were going to do 4 Star Gazer. But they might do another 4 Star Gazer, & 2 Seawitch together or later. I went to the sign shop to discuss Seawitch cnc work. They will get the art file, & do final adjustments for cnc to another playfield. Get that one verified & finally ramp up production this year. The last 6 Star Gazer are in for printing. I will post pictures with clear of Seawitch playfields before the latest one goes to the sign shop (cnc). Like I have said previous, I missed the top white lense (X) that got white ink. I missed the 4 first Star Gazer, that didn't receive white under plastics also.

Yep: #2

...

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#1112 6 years ago

I thought the bare wood looked good. Very rare early production. Looks like Marco sold out of the 2 early ones they got. http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/23R-35-127

#1113 6 years ago

Mine is due on the "slow semi from Canada" on Friday. Looking forward to it!

#1114 6 years ago

Clear coating is being done quickly now by my new contractor. Here is the next 4 finished playfields (painting gray today underside), 2 are discounted $50 for poor shooter lane looks. Those 2 guys that are interested will be contacted to make sure they want them. The next 4 Star Gazer, & 2 Seawitch tests are in the booth now for finish clear. Last 6 in for printing.

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#1115 6 years ago
Quoted from greatwichjohn:

Clear coating is being done quickly now by my new contractor. Here is the next 4 finished playfields (painting gray today underside), 2 are discounted $50 for poor shooter lane looks. Those 2 guys that are interested will be contacted to make sure they want them. The next 4 Star Gazer, & 2 Seawitch tests are in the booth now for finish clear. Last 6 in for printing.

John, can you disclose whose clear is being used? PPG Automotive? Axalta/Dupont? Sherwin Williams/Martin Senour? Just curious as I am in the chemical coatings industry.

#1116 6 years ago

I'm so happy with the results that I forget to ask. I'll try to ask this week. It's a decent body shop 5 minutes from me, behind a dealer. We have a main drag ( 2 streets in my city). That have almost all the new car dealerships. All I know about the auto clear, $400 a gallon, & they apply two coats in one day with no sanding. Seems like no problems like I have had previous years for restored or new Star Gazer playfields. All my playfields have been uv inkjet printed, & the new ones for the last number of years done on a flatbed printer 1 - 10 at a time. I still use varethane waterbourne interior gloss (2 coats done myself) to seal the playfields. UV inkjet 2 hits white, 2 hits color, & are allowed a few days (week) to fully cure or off gas before going for finish clear coats. Playfields look more like the finish on early electronic pins of the past.

#1117 6 years ago

So excited that Seawitch is closer to reality. Looking forward to the day mine arrives. Thank you for your continued efforts, John.

Steve

#1118 6 years ago

Star Gazer in the house and it is B-E-A-utiful!

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#1120 6 years ago
Quoted from Thrillhouse:

Who's the ghost in the left pop?!

I thought that Stern Pinball had trademarked ghosted playfields

#1121 6 years ago

That'd be my mother-in-law from a number of years back. And my cheap phone does this piece no justice. Hell, it does it an injustice. Here's the lower half with a slightly better camera.

Shawn

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#1122 6 years ago

If you guys want to show the colors accurately, take the playfield outside and photograph in natural light.....

#1123 6 years ago

@greatwichjohn
I applaud you. Fantastic job, well done.

#1124 6 years ago

Dammit. That looks great. I should so get on the Seawitch list, but can't justify it right now..

#1125 6 years ago
Quoted from greatwichjohn:

I missed the 4 first Star Gazer, that didn't receive white under plastics also.

Actually you missed the first 6. I bought #5 and #6, and they look awesome with the natural wood under the plastics!!

Thanks for the great work John!

#1126 6 years ago

Seawitch playfield going to the sign shop first week of December for final cnc corrections.

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#1127 6 years ago

Star Gazer playfields still here 8 + 6 at the printer. The last 8 playfields that have received clear coats have some weep holes around the inserts. I'm trying to wet block sand to level my high repairs with clear on 4 playfields. It's a new learning curve for me, & the first one is likely going to be redone. Back to bare wood, seal again (make sure no tiny voids), print, & clear coat. Anyone with better ideas, let me know. Going to slowly try my luck on the next 3 wet sanding. The next 4 I will take one & try crazy glue to slowly fill the voids with no pre sanding. I'm use to failures & starting over from years of direct ink restorations. You can see how hard it is to make playfields.

Pictures next 4 back from clear coat with some weeping holes on some inserts. Pictures of first one I sanded down to ink. I have made a list of areas that were problems to check doing over again.

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#1128 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

If you guys want to show the colors accurately, take the playfield outside and photograph in natural light.....

It's true. Most LED and compact fluorescents do poorly at rendering color. For bonus points put an 18% grey card next to it.

#1129 6 years ago

Hoping to be in early spring batch for Seawitch

#1130 6 years ago

I just got back from a 2 day road trip to northern Quebec with a buddy buying 2 pins. Winter season already, ice covered roads, & foot of snow. Saw a bunch of trailers likely going for ski doo racing on Thursday. We don't see this until the new year, grass & bare roads here.

#1131 6 years ago

I'm confused - if wanted to buy a Seawitch playfield, how do I go about it?

#1132 6 years ago
Quoted from MtnFrost:

I'm confused - if wanted to buy a Seawitch playfield, how do I go about it?

MtnFrost you pm greatwichjohn with your name and email address, and John will add you to the preorder list. He won’t accept a deposit. When your playfield is ready he will email you with instructions on where to send the PayPal payment.

#1133 6 years ago

Thanks, done!

#1134 6 years ago

There is no Seawitch playfields for sale until next year. The prepaid guys who have been waiting years will see theirs go out first. Only the 2 test ones, with some problems will be sold (already spoken for & have inked bonus X lense at top). I'm working on a new web site for greatpinball, lost .com so now .ca
Still going to the sign shop this week with Seawitch test #2 for final cnc corrections for final art.

#1135 6 years ago
Quoted from greatwichjohn:

The prepaid guys who have been waiting years will see theirs go out first.

YES! Thank you, greatwichjohn

#1136 6 years ago
Quoted from greatwichjohn:

prepaid guys who have been waiting years will see theirs go out first.

Have waited for years too. Looking forward to my playfield.

#1137 6 years ago

Seawitch playfield is at the sign shop for cnc final corrections.

#1138 6 years ago

Dumb question. What's a fair price for a star gazer with a worn pf?

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#1139 6 years ago

3k? Hard to say, as they rarely seem to come around. I don't think I've ever seen one go for less than that, in any case.

#1140 6 years ago

Hey, that looks just like my playfield. Must be a good game.

#1141 6 years ago

They're all worn. Paid $2K for mine 2 years ago. I'll admit I haven't been following prices lately, but I'd say $2500.

#1142 6 years ago

I will buy all stargazers for sale with a blown out pf for 2500. Send them my way.

#1143 6 years ago
Quoted from Methos:

I will buy all stargazers for sale with a blown out pf for 2500. Send them my way.

you already have 1... no need to buy a second

#1144 6 years ago
Quoted from dothedoo:

They're all worn. Paid $2K for mine 2 years ago. I'll admit I haven't been following prices lately, but I'd say $2500.

Amazing. It still needs a Greatwich playfield for $600.00 or a play field restore for ??? $1,000.00 plus ??? There is one issue with the back glass shown in the pic, so a Greatwich back glass for $275.00. Plastics maybe? Another $150.00.

$2500.00 + 600.00 + 275.00 + 150.00 = $3,525.00

add Pinball Pimp cab stencils for $150.00 + a few cans of spray paint for the cab of around $50.00.

Allow another $150.00 for the surprises you did not see.

I'll give transportation a free pass here.

$3,525 + 150.00 + 50.00 + 150.00 = $3875.00

And in all your labor to teardown---and make it pretty---and you have a major investment.

And this all begs the question: With a Greatwich play field and a Greatwich back glass, how original would a restored Star Gazer when compared to a Meteor that has been converted to a Gazer by using a Greatwich play field and back glass?

#1145 6 years ago
Quoted from cottonm4:

And this all begs the question: With a Greatwich play field and a Greatwich back glass, how original would a restored Star Gazer when compared to a Meteor that has been converted to a Gazer by using a Greatwich play field and back glass?

...ya but it would be missing the magic “Hippy-chick” dust they sprinkled the games with at the factory.

#1146 6 years ago

I believe 2.5k is way low. My not saying it's not possible to score one for that price from an opt. that has one sitting in s back corner of a warehouse but anyone in the community that has one, knows the certain value and interst this title has drawn over the past few years. I paid north of 4k for a clone that what's custom built with all new parts. To me it was worth every penny. I was willing to pay 4k for an original unrestored game that came with most of what it needed to be restored but the seller flaked out and disappeared which was the best thing that could have happened

#1147 6 years ago

Right now, on CL, there are four Meteors for sale around the country. And they have been for sale for more than a few days. Prices are $700.00, $800.00, $1100.00, and $1800.00. And a beat up, ratted out Star Gazer is valued at $2500.00 ? All four Meteors could be donor pins to convert to a Star Gazer using repro parts.

As much as I would like to have an original SG, the only way I could personally justify that kind of price is if that original play field could be restored accurately and economically. If not , then all you have is an over priced Meteor.

Once the repro parts are NLA, then I suppose the sky is the limit.

#1148 6 years ago

There is a lot of fabrication and modification to do... it’s not an easy task to take a meteor and make a Stargazer... most of the poeple here can’t do that... wire guide, metal guide, harness, backbox light panel, etc, have to be made.

#1149 6 years ago

What is a working Seawitch in a little better shape worth, fully working, I have one up for trade but keep getting cash offers..

#1150 6 years ago

This may or may not be the place to post this, but I figured I'd put it here because if it weren't for John's work it would not have been possible. And before I get deluged with PMs, both games are sold and are not available.

I'd also like to thank Peter Koch for the labels that are available at Pinball Rebel. Peter also worked with me to remake some labels that he did not have on the site. I also did not perform the cabinet restoration. I have to give credit to a local pinhead for his work. If I wasn't able to make use of his services this project probably would have taken another 6 weeks or more, and it took a long time as it is.

I tried to keep original parts where possible and in some cases I opted to keep the original if it was in nice condition.

-New PF from John
-New BG from John
-New plastics from CPR
-New drop targets from PBR
-New stand up target faces from Robert Langelius
-Stencils from Pinball Pimp
-Pop caps are nice originals with no issues
-Nice original apron
-Nice original spinners
-All original Stern boards including displays, no Bally stuff.
-Everything else is pretty much original other than a few posts and the lamp sockets
-Everything removed and polished, cleaned, or ultrasonic cleaned

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The game on the right is the game in the photos.
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The game on the left is an all original game that is pretty nice on its own. It was in Knub's Pub for several months so a lot of local people got to play it.

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