The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Member Services => Sales and Services => Flipper Rescue => Topic started by: Retropin on October 03, 2008, 12:02:33 AM
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Some of you may have seen all this before, so i hope im not boring you. But it all got lost when Invent Forum went down, so i thought id post it again. That way it will be here for good and i hope a help for anyone attempting this kind of work. All "tools"in this thread i make myself and if anyone needs help with a restore then email me and i can supply what you may require.
The original thread turned out to be HUGE, so ive edited it a bit and ill do it in stages.
Game in question is a Stern Wild Fyre in very poor shape. Normally this kind of damage would see a machine like this be scrapped out. But i hate to see that with anything, and with a bit of effort and time a dead machine can be brought to new again.
Nothing on this machine is pleasant to look at, so im starting at the apron and working my way through it.
Apron looked like this when i got it
(http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4586/sternapronmo9.jpg)
Most of the artwork has been rubbed off, so its removed, sanded back to smooth, primed and sprayed with white for my base. Ive made files with Correl Draw and will cut template vinyl to reapply most of the artwork. Some of the lettering on these aprons is too small to work properly so ive left off the "ILLINOIS"text etc.
But templates are applied
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6079/sternapronartworkfy7.jpg)
This gives me the red on the apron
(http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4340/sternapronartwork5ea5.jpg)
Once dry - process is repeated for the blue till finished product looks like this
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8103/sternapronblue2ky4.jpg)
The same was done with the shooter gauge. Then both were clear coated so next time it gets cleaned with meths or whatever, we dont lose the artwork.
PLAYFIELD
Well this was just peeling away in many parts. A lot of work required on this. But this kind of damage was everywhere on it
(http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/3856/wildfyreplayfield3kb9.jpg)
(http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/9122/wildfyreplayfieldlc1.jpg)
(http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9715/wildfyreplayfield1vf5.jpg)
(http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/2953/sternpfstrippedvk5.jpg)
Doesnt look too bad??? It does when you rub it back to a point where the paint is actually still sticking to the PF
(http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/6596/sternpfstripped1ea3.jpg)
As you can see, this expands our problem further, but this is essential to do so you have a solid PF after you have done all your work.
First job is the prime the bare wood. Paint hates bare wood and will lift over time, so it must be primed first. Doesnt have to be thick, in fact you can thin the primer down so it soaks into the PF better. We only want to prime the areas we are painting and so templates are made - this time by hand. Vinyl im using is a low tac clear available from sign suppliers for approx $50 for 50M.
Vinyl is laid over the PF and i carefully cut around the bare parts. Ive highlighted these with a texter so its more obvious in the pictures. be careful to do this gently, you dont want to cut into the wood itself.
(http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8145/sternpfrestoreni6.jpg)
This is then sprayed with the primer
(http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8729/sternpfrestore3dx3.jpg)
Vinyl is removed and she looks like this
(http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7038/sternpfrestore4ti9.jpg)
Vinyl is applied once again, but this time im going to be spraying the orange colour. Paints im using are Pantone soft Enamels. These can be matched with a Pantone colour chart to the nearest match and then tweeked from there. Firstly, i apply a very thin coat and allow to dry.
(http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8184/sternpfrestore8xk0.jpg)
Now the reason i do this is because this coat will show up any digs in the pF that will need filling. Paint shows defects not covers them and this can be used to my advantage.
Builders bog is applied - hard wearing and fast drying. Here its already been rubbed back to smooth. I also take this opportunity to lightly sand the whole PF - any paint will stick better
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/9612/sternpfrestore6fe5.jpg)
Once again, vinyl is applied and my top coats are sprayed on.
(http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/7263/sternpfrestore9ie6.jpg)
Now matching colours exactly is quite hard sometimes, so we have a choice here. We can replace the whole section which is possible if there are no other graphics on it, or we can spray where needed and fade out to the existing paint. Ive done the latter method on the orange. good application on the bald spots and light on overspray. This way any slight deviations in colour are not noticeable.
You can see here where ive overlapped onto the black detail in the orange. This can be replaced later with a fine brush. Also any lettering that is still in good condition is sprayed lightly and wiped back with a cotton bud.
(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2966/sternpfrestore12tt8.jpg)
Areas of bleed can be cleaned up with a cotton bud. Just dip into turps and flatten with your fingers. this gets rid of excess fluid and gives a fine tip to work with. Flip the bud over and you have a drying tip also
(http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/6708/sternpfrestore10dv2.jpg)
..Coming next - More colour application, the dreaded black lines and clear coating to protect your work
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It's just as good second time around, Gavin ^^^
I forgot that the exposed wood needs to be primed again. Did you sand after priming, or is it just a light coat ?
This was a great thread from memory - so keep it coming !
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Excellent work!!! I actually made decals for my Stern Stingray and Lectronamo aprons that came out pretty good. Yours looks awesome! And that pf is coming along real nice by the look of those pics. Looking at all of these great restorations is inspiring me to get stuck into that Stern Dracula of mine that is in desparate need of some TLC. Looks like i'll have to make the time to get a start real soon.
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I keep saying it - but I envy you guys with the patience for this! ^^^
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So when are you moving to Melbourne Gavin??? There'd be plenty of work for you here! %.%
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Very impressive work Gavin
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So when are you moving to Melbourne Gavin??? There'd be plenty of work for you here! %.%
Too cold for him down here... Ironically - He used to live in the UK !!! :D
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So when are you moving to Melbourne Gavin??? There'd be plenty of work for you here! %.%
Too cold for him down here... Ironically - He used to live in the UK !!! :D
LOL!!!
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Well done Gavin. I remember that thread from the old pinhead forum and thinking how good is that! ^^^
Please keep them coming. This site is turning into a fantastic resource for restorers.
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Did you sand after priming, or is it just a light coat ?
Yes- primer can be a bit powdery when dried, so a really light sand just to smooth it off. I actually do thin it quite a bit so it does penetrate the pF somewhat rather than just sit on top of the wood - gives better adhesion.
Ill be coming to Melbourne soon for a BG scanning holiday - LOL no rest even on a break! Hope to catch up with a lot of you guys when im down. Could never live there though - 13 years ago i left my coat in a rubbish bin at Heathrow airport before boarding the plane and swore id never have to own one again. To this date, ive kept that promise....Got sub tropical blood now
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would luv to have the apron restored on my Flash......scared to try myself but maybe oneday!
Applaud your skills!
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Gavin, Where do you get the vinyl from and what type of paint do you use- acrylic ?
Millsy
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Was the spraying of the paint on the apron done with a can or spray gun? What type of white paint is it gloss etc? Can the clear coat over the stickers be done from a spray can?
Any info on spraying these would be appreciated.
Thanks
Dean
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Apron weas rubbed back to bare metal, primed and then sprayed with a can of white enamel.
The vinyl is from any sign supplies place and is a spray masking vinyl. I make a file on my computer for each colour and then the stencils are cut from this.
paint for the colours are Pantone soft enamels - i use these as it allows me to pretty much mix up any colour i want, so i can match the original colours exactly. These are applied with an airbrush.
The process isnt perfect but it does give a much better apron that the faded piece of rubbish that was on there.
Its impossible to make a stencil for very small lettering and as such, i expanded the STERN text out a bit and had to drop the "Chicago Illinois".
Once this is done apron is clear coated which means it can be cleaned anytime without fear of removing any of the artwork.
There is no perfect way to recreate an apron. Its not finacially viable to have screens made for these. Aprons changed over the years and id have to have an awful lot of screens to reproduce 100% every model apron.
Choices are:
Decal - reproduce everything thats on the apron, but these are digitally printed and so will have a print finish to them - not the solid block colour that the original has.
Respray - Gives the same solid paint look, but cannot recreate very small text.
Both can be clear coated for long term preservation
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So Gav,
Do you have intensions of expanding into other manufactures such as Gottlieb and Williams?
There is a market for the different 1960s Gottlieb's for sure - I know I need 2 of them!
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So Gav,
Do you have intensions of expanding into other manufactures such as Gottlieb and Williams?
There is a market for the different 1960s Gottlieb's for sure - I know I need 2 of them!
ABSOLUTELY!!!
I have the apron for 65 GTb bank a ball - also 1960 Wms.. you need these?
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Need the following:
One for Happy Clown 1964 and Ice Review 1965
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and Happy Clown...
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The Ice Revue is the same as the BAB i have...how bad are they?
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How about apron stencils for Jungle Queen Gottlieb 1977?
*.*
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Well i had to dig deep to find this restore thread!!!!!
This game had me going in circles many times - ive walked away from it on a few occasions. Each time ive had it finished, something else would fail.
Ive since installed a new power board and a very expensive SB100 sound board - i WAS working on mine but then realised that the schematics for this board do not apply to mine as i had no IC5 etc... my board must have been a very early version - the new board that came through has twice the amount of components on it - holy cow! What a board for such simple tones!!!
WILD FYRE is finally done.. a house move etc didnt help matters, but here she is, from an absolute mess to a fullt restored machine - all electronics rebuilt, BG had Mylar in several sections over the back - this was removed. Header was rebuilt using new timber, cabinet resprayed and stencilled using my own stencils.. everything polished and tweaked - gone over once, then again and then again.New bumper caps, new shooter rod and housing etc
There was one small issue that was irritating me - the drop targets. I had thought of buyiong replacements, but i like to restore first if possible and so they got the treatment.
Small squares of clear vinyl applied and then cut with a scapel
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyreDropTargets1.jpg)
Targets are taped down to bench and sprayed
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyreDropTargets2.jpg)
Once dried, clear acrylic from spray can applied inm several coats - will keep the detail on for much longer
Both blue and black now done
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyreDropTargets3.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyreDropTargets.jpg)
They look good in the machine
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyrefinishedproduct.jpg)
Speaking of which... is now complete bar the instruction and score cards.
But plays like it should, looks absolutely stunning and is now up for sale..
This will be going in my shop along with High Hand - both for sale... anyone in brisbane are interested, they can be viewed AND played at Neon Planet in Tarragindi
A quick reminder first of what i started with - seems like years ago.. well it is - 18 months i think
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WFapronbefore2.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/sternapronartwork.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/sternapronartwork2.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyreCabrestore3.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/sternPF8.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/sternPF3.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/sternPFstripped1.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/blacklinedetails7.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/highdetail.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/detailfinished.jpg)
And then the end result - has been some journey!!
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyrefinishedproduct6-1.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyrefinishedproduct4-1.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyrefinishedproduct2-1.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyrefinishedproduct5.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyrefinishedproduct1.jpg)
(http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr243/retropin/WildFyrefinishedproduct3.jpg)
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thats really nice, be proud
()
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turned out really nice, Gav - what a journey !
#*#
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The machine looks beautiful and you've done a wonderful job ^^^
I always liked playing Wild Fyre when i was young ,thought it was a great game.
With your sound board ,the SB100 with the least amount of parts is the newest version of it , they must have realised they didn't need half the parts to make the simple tones.....so it sounds like the soundboard you have in it now is the early version of it ,probably came out of a Lectronamo
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Excellent mate....really like the idea of 'reproduction' drop target faces also...agreed they look great in the game.
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Very Nice work ^^^
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Excellent mate....really like the idea of 'reproduction' drop target faces also...agreed they look great in the game.
Agreed.
The new targets from PBR are the inline style and wont look as good as the original tombstone ones.
Stern drop targets rock compared to the old "Bally Bricks". Knocking multiple targets down in sweep shots is awesome ^^^
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Excellent mate....really like the idea of 'reproduction' drop target faces also...agreed they look great in the game.
Agreed.
The new targets from PBR are the inline style and wont look as good as the original tombstone ones.
Stern drop targets rock compared to the old "Bally Bricks". Knocking multiple targets down in sweep shots is awesome ^^^
PBR do a great job... but the repro parts whilst being very nice, just are not the same quality as the original - anyone with a woodrail will attest that repro bumper caps are made from a different plastic and lack the natural "marbelling" that the originals do - same with flipper bats... they just aint quite the same.
With the drops on this game there was a slight yellowing - but this is all part of the course for these older games - the yellowing is natural patina and gives a warmth to them.
On another note - i rant on about stickers on playfields and aprons cos i just dont see it as "restoration" i see it as a quick fix and is NOT my cup of tea.. but im a bit anal about these things.
I could have very easily bought new drops, but i always restore where possible first - i would have redone the caps if they hadnt had severe scorch marks in the middle of them and the beehive shooter housing had been painted and completely ruined as it had eaten into the plastic.
With these though, i cant see any difference with the white originals and repros - the reds are lighter in colour
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Kudos to Gav once again!
That is brilliant work - and all I can say is that you must be a very very patient man!