Atari 720 - Control Panel remedy help...

Hornet303

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This is a call out to all the REAL players of 720. I know there are a number of you on the forums and am curious to hear your opinion.

Everyone knows about the screw/bolt that holds the CP down in the lower/bottom/front section of the panel. Almost every picture I've seen of most any 720 in the recent years (besides the pro restorations of course)has this section of the front blown out due to abuse.

My issue is this. Mine is blown out, and has been "repaired" and painted, but the hole is gone. When I play for high scores, the end of the second round going into the third, everything is either 3 or 4 spins. The control panel on the bottom begins to lift a bit and either makes my spin rough, or feels like I'm putting unnecessary wear on the machine itself.

What have you guys done to further secure your CP? It almost seems like Atari's original design is flawed since you see so many blown out.

While I want mine to look as original as possible, I also want to make it as functional as possible. I have rebuilt the controller, replaced art, replaced t-molding. Everything is in great shape. I just want it a bit more solid for when my buddy's who really play get the best experience.
 
mine wasnt blown out, but it has a metal plate which i had powder coated.. but heres a pic;

dscn2397q.jpg
 
I was going to suggest the same thing. Could you install one on the inside so it's not as visible? What about installing a 3rd control panel clamp?
 
Get a piece of wooden dowel larger than the damaged hole. Say the hole is 1/4", get a piece of 1/2" dowel. Get a 1/2" forstner bit and drill the wood or particleboard all the way through the panel, cleanly. Using Elmers or Titebond wood glue, glue a length of dowel into the hole so that it's flush with the backside and sticking out the front 1/4" or so. After it dries a day or so, use a japanese flush cut saw to flush trim the dowel sticking out to the surrounding area.

FlushCutSaw.jpg


Sand, paint, whatever.. Drill a new countersunk hole. May need to mark the backside with the control panel on to precisely locate the hole, drill a small pilot through the backside, then a countersunk of the proper size through the front.
 
Get a piece of wooden dowel larger than the damaged hole. Say the hole is 1/4", get a piece of 1/2" dowel. Get a 1/2" forstner bit and drill the wood or particleboard all the way through the panel, cleanly. Using Elmers or Titebond wood glue, glue a length of dowel into the hole so that it's flush with the backside and sticking out the front 1/4" or so. After it dries a day or so, use a japanese flush cut saw to flush trim the dowel sticking out to the surrounding area.

FlushCutSaw.jpg


Sand, paint, whatever.. Drill a new countersunk hole. May need to mark the backside with the control panel on to precisely locate the hole, drill a small pilot through the backside, then a countersunk of the proper size through the front.

Yeah, I read that like 3 time and still have no idea what you're talking about :) Anyone have the specs on the original bolt?
 
mine wasnt blown out, but it has a metal plate which i had powder coated.. but heres a pic;

dscn2397q.jpg

That looks pretty clean.. what is holding the plate on? Looks like it has holes for screws, but don't see any screws.
 
Yeah, I read that like 3 time and still have no idea what you're talking about :) Anyone have the specs on the original bolt?

You take a blown out hole. Drill it oversize so that the inner diameter of the new hole matches the outer diameter of a piece of wooden dowel. The dowel will fit tightly enough in the oversize hole to glue it in. You then cut it flush to the cabinet and can redrill the hole in 'good' wood.
 
That looks pretty clean.. what is holding the plate on? Looks like it has holes for screws, but don't see any screws.

its suppose to have 3 screws holding the plate on, but they were never done its held by the screw that holds the CP down.. i was gonna put the 3 screws in, but i said the hell with ir cause the large screw holds it anyway!!
 
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