Resurrecting a 1975 Gottlieb El Dorado... Waiting for the playfield to come back from the collision shop after a nice clear coat.

20240219_153400 (resized).jpg

20240303_185336 (resized).jpg

20240303_200301 (resized).jpg

20240313_092443 (resized).jpg

20240313_112211 (resized).jpg

20240313_113916 (resized).jpg

Pinball Pimp stencils complete. Rustoleum Gloss Enamel over Interior Satin paint. Applied with a foam roller. Once dry, reassemble and find out why it doesn't work!
20240316_152119 (resized).jpg20240316_154657 (resized).jpg20240316_160131 (resized).jpg

20240316_185049 (resized).jpg

Looks good, but didn't you forget something?

About to do a playfield swap on SW.
Machine’s in great shape as is the original playfield but the inserts were about as sunken as any I’ve ever seen hence the new PF. New Webb Backglass too.

IMG_1816 (resized).jpeg

I posted a bunch of photos in the Kruzman thread, the most helpful will be this one about the misdrilled pop bumper on those Strange World playfields (@playdim documented the same error). https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/kruzman-monthly-playfield-thread/page/76#post-7840746

Great game, enjoy!

thanks much! i had seen that post before but forgot about it.
it is a great game although when I reassemble it, I’ll be putting the posts to the conservative position. they’re all currently set to liberal and it’s pretty easy to roll it.

I picked up my first woodrail. 1951 Williams Shoo Shoo a couple weeks ago. I'm having a blast with it.
It has some really cool features and rules.

And I have been slowly cleaning bits here and there. I got it running fairly fast. I think it's scoring correct. I'll be sure, once I order thr schematics. And it's only missing 2 plastics. And 1 bell.

I just started cleaning and waxing the rails today. After watching a couple YouTube videos. Over the last couple nights. And working on fabricating the missing plastics .It's turning out great!

I touched up only some small missing paint scratches on the cabinet. It's seems to be in really great shape. The red paint around the flipper buttons was done at some point in the past.
I sealed the backglass with triple think as soon as I got it home.

It's a blast to play.Even with impulse flippers. It makes me want to find some other early 50s Williams pins.

IMG_20240311_001954 (resized).jpg

IMG_20240313_033355 (resized).jpg

IMG_20240313_033704 (resized).jpg

IMG_20240319_204032 (resized).jpg

IMG_20240319_181711 (resized).jpg

received_1097898588178110 (resized).jpeg

received_306426415560657 (resized).jpeg

received_432610172514493 (resized).jpeg

received_1101788381033332 (resized).jpeg

Fabricating missing plastics how? With graphics or just clear?

Just picked this up that was in a home for 20 plus years and they just wanted it out of the house. Its mechanical sound and the playfield is good but it just needs a cabinet facelift and probably a new backglass. I will have to put my magic on it early this summer.

IMG_5778 (resized).jpeg

IMG_5783 (resized).jpeg

When I did the Krause PF swap I found out that the flipper mech can be rotated 10% centered the flipper shafts and redrilled the screw holes, really was a painless way to take care of the problem.
Good luck enjoy the machine.

The flipper mech was an easy one, the pop bumper was harder. With the pop bumper there are holes nearby that your drill could get pulled into.

I think I’ll fill the existing pop bumper holes with epoxy putty and redrill them properly.
Wasn’t aware the flipper alignment was off too.
Wonder what happened with the initial drilling when the playfields were made.
Not a big deal though.

Here's some pictures of the prototypes and the finished product. I made them to size and for color matching . I had to add gold in the background to the clear print. To get the yellow to match. I painted the white first after printing. Then masked that and painted the yellow. Then another dusting of white to the back. Here And the finished product.

Messenger_creation_64f3380d-0381-414c-bea2-296a199c05fa (resized).jpeg

Messenger_creation_6fb383cc-2d06-4ef6-9a35-162303963345 (resized).png

Messenger_creation_b1280d79-c8e4-4037-a975-fadb8bbd1273 (resized).png

Messenger_creation_bfe8d085-7482-4fe9-a382-cbbfafe6f075 (resized).jpeg

Messenger_creation_da44469b-90e0-4e98-811c-cd4ad6a9c5a4 (resized).jpeg

That's a really cool idea, and it looks great! I did something a little like that for a Flash. I didn't like the stock plastics and made my own with Indian ink and translucent acrylic paint on bristol board (thick white art paper). Then I glued that to the top of the plastic and clear coated.

Your way is a little harder with reverse painting, but it puts the art under the plastic instead of on top. I like that.

Nice job!

Eyes.pdf

Eyes_Plastic (resized).JPG

Right (resized).jpg

UpperRight (resized).JPG

Here's a question. Does anyone know what the kickout hole clock spring guard is called. And if any supplier sells reproductions? I had repaired it but it was pretty beat up. And....
I just snapped mine in 1/2 while playing. No saving it now

Screenshot_20240330_014742 (resized).jpg

Screenshot_20240330_015340 (resized).jpg

The flipper alignment was close enough that I could put the shaft in, but it would bind on the edge of the hole.

While restoring a Pit Stop I noticed something not quite right with one of the rollover inserts.

PXL_20220915_190530837.MP (resized).jpg

What is that?
PXL_20220915_191420750.MP (resized).jpg

A garden hose washer!
PXL_20220915_191654843.MP (resized).jpg

Gotta give 'em credit for creativity.

I started a thread for this project here:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/ready-set-restore-a-pit-stop-project

PXL_20220714_004829113.MP (resized).jpg

Better DM o-din!

1948 Williams Gizmo

20240317_162056 (resized).jpg

Wow. The worst is when people use WD-40

1958 Gottlieb Brite Star.

Dead for 40 years. Checked the fuses, replaced the power cord, hit the hold. It lights up.

Started it with the trip bank, resets and it actually scores and playfield works. Even the roto.

Someone painted the wood, and had bent stainless to make metal rails. Ugh. That's all gone. Will remove and refinish and repro the side rails. Going to do a good restore on this.

20240407_173336 (resized).jpg20240407_173810 (resized).jpg20240407_181006 (resized).jpg20240407_170818 (resized).jpg20240407_171629 (resized).jpg

Should have left the cigarette burn marks and gouges on the lockdown bar.
At least you documented it, to preserve the history.

O

That would have required leaving the paint, and that wasn't happening.

I have no fondness for cigarette burns on games. Just like I have no fondness for rusty aprons caused by beer spills on the glass. I love restoring these pieces of history, but not all history needs preserved.

If I want to see a cigarette burn all I have to do is go look at my dresser from my childhood. There's one on there from my dad leaving a heater burning on it.

after repopulating the bottom of the playfield i managed to get much of the top done. i'm waiting on some mylar pop bumper protectors to arrive to button everything up. for the misaligned pop bumper mounting bracket holes on these playfields i filled them with epoxy putty but i also slightly enlarged the holes in the brackets themselves. i have a drill press so it was easy to do it accurately.
i used ron's method of removing the clearcoat around the post holes and followed that up with super glue. worked great and had no issues.
IMG_1851 (resized).jpg

got it finished + pic of everything installed.
what's been done:
Webb backglass
Krause/Kruzman playfield
new plastics
non ghosting LEDs for the inserts
LEDs in head with blinking ones behind "Strange World" but i found a stash of original GE blinking bulbs i forgot i had so those will be going in.
44's underneath the plastics. 47's are too weak plus heat will never be an issue at home.
all playfield posts are set to conservative. too easy otherwise.

IMG_1858 (1) (resized).jpg

beautiful!

1976 Gottlieb Surf Champ
The only work I’ve done so far is bring it home. A clapped-out, dry rotted, previously damp Surf Champ. I didn’t notice that the head was from a different game until after I got it home. Fortunately, the guts inside the head were later confirmed to be for a Surf Champ. Stamped as a sample game, but without the original head or sample schematic that is now only a curiosity. Game started and played but needs to be completely tuned up. Playfield should clean up, backglass is almost perfect. Lower apron and coin door are very nice. Cabinet and head will need to be re-glued to build back the structural integrity so head can be acetone stripped and main cabinet skimmed and sanded for a repaint. If the original head was still with the game I would mask off the serial number to preserve it.

IMG_1655 (resized).jpegIMG_1660 (resized).jpegIMG_1656 (resized).jpegIMG_1657 (resized).jpegIMG_1658 (resized).jpegIMG_1650 (resized).jpeg

Well this one is complete. Of the baseball themed wedgeheads, this has always been my favorite with the long corner shots for special when lit and resetting drop targets.

20240414_122714 (resized).jpg

20240414_122811 (resized).jpg

20240414_122838 (resized).jpg

20240414_122854 (resized).jpg

20240414_122939 (resized).jpg

20240414_122952 (resized).jpg

20240414_123040 (resized).jpg

#strange-world rejoins the lineup after a full rebuild… cab respray, new playfield from Wade, Kruzman clear coat, Webb backglass, Titan clear rubbers (controversial, but I like silicone on late EMs), Comet retro frosted LEDs, Comet fast blinking LEDs for the backglass logo.

IMG_2029 (resized).jpeg

Finished the lightboard on the 1958 Gottlieb Brite Star. All the relays, steppers and reels gone through and cleaned up and adjusted. Front of the lightboard repainted

This is the first game I've ever done that has the option of 10 replays for a double match so the credit unit has two step up coils. One steps the unit once, the other twice. I don't haventhe schematic yet but my assumption is the one coils goes through the cam on the motor with five lobes so it's pulsed 5 times to achieve the 10 replays.

I've only done two woodrails, first Gottlieb, and didn't know they painted the inside of the head and cab green.

I've emptied the cab and will be starting on the relay board next. Also getting stencils made.

20240416_204547 (resized).jpg20240419_144108 (resized).jpg20240419_151326 (resized).jpg20240419_151656 (resized).jpg20240419_160045 (resized).jpg20240419_160953 (resized).jpg20240419_160958 (resized).jpg

1975 Gottlieb Atlantis
EZ Fix today. The old “kicks out a ball after game over” repair. Fine steel wool over the Ball Count Unit rivets. Tested ok after that so I didn’t bother to clean the shoes this time. It is nice to have an easy repair every once in a while.

IMG_1716 (resized).jpeg

IMG_1717 (resized).jpeg

Try Brasso next time. Just a small drop or two on a micro fiber cloth. Followed up with a light smear of Super Lube. Nice looking machines!

I have Brasso. Probably a better idea than sending little conductors of steel wool chaff down to the bottom board. And thanks.

I prefer Brasso - followed up by rubbing alcohol. Then lube of your choice. Left over Brasso can cause nasty problems.