I could not resist. Electrical verification of the lights:

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That is a relief. Apparently, just one socket which is mis-behaving. On the GI side: both halves are working well.

All General Illumination bulbs are #47. All switched lights are #44.

Yves

A while back, during the restoration of the backbox, I found an interesting piece of history:
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This is the Tax license to operate this Mata Hari machine, in South Carolina. The machine was operated until 1982 as indicated on the SC Tag. The cost for operating that machine was $75 in 1982, which represents a decent sum of money.

I glued that artifact under the coin box, where it belongs....

Yves

While checking the switched lights, I noticed that the green arrow inserts are very dark, when compared to the other arrows or round inserts. And this despite the #44 bulbs.

So I decided to install white LED in these two green inserts, with a 470 Ohms resistor in parallel to fool the CPU:
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The result is a lot better and all lights are now shining with the same intensity. The defective socket has been fixed, too.

Yves

A few progress. The underside of the playfield, is almost finished.
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I have tried to respect the color of the coil wrappers as much as possible.

Time to install the playfield in the cabinet and to move on with the population of the top:
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Verification that the switched lights are working fine:
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The enchilada:
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and the most gratifying part of the restoration experience, the assembly of the top playfield:
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Yves

Thank you Matt.

I made some very good progress today with the installation of the pop-Bumpers. By far the most tedious and delicate device to re-install.
I agonized for a while whether I should install Mylar films or not. In the end, I waxed my playfield around the Pop-bumpers and glued the mylar films. I will also put some near the slingshots.
I modified the light sockets and added connectors for a possible (and hopefully distant) future maintenance. Each Pop-bumpers has these connectors allowing an easy disassembly of the top unit, without a soldering iron.
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The 1,000 points are controlled by the switched light bus, whereas the 100 points are illuminated by the GI. I installed old GE #47 bulbs, that withstand the vibrations so much better than the new Chinese bulbs.
I then proceeded to re-assemble half of Mata Hari. When you reach that phase, it hard to resist.
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The Spray Max 2K is a pleasure to work with. The finished clear is very resistant but also flexible and workable at the same time. Holes are quickly enlarged with no cracks and most of the times, there is no need to use drill bits.

Some Pinball-Porn close-ups, for your pleasure. I realize that my rubbers are already releasing their nasty white dust....
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I will finish the other side, one of these evenings.

I also wanted to mention that Classic Playfield Reproduction, was extremely kind to run a special batch of plastic set, outside of their normal production. I just asked if they would re-run them one day, and Kevin kindly offered to send me a fresh batch, a few days later. I was truly impressed by their responsiveness and kindness. I have bought many plastic sets and playfield from them in the past, but that was incredible.

Yves

You are right, it does. I love the color of the sheet on her thigh and the title is enhanced by the red LEDs.

Thanks for the suggestion.
Yves

Great progress these past few days working on the lower section of the playfield:
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The beast is fully operational. I played a few games and like it very much.
The game is extremely fast, with a no-mercy ball ejection saucer. This machine definitely keeps you alert and aroused. No time for yawning or sleeping. It is QUICK! Not for the the faint of heart.

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Still a few details to do, labels, games cards and the cleaning of the backglass.

Yves

Last stretch for the restoration properly speaking, the Backglass.

What can I say about it? Simply one thing: I have never ever seen such a dirty piece of glass, with tons of nicotine and crass accumulated!

Here are the few pictures describing my method. Everybody has its own and I will stick to my personal choice which has been preserving my backglasses for more than 15 years now.

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Can you guys spell C.R.A.S.S and N.I.C.O.T.I.N.E ? Just amazing. Most of the backglass has already received a first clean up with the exception of that corner. The entire backglass was like that..... Crass preserves.....supposedly.

Th previous owner used some kind of goo to prevent more flaking. This was used in the dark areas and actually does not hurt too much the overall appearance.

So, I use 70% isopropyl alcohol and a very clean and soft piece of cotton. I clean one section at a time, leaving the crass some time to be dislodged by the alcohol and the friction of the fabric. The trick is to come in multiple light passes. No heavy scrubbing that would ruin the silver coating on the back. Take your time, go gently. Let it dry and come back to it later.

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See, it is coming along, little by little. Patience, smoothness, softness, Love are the key ingredients.

There will be some bad spots, typically around the displays and where those #44 bulbs have been spewing their heat and jettisoning the ambient dust. So, after multiple light passes, we pull out the big guns: the Magic Eraser or ME. Again, some alcohol poured on the backglass and a very light touch on the ME, using circular motion, like an orbital sander. The crass is coming loose and needs to be wiped out immediately, before it settles down again. You will have a sludge in your hands. Remove it at once, before it dries again.

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That's it, I cannot rub any more without damaging the 42 years old silver coating. The glass is infinitely cleaner than when we started. The glass is becoming more transparent. I can now see the features of Mata Hari and of the Baron, which I could not before cleaning.

Next phase is the Krylon Triple Thick: I love that stuff as it seals the artwork and will tolerate "some" rough handling of the backglass. But first, you must mask the display windows. I use Scotch magic tape. It has some low tack properties which are perfect for this usage. It is important to be precise and do a very clean masking.

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Then spraying outside or in your spray room, go with very light coats at first. Some people will have a heavy hand on the glass, others a light dusting. Personally, I prefer some light coats, followed by a heavier coat which will make the backglass almost shiny. To finish it, I slightly dust it from a distance, equalizing the overall surface. I think it provides a better diffusion of the light and balances the inequalities that are inherent to spraying a backglass. Most of one Krylon can is actually spent on a single backglass, to give you some perspective.

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While the Triple-Thick dries, you must remove the masking that you previously set on the display windows. Don't wait! I use an X-acto blade to lift the tape and a tweezer or pliers to remove the tape. Et voila.... All clean and transparent, so we can see clearly, those 40 years old Bally electro-luminescent displays. If, while removing the scotch tape, you have some uneven edges or runs, you can can quickly remove the Triple Thick with alcohol and a clean tissue. It works very well.

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Let the glass dry for a couple of hours, then wipe it with the caress of a terry cloth. The dusting will go away, like fine white dust. You glass is ready and protected for many years to come.

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Now, we can clean the channel and the top of the backglass.

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Yves

So, the protected backglass is now re-installed in the machine:
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It is not too bad and will do, while I try to convince Stephen from BG Resto to print me another one.
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The machine is fully operational and almost completed. It still needs some adjustments (contacts, tilt, slams, settings) and replacing a couple of light sockets which are misbehaving

Yves

A couple of pictures of Mata Hari in its new environment:
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Yves

Thank you. I am following your thread too, with a lot of interests.

Yves

Good to hear from you Matt. No, nothing for the moment as I have moved to other sources of interests (I have too many).
If I could find a Playboy cabinet, that would be cool but space is missing in my basement to even add another machine.

I will be back, no doubt.

How is this flipperless machine doing for you?

Yves