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anoon's Centipede
- Thread starter anoon
- Start date
This! Alternately, make sure it's a silicone squeegee. Auto window tinting is the same concept. it's leaps and bound above dry-mounting IMHO
Excellent choice!
Nice project & good decisions thus far.. so good to see love for Centipede and that paint booth absolutely rocks!
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anoon
Well-known member
T-Molding Day!
I was going to save doing the t-molding until the very end of the project as it makes for a nice finishing touch, but seeing as applying t-molding is much easier when the cabinet is laying on its side, I opted to tackle the job now while all of the heavy parts of the game are still on the workbench.
While Centipedes originally came with black t-molding, I decided to opt for a splash of color. After debating between several options, I went with green.
40 feet of fresh green t-molding, warming up in the sun.
The spine running along the backside of the t-molding fits into the slot that has been routed around the periphery of the sides. Just line it up and tap it into place with a white rubber mallet.
A couple of quick 45 degree snips of the spine allows the t-molding to fit nicely around the convex curves of the cabinet.
First corner of the lower front.
Marquee area. The green looks great against the glossy white laminate.
Pick the cabinet up, turn it around, lay it back down, and repeat for the other side.
All done. Not bad for about half an hour's work.
I was going to save doing the t-molding until the very end of the project as it makes for a nice finishing touch, but seeing as applying t-molding is much easier when the cabinet is laying on its side, I opted to tackle the job now while all of the heavy parts of the game are still on the workbench.
While Centipedes originally came with black t-molding, I decided to opt for a splash of color. After debating between several options, I went with green.
40 feet of fresh green t-molding, warming up in the sun.
The spine running along the backside of the t-molding fits into the slot that has been routed around the periphery of the sides. Just line it up and tap it into place with a white rubber mallet.
A couple of quick 45 degree snips of the spine allows the t-molding to fit nicely around the convex curves of the cabinet.
First corner of the lower front.
Marquee area. The green looks great against the glossy white laminate.
Pick the cabinet up, turn it around, lay it back down, and repeat for the other side.
All done. Not bad for about half an hour's work.
OP
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anoon
Well-known member
Time to start putting this machine back together. Might as well begin at the top with the marquee.
Upper area of the cabinet, where the marquee* sits, affixed by the upper and lower brackets. Behind the marquee is a space for a drawer of sorts that holds the speaker and the lamp that illuminates the marquee.
*according to Centipede's manuals and parts list, the marquee was known as the "attract panel" back in good ole 1980. In all my years playing and making arcade games, I have never once heard the term "attract panel." Funny.
Here is the nice, new, clean header drawer with original speaker, ballast, and lamp screwed into place.
I was looking forward to reassembling this as the original installation was quite peculiar. The clamps that held the lamp in place were off center and too close together, the result being the marquee was lit unevenly and the lamp was held in place by the glass of the tube rather than the metal end caps.
Really not sure what those Irishmen were up to at Tipperary Atari plant where this machine was assembled, but it has been corrected now.
After a quick bench test to ensure all of the original equipment still worked, it was time to put the drawer back in the cabinet.
Fits like a glove, lamp all nice and centered up.
Made of thin, perforated metal, arcade speaker grilles are notorious for getting dented, punctured, or otherwise ruined. There are a handful of restoration enthusiasts devoted to crafting reproductions for all of the different games of out there, but luckily my grille only suffered light damage.
I spent a few hours gently tapping out the dents and bends with a steel hammer, stripping, sanding, and repainting in order to salvage the original.
These were actually riveted to the lower header panel rather than screwed in.
With the cabinet laid on its back, the bottom bracket is put into place.
But wait, the screws poke up through the lower header panel and obstruct smooth sliding of the drawer. That doesn't seem right.
I really don't recall how this was installed in the original cabinet. This is one area I apparently didn't take photos of. Since these are the original screws from 1980, it must have been this way, but it seems wrong. On top of all this, I do not have the original nuts, which is a bit of a mystery since I was pretty sure I bagged and tagged every piece of the game.
Finally, how does one put the nuts on the screws coming through the upper header panel once the marquee is in place? They would be impossible to get at.
In testing the fit of the brackets, I dropped one of the original screws and toothed washers. They vanished into thin air.
Over the course of two evenings I spent in excess of 6 hours on my hands and knees scouring the garage for the missing screw. I used flashlights, spotlights, and a magnetic wand in the search. I moved every appliance and object in the garage looking. I checked every corner and crevice of the cabinet for it as well. It was as if it just left this plane of existence.
I hate giving up, but in the end I resigned myself to a trip to the hardware store for some shorter screws and matching t-nuts.
I am sure the missing screw will one day materialize from its interdimensional journey and bury itself in my foot, payment for some cosmic transgression I have committed, but for now after a quick shot of paint, I have a new solution for affixing the top and bottom brackets.
T-nuts hammered into place on the upper header panel.
I took a piece of duct tape, folded it in half and laid it on top of the t-nut before banging it in as to not mar my paint job.
Makes for a nice clean installation. The T-nuts will be hidden under the bracket and the new shorter screws won't protrude into the marquee area, allowing the drawer to easily slide in and out.
Upper area of the cabinet, where the marquee* sits, affixed by the upper and lower brackets. Behind the marquee is a space for a drawer of sorts that holds the speaker and the lamp that illuminates the marquee.
*according to Centipede's manuals and parts list, the marquee was known as the "attract panel" back in good ole 1980. In all my years playing and making arcade games, I have never once heard the term "attract panel." Funny.
Here is the nice, new, clean header drawer with original speaker, ballast, and lamp screwed into place.
I was looking forward to reassembling this as the original installation was quite peculiar. The clamps that held the lamp in place were off center and too close together, the result being the marquee was lit unevenly and the lamp was held in place by the glass of the tube rather than the metal end caps.
Really not sure what those Irishmen were up to at Tipperary Atari plant where this machine was assembled, but it has been corrected now.
After a quick bench test to ensure all of the original equipment still worked, it was time to put the drawer back in the cabinet.
Fits like a glove, lamp all nice and centered up.
Made of thin, perforated metal, arcade speaker grilles are notorious for getting dented, punctured, or otherwise ruined. There are a handful of restoration enthusiasts devoted to crafting reproductions for all of the different games of out there, but luckily my grille only suffered light damage.
I spent a few hours gently tapping out the dents and bends with a steel hammer, stripping, sanding, and repainting in order to salvage the original.
These were actually riveted to the lower header panel rather than screwed in.
With the cabinet laid on its back, the bottom bracket is put into place.
But wait, the screws poke up through the lower header panel and obstruct smooth sliding of the drawer. That doesn't seem right.
I really don't recall how this was installed in the original cabinet. This is one area I apparently didn't take photos of. Since these are the original screws from 1980, it must have been this way, but it seems wrong. On top of all this, I do not have the original nuts, which is a bit of a mystery since I was pretty sure I bagged and tagged every piece of the game.
Finally, how does one put the nuts on the screws coming through the upper header panel once the marquee is in place? They would be impossible to get at.
In testing the fit of the brackets, I dropped one of the original screws and toothed washers. They vanished into thin air.
Over the course of two evenings I spent in excess of 6 hours on my hands and knees scouring the garage for the missing screw. I used flashlights, spotlights, and a magnetic wand in the search. I moved every appliance and object in the garage looking. I checked every corner and crevice of the cabinet for it as well. It was as if it just left this plane of existence.
I hate giving up, but in the end I resigned myself to a trip to the hardware store for some shorter screws and matching t-nuts.
I am sure the missing screw will one day materialize from its interdimensional journey and bury itself in my foot, payment for some cosmic transgression I have committed, but for now after a quick shot of paint, I have a new solution for affixing the top and bottom brackets.
T-nuts hammered into place on the upper header panel.
I took a piece of duct tape, folded it in half and laid it on top of the t-nut before banging it in as to not mar my paint job.
Makes for a nice clean installation. The T-nuts will be hidden under the bracket and the new shorter screws won't protrude into the marquee area, allowing the drawer to easily slide in and out.
OP
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anoon
Well-known member
Marquee is in fairly decent shape, all things considered. A little flaking on the back and a bit dirty of course, (what isn't on these relics,) but not terrible.
There's a good deal of heavy gouging going down on the right hand side along with some ancient adhesive.
Looks like somebody tried to scrape off what was likely a tax stamp.
Pretty nasty crack in the lower left of the m̵a̵r̵q̵u̵e̵e̵ ATTRACT PANEL.
Lo and behold, there is a very distinct dent in the lower marquee bracket exactly where the crack in the marquee is.
Something must have hit it pretty hard back in the day. Fortunately it hit the bracket. I imagine this would have shattered the marquee.
After a little Goo Gone, some gentle flat razoring of the old adhesive, and a wipe down, the marquee goes in place along with the upper bracket.
The green of the marquee and the green of the t-molding match astonishingly well.
There's a good deal of heavy gouging going down on the right hand side along with some ancient adhesive.
Looks like somebody tried to scrape off what was likely a tax stamp.
Pretty nasty crack in the lower left of the m̵a̵r̵q̵u̵e̵e̵ ATTRACT PANEL.
Lo and behold, there is a very distinct dent in the lower marquee bracket exactly where the crack in the marquee is.
Something must have hit it pretty hard back in the day. Fortunately it hit the bracket. I imagine this would have shattered the marquee.
After a little Goo Gone, some gentle flat razoring of the old adhesive, and a wipe down, the marquee goes in place along with the upper bracket.
The green of the marquee and the green of the t-molding match astonishingly well.
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anoon
Well-known member
Not much to putting the control panel back on, really. Line it up, put the bolts in, and then affix the hasps to the cabinet so they can clamp the panel into place.
On Atari machines such as Centipede, the hinge is folded up and behind the underside of the control panel so it is hidden from view when closed.
This differs from a Williams machines in that their panels are folded down and under the outside of the control panel, leaving them visible.
It is a 2 minute fix to flip it around, but it can be a bit startling when you go to close an Atari panel and it is no where near fitting properly.
Original hasps screwed into place.
A strip of foam insulation on the upper lip of the control panel makes for a bit of padding when the panel meets the glass.
The padding that crumbled off of the original panel seemed much thinner than this, but I am not sure if that was just 40 years of being smushed in place or what. This is the thinnest stuff I could find locally, so it will have to do.
All done and locked into place. Looks nice.
On Atari machines such as Centipede, the hinge is folded up and behind the underside of the control panel so it is hidden from view when closed.
This differs from a Williams machines in that their panels are folded down and under the outside of the control panel, leaving them visible.
It is a 2 minute fix to flip it around, but it can be a bit startling when you go to close an Atari panel and it is no where near fitting properly.
Original hasps screwed into place.
A strip of foam insulation on the upper lip of the control panel makes for a bit of padding when the panel meets the glass.
The padding that crumbled off of the original panel seemed much thinner than this, but I am not sure if that was just 40 years of being smushed in place or what. This is the thinnest stuff I could find locally, so it will have to do.
All done and locked into place. Looks nice.
OP
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anoon
Well-known member
Reassembling and installing the coin door will be fun. It only came apart in 900 different pieces.
Sure, no problem.
First thing is to get this plate in place and install a new lock. The 4 holes on the lower left are for the coin counter.
The blue switch with the pendulum is the "slam switch." Basically, if the machine is hit hard enough the switch will close, completing the circuit. The game then reads this input and resets itself, preventing hoodlums from obtaining free credits my kicking or hitting the coin door.
There are 4 more holes on the opposite side of the coin door for a second coin counter.
That plate shouldn't be bent like that. Not sure if it was like that before I handed it off at the powder coating facility or they dropped it. In any case, this machine had but one coin counter installed, so I won't be putting another one in this spot.
Putting the inserts back in the rejects.
At some point I may revisit these buttons and polish them up as I did with my Joust machine, but for now they just had a decent scrub clean.
With the bezels in position, the reject buttons fit into their homes.
Coin returns are 2 pieces each: a bezel and a flap that freely swings in the housing.
On they go, to be screwed into the back of the coin door.
Several of the screws were missing and mismatched when I disassembled it all, so I have since ordered new screws. Naturally the local hardware stores didn't have the right size, so I had to order online.
I needed but 8, however they only come in packs of 100, so I now have enough screws to fix a whole bunch of coin doors.
Sure, no problem.
First thing is to get this plate in place and install a new lock. The 4 holes on the lower left are for the coin counter.
The blue switch with the pendulum is the "slam switch." Basically, if the machine is hit hard enough the switch will close, completing the circuit. The game then reads this input and resets itself, preventing hoodlums from obtaining free credits my kicking or hitting the coin door.
There are 4 more holes on the opposite side of the coin door for a second coin counter.
That plate shouldn't be bent like that. Not sure if it was like that before I handed it off at the powder coating facility or they dropped it. In any case, this machine had but one coin counter installed, so I won't be putting another one in this spot.
Putting the inserts back in the rejects.
At some point I may revisit these buttons and polish them up as I did with my Joust machine, but for now they just had a decent scrub clean.
With the bezels in position, the reject buttons fit into their homes.
Coin returns are 2 pieces each: a bezel and a flap that freely swings in the housing.
On they go, to be screwed into the back of the coin door.
Several of the screws were missing and mismatched when I disassembled it all, so I have since ordered new screws. Naturally the local hardware stores didn't have the right size, so I had to order online.
I needed but 8, however they only come in packs of 100, so I now have enough screws to fix a whole bunch of coin doors.
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anoon
Well-known member
Plates and reject springs in place.
It took a few tries to get all the pieces of the coin mechs back together and fitting properly, but it wasn't too bad.
Coin counter in place. 4 holes, but I only had 2 bolts. The manual only shows 2 bolts, so much be right.
Naturally, these bolts are a different size from the screws that hold the coin rejects and return bezels in place.
Once all that was done, a handful of nuts cause those stainless teeth to bite into the wood, securing the door in place.
Nice and clean coin hopper, complete with reconditioned handle.
I am missing the security lid for the hopper. I will have to track one down.
Final result.
It took a few tries to get all the pieces of the coin mechs back together and fitting properly, but it wasn't too bad.
Coin counter in place. 4 holes, but I only had 2 bolts. The manual only shows 2 bolts, so much be right.
Naturally, these bolts are a different size from the screws that hold the coin rejects and return bezels in place.
Once all that was done, a handful of nuts cause those stainless teeth to bite into the wood, securing the door in place.
Nice and clean coin hopper, complete with reconditioned handle.
I am missing the security lid for the hopper. I will have to track one down.
Final result.
OP
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anoon
Well-known member
All caught up.
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Awesome!
Nice work - well done. I like a nice clean coin door.
and Centipede of course
and Centipede of course
advans13
Requested Self-Ban
Look for beer seal the pinball dudes use on lockbars. I think it might be thinner.
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anoon
Well-known member
Its been a busy number of weeks around here, not really allowing for nice big blocks of time to make significant forward progress on Centipede. Work on transplanting the innards of the machine from the bench to the inside of the cabinet has been in small fits and starts.
It has been a bit nerve wracking due to the fragility of the parts. As a fellow arcade collector friend said: "Time to put it all back together so you can take it all out again when it doesn't work."
Putting the monitor in was a bear. Centering the thing and getting it level proved to be the biggest challenge. The holes that were cut to mount the monitor were not in the most optimal places, so I had to drill and cut some modifications in.
The monitor from the backside, once I eventually fit it properly.
Clean!
A closer look at the small channel I had to cut in the support to get the monitor frame to sit right.
Finally got to try out the bezel I made a while back. Seems to fit well enough.
It's a miracle this thing didn't get destroyed in the months it was moved all around the garage.
It has been a bit nerve wracking due to the fragility of the parts. As a fellow arcade collector friend said: "Time to put it all back together so you can take it all out again when it doesn't work."
Putting the monitor in was a bear. Centering the thing and getting it level proved to be the biggest challenge. The holes that were cut to mount the monitor were not in the most optimal places, so I had to drill and cut some modifications in.
The monitor from the backside, once I eventually fit it properly.
Clean!
A closer look at the small channel I had to cut in the support to get the monitor frame to sit right.
Finally got to try out the bezel I made a while back. Seems to fit well enough.
It's a miracle this thing didn't get destroyed in the months it was moved all around the garage.
OP
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anoon
Well-known member
Now the real work. Transplanting, wiring up, and mounting all this stuff to the inside of the cabinet without it looking like a rats nest, all while ensuring it all still works in the end.
First order of business is to replace the crusty and worn power cord with a fresh one. This took longer than expected. Squeezing the clamp far enough to get it back through the plate so I could put the new one in was tough.
Naturally, I installed the new cord backwards, so I had to do it all over again.
The plug end of the cord exits the cabinet through this U shaped notch. The plate on the other end is supposed to slide down into the slot on the back sides of those two vertical guide blocks...
...except the carpenter neglected to cut the slots.
After an unsuccessful hour of trying to cut in the slots myself using a number of different saws, files, and power tools, I decided it was time to improvise.
Fortunately, the guide blocks were only stapled in and not glued.
Any problem is solvable given application of sufficient force.
Work smarterer, not harder.
Phase 1: In goes the power block.
Wiring job roughly half done. Power block screwed down, power switch and interlock switches mounted. A good deal of the wiring routed and screwed into place. Soundboard screwed to the backside of the coin hopper stand.
First order of business is to replace the crusty and worn power cord with a fresh one. This took longer than expected. Squeezing the clamp far enough to get it back through the plate so I could put the new one in was tough.
Naturally, I installed the new cord backwards, so I had to do it all over again.
The plug end of the cord exits the cabinet through this U shaped notch. The plate on the other end is supposed to slide down into the slot on the back sides of those two vertical guide blocks...
...except the carpenter neglected to cut the slots.
After an unsuccessful hour of trying to cut in the slots myself using a number of different saws, files, and power tools, I decided it was time to improvise.
Fortunately, the guide blocks were only stapled in and not glued.
Any problem is solvable given application of sufficient force.
Work smarterer, not harder.
Phase 1: In goes the power block.
Wiring job roughly half done. Power block screwed down, power switch and interlock switches mounted. A good deal of the wiring routed and screwed into place. Soundboard screwed to the backside of the coin hopper stand.
OP
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anoon
Well-known member
Phase 2: mounting the circuit board and the rest of the wiring harness.
These plastic rails are to be affixed to the wall of the cabinet. In the top of each is a slot for the circuit board to slide into.
These rails are the originals from 1981, and were stapled into the inner side of the cabinet. You can see where the staples were pulled through to remove them.
Not having a staple gun handy, and being loathe to make yet another run to the hardware store, I opted to drill a couple of holes in either end and screw them into place.
Amazing how small, (bad,) decisions can have outsized consequences.
The area in the back of the cabinet where the end of these rails sit is very cramped. Too small to fit a power screwdriver into and far too awkward to really get any leverage to drive the screws by hand.
In the end I had to tip the entire cabinet on its side, a task made that much more difficult due to the extra 40lbs of monitor now bolted into place in the upper part of the machine.
I ended up laying on the floor of the garage, my body halfway inside the cabinet screwing the rails in with a stubby screwdriver.
I should mention that it was also approximately 110 degrees on this afternoon, but I prevailed.
Rails levelled and in place.
Wiring complete! Circuit board slotted nicely into place and plugged in.
These plastic rails are to be affixed to the wall of the cabinet. In the top of each is a slot for the circuit board to slide into.
These rails are the originals from 1981, and were stapled into the inner side of the cabinet. You can see where the staples were pulled through to remove them.
Not having a staple gun handy, and being loathe to make yet another run to the hardware store, I opted to drill a couple of holes in either end and screw them into place.
Amazing how small, (bad,) decisions can have outsized consequences.
The area in the back of the cabinet where the end of these rails sit is very cramped. Too small to fit a power screwdriver into and far too awkward to really get any leverage to drive the screws by hand.
In the end I had to tip the entire cabinet on its side, a task made that much more difficult due to the extra 40lbs of monitor now bolted into place in the upper part of the machine.
I ended up laying on the floor of the garage, my body halfway inside the cabinet screwing the rails in with a stubby screwdriver.
I should mention that it was also approximately 110 degrees on this afternoon, but I prevailed.
Rails levelled and in place.
Wiring complete! Circuit board slotted nicely into place and plugged in.
Looking good! I really like the green T molding and the orange power block.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing
OP
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anoon
Well-known member
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OP
anoon
Well-known member
Centipede features some of the most beautiful and iconic side graphics of any arcade game, ever. A large, green, ferocious centipede winds its way through a field of mushrooms up the side of the cabinet while dodging starbursts of gunfire. It is a quite striking piece of art.
The graphics on the original machine I bought were shredded and filthy from years of use, abuse, and exposure to moisture. There are a handful of vendors offering vinyl reproduction pieces, but which one to go with?
After extensive examination of each vendor's online offerings and eliminating those with less than stellar reviews, I settled on a final field of three candidate suppliers.
Each of these vendors have a reputation for top quality materials,, high accuracy of reproduction, and good business practices.
That's when I noticed something. None of their Centipede repros matched my original artwork 100%.
Here is the machine I purchased. Side graphics feature:
But wait. Another collector, @lilypad19 shared an image of his original Centipede, and it features:
Hold on. I found this variant online. I believe it is original too.
Just when I thought I had scoured the internet for all images of original machines, this bizarre variant pops up.
worth noting that the back glass around the screen is some weird variant with orange creatures, rather than the blue graphics.
From what I gathered, this was a version manufactured at an Italian distributors under license from Atari.
So where to order from? Thing is, none of the three good vendors offered a product that matched any of the those previously shown original variants to a 100% degree of accuracy. A couple of the yellow outline repros were close to the original yellow variant, but I was adamant about sticking with a pink outline centipede.
Seeing as I had no choice but to make some concessions with respect to color accuracy, I went with the vendor that had the reputation for very highest quality materials and best turnaround time.
The graphics shipped a few days after order and arrived at the end of November of 2021.
Closer examination of the head.
Closer examination of the starbursts.
Closer examination of the mushroom.
Now, while I came to terms with the color differences, one thing that I had not noticed when originally ordering was the problem with the line weight of the piece. In this closeup image of the mushroom, the black outline is blobby and misshapen where the originals featured a uniform line quality.
Probably my years of art training speaking here, but this drives me NUTS. FWIW, this type of inconsistency is typically indicative of having used an auto trace function when converting an image from bitmap to vector graphics.
Unfortunately, I had missed my window of opportunity to return the product, so I had to soldier on despite knowing this would gnaw at me forever.
In the end, none of this mattered, because I completely and utterly botched applying the graphics. By the time I had the lower quarter of the first side applied, it was so hopelessly full of bubbles and wrinkles I couldn't squeegee out, I ripped it off and threw it away. As a first timer at this, bad technique on my part.
I was so frustrated I didn't think to take any pictures, so here is an image of the other side of the graphics, rolled back up into the shipping tube. Maybe I'll find a use for it some day.
I contacted the graphics vendor to see if I could order just the one side I screwed up, but he indicated he only does runs of full sets, which are fairly expensive. To his credit, he did offer to work with me on a reduced price, but I figured if I was going to spend that much money, I would try a different vendor whose product had better line weights.
Now the waiting. The new vendor had a 2-3 month back order...
The graphics on the original machine I bought were shredded and filthy from years of use, abuse, and exposure to moisture. There are a handful of vendors offering vinyl reproduction pieces, but which one to go with?
After extensive examination of each vendor's online offerings and eliminating those with less than stellar reviews, I settled on a final field of three candidate suppliers.
Each of these vendors have a reputation for top quality materials,, high accuracy of reproduction, and good business practices.
That's when I noticed something. None of their Centipede repros matched my original artwork 100%.
Here is the machine I purchased. Side graphics feature:
- pink outline
- yellow tongue
- red mouth
- blue wart shading
- antennae pointing down
- mushroom cap pattern: red, red, red, pink, red, red
- asymmetrical starbursts
- yellow starburst background
But wait. Another collector, @lilypad19 shared an image of his original Centipede, and it features:
- yellow outline
- red tongue
- orange mouth
- black wart shading
- antennae pointing up
- mushroom cap pattern: red, orange, red, red, orange, red
- symmetrical starbursts
- white starburst background
Hold on. I found this variant online. I believe it is original too.
- pink outline
- red tongue
- orange mouth
- black wart shading
- antennae pointing up
- mushroom cap pattern: pink, orange, red, pink, orange, red
- symmetrical starbursts
- white starburst background
Just when I thought I had scoured the internet for all images of original machines, this bizarre variant pops up.
- yellow outline
- yellow tongue
- red mouth
- black wart shading
- antennae pointing down
- mushroom cap pattern: red, red, red, red, white, red
- asymmetrical starbursts
- yellow starburst background
worth noting that the back glass around the screen is some weird variant with orange creatures, rather than the blue graphics.
From what I gathered, this was a version manufactured at an Italian distributors under license from Atari.
So where to order from? Thing is, none of the three good vendors offered a product that matched any of the those previously shown original variants to a 100% degree of accuracy. A couple of the yellow outline repros were close to the original yellow variant, but I was adamant about sticking with a pink outline centipede.
Seeing as I had no choice but to make some concessions with respect to color accuracy, I went with the vendor that had the reputation for very highest quality materials and best turnaround time.
The graphics shipped a few days after order and arrived at the end of November of 2021.
Closer examination of the head.
- Green wart shading, (not blue)
- Red tongue, (not yellow)
Closer examination of the starbursts.
- Symmetrical burst, (not asymetrical.)
- White starburst background, (not yellow)
Closer examination of the mushroom.
- Mushroom cap color of pink, orange, red, pink, orange, red, (not red, red, red, pink, red, red.)
Now, while I came to terms with the color differences, one thing that I had not noticed when originally ordering was the problem with the line weight of the piece. In this closeup image of the mushroom, the black outline is blobby and misshapen where the originals featured a uniform line quality.
Probably my years of art training speaking here, but this drives me NUTS. FWIW, this type of inconsistency is typically indicative of having used an auto trace function when converting an image from bitmap to vector graphics.
Unfortunately, I had missed my window of opportunity to return the product, so I had to soldier on despite knowing this would gnaw at me forever.
In the end, none of this mattered, because I completely and utterly botched applying the graphics. By the time I had the lower quarter of the first side applied, it was so hopelessly full of bubbles and wrinkles I couldn't squeegee out, I ripped it off and threw it away. As a first timer at this, bad technique on my part.
I was so frustrated I didn't think to take any pictures, so here is an image of the other side of the graphics, rolled back up into the shipping tube. Maybe I'll find a use for it some day.
I contacted the graphics vendor to see if I could order just the one side I screwed up, but he indicated he only does runs of full sets, which are fairly expensive. To his credit, he did offer to work with me on a reduced price, but I figured if I was going to spend that much money, I would try a different vendor whose product had better line weights.
Now the waiting. The new vendor had a 2-3 month back order...
