Previous Restorations
Gottlieb “Pro Football” 1973 - Wedgehead Single Player
Click on image to enlarge
The restore: Early 2011
The previous owner worked on the play field which was cleaned and full mylared prior to purchasing the machine. Cabinet condition was 6/10 while the wedge head (back box) was beyond repair.
First a new back box was built and trouble shooting of a number of electrical problems were sorted before stripping the old painted artwork. Cabinet repairs and a repaint of the cabinet and back box were made. Finally all artwork was applied using coloured adhesive vinyl. New play field rubbers, front door, door strike and coin entrances were also fitted. The back glass for its age is quite good and has been left in it’s original condition.
The restore: Late 2011
The original cabinet was in very poor condition and repairs to the front, back and base where required as pictured. All stepper units, score reels and electrics have been stripped, cleaned and repaired. The playfield has been overhauled with new targets, plastics and rubbers. The backglass is in poor condition and will need some work. All electrics are opperating as they should. Getting close to the finish now all artwork is completed and vinyl decals have been applied.
Click on image to enlarge
Gottlieb “Card Whiz” 1976 - 2 Player
Restoration in Progress
The restoration process
A machine should be inspected prior to purchasing. Personally I have won a number of machines at online auctions, only to be a little disappointed. Photos will not show the true condition of a machine or whether all electrical parts are in place. Ensure before plugging in a machine, visually inspect the any parts which will carry and operate at high voltages. Electrical repairs by unqualified previous owners can be dangerous to work on by the unsuspecting new owner. Also check that all fuse values are correct.
Examples of the Gotllieb ‘Golden Arrow’ to the left show the condition you will find a machine cabinet and back / light box in when starting a restoration. Faded artwork, touch ups, scratches, dents and delaminating of the ply are common. Dirty and worn play fields, ball swirl marks, planking, sunken play field inserts etc plus faded and flaking back glasses are all common and should be assessed.
The strip down and cabinet repaint
1. Take plenty of photos of both the inside and outside of the machine, as well as the play field. You will need them at a later date when reassembling.
2. Remove the cabinet glass and back glass from the back box and store in a safe place.
3. Unplug all connectors between the cabinet and back box, coin door etc.
4. Remove the play field interior electrical board and back box board and store safely.
5. Remove the coin door, coin mechanisms, door strike plate, coin entrances, lock down bar plate, all parts and brackets. Keep all nuts and bolts in a safe place. The stainless steel side rails may need to be removed if you have plans on having them professionally restored. (More on this will be written at a later date). Remember take photos if not confident of where all goes back together.
6. Take photos of all artwork. (This process if covered on the artwork page). If you plan to stencil and paint, you will need a trace over the original artwork for stencil cutting later.
7. Before the removal of all the old paint, ensure that you record the cabinet base and artwork colours. Samples of the base colour can be taken from behind the door strike plate. Artwork colours can be matched against a colour chart if stenciling / painting. (Fading of artwork colours over time need to be also taken into account)
8. Best to use paint stripper as old paint may contain lead. Sand off any excess paint, fill holes, scratches and sand back, finally inspect all woodwork both inside and outside and repair where necessary. The more preparation here will give you a better end result.
9. Apply paints using a roller or spray gun (better finish) with a minimum of two coats of undercoat (acrylic based is recommended). Sand to a smooth finish after each coat using 400 grit sandpaper. A repaint of the cabinet interiors should not be overlooked.
10. Apply two final coats of satin enamel and allow to dry completely between coats.
Part cleaning and rebuilding mechanical units
It is wise to strip down and give a complete overhaul to all mechanical units. Bulbs, screws, bolts, brackets, stepper units, score reels, chime units, pop bumpers and other assemblies can all be cleaned and polished with some replacement parts being available from various suppliers both local and overseas.
1. Start by removing rust from cabinet parts only (Ranex). Brush and clean with a wire brush, wire wheel or sander and completely remove all dirt and grease. Parts may be professionally zinc plated or painted immediately (Undercoat then final coat). Some parts can be simply cleaned and polished.
2. Chime boxes, knockers, bells, flipper switches etc can all be cleaned next, these are not complex to dismantle and reassemble, however take photos if your not confident.
Examples of the Gotllieb ‘Golden Arrow’ to the left show the condition you will find a machine cabinet and back / light box in when starting a restoration. Faded artwork, touch ups, scratches, dents and delaminating of the ply are common. Dirty and worn play fields, ball swirl marks, planking, sunken play field inserts etc plus faded and flaking back glasses are all common and should be assessed.
The strip down and cabinet repaint
1. Take plenty of photos of both the inside and outside of the machine, as well as the play field. You will need them at a later date when reassembling.
2. Remove the cabinet glass and back glass from the back box and store in a safe place.
3. Unplug all connectors between the cabinet and back box, coin door etc.
4. Remove the play field interior electrical board and back box board and store safely.
5. Remove the coin door, coin mechanisms, door strike plate, coin entrances, lock down bar plate, all parts and brackets. Keep all nuts and bolts in a safe place. The stainless steel side rails may need to be removed if you have plans on having them professionally restored. (More on this will be written at a later date). Remember take photos if not confident of where all goes back together.
6. Take photos of all artwork. (This process if covered on the artwork page). If you plan to stencil and paint, you will need a trace over the original artwork for stencil cutting later.
7. Before the removal of all the old paint, ensure that you record the cabinet base and artwork colours. Samples of the base colour can be taken from behind the door strike plate. Artwork colours can be matched against a colour chart if stenciling / painting. (Fading of artwork colours over time need to be also taken into account)
8. Best to use paint stripper as old paint may contain lead. Sand off any excess paint, fill holes, scratches and sand back, finally inspect all woodwork both inside and outside and repair where necessary. The more preparation here will give you a better end result.
9. Apply paints using a roller or spray gun (better finish) with a minimum of two coats of undercoat (acrylic based is recommended). Sand to a smooth finish after each coat using 400 grit sandpaper. A repaint of the cabinet interiors should not be overlooked.
10. Apply two final coats of satin enamel and allow to dry completely between coats.
Part cleaning and rebuilding mechanical units
It is wise to strip down and give a complete overhaul to all mechanical units. Bulbs, screws, bolts, brackets, stepper units, score reels, chime units, pop bumpers and other assemblies can all be cleaned and polished with some replacement parts being available from various suppliers both local and overseas.
1. Start by removing rust from cabinet parts only (Ranex). Brush and clean with a wire brush, wire wheel or sander and completely remove all dirt and grease. Parts may be professionally zinc plated or painted immediately (Undercoat then final coat). Some parts can be simply cleaned and polished.
2. Chime boxes, knockers, bells, flipper switches etc can all be cleaned next, these are not complex to dismantle and reassemble, however take photos if your not confident.
Tip: Once all parts are clean, assemble completely and place in a plastic bag.
3. EM problems can come from the more complex stepper units, score motor, target banks and score reel assemblies. These will all need to be inspected , and I do recommend to strip and clean them thoroughly. Spring tension is lost on these units over time and may also need to be replaced / adjusted.
Electrical parts - Inspection and cleaning
EM machines contain numerous relays which hold banks of leaf switches. The score motor pictured above has leaf switches positioned at various levels. As the motor rotates these switches are opened or closed to perform a certain task, as do all the relays. Care needs to be taken when handling or working around leaf contacts as they can be bent and put out of alignment. Visually inspect all contacts clean and make adjustments only where necessary. Ensure the screws which hold the switch stacks on the relays are tightened before any adjustments are made.
Tip: Never use oils or lubricant sprays on relays and contacts.
Electrical circuit testing and/or fault finding.
An EM wiring schematic will always be helpful when tracing a fault, if a problem occurs, however reading and understanding a schematic diagram can be also be challenging. Wire colours can be faded, making it difficult to determine where they terminate at a particular point and what they are connected to. A multi-meter is very handy tool, this will enable you to test voltages, coil resistance and circuit continuity.
Tip: Care must always be taken when working around mains voltage (240 VAC) on the transformer and cabinet switch located inside the front door of the cabinet to the right.
When testing voltage ensure the multimeter is set to the correct scale and voltage (AC). To measure resistance of a coil, you will need to de-solder and disconnect one of the wires from the coil, otherwise you may be measuring resistance from other areas of the circuit. When testing resistance or continuity (diode testing function on some multimeters) it is wise to keep the machine turned off at the power outlet.
The left image is a testing lamp I use which will enable you to visually see if there is power to a contact or terminal. Note the length of the leads which allows to give view of unit when e.g. Testing score reel coils in the back box while triggering related contacts under the playfield .
More to come soon !
Hover over images to enlarge