stripping my first playfield advice?

Malice95

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I am planning on stripping down the top of my blackhole
playfields to do a bunch of restoration work on it (cleaning/repainting/replacing parts). Any suggestions or
advice you could give me beside take lots of pictures?

This is the first pinball I am doing any type of restoration work on.

Thanks,
Mike
 
if you have bare wood and there should be like letters or numbers say 1000.i have done touch to the area and then i put the number or letters down as need. they are a type of rub on and than i clear over them.i buy the little letters/numbers at my local hobby shop..i did a pacman that was really bad it it came out super heres pics
 

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if you have bare wood and there should be like letters or numbers say 1000.i have done touch to the area and then i put the number or letters down as need. they are a type of rub on and than i clear over them.i buy the little letters/numbers at my local hobby shop..i did a pacman that was really bad it it came out super heres pics

Holy crap! NICE!
 
I am planning on stripping down the top of my blackhole
playfields to do a bunch of restoration work on it (cleaning/repainting/replacing parts). Any suggestions or
advice you could give me beside take lots of pictures?

This is the first pinball I am doing any type of restoration work on.

Thanks,
Mike

Take lots of pictures!

When I did mine, I did it in sections. Started with the left slingshot - took a bunch of pics of just that area from different angles, then pulled the parts and put everything into a small ziplock bag, stuck a label on it with "#1 - left sling", then moved on to the next section.

As I was going along, I made cursory notes of the parts that needed to be replaced - mostly posts that were bent - and then when everything was off and I began cleaning the parts from each bag I'd give each a better look to see if I'd missed any parts that were bad.

Just don't rush it, and you'll be fine. Pictures are free - be sure you take way too many. And realize that when you place your parts order, you'll forget to order a bunch of stuff you didn't think you needed, and won't find out until you start the rebuild.
 
I'd say do it systematically. Start at the bottom of the playfield and do some of it. Take pictures of things AS YOU REMOVE THEM. You should also take pictures of the size of the screws you are taking out. After cleaning, put that section back together and move on to another section. A little over cautious on your first one will help you figure out what you need on future shopping. When I did my first game - Doctor Who, I ended up with a clear plastic that I had no idea where it went. Someone sent me a drawing to figure it out, but I was totally stumped. In those days I took less pictures because I was using a Polaroid camera. Take your time and take notes if it helps.
 
As has been said, not just lots of pics, pics at different angles. Definitely get good enough pics to see wire colors if you're desoldering anything.

Mark connectors with numbers or letters (like write an A on the female end and an A on the male end) that run under the playfield from switches or other mechanisms that you pull from the top so you know where they plug back in.

I also divide the PF into sections, usually at least 4 sections running from bottom to top, and keep the parts I lift off separately in appropriately numbered bins, so I know what area they came from when it's time to put it back. I don't have a lot of free time, so usually it's months between when I strip down a pin and am finally able to put it back together.
 
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