Big Blue Restoration *Done!*

Fatboypros

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Removing all vinyl!
 

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Looking forward to seeing the final product!

Please tell me you will be completely eliminating any trace of Street Fighter The Movie. :p

Is that control panel metal or wood? And please provide details on your process for removing the original overlay.
 
Ha! This is the first time I have ever bought a machine with an intact marquee and plexi that I would not have to replace, I was so excited! Goodbye happiness.

I would love to put whatever came with this cab originally if I could figure that out. I have only seen seen one tag with any kind of number on it. KC-6873.

The control panel is metal, with a wood base underneath it. The wood base just runs around the outside of the panel not in the center. All the buttons are mounted directly on the metal with welded studs for the joysticks.

To strip the control panel I used a heat gun and scraper. This removed the outer layer. Then I had to do it again to remove a white layer. I was then left with glue that was so strong I don't think NASA even knows about it. I went thru the forums and read all the answers I could find on the topic of removing it. Unable to purchase MEK in corruptafornia, most every idea I tried failed. I found what worked the best was to lay paper towels over the entire cp. Then spray them with Gumout Carb Cleaner. The paper towels allowed the carb cleaner to not evaporate so quickly. They stayed wet for a while. Then I was able to scrape the adhesive off pretty easily. I followed that with a light sanding and got a pretty clean surface.
 
On to the repairs...

So I really lucked out with the condition of this cab. She has good bones. There was only one corner that had to be fixed and several small scratches on the sides. I prefer to use bondo instead of wood filler because it has a catalyst that chemically dries it. So regardless of temp outside it will still dry and I can sand in about a hour. However, I only like to use it sparingly as a filler for repairs I have made not as the repair itself. I.e. One corner was gone, so instead of useing bondo to fix it I cut out the damage at a 45 degree back to good wood, removed the piece, the cut a new piece of 3/4" mdf and glued it back into place. This way there is solid wood in the repair. Then I used bondo to fill the seem, and then floated the area with bondo to make sure it was all the same level.

I always go slightly heavier than I need to because it will shrink slightly when drying. The picture is of the second coat of bondo, sanded and shaped, third coat applied and sanded again. I just got my first 1/16" Freud slot cutting router bit and it cuts like butter. A little too good actually, so one swipe with that and it was on to paint...
 

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I did the bezel next. It was faded and ripped. So I used wood glue to glue it back together, and left some heavy weight on the seem for 24 hours as it dried. Once dry, a lite sanding and respray with flat black. There still are some light creases in it, but I was happy to save the original and don't mind them...too much.
 

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Next was the control panel. The kit I bought had the back round design on one big sheet, and the button/joystick labels were on separate sheets all cut out individually. I purpusly chose this one versus the cp overlay that had everything printed on one sheet thinking it would be much more forgiving not having to line up everything perfectly in one shot.

I started on one side of the cp leaving a little overhang and slowly peeled back the backing as I layed down the overlay. Then I used a hand held roller to ensure good adhesion and deal with any creases. Next I flipped it over, and used to cp as a guide to run my razor blade along the edges and trim off the extra. Well, upon further reflection this was a mistake. Instead of cutting the overlay to fit right to the edge next time I will leave extra to wrap around to the bottom. It seems like that would be a much stronger bond.

Also, the great idea I had of purchasing the overlay with the buttons descriptions separate was in fact not a great idea at all. I found it very hard to line them up to little squares that go over the buttons. I am still not happy with them. Next time I will get one all on the same piece.
 

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Onto the marquee. If you have a Tap Plastics around you I would HIGHLY recommend them for all you lexan or plexi needs. I use to buy mine at the Home Depot and I can get it cheaper at tap, cut perfectly, and thicker. For less money!

I bought a 1/4 inch thick plexi. Kinda overkill but I don't want it to bend or flex being so big and I've never had a marquee so giant. I didn't know. I got a repo translight marquee and I cut it about an 1/8"-1/4" smaller than the plexi. I used clear tape to just tack/hold the translight to the plexi. This is only to hold it until it is sandwiched between the plexi and cab.

I would love to find a way to mount the translight to plexi but don't know how. The only thing I have seen is people use two pieces of plexi.

Sidenote, the plexi was too thick to fit so I had to lossen the speaker holder, slide in the plexi then retighten.
 

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And she is painted.

I ended up going with Behr, Satin finish because they had the color I liked most. After the first coat I found the paint to be too thick. Showing brush marks. I sanded, then thinned it out with distilled water. About 10%. I was all out of Floetrol, and I'm over an hour from the hardware store cause I live in BFE. I would recommend using Floetrol to thin your paint if needed. Or I heard window washer fluid is also a good alternative. The distilled water worked well enough though. 3 coats in total, sanding in between each. It came out ok. Not perfect. But acceptable.

The t-molding. Yes I know big Blue's use a light grey t molding but to me the light grey kinda looks like a dingy white from a distance. I like the contrast the white gives it. Also, admittitly I am a white t molding addict. I use it on things I probably shouldn't.
 

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Another day another blue. Redid this one for someone who saw my last one. Same process as last except more authentic with grey t-molding, one piece control panel overlay and a bezel. I think his came out better. Learned from my mistakes on the first.
 

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