Mortal Kombat 2 Restoration

tineras

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I recently acquired a Mortal Kombat 2 dedicated cabinet that had been converted to UMK3 (forum member khabbi was kind enough to part with it... Thanks!). Anyway, I have been wanting an MK2 machine for many years and finally decided to pull the trigger. It is still a work in progress. This is also my first arcade machine, so this is all new to me.

ENTIRE GALLERY HERE: http://picasaweb.google.com/awiginton/MK2Restore?authkey=Gv1sRgCKz8z5Co8qqo_gE&feat=directlink

I have a list of things that need to be done, but I decided to tackle one of the biggest ones first; stripping the old paint off to reveal the original MK2 vinyl. Here are the results.

WARNING (to others): I made a big mistake when I first started to strip the paint. I did a black test area using Citristrip, but I didn't realize that it would react differently to the Citristrip than the textured/colored areas would. I initially left it on for about 30 minutes and the top layer came off perfectly without damaging the bottom layer. So then I did a much larger area that included part of the textured/colored area and left it for about 30 minutes. When I saw the paint bubbling, I thought "it must be doing it's job", but it was actually eating through the vinyl below. I didn't realize this until about 45 minutes had passed. Needless to say, I ruined a section on the bottom left of the right side of the cabinet. The areas seriously affected were all white. I think it's because the black paint bonds to that easier. It requires a bit more finesse when removing paint from the white areas.

I learned my lesson and took my time after that. The rest turned out very nice and I think I may even be able to clean up the damaged areas without them being too much of an eyesore.

Anyway, right or wrong, here is the procedure that I used to strip the rest of the cabinet once I got in a groove:

1. Used a thin layer of Citristrip (applied with paintbrush) in about 2 foot tall sections that are the width of the cabinet.
2. Let soak in for about 10 minutes
3. Used rubber scraper to remove the main layer of black paint. Paint will stick to textured sections and especially the white colors.
4. Used Motsenbocker's LIFT OFF 4 and sprayed the entire area.
5. Let site for a minute or so
6. Used rubber scraper again to clean up edges and focused on white areas
7. Repeat 4-6
8. Used towel or rag to clean area again with LIFT OFF
9. One last wipe down with a little dish soap and water
10. Repeat 1-9
11. There were many white areas that still had a bit of dark stain from the paint. After I finished with a side, I used *cough* carb cleaner *cough to get those areas nice and white again. After that, I wiped the entire side down with dish soap and water again and then dried it. I know some of you are screaming at your monitor right now, but it actually worked quite well. And it doesn't seem to be discoloring/destroying the vinyl. (before and after Carb Cleaner Pic below)

Feel free to give any comments or suggestions.

Before Any Restoration
IMG_5252.JPG


Before Any Restoration
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Removing Sticker
IMG_5336.JPG


Test Area
IMG_5338.JPG


Second Area (damage visible on the white areas on left)
IMG_5339.JPG


MORE BELOW...
 
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Fourth Area Done
IMG_5349.JPG


Remainder of Right side done (pre-LIFT OFF)
IMG_5353.JPG


Right side Done
IMG_5358.JPG


Close Up of Raiden's Face
IMG_5360.JPG


Close Up of MKII Logo
IMG_5361.JPG


MORE BELOW...
 
Left Side Before
IMG_5362.JPG


Two Sections Done (pre carb cleaner)
IMG_5363.JPG


Three Sections Done
IMG_5365.JPG


Four Sections Done
IMG_5367.JPG


Before and After Carb Cleaner Cleanup
IMG_5368.JPG


MORE BELOW...
 
Looks great! I had pretty good luck with Citri Strip too when I uncovered a Mortal Kombat I cabinet. You definitely have to be careful around any white areas, but I was able to use a little water and elbow grease to get the white areas cleaned up of any remaining paint.
 
I made a little bit more progress today. I removed the UMK3 control panel marquee (name??) and cleaned up the MKII graphic underneath. I also removed the old marquee light and properly installed the one that was hanging on for dear life with zip ties! Apparently the old light was shorting out every time a new bulb was installed. There were two cables coming from the cabinet (1 for main power and 1 for the marquee light), but I hard wired the replacement marquee light into the main power supply so there is only one cable again.

The marquee graphic is a little toasted on the back so the colors look poor. I plan on replacing it soon.

I also removed the UMK3 *move* stickers from the monitor glass. I still need to remove the UMK3 game instruction stickers behind the glass, but I'm not sure where to get their MKII equivalents. Any tips would be appreciated.

I'm making good progress. The next step is to get it from the garage into my room which may or may not be possible because of a really tight corner. I think I will order the CPO and lexan next. And maybe the marquee.

Anyway, here are some updated pics. It's looking more and more like MK2.

Control Panel Front Graphic (before, during, after)
Img_9999_CP_Marquee_Before-After.jpg


Marquee Light (before)
IMG_5385.JPG


Marquee Light (after)
IMG_5386.JPG


Removed 'Moves' stickers (need to find MK2 instructions or nice move sticker replacements). Any pointers?
IMG_5384.JPG


Getting closer! Marquee doesn't look that bad in person. The pic exaggerates the discoloration quite a bit.
IMG_5400.JPG


Quite a bit more work to do. Stay tuned!
 
Seconded. Really good job! I'd probably live with the damage. IIRC no one really does replacement dedicated side art for this game.
 
Seconded. Really good job! I'd probably live with the damage. IIRC no one really does replacement dedicated side art for this game.
Gameongrafix does full side art for MK II. I can't say anything about how accurate it is, but I was very happy with the Simpsons side art I purchased from them.
 
Gameongrafix does full side art for MK II. I can't say anything about how accurate it is, but I was very happy with the Simpsons side art I purchased from them.

Thanks for the link. I'll definitely check them out. Though I'll probably just order CPO to start with. I'm going to try and repair the side art myself and see how it turns out first. I need to take it easy for a bit before I spend $200 on a new set of side art. Plus, I've barely played the game since I got it. I need to get some game time in. :)
 
I did a temporary fix until I shell out the $$$ for side art. Fortunately, this side is hidden when it's setup in my room.

Right after cutting out the damaged areas
IMG_5407.JPG


The masking took FOREVER
IMG_5409.JPG


White paint only
IMG_5410.JPG


Touched it up the best I could with my limited artistry skills
IMG_5423.JPG


IMG_5424.JPG


I have some other things I want to do before spending a lot on side art. Plus, I'm guessing that's not easy to apply. I'm a little nervous about it. I'm going to enjoy the game a bit and do some smaller things before I tackle that job. Thank you everyone for your input! I'll continue to post updates as I go.
 
Glad you were able to touch it up. :) Applying full side art is kind of a pain, especially if you don't have any extra hands to help with the process. It is worth it in the end, but at least you've got it touched up for now.
 
Your temporary touch up is almost as good as the original you should be really happy!!! are you going to restore the original light fixture behind the marquee? i'm pretty positive it's a super simple replacement.

Also what are your plans for the MK3 stuff you removed :D ? /wink
 
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