how many of you can't...

DPtwiz

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restore your own machines? Is it space requirements? maybe you don't want to restore games? artwork not available? No skills? I have dabbled in restoration, built a few games entirely from scratch, and getting ready to start a full restoration now.

I just wondered if some of you desire restored machines, but for some reason you can't make it happen on your own. I am seriously thinking of restoring my machines one at a time and selling them. I can always buy more... Am i nuts? good idea? I have a tempest here. Working 100% bulletproofed monitor, etc. I am installing it in a fresh cab, new art all around. what's it going to be worth when done for a mint/rebuilt machine?
 
i got a touch down fever game that was converted from a pacman that i want to restore to galaga but because of money and the old lady i cant :(
 
Well, I like to buy my own crap-out games and work on them. Haven't done anything major yet. Got to wait till I move the games before I can get on top of any serious restoring.
 
i can apply artwork, wire a CP, and twist some knobs, and apply windex with a paper towel, thats about it. circuit boards and monitors are completely foreign to me.
 
restore your own machines? Is it space requirements? maybe you don't want to restore games? artwork not available? No skills? I have dabbled in restoration, built a few games entirely from scratch, and getting ready to start a full restoration now.

I just wondered if some of you desire restored machines, but for some reason you can't make it happen on your own. I am seriously thinking of restoring my machines one at a time and selling them. I can always buy more... Am i nuts? good idea? I have a tempest here. Working 100% bulletproofed monitor, etc. I am installing it in a fresh cab, new art all around. what's it going to be worth when done for a mint/rebuilt machine?

Honestly, to me it would be worth the same as a working Tempest in an ok cab. A non original cab does not add value as far as I am concerned. It would look nice though.
 
I am all for restoring games back to there original self.. but I don't think I have the skills or the knowledge to do so. Besides, I love playing the games more than anything. I will gladly pay somebody that has the knowledge to fix them to do their job so that I can enjoy many more years of gameplay on them.
 
I only do very minor restorations... if a game needs hardcore treatment, like all new art, monitor, board and/or cabinet sides... I pass on it. I can change a cap, I can swap microswitches, I can Magic Eraser like a madman and I can do simple board swaps, but I don't like to put what it takes for a full resto into a game. Overall, I prefer my games to be working, and I'd really rather get an original, solid cab that plays the game I like than a water-damaged, half-dead conversion of a game that was never made as a kit. I have great respect for those who do, but I like to put what limited time I have on gaming towards playing my games, not working $4000 miracles.
 
The biggest hurdle I've seen with restoration is the cost. The cost of even just reproduction Marquees, Overlays, and Side Art can often run you just as much if not more than what you paid for the cabinet in the first place, let alone if you try and track down original pieces. I'm trying to restore a TMNT machine that was converted to Sunset Riders back to TMNT, and the cost of all the parts is going to run me more than the $275 I paid for the machine in the first place, so I haven't been in much of a hurry to do it.
 
I can do most basic repairs.

-Cap Kit
-Flyback Replacement (just finished first one!)
-Bondo/Sand/Paint
-Apply Artwork
-Magic Eraser!
-Cleaning
-Reseating Chips
-Fixing wiring issues

But on complete restoration, I try to limit myself to $100 total, including the cost of the game. As you can see, that is pretty difficult. Stuff adds up very fast.
 
I have done Side Art before.
Swapped out some chips
Replaced a Monitor Chasis. (Someone else capped it)
Done some basic wiring.

Don't really have time these days to work on the games nor the room.
 
I can do great work if I have time and space. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time, and I have no space.

Perhaps if we get a house in the next few months (as we hope) and I actually have a garage to work in, I can change that...
 
I can't do board repair or diagnostics. Other than check for continuity or test voltage, I can't do much with a multimeter. I have no problem with: cosmetics, repainting, taking things apart, putting them back together, wiring a cab for JAMMA, or replacing components (flybacks, caps, etc.).

Pinballs are a complete mystery, and I feel like a failure at them. I have 2 non-working machines sitting at my house right now- one a solid state and the other an EM.
 
Not a full restore - i dont think i have the technical prowress for that (or patience). What i do when i get a game is tear it down (with pics) and clean everything i can.

I than decide what it needs (or before i get the game i gauge that).

I have found that Paint / new side art are the time stealers and costly (Rollers + tape + drop cloths + sanding or stripper + 4 hours per side is a big commitment), yet i find myself doing it most of the time as i want to get it to nicer condition than it came in as.

After that, everything goes back together, hopefully cleaner than when i got it. I cant fully enjoy the game unless i know it is in better condition when i got it. Its like moving into a new house - i want to clean it / make it my own before i live there. Again, i try my hardest to keep everything entact. I have two vids in my collection that i feel are close to being fully restored (fully original)- but i got them like that. The others seem to have been compromised in someway along its life (like a new monitor or boards, which is understandable due to its age).
 
Restore

Ironic. I started working on the new CT cab I got from you back in March. I have been really dragging my feet on this one. I used a water dammaged Gorf CT as a doner. It looks pretty close to the origional after staining it. Too bad you cant get the origional hinges for the perfect crime. When it is complete in the next week or 2, I will post a thread for Kuddos for you.
 
yeah, those hinges just don't exist. Much like the williams hinges on the back of thier games.
 
I can do all the board, wiring, control, and monitor work. I don't have the tools or experience to do a lot of woodworking. I know I can strip a cab, use wood filler/bondo, sand, and paint, but not do things like replace rotted wood on the bottom of a cab, cut grooves for T-molding, etc...

It's not because I don't know how - I'm sure I could do it after reading up on techniques. I just don't have the room or all the tools.
 
I can do everything from rewiring to full sideart, but when it comes to sideart, unless it is really hideous, I prefer to leave it with dings, scratches and all. These were moneymaking workhorses BITD. You don't go thorough a war and not pick up some character. If they were mint, then I would worry about them when people were playing them.

Make the electronics bulletproof and let people play.

ken
 
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