Latest project- Lost Tomb/Stern Cab Resto

[Phetishboy]

Figured I would post my progress on this one. Started with a beat up Amidar cab that had been converted to Time Pilot:

Paint was worn and faded:

bottom was torn up and peeling/delaminating:

stripped the cab and glued and clamped all loose plywood:

Then mixed up 3 batches of bondo and filled the gaps and gouges:

Sanded her down and top coated with more bondo:

Final sanding:

Next I needed to replicate the texture that most Stern cabs have. I thought about oil-based sheet rock texture in a can. I even tried it on part of the cab, but it flaked off too easily:

Then I remembered what the texture reminded me of. Rubberized vehicle undercoating:

Worked like a charm:

Primed the cab with oil-based zinser (no pic). Then I applied 2.5 coats of John Deere yellow:

I liked the color because:
a. it was oil-based and made for farm equipment (durable)
b. It was a brighter yellow then the scramble cabs (which I find boring and pale.)
c. It will be easy to match for touch ups in the future, as it is not a custom color and right off the shelf.

Here are the progress pics to this point:

I also hammerfinished all my metal parts/coin door, washed all coin door parts, mechs & wiring, wired up a switcher to the harness and am currently hand painting a glass bezel, as Lost Tomb didn't come with a dedicated one. Now I am just waiting to pick up prOk's Stern stencils that he so graciously cut for me. I am debating on the green I will use, and wondering what you guys think about highlighting the stencils, or leaving them flat/one color. Suggestions?

 

[ChompingQuarters]

Looks great!!!

 

[arcadejunkie]

looks really good the plywood separation at the bottom can be a pain to clean up

 

[avidgeek]

wood fix looks good. So you're keeping the whole cabinet yellow and dark green stern letters? Reversed?

 

[ELutz]

Hey Phet,
Do yourself a big favor and mount some feet on the bottom of that thing.

Edward

 

[Phetishboy]

So you're keeping the whole cabinet yellow and dark green stern letters?

Yessir, but I may do the stern logo in an airbrush style, with a color fade or high/low lights, using 2 different greens. As far as the feet Edward, I am going to mount castors inside the bottom framing, about 3/4 inch longer than the board depth. The front ones will have brakes.

 

[ELutz]

I am going to mount castors inside the bottom framing, about 3/4 inch longer than the board depth. The front ones will have brakes.

Yes...anything to keep that nice clean edge you rebuilt off the floor. Good work!

Edward

 

[Phetishboy]

Yeah, my first thought was to put aluminum angle on the bottom, with the edge perpendicular to the floor mounted to the inside of the cab sides. Then I thought about the front and back edges snagging the carpet.

When I disassembled, washed and painted the coindoor, I discovered that the STERN coindoors were one of the coolest designs out there. My two favorite coindoors are the Atari Owl Eye and this Stern one. I masked the Stern Decal on this one, and painted around it. Turned out perfect. Pics of the coin door:

 

[ELutz]

I masked the Stern Decal on this

If you ever need any of those Stern decals...Phoenix Arcade sells them (as does a few pinball vendors).

Edward

 

[Phetishboy]

Cool, thanks. The only trouble with the clear decal design, is that the finish behind it is textured, causing unsightly air bubbles.

 

[avidgeek]

Must agree with the Stern coindoor....the chrome is sweet. Too bad Stern didn't go with a raised letter door style. That with the chrome would be sweeeet!

 

[Phetishboy]

Yeah the decal is pretty weak, but the chrome slot panel is da bomb. I also like the way it is sorta set up for a 3rd coin slot.

 

[avidgeek]

When you disassembled the coin door, whad'ya think of the additional stack of parts for the frame?! Kinda funny how its constructed in pieces.

The dollar amt plastic squares are f'n rad. So much better than little paper inserts.

Stern was ahead of its time. Too bad their cabinet designs don't have more flair. Berzerk (with its pcb door), and Cliff Hanger (overall) are probably the two best examples of Stern's creativity.

 

[Phetishboy]

When you disassembled the coin door, whad'ya think of the additional stack of parts for the frame?! Kinda funny how its constructed in pieces.

Yeah it freaked me out when I took the frame off the cab, and it kept coming apart!!

The dollar amt plastic squares are f'n rad. So much better than little paper inserts

agreed.
I am trying to keep this cab in the spirit of the original, but I want to add some flair. I really like the Berserk cab and I like the dedicated Scramble cab as well:

...but I don't feel qualified enuff to design full pictoral/stencil artwork for LOST TOMB that never existed. I'll just spice up the logo.

 

[avidgeek]

...but I don't feel qualified enuff to design full pictoral/stencil artwork for LOST TOMB that never existed. I'll just spice up the logo.

I dunno, that could be pretty cool to toss together some LT art using the simple stencil design. I'll take a second look at the LT flyer...maybe worth a try to draft up a vector file for stencil cut. Perhaps even do some kickplate art....pyramid blocks, etc.

 

[Phetishboy]

I dunno, that could be pretty cool to toss together some LT art using the simple stencil design. I'll take a second look at the LT flyer...maybe worth a try to draft up a vector file for stencil cut. Perhaps even do some kickplate art....pyramid blocks, etc.

Now you got me thinking. But I already bought prOk's stencils, so I'll have to focus on the kick plate. A colorful Mayan pyramid would be delightful.

 

[jow]

A colorful Mayan pyramid would be delightful.

So would a hole in the "R"

 

[Phetishboy]

Damn you, you can't alter the company logo. Putting a hole in the 'R' would be like changing the Patiots helmets from a colonial fag bending over to a streamlined, space-aged colonist's head. Oh wait.

 

[Phetishboy]

Any color suggestions for the Stern Logo? Solid or faded or highlighted or what:

 

[spanks_4]

Original?