Stripping cabinet...

[Fulltilt]

You might also take a minute to email Rich over at ThisOldGame.com. With some pictures and cab measurements, he was able to make me a set of stencils for my World Fair. Someone had painted the cab and more. I used the stencils he made and it turned out pretty nice.

http://gallery.me.com/dlhensonjr/100234

- Don

 

[vbtalent]

EnduroExpertFSR, wish I had the time...

dlhenson, I think you posted in the wrong thread?


VB,

 

[EnduroExpertFSR]

haha me too i wish i had the skill

 

[kovalski3]

Paint stripper

I have used the following technique with very good results:

Buy Mottsenbockers(Might be off on the spelling) Latex Paint remover at Home Depot. It is near the goof off on the shelf. I used a rag to apply it. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Take a damp Grout sponge. They are also sold at home depot near the tile installation materials. The grout sponge has just enough "bite" to remove the paint, but not remove the original paint. The mottsenbockers is not very strong, so you need to let it sit.

Start rubbing the damp sponge over the area where you applied the Mottsenbockers applying pressure. Once the paint start to break down, it will start coming off in bigger pieces. It is a messy job, but I was able to remove latex paint almost 100 percent. If you are lucky, you may not have to repaint the cabinet.

 

[vbtalent]

Well Cleopatra is finally back together, has a few bugs, but should be easy enough to figure out hopefully with some help from the forum and their experience.

It's been a long process but a fun one. I would do it again now that I know what to expect but I would do some things differently and avoid some pitfalls in the process.

The touch-up process was certainly a learning experience for me and wouldn't hold water on some of the more sophisticated playing fields with the artwork that is involved in them but for older machines I think it works very well. I personally think that print screening would be the way to go if the average Joe could make that process work at home, easily.

Cleopatra has such a busy center playing field and that made it very difficult to flatten but the kick out holes came out perfect!! An Alps printer would have helped for some of the graphics and would also have eliminated some of the air brushing but hey you work with what you have.

The Varathane clear coat came out perfect and I would highly recommend it. After it has been buffed the shine is sweet and hopefully will last for years, only time will tell.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings and good luck with your game restoration, I think its worth it, they won't last forever and you'll learn something in the process...

The pictures just don't so it justice...

VB,

 

[craigmack]

how does she play? I've never played one and I have one sitting in my garage waiting for restore... help me make my choice of which game will be next!

 

[vbtalent]

craigmack,

From a general perspective of play I like it and I think the kids will like it... It's not the most challenging game but a fun play.

I've not been able to play a game yet due to a board failure, still working on it...?

I'd restore it...

VB,

 

[Half Life]

Dang vb, that turned out great! Looks very good in the pictures and I'm sure much better in person.

I agree that restoring the older games with their simpler paint schemes is the way to go when starting to go to that level of repair. Like you, my airbrush skills have come a long way but not far enough for much newer playfields.......yet.

I appreciate you for taking the time to detail your steps in both words and pictures. Although I'm working a different machine, I picked up some things while working your restoration vicariously through you. Thanks for sharing!

Best of luck in getting the last piece of the puzzle in place. You've done this much; a little troubleshooting and you're at the finish line.

Half Life

 

[vbtalent]

Thanks Half Life I'm glad I was able to help in some way in your restoration.

The wiring problem is getting closer and closer to looking like a "Spider" chip issue... I might be looking for some, if anyone knows where to get some let me know.

I actually played 5 balls on it last night with a little help from me kicking the ball out. It needs a little tuning but works great and I think was worth the time.

Thanks,

 

[vbtalent]

Well I just wanted to post back to the forum my findings on Cleopatra and that it is now fixed. I'm not sure if it was a combination of problems or not but in the end the outhole was not firing and I believe mostly it was my own ignorance that added to the problem. (thanks to Mark on RGP)

When in test mode I was not getting the outhole to fire which I misrepresented and "assumed" was firing, very bad on my part!! In the end, the 7404 and 7405 "fuses" were replaced and the transistor for the outhole was bad. I'm not sure if both 7404 and 7405 were bad but I replaced both anyway.

I was able to test the outhole transistor by using a jumper with a 300 ohm resistor and applying +5v to the base of the transistor Q23, it was dead.

So for future reference and anyone else dealing with a similar problem I hope this helps. I want to remind anyone that is testing the System 1 to make sure the test mode does in fact fire the outhole and for that matter all of the other coils. This would have saved me and the forum members a lot of headaches.

Thanks to everyone for putting up with a newbie and the questions that go along with us newbs... also anyone who offered ideas and suggestions many thanks.

VB,


note:

I was able to find some unobtanium U4 and U5 spider chips (thanks to the members of the forum) and neither had any impact on the problem, unmatched pairs also had no impact. I'm not saying unmatched chips work or don't work together just posting my experience on the Cleopatra with them.

 

[fastzorro]

I've done a few too. I use tracing paper. Turn the pin on its side, apply the paper using tape to secure it taunt. Pencil trace the art. Use automotive sticky back tracing paper (see Ebay) and press onto the whole side of the pin (a bit tricky to make sure you have no wrinkels, use a laminating bone to slowly smooth). Lay the traced art on to the auto sticky and secure with tape in several places making sure to lightly pull on the tracing paper until it is taunt. Slowly and carefully zacto the art over the tracing so as to be able to remove the cut pieces thus creating a stencil. Takes some skill but not to hard.