How do I restore my Z-Back cabinets?

scottkeen

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I've never done an arcade restoration before, but I'd like to. I have (2) Z-Back cabinets which I bought from someone who stored them outdoors in a dirty humid carport. They are weathered badly and I'd like to restore them.

I think my first task is to remove the red vinyl covering (is it vinyl?). What's the best way of doing this?

After that's done, then how do I rebuild the worn out and chipped edges and corners?

And after I've got all the wood/MDF right, then do I just prime and paint, and put on new T-molding?

The control panel is made of bent sheet metal. Do I just strip off the overlay, sand it down, and put on a new overlay? The plexiglass over the control panel is cracked and split. Does someone sell a replacement or do I just cut one out of a sheet of plexi from Home Depot?

Thanks very much.

IMAG0268.jpg
 
depends

Depends how much you want to spend on generic cabinets. Yes you can strip off the vinyl sand it smooth and bondo where needed then paint over it with spray paint or even roll it. Or after you get the wood perfect you can primer it and apply new vinyl to make it look original either way looks nice. But the vinyl does look better but it's not that cheap or easy to come by. Control panel, you already now what to do. You can strip it, a real pain by the way get some adhesive remover like goof off ready after it is nice and perfect you can buy a new over lay and put it on I usally paint the cp black first or you can again vinyl it for the original look and put the cpo over that or just leave it painted if you are going to be changing games I just leave it painted, or what I is paint the control panel and then put a new piece of plexi on top of it a different color to make it look a little nicer. As for getting the plexi I do just buy mine a home depot put on the special plastic cutting blade on my saws and cut out my own then use a step drill bit from harbor frieght for the holes. Hope this helps lets see the pics as you go.
 
Thanks. How do I strip off the red vinyl? Heat gun? If so, can you recommend a heat gun from Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon. Harbor Freight won't ship to Hawaii cheaply.

I know the cabs are nothing special (are they 3KOAM Z-Backs?), but like anything else in Hawaii they are hard to find and would be cost-prohibitive to have shipped over.

Believe me, I'm debating between restoring these or taking them to the dump and building cabs from scratch.
 
They don't look bad

they certainly don't look like trash, I just don't usally spend too much on generic cabs aome spray paint and goof off and I'm happy. As far as stripping vinyl you can just sand it off if you have a decent sander just buy some bulk sand paper because it will junk up pretty quick use a pretty rough grit to start, then work to a finer grit once the vinyl is off. getting it ready for paint or new vinyl. I have never used a heat gun to strip the wood but I do have a heat gun for shrinking etc. Hakko makes a good affordable heat gun. I have only seen it at frys electronics in person but its available online.
Thanks. How do I strip off the red vinyl? Heat gun? If so, can you recommend a heat gun from Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon. Harbor Freight won't ship to Hawaii cheaply.

I know the cabs are nothing special (are they 3KOAM Z-Backs?), but like anything else in Hawaii they are hard to find and would be cost-prohibitive to have shipped over.

Believe me, I'm debating between restoring these or taking them to the dump and building cabs from scratch.
 
yes they appear to be

Thanks. How do I strip off the red vinyl? Heat gun? If so, can you recommend a heat gun from Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon. Harbor Freight won't ship to Hawaii cheaply.

I know the cabs are nothing special (are they 3KOAM Z-Backs?), but like anything else in Hawaii they are hard to find and would be cost-prohibitive to have shipped over.

Believe me, I'm debating between restoring these or taking them to the dump and building cabs from scratch.

I just caught you were asking if they were 3koam z-backs and based on the cp I do believe them to be but there are a lot of copys so I couldn't say for sure but I'd bet they are.
 
You can strip that vinyl with any heat gun. I used an old hair dryer to strip mine. Some of the particle board came up with the vinyl on mine. Might not be as bad with a legit heat gun. Had to skim coat the whole thing with bondo which was a pita but looks pretty good now.
 
should have just sanded

You can strip that vinyl with any heat gun. I used an old hair dryer to strip mine. Some of the particle board came up with the vinyl on mine. Might not be as bad with a legit heat gun. Had to skim coat the whole thing with bondo which was a pita but looks pretty good now.

If you sanded the stuff off probably would have came out smooth. You can buy cheap bulk packs of sand paper and just change it often.
 
Based on the fact that I never liked the look of the Z-Back, and people telling me that it's basically not a rare or collectible cab (I didn't know, I'm new to this), I don't think I'm going to keep this cab.

I might clean it up -- strip the vinyl, bondo the holes and worn edges -- and prime and paint so I can sell it as an empty cab, but that would only be so I can see how this is done and to get experience by trial and error. Kinda like a guinea pig cab restoration.
 
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