Galaga restoration

DanoND

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Galaga restoration (lots of pix)

Hi guys. Working on my 3rd restoration and thought I would share the progress. Bought a complete Galaga from a local guy for $150, included a working board. Cabinet had some water damage and it looked like the front panel had been kicked in then badly repaired at some point, so I set to work ripping it apart to put it back together the right way.

Look out for Tug the lazer dog.
 

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Started by using a sawzall and cutting the front panel, floor and rear panel below the door off. They were all water logged.
 

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My brother-in-law stopped by to do some dirty work with a razor blade, 3M adhesive remover, Acetone and lots of patience.
 

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Used an air-powered DA sander to clean things up and get it ready for a primer coat. Before paint, though it needed some heavy repair to the busted-up front panel and some gouge repair where the razor blade hooked the paint.
 

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Looks like this game almost burned down another arcade. Lots of smoke and a slightly crispy board around the 2 big diodes on the power supply. My Dad is going through chemo right now and doesn't feel like moving around a whole lot, but he is an electronics buff and loves the big components and self-fixable nature of arcade boards, so I brought the board, power supply, transformer board and wiring harness over to him for refurbishing. He appreciates the sit-down, "do it when I feel like it" project.
 

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Cleaned the control panel, installed a new CPO (thanks Phoenix Arcade, and I agree, it's a Tractor beam, not a Tracker beam), all new switches and a new joystick. My favorite part of any game!
 

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I re-cut all the parts from MDF, same material used originally on this cabinet. It's easy to work with, cuts and sands fast, but soaks up water like a sponge and is easily damaged on the edges. I treated the lower panel where the door edge slips into the notch at the bottom with Minwax Wood Hardener to help it last longer. Great stuff.

I also used a belt sander to cut the wood that'd gotten "fat" from soaking up water down to the same size/level of the rest of the cabinet side, then poured Minwax all over it to give it strength again. Now it is ready for sanding, smoothing and priming.

If you don't have access to a friend to sit on stuff, a 50lb bad of kitty litter works in a pinch.

I also cut a new back door. You can see it sitting in the back.
 

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This is where we left things tonight. Clamped, glued and screwed. I used quite a few 1x1 pieces of square oak pieces 5" long on the inside with screws going in two directions to attach cabinet sides, bottom, back and front together. The original Midway design (using shitty DIY furniture assembly crap and glued-in triangles for "support") was way below par IMHO.
 

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Re:

I hear you on the build quality on some arcade games, some are just slapped together seems like. Especially Nintendo bases, good thing they are simple to make. Good to see a another Galaga on the way to a new life, I have two right now. Keep up the good work.
 
Nice progress so far. I have a Galaga project cab in the garage that I hope to complete this summer, so I'm looking forward to your updates.
 
Thanks for the great thread. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Progress is looking good so far.

Props to your brother-in-law for doing some grunt work. Haha.
 
Today I installed twin audio amps...

Also set it back upright and finished sanding and chip-filling. Next is primer.
 

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That's a nasty crack you have there in the middle of your garage floor...

;)

Ok so I'm slow this morning and am trying to figure out whether you're referring to the actual crack in the garage floor....or something I am missing. The winky face suggests my coffee has not kicked in.... :)
 
Rolled on two coats of primer tonight. Heated up the garage using the #1 diesel space heater and used it to quick-dry the paint, too. The 3rd pic is of the rollers I'm using. Really dense and not as long as the "paint your bedroom" kind of rollers. Easier to get into small areas. I really like the textured finish these give the finish coat. Not shiny like auto paint, not dull like I used a bomb can, and very even if you take your time.
 

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Sanded the primer and finished the first coat of black enamel today. Going to let it dry for a few days, sand then re-coat. Will work on the coin door and other misc. parts in the meantime.
 

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