Gearing up for a full White Water restore

jar155

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I got a nice playing White Water from spbeyond, a fellow KLOVer and I've been enjoying it. I've done some really nice cleaning up of machines, some bordering on full restores, but I've never done the full playfield swap. Well, I purchased a playfield from an RGP member that has been clearcoated and it looks fantastic. I won't be able to get the playfield until mid-April, but I'll be using that time to strip the current machine start buying EVERY OTHER THING that goes in the machine.

If anybody is interested in used parts for White Water, I'll probably be a good source for you soon.

Does anybody have specific experience with White Water restoration? Any tips or horror stories to share?
 
I got a nice playing White Water from spbeyond, a fellow KLOVer and I've been enjoying it. I've done some really nice cleaning up of machines, some bordering on full restores, but I've never done the full playfield swap. Well, I purchased a playfield from an RGP member that has been clearcoated and it looks fantastic. I won't be able to get the playfield until mid-April, but I'll be using that time to strip the current machine start buying EVERY OTHER THING that goes in the machine.

If anybody is interested in used parts for White Water, I'll probably be a good source for you soon.

Does anybody have specific experience with White Water restoration? Any tips or horror stories to share?

I think out of the 100 or so machines I have torn down to bare PF, Whitewater is one of the easiest. People always say that Whitewater and Demolition Man are tougher, but I found both to be pretty simple. Once you figure out how the ramps go on (order), it is pretty much downhill from there.


Sounds like a fun project, I am guessing you will be around the 1500 mark in ramps, boulders, decals, and misc. once everything is said and done.

If could only offer one piece of sage advice for this game..... do not use any kind of solution (even Novus 1) to clean the topper, dry cloth only..... That is one finnicky/fragile piece of artwork to say the least.
 
I'd say that you couldn't pick a harder game to rework. I did a thorough shop job on one and it took 100+ hours. A full restoration/playfield swap would be double that, I'm sure.

http://usergallery.myhomegameroom.com/gallery/Whitewater

It's truly an awesome game though and I wish I hadn't sold it. I have few regrets in this hobby but I highly doubt I'll ever have another WH2O as much as I love the game. Too difficult and too expensive to make it really nice.

Wade
 
I've taken some tough games down to the bare playfield, so I'm pretty experienced taking games down and putting them back together. Is White Water really THAT crazily assembled? I'm not too worried either way, but the thought of it taking so long is a little daunting.
 
I've taken some tough games down to the bare playfield, so I'm pretty experienced taking games down and putting them back together. Is White Water really THAT crazily assembled? I'm not too worried either way, but the thought of it taking so long is a little daunting.

Every ramp in the game attaches to the mini along with the ball lauch wireform. That's what pissed me off. It's not fun.
 
I did a full tear down and rebuild shop on a WH20 a while back. I'll say that while not the easiest game I've ever shopped, it's definitely not as hard as Demolition Man, Judge Dredd, or Star Trek: TNG.

The only thing I remember running into (aside from one of the prior owners being obsessed with drywall screws) was that the topper lamps are #194, and I didn't have any of those in-stock. Wound up having to order and wait for them before the game was done.
 
IIRC there is a page in the manual that tells you step by step on how to take all the ramps off. I remember it being pretty easy you just have to be careful.
 
Ack, pf swaps suck no matter what.
I'll echo what has already been said a bagillion times. Lot's of pictures.
Also, I personally find it very useful to use a large chunk of foam (Home Depot) to press hardware into the shape/position it was on the pf. This way if you want to use a tumbler you can do a few pieces at a time and when they are done you know where they go on the playfield.

I'll hopefully be doing a pf swap on my Funhouse in the next couple months. Waiting on a restore/clear coat from a certain KLOV'er to make it happen (I know you're reading this dude CHOP CHOP!) :D

The really crappy part of restoring a machine is if/when the time comes to sell it you either take one hell of a beating on it or you sit for months waiting to find that ONE buyer.

I feel if we as pin owners don;t fix up/restore a pin you're just helping it get closer to the landfill.
 
I have mine stripped right now. Doing minor touch up and getting it ready to shoot clear when it warms up. Ditto the lots of pics for post placement and the sort.

I am on the fence on doing a permanent fix for the upper PF ball drop. Mine is not beat up bad at all but I an thinking about counter boring the PF and putting a Delrin insert in the ball drop area. Other that this one detail mine is a straight forward job. I do have new head decals to put on also. Fun Stuff!
 
I have mine stripped right now. Doing minor touch up and getting it ready to shoot clear when it warms up. Ditto the lots of pics for post placement and the sort.

I am on the fence on doing a permanent fix for the upper PF ball drop. Mine is not beat up bad at all but I an thinking about counter boring the PF and putting a Delrin insert in the ball drop area. Other that this one detail mine is a straight forward job. I do have new head decals to put on also. Fun Stuff!

Slap a Cliffy in there and be done with it. If you don't you'll wish you had while it was apart.
 
I've taken some tough games down to the bare playfield, so I'm pretty experienced taking games down and putting them back together. Is White Water really THAT crazily assembled? I'm not too worried either way, but the thought of it taking so long is a little daunting.

I'm sure it's not the worst. I did a WCS'94 and it was similar but a little less tricky. But no matter how you slice it, it'll be a LOT of hours to do a thorough cleanup and shop job. Throw in a playfield swap and the number of hours just keeps climbing. The thought alone just makes me tired. But if you could get through it, it'd sure be a keeper. :)

Wade
 
I'm sure it's not the worst. I did a WCS'94 and it was similar but a little less tricky. But no matter how you slice it, it'll be a LOT of hours to do a thorough cleanup and shop job. Throw in a playfield swap and the number of hours just keeps climbing. The thought alone just makes me tired. But if you could get through it, it'd sure be a keeper. :)

Wade

Heh, I've done a WCS'94, and yes, it was a lot of layers. Just putting Cliffy protectors on that game requires taking everything off, for the most part. If it's similar to that then I can see it taking a while to do. Thanks for the comparison...it helps me know a bit more what to expect (thought White Water does look a tad more intense).
 
The only thing I remember running into (aside from one of the prior owners being obsessed with drywall screws) was that the topper lamps are #194, and I didn't have any of those in-stock. Wound up having to order and wait for them before the game was done.

Why would you have to order 194's??? They are available at any auto parts store.
 
Slap a Cliffy in there and be done with it. If you don't you'll wish you had while it was apart.

Cliffy makes great stuff but I am not a big fan of the Wh20 ball drop protector. I looked at one and the area it covers it leaves a step (slight) on the top ball path and the lower ramp has to be leveled to it. I am completely stripping mine so when its stripped I might just counter bore / spot face the ball drop area and put a flush Delrin insert in place. It leaves no step and will last forever. For a field repair without tearing it down its a great fix. I have a vertical milling machine and the counter bore is really easy once the PF is stripped.
 
Cliffy makes great stuff but I am not a big fan of the Wh20 ball drop protector. I looked at one and the area it covers it leaves a step (slight) on the top ball path and the lower ramp has to be leveled to it. I am completely stripping mine so when its stripped I might just counter bore / spot face the ball drop area and put a flush Delrin insert in place. It leaves no step and will last forever. For a field repair without tearing it down its a great fix. I have a vertical milling machine and the counter bore is really easy once the PF is stripped.

Boring it would definatley be the best way if a guy has the means to do it like you have. Most put some washers under the 2 screws where Insanity Falls connects to raise it and make it flush.
 
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