Pac Man Restoration

ntlord

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Hi Everybody,

I'm embarking on my first restoration. So I'm a bit of a newbie. So I apologize for all of the questions. I have what appears to be an original Pac Man with most of the sideart painted over. I'll post some picture when I have a chance. However, in the mean time I have a couple of questions...

My first question is regarding the sideart. I'm not sure I have the technical skill to silkscreen the sideart, and most importantly I know the templates are hard to come by, so I'm thinking about doing the vinyl sideart (I figure I can always rip that off and paint on the sideart later, if I'm so inclined). I know twobits has all the artwork for $299, but I see some guys on ebay that have them from $199-250. Has anybody had experience with them? Is it the same as the twobits stuff? I've also read mixed reports regarding the accuracy of the twobits sideart. Some people have stated that it is not accurate, while others have stated newer batches are fine. Can anybody explain this to me? Certainly, I'd be more inclined to go the ebay route if it is more accurate or is the same and cheaper.

My next question is about the monitor. The current monitor definitely has some burn in issues. So what are my options? I'm did a little research, and it appears the monitors are hard to come by. Is there any place, besides twobits, where these can be purchased? Which newer monitors would be compatible with the pac man? Is it literally just plug-n-play, or would I have rework some connectors?

Secondly, is a better option just replacing the tube and doing a cap kit? It seems like there are some pretty good instructions on how this can be done. Would the tubes from arcademonitor.com be compatible with my current crt?

Thanks,

Dan

Edit: Attached are photos of the machine
 

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I second the vote to go with Phoenix Arcade. Phoenix Arcade's will be silkscreen printed, while the others will be inkjet printed. It is a world of difference. Twobits silkscreen artwork quality doesn't seem to be as high, and their reproduction isn't a perfect match to the original artwork. (and it costs more...)

And DO NOT BUY PacMan artwork off of Ebay. You are probably looking at artwork from Pastucia on Ebay. Please check out this thread:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=110278&highlight=pastucia

Clearly not a good person to buy from. Even if he was a reputable seller, his artwork will cost more than Phoenix Arcade and not be as high quality. Plus, everybody offering 'printed' PacMan artwork is just using the same publicly available files, which aren't accurate. They have some definite differences from the original.

Buy from Phoenix Arcade, get a quality silkscreened product, save some cash, and end up with artwork that is accurate. One of the few times in life where the best product is also the least expensive. :)

I will also say that you should recap your monitor. I used to be afraid of burn-in. When the game is on and you have the smoked plexi in place, it is difficult to even see it. I originally thought that getting a new monitor for my machines was a better option too. Now I know that a cap kit will make a monitor look like new. They don't make monitors like they used to. :)
 
Thanks, I went with phoenixarcade. He was unbelievably great to deal with. I think he responded to every one of my emails in like 15 minutes or less.


In regard to my monitor issues, I hadn't considered just recapping it. Do you really think that is the way to go? Up to now, I was leaning towards just getting a new one, but they seem incredibly hard to come by. Does anyone know where I can purchase a good one? From what I've read so far the asian imported ones, like Kortek and Wei-Ya are terrible.

Edit: I have attached photos of the monitor and the whole cabinet (in first post)
 

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Your machine is missing the tinted plexiglass over the monitor. It is also missing the monitor bezel. Once you get the tinted glass over that monitor I bet that burn in will not show. Rebuild the monitor chassis and replace those missing parts and you will be surprised how good it will look.
 
I actually have that piece. I took it out so I could show the burn-in. I guess my thoughts are while I have this whole thing apart, I should replace as much as I can. Since replacing the monitor after the whole thing has been fully restored is going to be a pain. But if you are saying it is not that bad, then I won't do it. I mean I guess my question is, am I crazy to replace the monitor? Should I consider at least doing a recap? Also, can you tell from the pictures which type of monitor that is?

Thanks,

Dan
 
Your machine is missing the tinted plexiglass over the monitor. It is also missing the monitor bezel. Once you get the tinted glass over that monitor I bet that burn in will not show. Rebuild the monitor chassis and replace those missing parts and you will be surprised how good it will look.

+1

That monitor looks pretty good to me. The tinted plexi really does hide the burn in, so just recap it, reflow the solder joints and you're good to go.
 
You have a nice machine to start with for sure!

And don't replace that monitor at all! 4600's are nice and reliable, their fly backs usually never go bad too. If anything, rebuild it like others have said, or pay it until you have issues, then rebuild. Also, like a member said put the smoked plexi back in and you wont really see the burn.

But again, don't replace the monitor. If you really want to, post the one you have for sale here or locally. Don't throw it away!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Thanks everybody for helping me out with the monitor. I've decided to defer on the monitor. Now that I realize how easy it is to remove, I can take care of that later.

Ok, next question,

Again sorry for all the questions, as I mentioned I'm a bit of newbie (especially when it comes to painting).

I've removed everything out of the cabinet. So next step is to start stripping off the paint.

But For the black part on the inside, which type of paint do people use? Should I roll it on, or get a rattle can? Either way, any recommendations on brand and specific type? Presumably I should prime it first, right?

Also, what do people thing of hitting all of the edges of the cabinet with a little pac-man yellow? I saw that on another restoration thread that used the vinyl side-art. Is that a good idea?

Thanks,

Dan
 
For the black on the inside, I'd say you can rattle can black, but be careful to spray lightly to avoid drips.

There are differing opinions on the undercoat beneath the artwork. On my Ms Pac, I'm going to match the blue and paint it before I apply artwork. On your Pac, the Rustoleum rattle can yellow is actually a pretty good match to Pac Yellow, so I'd say use that. Plus, not EVERYWHERE on your cab is covered by artwork, so you'll need to paint yellow in other place anyway. Might as well have a good yellow coat everywhere.

Some folks have said that a plain white primered surface looked just fine for the artwork too. I guess it's your call.
 
I use Krylon spray paint for just about all of my painting. I used it for all of the yellow and black on my Pacman and was very happy with the results. Good luck on your resto!

Lots of pictures here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111266840651647091981/Pacman#
DSC04482.JPG
 
Ok, I have the the thing basically fully stripped, sanded, and almost completely bondo'd.

Onto the next step. So since most of this is going to be covered with side-art is there any reason I can't roll on the paint? I already have a compressor, so spraying might be an option, but I don't really have a good enclosed area to do it. Plus, I have never done any type of spraying before so I'm a little apprehensive. My plan as of now is this:

1. Roll on 2 coats of primer then sand with 220
2. Roll on 2 coats of yellow and sand with 220 (only on the parts covered with sideart)
3. Use a black rattle can for the inside monitor part

For the back, backdoor, and the small parts in the front, I would leave the last coat unsanded (since presumably it will dull it a bit)

Does anybody see a problem with this?
 
You can definitely get good results with rolling. I rolled the paint on my Pac-Man, even the stenciling:

5020502831_7f3c81b432_z.jpg


I used a small foam roller and added a bit of Floetrol to the paint. Just keep rolling back over the paint to even it out and make it smooth.
 
Ok, so I went to a local paint shop. They suggested I use an oil based paint because the sticker will adhere better to the oil than the latex. My plan is to roll on like 4 coats of the oil and to sand as needed. Am I making a big mistake going with the oil? Is it true what they said about the latex and this particular adhesive?

I'm just about done with applying the bondo. I will post pics later on tonight. One issue, I've run into is that you can still see remnants of the sideart. None of the yellow, but just an outline of the pac figures on one of the sides. I have tried orbital sanding with everything (including 40), but it won't go away. However, it feels absolutely smooth to the touch. Is this going to cause me problems?
 
Oil based paint will work nicely. In fact, most people prefer it over latex because it tends to give a smoother finish. I've never applied adhesive side art on latex, so I'm not sure how it compares. My guess is that as long as the paint has fully cured, it would stick just fine though.

The original paint actually stains the wood, so it's normal for it to still be visible after sanding. A few coats of primer will hide it. Use a good primer - the yellow is a very low-hiding colour, so if there's any bondo or original paint showing through the primer, it'll also show through the yellow finish coat.
 
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