My 720 restoration

LUCKYMAN

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Heres my first step. Restored the power brick

before
dscn1236.jpg


after
dscn1237d.jpg


more pics to come as i progress
 
Just chiming in to say... I am in the process of helping to restore TWO 720 cabinets.

Looking forward to more pics to help me along.
 
Good luck, and have fun. I posted a few pointers on the vinyl install in my restoration thread. Fortunately, the bottom is a beast, so you don't have to worry about restoring a chipped/water damaged bottom! Just make sure you prep your sides well with multiple coats of polyurethane and sanding in between so there are ZERO lumps or bumps...they'll show up easily.
 
Good luck, and have fun. I posted a few pointers on the vinyl install in my restoration thread. Fortunately, the bottom is a beast, so you don't have to worry about restoring a chipped/water damaged bottom! Just make sure you prep your sides well with multiple coats of polyurethane and sanding in between so there are ZERO lumps or bumps...they'll show up easily.

Thanks for the tip!

One of the machines, they applied laminate to the sides on the upper part of the cabinet. I've removed the laminate and adhesive residue. The old vinyl over the particle board is still intact, but rough in spots and missing in others. My plan was to just use wood putty to even out the sides, use an oil based primer over the old vinyl (several coats, and sanding) and apply the new vinyl over the top.

Would you recommend instead removing the old vinyl first? I thought doing it this way would be easier than dealing with the porous surface of the particle board. So far, I have a pretty smooth surface. I haven't painted yet... but I have puttied and sanded the sides.

Also, go any tips for putting the Vinyl on the base? I'm concerned about getting the vinyl to look goot where the horizontal base meets the vertical side of the cab.

The other machine is just the original vinyl... but it is pretty rough. My plan there was to leave the old stuff on, sand, fill, sand again, several coats of priming and sanding, then putting the vinyl over the top of that as well.


Thanks!
 
Go get a $20 heat gun at Home Depot and strip the vinyl. It sucks, but is the best way to do it. Heat it to the point you can pull it, work a few inches at a time. If you do that, the particleboard shouldn't be too bad. When restoring all of these games, it's all about the prep work, so wood putty is fine, but then polyurethane over that. As for the base, I was just discussing this in another thread. Mine was originally black, so Rich's silver kit didn't work for me...and I was happy it didn't have black because I painted it instead. Honestly, I don't know how I'd do the vinyl. I guess I would line it up, tape the sides, and start laying it from the back to front..doing one side before the other.
 
Go get a $20 heat gun at Home Depot and strip the vinyl. It sucks, but is the best way to do it. Heat it to the point you can pull it, work a few inches at a time. If you do that, the particleboard shouldn't be too bad. When restoring all of these games, it's all about the prep work, so wood putty is fine, but then polyurethane over that. As for the base, I was just discussing this in another thread. Mine was originally black, so Rich's silver kit didn't work for me...and I was happy it didn't have black because I painted it instead. Honestly, I don't know how I'd do the vinyl. I guess I would line it up, tape the sides, and start laying it from the back to front..doing one side before the other.

I have a heat gun, and after sanding and puttying... I was leaning towards just removing the vinyl.

The base on one of these is silver... the other is black. I'm just going to do both silver.
 
Hey Darth,
What was the serial number on the one with the black base? Curious because most people report having a silver one. Judging by my serial number on Jeff's 720zone.com registry, I'm one of the upper numbers. Just wondering if it was something toward the end runs or what.
 
Hey Darth,
What was the serial number on the one with the black base? Curious because most people report having a silver one. Judging by my serial number on Jeff's 720zone.com registry, I'm one of the upper numbers. Just wondering if it was something toward the end runs or what.

I'll check when I get home.
 
Hey Darth,
What was the serial number on the one with the black base? Curious because most people report having a silver one. Judging by my serial number on Jeff's 720zone.com registry, I'm one of the upper numbers. Just wondering if it was something toward the end runs or what.

Had to check with Oregonarcade (These are his machines I am restoring) before I posted the S/N's

I'll have them for sure later this evening.
 
Did you email him? If you're going to restore it, you might as well do it 100%.

Yup I pmed him. He told me he is out and he's not doing anymore runs of the vinyl
so it looks like I won't be the only one that has to use paint
your very lucky Jedi to get the vinyl

no big deal to use paint, ive done a couple of my machines in paint with
new artwork and they look great. Also with the games side by side
you never see the sides anyways at least it's
like that with my arcade
 
I hate vinyl. I only did it to keep it as authentic as possible...if that isn't an option, then it will look fine with paint. I remember getting a Ralph Lauren silver metallic latex paint from Home Depot a few years ago that would probably look perfect. Try to keep a section of the vinyl and take it in to see what they can "match". I wish the vinyl hadn't been an option because painting it is infinitely easier and less stressful. Good luck!
 
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