Is anybody doing repro Wico centering grommets for Williams games?

sohchx

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Is anybody doing repro Wico centering grommets for Williams games?

This isn't making any sense to me as to why I can't find these. The joystick is the most used part on a machine so I figured these would be readily available due to demand/use. My sticks feel like crap and need a rebuild. Anyone have any leads on these?
 
These are on eBay right now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-WICO-Joystick-CENTER-GROMMET-FINAL-QUANTITY-/180811300147

I read somewhere many years ago (I believe that it was on the RGVAC newsgroup) that these Wico grommets are a standard part that are still produced for many other things ie. industrial equipment or something. However, for the life of me I cannot find any reference to that whatsoever. Maybe I dreamed it......
 
These are on eBay right now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-WICO-Joystick-CENTER-GROMMET-FINAL-QUANTITY-/180811300147

I read somewhere many years ago (I believe that it was on the RGVAC newsgroup) that these Wico grommets are a standard part that are still produced for many other things ie. industrial equipment or something. However, for the life of me I cannot find any reference to that whatsoever. Maybe I dreamed it......

Thanks annex,before you posted I had been staring at these all morning. I'm gonna pull the trigger on'em.
 
i haven't contacted them yet but i was wondering about this option:

http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=GROMMETKITW

that ebay one wouldn't be absolutely terrible if they offer combined shipping.


also isn't there a spring upgrade/option to replace the grommet? it probably doesn't feel the same tho i'm sure :(
 
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let's hope this is an industrial common item if we knew the source.
i need a few, as well.
been putting it off for months.

anyone wanna give up the secret?
 
There is no source for NOS grommets like Williams used for Robotron, if that's what you're looking for. The "NOS" ones on eBay are close but they are not the same; the rubber is too rigid. The Mike's Arcade ones are wrong, so probably best they're out of them now anyway so people will stop buying them thinking they've got the right part.

Ken House ('AtHomeTech') has been looking for true NOS Wico grommets for years, and has bought from multiple sources looking for the real thing. He put together this photo to illustrate:

WicoGrommets.jpg
 
Will it be cost effective (profitable?) at some point for someone to reproduce some of the grommets? The closest thing I can think of that's been done is the Battlezone type centering grommet that Wizzes Workshop did.
 
There is no source for NOS grommets like Williams used for Robotron, if that's what you're looking for. The "NOS" ones on eBay are close but they are not the same; the rubber is too rigid. The Mike's Arcade ones are wrong, so probably best they're out of them now anyway so people will stop buying them thinking they've got the right part.

Ken House ('AtHomeTech') has been looking for true NOS Wico grommets for years, and has bought from multiple sources looking for the real thing. He put together this photo to illustrate:


awesome info thanks.


but what about the spring. wasn't that meant to replace the grommet?
 
Wico used 2 types of grommets. One for the leaf switch sticks from the early 80's and one for the micro-switch sticks from the mid 80's onward.
These both were just taken out of NOS Wico stick assemblies to show the difference.
Leaf on left, Micro on right.

I have a small stash of the micro switch kind, which is what I put on my Robotron sticks.
 

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Looks like you'd need to have the metal parts milled, have a mold, pour in the rubber, and that's that. Assuming it was that easy, how hard would it be to mix up the rubber, with consistency and similar stiffness to OEM in mind?
 
Well, it looks like there are a bunch of companies out there that make things like this. Do a Google search for 'plate mount rubber bushing'.

This is the closest that I have been able to come up with. They have some the right size but the center bore is two small. The one that I have on my desk is about 44.5mm. This place also make it sound like they make them in different 'Rubber Material Hardness'. I am willing to bet though that the qty that they would want you to buy for a custom one would be pretty high.

http://www.antivibrationmethods.com/Products/AVMounts/PlateMount/tabid/162/Default.aspx

plate_mount_1.PNG
 
I pulled the trigger on a set of these and they are way to stiff for my jrok.

I played a friend's real robotron with a set of grommets that were too stiff.

Had to push the sticks with my whole forearm instead of fingers.
was quite a workout after wave 40-50. but not very realistic.
who woulda thought playing robotron is a way to lose weight.
 
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