camperjohn
New member
So today I thought I would begin the restoration (read: make look nicer), my High Speed pinball. I started with something easy to refresh my memory on how to take stuff apart, clean and put back together. I chose to repaint the lightboard on the head. Basically it was full of fingerprints, discoloured, the stickers had worn off and the metal brackets were tarnished. This was an easy 2 hour project, and my machine wouldn't be out of commision so I could still play it when I was done.
Here is what I learned.
- It always takes longer than you think. Even though I am a programmer, and I KNOW this, it still takes longer.
- Take more pictures than you think you will need.
- Things don't always go back together the way they came apart.
- Part orientation is the easiest thing to mix up. You know where the part goes back, but you will forget "does it go this way or does it go that way?"
- Write down the order of the nuts, washers and bolts. So when you put them back, you know if the washer goes on the outside, inside this, before that, after etc etc...
- Post it notes don't work for labeling. They fall off.
- The pinball machine top and/or playfield is not a workbench. Repeat: Not a workbench.
- The part you are cleaning, is always dirtier than you think.
- There are more parts than you think, that need cleaning / repairing.
This is just from repainting the lightboard. I haven't even started on the cabinet, head or my god the playfield!!
John
Here is what I learned.
- It always takes longer than you think. Even though I am a programmer, and I KNOW this, it still takes longer.
- Take more pictures than you think you will need.
- Things don't always go back together the way they came apart.
- Part orientation is the easiest thing to mix up. You know where the part goes back, but you will forget "does it go this way or does it go that way?"
- Write down the order of the nuts, washers and bolts. So when you put them back, you know if the washer goes on the outside, inside this, before that, after etc etc...
- Post it notes don't work for labeling. They fall off.
- The pinball machine top and/or playfield is not a workbench. Repeat: Not a workbench.
- The part you are cleaning, is always dirtier than you think.
- There are more parts than you think, that need cleaning / repairing.
This is just from repainting the lightboard. I haven't even started on the cabinet, head or my god the playfield!!
John
