I thought this looked familiar. You did a Space Odyssey a little while back, the two player version. I almost thought this was the same machine until I checked. I think the LED's definitely make the difference in this one to compensate for the fading. I don't normally like LED's in these. This machine looks good. It will come up really well.
Thanks Brendan, we appreciate you watching even these older videos :) Yes a lot of the companies would do a 2 player and 4 player version of the same game!
For your initial cleaning try naphtha, it works great and evaporates instantly. I use paper towels and the dirt sticks right to them with the naphtha. If you are handy with photoshop you can print your own translite using an online service like printmoz (backlit poster) you have to make 2 prints, one for the front and one for the light mask. You can usually make a decent replica backglass for under $100 including the tempered glass, you can reuse the lift trim and edge trim from the old glass.
If you wanted to go to the trouble, I wonder if you could take photos of the artwork and create stencils for the lettering in Photoshop or whatever, then paint nice crisp lettering back over freshly-painted backgrounds. All about getting the scale and placement, I suppose. But you're right, unless you look close, most people probably aren't even going to notice anything wrong with it.
You could definitely do it. For us it comes down to a few things: We sell them, so time = money and we're already not making much money considering the time we invest in these real 'basket cases' like these.... also you have to be pretty talented to make that look really nice (which we're not all that talented, lol).... and then finally my own personal taste is I don't mind if it's not perfect so it's hard for me to even want to make it look perfect, lol.
I think you were a bit generous with your pre-restore rating. I'd barely rate it a 3. Definitely needs a complete strip and respray of the cabinet. The way the playfield looks, it is almost like something was spilt on the playfield and faded the paint. It seems to go in lines and is faded teh same degree on each colour.... Just how it looks on the video :).
I love your videos. I've gotten so much practical info on pinball repairs from them. What kind of "clear in a can" do you use? Polyurethane, Lacquer? Favorite brand? Thanks!
They make some reproductions but they're very expensive, then you have the issue with shipping the glass and not breaking it. They don't really make vinyl ones because they have to be backlit, the back of the backglass has words on it that can be illuminated by the machine, so you'd have to print two pieces (the front, and the back) and then there's not a good way to attach them together and have it look decent. So typically you have to reproduce the actual glass, usually costs $300 or so and they only do certain titles.
I have Space Mission the 4 player of this same game. I need to tinker with it as it only does one player. The others I hit the Start and it acts like it will do the other players but does not advance the How Many Are Playing Lights.
Joe, when you touch it up what paint do you use? Sharpie marker for black? And last but not least how to you spray the clear coat on? Thanks for any info you provide. 👍🏼
I use acrylic hobby paint, water based stuff that's easy to clean off if you get it wrong. I don't use sharpies because they're ink, you want to use actual black paint, they make paint in a pen just like a sharpie though (it's thicker than ink). Also if you use a sharpie, sometimes when you clear coat it the ink will 'run' because it reacts with the enamel spray paint. After you get it all looking how you want it, we just spray clear coat right on the playfield directly, we try to mask it off or keep it contained to the area we're working on but it's not a perfect process, you'll have some overspray, etc.
We use just a regular spray can. You can do the automotive clear but it takes much more equipment, and if you go high gloss like that you can see every little imperfection too, so it's more for high end stuff we're not capable of doing that high quality of a job.
wow Joe that's that's exactly what I did to my Williams the darling and it turned out real nice I touched it up and sprayed it with can clear I am with the LEDs in it look really nice but this Hocus pocus is a different story I'll throw an update here in a day or two and I Did get your replies on the questions I asked you thank you
Hi seymourshabow, we always spray it. The proper way would be to take evvvvvverything off, the lane guides, the posts, the pop bumpers, and mask it all off or remove the playfield, but to be honest we usually just 'spot' clear it, i.e. spray paint clear and don't worry too much about overspray, etc. We just try to do it fairly clean and it works out pretty well.
SoJO I was able to mix them the color for that play field for the Bally Hocus pocus I'm going to the depot to get a sample made to see if that's going to cover it if it looks good I'll send you the the key code via email and then you have that in your Rolodex
I thought this looked familiar. You did a Space Odyssey a little while back, the two player version. I almost thought this was the same machine until I checked. I think the LED's definitely make the difference in this one to compensate for the fading. I don't normally like LED's in these.
This machine looks good. It will come up really well.
Thanks Brendan, we appreciate you watching even these older videos :) Yes a lot of the companies would do a 2 player and 4 player version of the same game!
For your initial cleaning try naphtha, it works great and evaporates instantly. I use paper towels and the dirt sticks right to them with the naphtha. If you are handy with photoshop you can print your own translite using an online service like printmoz (backlit poster) you have to make 2 prints, one for the front and one for the light mask. You can usually make a decent replica backglass for under $100 including the tempered glass, you can reuse the lift trim and edge trim from the old glass.
After looking at the glass it's not quite as bad as I thought, so I'm going to be able to save it, video coming soon.
That machine has some hours on it!
If you wanted to go to the trouble, I wonder if you could take photos of the artwork and create stencils for the lettering in Photoshop or whatever, then paint nice crisp lettering back over freshly-painted backgrounds. All about getting the scale and placement, I suppose. But you're right, unless you look close, most people probably aren't even going to notice anything wrong with it.
You could definitely do it. For us it comes down to a few things: We sell them, so time = money and we're already not making much money considering the time we invest in these real 'basket cases' like these.... also you have to be pretty talented to make that look really nice (which we're not all that talented, lol).... and then finally my own personal taste is I don't mind if it's not perfect so it's hard for me to even want to make it look perfect, lol.
Nice!
Thanks Chaz, we appreciate it!
I think you were a bit generous with your pre-restore rating. I'd barely rate it a 3.
Definitely needs a complete strip and respray of the cabinet.
The way the playfield looks, it is almost like something was spilt on the playfield and faded the paint. It seems to go in lines and is faded teh same degree on each colour.... Just how it looks on the video :).
It was pretty rough man!
I love your videos. I've gotten so much practical info on pinball repairs from them. What kind of "clear in a can" do you use? Polyurethane, Lacquer? Favorite brand? Thanks!
looks definitely better than before. Are there no repro backglass prints, like for arcade bezels ?
They make some reproductions but they're very expensive, then you have the issue with shipping the glass and not breaking it. They don't really make vinyl ones because they have to be backlit, the back of the backglass has words on it that can be illuminated by the machine, so you'd have to print two pieces (the front, and the back) and then there's not a good way to attach them together and have it look decent. So typically you have to reproduce the actual glass, usually costs $300 or so and they only do certain titles.
I would try and repaint it too + maybe even coat the metal parts and make it snazzy, but then again i am kinda insane.
Nothing wrong with that! It's a fun hobby.
SoJO what color is the green or teal color that's on my Hocus pocus what do you call that color trying to match it to touch up some spots
Man unfortunately I don't know any of the names, lol I just have a bunch of them and do the closest one....
I have Space Mission the 4 player of this same game.
I need to tinker with it as it only does one player.
The others I hit the Start and it acts like it will do the other players but does not advance the How Many Are Playing Lights.
It's that stepper unit in the bottom, I think they call it the 'coin unit'.
Joe, when you touch it up what paint do you use? Sharpie marker for black? And last but not least how to you spray the clear coat on? Thanks for any info you provide. 👍🏼
I use acrylic hobby paint, water based stuff that's easy to clean off if you get it wrong. I don't use sharpies because they're ink, you want to use actual black paint, they make paint in a pen just like a sharpie though (it's thicker than ink). Also if you use a sharpie, sometimes when you clear coat it the ink will 'run' because it reacts with the enamel spray paint. After you get it all looking how you want it, we just spray clear coat right on the playfield directly, we try to mask it off or keep it contained to the area we're working on but it's not a perfect process, you'll have some overspray, etc.
Awesome, thanks for the info. Do you spray automotive clear with a gun or a brand with a spray can? Thanks again for the response. 👍🏼
We use just a regular spray can. You can do the automotive clear but it takes much more equipment, and if you go high gloss like that you can see every little imperfection too, so it's more for high end stuff we're not capable of doing that high quality of a job.
wow Joe that's that's exactly what I did to my Williams the darling and it turned out real nice I touched it up and sprayed it with can clear I am with the LEDs in it look really nice but this Hocus pocus is a different story I'll throw an update here in a day or two and I Did get your replies on the questions I asked you thank you
I wonder if they stored it by a front door of a bar maybe if it rains ppl open the door and they get wet
It could be, sometimes lots of sun will weaken things too...
Joe's Classic Video Games if it’s been stored near a window for sure
Joe's Classic Video Games if it’s been stored near a window for sure
spray clear or foam brush? looks pretty good vs what you stated with.
Hi seymourshabow, we always spray it. The proper way would be to take evvvvvverything off, the lane guides, the posts, the pop bumpers, and mask it all off or remove the playfield, but to be honest we usually just 'spot' clear it, i.e. spray paint clear and don't worry too much about overspray, etc. We just try to do it fairly clean and it works out pretty well.
SoJO I was able to mix them the color for that play field for the Bally Hocus pocus I'm going to the depot to get a sample made to see if that's going to cover it if it looks good I'll send you the the key code via email and then you have that in your Rolodex
Thanks Randy let me know how it turns out!
These videos would be more interesting if you showed yourself doing the work.
The problem is it's hours and hours and hours of work, the videos are already way too long....