Xenon
Bally, 1980Quoted from PantherCityPins:I thought stainless did not take chrome well? Am I wrong here?
I'm not sure about that. It may depend on the grade of the stainless. I had quite a few pin parts chromed with no problems. Rails, lock down bars, stern coin drop bezels and Bally coin doors to name a few.
Quoted from jibmums:I could have sworn I read the answer somewhere once, but I just checked the playfield.... the plastics.... the backglass.... the apron cards.... and the flyer.... and.... nothing. Must have been imagining it.
Couple of questions/observations:
Red and blue lamp sleeves: I have a number of red lamp sleeves under the rear plastics, drops, and elsewhere that were original to the game. Flyer shows those and one blue sleeve under a plastic at the tail end of the tube. They kinda wash out the colors in the plastics though, especially the two rear ones. Can't decide whether to keep or eliminate them, especially since Xenon is a pretty dark game.
The plastic around the right pop bumper, in the "elbow" of the metal ramp: should the back of this be held up by two white spools, or two taller gray plastic standoffs, thus raising the rear of the plastic? I see both used, maybe they're both correct depending on production date. Mine had the tall gray standoffs but I'm switching them to spools b/c I like having the plastic flat. What do your games have?
I have to look at my game and post what I find about the plastic.
Maybe you're thinking of the kinetic molecular thing derived from the letters of the designer Greg Kmiec's last name? Since Bally wouldn't let him sign his name on the pf he started hiding the signature red post and snuck this there as well.
Quoted from PantherCityPins:I thought stainless did not take chrome well? Am I wrong here?
Stainless sands to mirror finish. All weekend at Pinbrew a lot of people commented on my “chromed” hardware and I had to keep pointing out its sanded.
Quoted from Lovef2k:I have to look at my game and post what I find about the plastic.
Maybe you're thinking of the kinetic molecular thing derived from the letters of the designer Greg Kmiec's last name? Since Bally wouldn't let him sign his name on the pf he started hiding the signature red post and snuck this there as well.
No, I knew about that. Just probably read the a different MOTA conversation before somewhere.
Kmiec's name is on the playfield, right under monitor 2 in the right inlane. And "Hudson" is under monitor 2 in the left inlane, referring to Margaret Hudson, I'd guess.
Greg Kmiec: "MOTA was just ATOM spelled backwards." http://www.thepinballblog.com/2009/05/pinball-heroes-greg-kmiec.html
Quoted from mrm_4:Stainless sands to mirror finish. All weekend at Pinbrew a lot of people commented on my “chromed” hardware and I had to keep pointing out its sanded.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/thruster-i-just-met-her-xenon-restoration-/page/5#post-6173142
I'm aware of this but it takes allot of effort, time and the right tools to do this. I get too impatient even trying it.
Quoted from Lovef2k:I'm aware of this but it takes allot of effort, time and the right tools to do this. I get too impatient even trying it.
unless, I'm just not doing it correctly?
Quoted from Lovef2k:unless, I'm just not doing it correctly?
I just do it by hand. I try to go back and forth as straight as possible for an equal amount of time per grit. Usually about 5 minutes. Just water and sand paper and gloves to keep my skin from staining dark gray. Then once I step through the grits then I use mothers or white diamonds to make it pop. I just recently was gifted a buffer because my buddy is sick of me not owning one, haven’t really gotten to use it yet. 
Quoted from mrm_4:Stainless sands to mirror finish. All weekend at Pinbrew a lot of people commented on my “chromed” hardware and I had to keep pointing out its sanded.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/thruster-i-just-met-her-xenon-restoration-/page/5#post-6173142
That’s the look I’m going for. I’ll use your process. Thanks!
Quoted from vec-tor:MOTA:
Molecular
Object
Tube
Award
That has to be it!
They really shoehorned a meaning behind it.
I'm trying to find replacement screws for the really long ones that are on this machine. Looks like #6 pan head sheet metal screw and one is 2 1/4", the other is 2 3/4". I've looked at the big box stores, online and at Fastenal online. Can't find them. Thinking of driving to Fastenal locally with the screws in hand but it’s 40 minutes both ways. I guess I could drill through and convert to a machine screw/stop nut?
Ideas?
Quoted from PantherCityPins:I'm trying to find replacement screws for the really long ones that are on this machine. Looks like #6 pan head sheet metal screw and one is 2 1/4", the other is 2 3/4". I've looked at the big box stores, online and at Fastenal online. Can't find them. Thinking of driving to Fastenal locally with the screws in hand but it’s 40 minutes both ways. I guess I could drill through and convert to a machine screw/stop nut?
Ideas?
They're #6 round head screws. You can use a panhead as well but it won't look original. I searched for the longer one and ended getting a metric screw. I think M4 to match. 70 mm long.
Quoted from Lovef2k:They're #6 round head screws. You can use a panhead as well but it won't look original. I searched for the longer one and ended getting a metric screw. I think M4 to match. 70 mm long.
That's awesome! Thanks so much!
Tomorrow I will finish stripping the back of the PF. The white rollover button housings, do they just tap out? Any tips for removal?
Quoted from PantherCityPins:Tomorrow I will finish stripping the back of the PF. The white rollover button housings, do they just tap out? Any tips for removal?
Small E clip holding them in. Try not to chew up the ends of the roll over buttons. They damage easily.
Quoted from Lovef2k:Small E clip holding them in. Try not to chew up the ends of the roll over buttons. They damage easily.
Mission accomplished! Got all four out without damage! Thanks a ton!
Quoted from PantherCityPins:Mission accomplished! Got all four out without damage! Thanks a ton!
I should have asked this before, are you installing a hardtop on this game? If so, Shapeways has these roll over buttons that are a tad longer since the HT adds a little height to the PF.
Quoted from Lovef2k:I should have asked this before, are you installing a hardtop on this game? If so, Shapeways has these roll over buttons that are a tad longer since the HT adds a little height to the PF.
No, CPR gold playfield.
Quoted from PantherCityPins:No, CPR gold playfield.
Nice!
Quoted from Lovef2k:I should have asked this before, are you installing a hardtop on this game? If so, Shapeways has these roll over buttons that are a tad longer since the HT adds a little height to the PF.
yeah a guy who got a hardtop a while back asked me to customise a little so it can be used on hardtops.
Quoted from PantherCityPins:Happy to say I got my flipper mechs all cleaned, rebuilt and converted to rotary style today. Hopefully the other mechs and the main harness get moved over to the new playfield tomorrow!
[quoted image]
You gonna start a thread?
Quoted from mrm_4:You gonna start a thread?
Sure, I could. Lord knows I’ve got enough pictures saved on my phone!
By the way, I know my switch screws are a little janky, it’s the way I’m dealing with them being too long for the new Williams style EOS switches. I’m heading to the hardware store tomorrow to find shorter screws and then it won’t look as janky, hopefully.
Quoted from PantherCityPins:By the way, I know my switch screws are a little janky, it’s the way I’m dealing with them being too long for the new Williams style EOS switches. I’m heading to the hardware store tomorrow to find shorter screws and then it won’t look as janky, hopefully.
EOS screws are 5-40th.
If not available... hopefully the store has a 5-40th die, and you can
thread cut a 6-32nd screw.
Quoted from PantherCityPins:Happy to say I got my flipper mechs all cleaned, rebuilt and converted to rotary style today. Hopefully the other mechs and the main harness get moved over to the new playfield tomorrow!
[quoted image]
I'm not 100% sure on the crank style flippers, but on the linear style the coils face the opposite direction than your pic. Somebody please chime in if I'm wrong. Also you are missing the rubber bushings(bands) on the cranks where they touch the EOS blades.
Quoted from swinks:yeah a guy who got a hardtop a while back asked me to customise a little so it can be used on hardtops.
https://swinks.com.au/ss-parts
Why on earth is shipping 31.52 euro for a 9.46 euro part that weighs nothing ?!?
Quoted from Zigzagzag:Why on earth is shipping 31.52 euro for a 9.46 euro part that weighs nothing ?!?
I just place my files there for people to buy parts - sadly Shapeways (3D printing company) determine freight costs.
Quoted from Zigzagzag:Sad to say you lose business this way, but I guess that is how it is.
it doesn't help, and neither does covid and the War at Ukraine. I am surprised normally parts are made in the The Netherlands Shapeways for Europe customers with postage being more reasonable than that, maybe with what is going on the parts are getting made in the US at the moment.
problem also is if I carry stock I am in Australia so freight to Europe and US is very similar so I am caught between a rock and hard place - is what it is at the moment unless you want to get a few things while you are there. You know where to look for the future if prices / costs improve.
https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?q=swinkspinball&sort=newest
Quoted from Lovef2k:I'm not 100% sure on the crank style flippers, but on the linear style the coils face the opposite direction than your pic. Somebody please chime in if I'm wrong. Also you are missing the rubber bushings(bands) on the cranks where they touch the EOS blades.
GREAT catch on the rubber bands! I guess this kit didn’t have them installed and I missed it. I just fished my old cranks out of the trash and will install them tonight.
As for flipping the coil, that was done per Vid’s guide on converting them to rotary. I guess he doesn’t like the lugs being right next to where the plunger is hitting the stop?
Quoted from Lovef2k:I'm not 100% sure on the crank style flippers, but on the linear style the coils face the opposite direction than your pic. Somebody please chime in if I'm wrong.
Flipper coils:
OEM for any company flipper coil was the solder lugs were on the stop side....
SS electronic flipper coils with diodes were mounted with solder lugs on the stop side,
till Williams put out a service bulletin about 1986 on reversing the coil mount...
The reason was the vibration of the 50+ volt coils were causing the diodes to break.
The service bulletin recommended to cut the nylon stud off the flipper coil so it
could be mounted with the diodes facing forward. [ via High Speed ].
Later amendments to Williams flipper coils would have a notch cut into the front
bracket... late amendments would have the front bracket have notches on all three sides.
Also, the front bracket would remove the four punch studs removed, when the external
springs are introduced.
I am not getting any sound with my old boards so I swapped in a newer Alltek MPU, still nothing. Then put in a newer Solenoid driver with the newer Alltek and still no sound? Any suggestions what I should try next? Both boards work in the game I swapped them from.
Quoted from Tyamry:I am not getting any sound with my old boards so I swapped in a newer Alltek MPU, still nothing. Then put in a newer Solenoid driver with the newer Alltek and still no sound? Any suggestions what I should try next?
Have you checked the silly things...Volume up? Speaker wired up correctly? Speaker wires going to the sound board?
Quoted from Tyamry:Yes. With the old boards if I push the reset switch on the sound board the voice comes back, talks a little then nothing.
There are 2 volume pots on the sound board...one for speech and one for music if I remember right. But there are also sound settings, and those could be disabling background music or something. Definitely go into the settings on the game and understand what it is set to now, and what you want it to be set to.
The ribbon cable between the 2 sound boards usually needs a little wiggle too.
Quoted from PappyBoyington:Looking for a replacement shooter gauge or at least a sticker. Anybody know where I can get one?
Anybody?
Quoted from PappyBoyington:Anybody?
I think the people that made that kind stuff got in trouble...
I think classic arcade might have something.
I have seen on YouTube a guy made a silkscreen print for Stern parts.
Quoted from LouMatt:There are 2 volume pots on the sound board...one for speech and one for music if I remember right. But there are also sound settings, and those could be disabling background music or something. Definitely go into the settings on the game and understand what it is set to now, and what you want it to be set to.
The ribbon cable between the 2 sound boards usually needs a little wiggle too.
I've already tried that. Thank you for your suggestions.
Quoted from PappyBoyington:Anybody?
I have one. Sent you a message.
Got my harness and everything moved over to the new PF last night. I’m starting the process of securing everything, cleaning and soldering in the new lamp sockets, etc.
I’m replacing all the capacitors, should I be replacing all the diodes as well? I have a bunch of 1N4007 diodes and the machine still has the original glass diodes on it. Worth it to replace them all?
Quoted from PantherCityPins:Got my harness and everything moved over to the new PF last night. I’m starting the process of securing everything, cleaning and soldering in the new lamp sockets, etc.
I’m replacing all the capacitors, should I be replacing all the diodes as well? I have a bunch of 1N4007 diodes and the machine still has the original glass diodes on it. Worth it to replace them all?
Thats what I do, people always give me crap but its one less thing to to worry about when the games done, I just print out the switch matrix and do a column a day, that way you have a checklist and its not as overwhelming.
have a weird issue. when I lock a ball and get multiball and the 2 balls drain, it kicks out both balls for ball 2. its acting like the ball is supposed to be in the lock once they both have drained. any idea what I'm missing here. if I dont get multiball it works fine.
Quoted from PantherCityPins:should I be replacing all the diodes as well?
Only if doing what I call an 'Anal' restoration. 
Quoted from GoldenOreos:when I lock a ball and get multiball and the 2 balls drain, it kicks out both balls for ball 2
Check the operation of your outhole and trough switch. The trough switch(es) are notorious for failing or sticking.
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