The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Restorations => Topic started by: Strangeways on September 28, 2012, 10:26:26 PM
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I've been looking forward to this restore. I was a huge Dr Who fan when I was a kid. Who can forget the 6:00 - 7:00 PM timeslot on ABC Channel 2 ? The Goodies, followed by Dr Who. Classic !
I used to play this game on location. It was in Video Hire shop in Albert Park in the late 90's.
This was a recent import in my last container, and I was thinking of keeping it unless someone asked for it. An AP Member has purchased the game - it is going to a good home ^^^
Condition Report
Playfield - 8/10 - Looks very good - initially. It has no typical wear, but the factory clearcoat is barely there. It is worn to the point that the serial number is visible in the center of the playfield. The artwork is perfect, but the game will need either mylar or clearcoat applied. I cannot leave it "as is" - More on that later. There are inserts that have peeled off. That will be addressed. Mini playfield will be replaced. Sling plastics replaced.
Cabinet - 8/10 - Color is still there - Reds and yellows are almost always faded. This is not. The front needs repair.
Electronics - 9/10 - All good. I will upgrade and bullet proof as I go along.
The Game is in working order, and it is complete.
"Before" pictures
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20002.JPG)
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20003.JPG)
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20005.JPG)
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20009.JPG)
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20017.JPG)
Here's a section that needs to be rectified. I've seen far worse, but some of the chipped areas need to be removed and cleared.
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20030.JPG)
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20110.JPG)
Mini Playfield - Straight into the bin !
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20043.JPG)
Inserts need to be replaced
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20112.JPG)
Mini playfield removed. This is by far the most intricate "toy" or feature on any game. The entire ruleset revolves around this mechanism working properly. It will be stripped and I will replace the usually worn bearings, and ensure that it is working perfectly.
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20116.JPG)
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20117.JPG)
Bearings - Very tired !
(http://aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20130.JPG)
This game will get the "full treatment"
End of part 1 !
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Well done Nino.
Dr Who is a great game. Belting the rear target banks during gameplay and having that rise n fall from the playfield is a very cool toy/feature. ^^^
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I will be following this thread, as i too am a pretty big Dr Who fan and also played the game on location *%*
I was a huge Dr Who fan when I was a kid. Who can forget the 6:00 - 7:00 PM timeslot on ABC Channel 2 ? The Goodies, followed by Dr Who. Classic !
Same.. used to watch the Goodies then Dr Who religiously *%*
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This might be helpfull: http://members.home.nl/gabriel/The%20Doctor%20Who%20Mini%20Playfield%20v1.2.pdf (http://members.home.nl/gabriel/The%20Doctor%20Who%20Mini%20Playfield%20v1.2.pdf)
Helped me out when I restored mine.
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This might be helpfull: http://members.home.nl/gabriel/The%20Doctor%20Who%20Mini%20Playfield%20v1.2.pdf (http://members.home.nl/gabriel/The%20Doctor%20Who%20Mini%20Playfield%20v1.2.pdf)
Helped me out when I restored mine.
what an awesome reference ! Thanks for the link ^^^
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Some Cabinet work. The inside of the cabinet was cleaned, repaired and repainted (on the inside). The lock down bar is stripped and polished. New decals installed.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20143.JPG)
Door is scratched and will need to be repainted. This door is painted a flat black with a gloss black "speckle". Really easy to achieve after experimenting.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20141.JPG)
When repainting a door, I rebuild the door and replace anything broken. To achieve a professional finish, there are no shortcuts. The finish to the door is almost exactly the same as a brand new door. I have a NEW door to compare this against, and it is very close !
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20164.JPG)
Here's the reason why this restoration came to a grinding halt. The inserts simply looked bad and I could not put my name on this game without attending to it. I had my clearcoat guy check out the playfield and he noticed that the factory clear was so thin, you could see the serial number stamped into the playfield ! I had no idea they did this during production. Thankfully, his advice was crucial to the next step.
1 - Remove the decals and replace with a new set and then place mylar on the playfield
or
2 - Remove the inserts, level them and then place non laminted decal inserts and finally clear the playfield.
The customer <..> and I weighed up the advantages and disadvantages, and I believe we made the right decision - CLEARCOAT ! ^^^
Although this represented a large amount of time to prepare, I was happy to spend the additional hours (not factored into the restoration) to achieve a really nice result.
Here's the wear that I'm referring to (the camera shots really highlight how bad it is. It is not this bad in person);
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20111.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20112.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20114.JPG)
Each insert affected was removed one by one. Then the insert was sanded with 600 grit wet / dry and and residue on the insert and the insert hole was removed.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20166.JPG)
Then each insert was re inserted and levelled ;
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20147.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20149.JPG)
The damaged area in front of the time expander was repaired. I've touched up the area - even though this will be covered with a Cliffy, It STILL needs to be repaired or the Cliffy will take the shape of the damaged area. This is another "pet hate" of mine - Using Cliffys to cover up damaged outholes - That is NOT what they should be used for. The outholes SHOULD be repaired, and then a Cliffy installed to prevent further wear.
The rest of the playfield will be dis assembled, and then it is off to be clearcoated. A quick clear to "seal" the work, and then I'll place the insert decals before a final clear is applied. Worth the extra effort in my opinion ^^^
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Great Thread!
Thanks for sharing,
Red
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Nice work so far mate ^^^
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Great work Nino. I cant wait to see the finished product. I am sure the customer will be over the moon with it $#$
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Looking sweet mate, this is a game I have never played, hard to believe, gotta find one to try!!
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Looking good Nino. This is a game I can see in my collection someday, my wife loves it too.
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Will be great to see this after your magic Nino. Everyone I've seen have been pretty poor condition. I remember playing it on location back in the day and was a great game
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Will be great to see this after your magic Nino. Everyone I've seen have been pretty poor condition. I remember playing it on location back in the day and was a great game
I've seen some bad ones too, Daniel. I remember one game that had all the inserts in front of the time expander sunken so bad that when a ball rolled over the area, it launched into the plastic. The inserts and worn edges were more like ramps ! An underrated game - I enjoy the open playfield. A lot of older guys like me like the playfield layout !
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it's a great game, and one to be very careful purchasing. The mini PF is frought with potential issues, and there is nothing easy about removing it, and servicing (for most of us anyway).
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Great game. I can't wait to see the end result.
Dr who would be a great theme for a pinball remake. Not sure on how popular it would be in the US though.
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The new Dr Who is the most downloaded show in the world... its online pretty much straight after the episode is shown on UKTV.. we get it a week later but many cannot wait that long and download it beforehand.
The new series is way above the old and a remake of this pin could be exceptional.. i hope STERN dont so it though..LOL
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Almost a month has passed, and there's been a lot of work done. The inserts were removed and the decals scraped off them. I then flattened and then reglued. The decals arrived as well. The playfield was sent off to be clearcoated professionally. This work is beyond me at the moment, and I trust that my guy does a VERY good job ! The playfield was picked up today, and I quickly took some pictures. The light is bad because the weather is CRAP at the moment - and I could not wait to post the pictures !
So here is the clearcoated playfield. It needs to sit for around 3-4 weeks.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20169.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20170.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20178.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20180.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20184.JPG)
A shot of the game under cover so you can see the colors really shine !
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20193.JPG)
I'm absolutely stoked with the finish, and I'm sure the new owner will be when he sees it !
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that is absolutely mind blowing. wow, pm sent
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Looks great Niño. Should be a great player when it's back together.
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Hi Nino
It looks as smooth as glass, the ball will fly around nice job Howzat
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The owner should be absolutely stoked with that level of finish. Great work.
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Wow wow wow, blown away Nino. as per usual you have outdone yourself. I cant wait to get my hands on it :)
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Hanging to see more pics of this resto!!
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Hanging to see more pics of this resto!!
Will be assembling this over the weekend. Updates to come !
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That playfield is just STUNNING Nino #.# #.#
Cant wait to see it start to go back together ^^^
I was supposed to have one of this title delivered to me Wednesday for some work but i didnt hear from the guy !@#
bit of a bugger coz i was looking forward to working on it.. still could happen though, maybe he just couldnt make it or he simply forgot what day i told him.. dont know what happened !@#
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A lot of work has been done on this machine - so here's an update !
The playfield has cured and I can re assemble. I'll also be installing a repro mini playfield as the old one was chewed up badly. But first, all the mechanisms need to be rebuilt, coils tested (or replaced).
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20198.JPG)
Top of the playfield is re populated. New slingshot plastics from RTBB.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20203.JPG)
Pop Bumper assemblies are rebuilt using NEW parts. No short cuts here. It is fast becoming my biggest gripe with "reconditioning" work and some "restoration" work where these are not properly rebuilt. The game looks GREAT with NEW parts !
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20205.JPG)
Slingshot plastics are ALWAYS shot on this title. I've installed protectors as well,
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20206.JPG)
Mini Playfield
The original was chewed up VERY badly and looked tired. So I'm installing a repro !
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20207.JPG)
.. and here's my first BIG problem. The repro playfield has some registration issues. The holes were drilled 4mm out of where they should be !
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20208.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20211.JPG)
I want to install Cliffy's to protect my repairs to the playfield, and to protect the new mini playfield. There's no way this can happen with the problems with the mini playfield. So the "easy" fix was to remove 5mm from the edge of the mini playfield to correct the manufacturing error. I guess I was unlucky, or I'm the first person to install this mini playfield with BOTH the playfield and mini playfield Cliffy protectors. I trimmed 5mm and it lined up perfectly !
Here's the rebuilt mini playfield. This is EASILY the most intricate feature of any DMD pinball. The game revolves around this working 100%. It is VERY rare to see these working in any game that I've come across.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20219.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20221.JPG)
I re route the cables so they don't catch on to the loom when the playfield moves. I also replaced the shims in this game. This is an extra step, but it ensures the playfield moves smoothly.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20222.JPG)
Here's a "before" picture of the mini playfield ;
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20120.JPG)
After a long time was spent on the mini playfield, I had to make a few adjustments, and now it works well. Here's a picture of the game with most of the playfield re assembled ;
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20225.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20223.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20224.JPG)
I have a few adjustments and parts to re assemble - but I've managed to play a few games and it is a really great player !
^^^
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Very nice. Gives us noobs something to aspire too ^^^
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Just lovely! My wife always tells me this is the pin she wants us to have most. Hard to argue after seeing one come up like this.
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Speachless !!!!
Glad you worked out the mini playfield issue. Also very happy to see Cliffy and plastic protectors. Above and beyond :)
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I've seen some bad ones too, ...
[/quote]
Seen photos of some in Qld with possums in them, then some more from Cairns with more possums.
Something about Dr Who's and possums.
Would love a nice one, (Dr Who, not a possum)
Red
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Beautiful Nino, well done
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Great job on a great game. The Dr Who theme music is still one of my favourites of any show.
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Great job Nino.
Dr Who took me by surprise. Played one at a meet on Friday and really enjoyed it. Great bang for buck title.
The game I played had this alternate translite in it, looks excellent in the game.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dr-Who-Pinball-Alternate-Translite-2-versions-/320985637076
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Fantastic work mate ^^^
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I can't get enough of watching your restores Nino, awesome work and i really hope to add to your workload one day. ^^^
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Thanks for the comments guys ^^^
The game plays FANTASTIC - but after an hour the mini playfield started to wobble. After a few adjustments, it worked and then started having other issues. It has to be the most complex piece on engineering on a pinball. A MINOR adjustment (3 hours later) and it is working as it should. An amazing feature.
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What adjustments were you making to the mini playfield? I have two Dr Who at the moment and both aren't as smooth as I would like.
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What adjustments were you making to the mini playfield? I have two Dr Who at the moment and both aren't as smooth as I would like.
First thing I did was to dismantle the mini playfield completely. I removed the old grease and replaced the shims - all four of them. Check the horizontal plate with the four screws. Two holes are elongated on the guide, and this step is crucial. This governs the up and down movement by bringing the two arms closer or further away from the moving carriage. I adjust this while the motor / arbor are removed as you can feel the physical resistance by moving the mini playfield up and down manually. Once you find the least amount of resistance, tighten the four screws and then check again. Then you can mount the motor - The motor / arbor must be parallel with the moving carriage and this is the key to a smooth moving carriage. I attach a 12 volt power supply - observe the movement and make the adjustment.
Once this is done, I place the entire assembly in my vice and then connect 12V to the motor. The Mini playfield should move easily. Then place it in the game and be sure all the wiring is free from obstructing the movement of the mini playfield up and down. By this stage, you should have a perfectly working mini playfield.
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Thanks. I am on the right track.
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All finished on this restoration, and I'm really pleased with the outcome. I'm sure the new owner will agree *%*
Under the playfield is clean and fully rebuilt. The key to a really good game is to have all the mechanical / moving parts operating as they should.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20237.JPG)
Bling photo time - and what a nice day it was today ^^^
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20235.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20226.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20227.JPG)
The door was repainted and turned out really well.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20231.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20232.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/Dr%20Who/dr%20who%20234.JPG)
Footnote - Like ST TNG - this is a great title that can only be fully appreciated when working 100%. The mini playfield is the centerpiece of this title, and I come across many examples of this game where it is not working correctly. It is an engineering marvel, but a pain to get working 100%. All up, Dr Who used to be a "C" title for me, but I think it deserves better. A "B" title for sure !
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Looks great Nino, lovely work.
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Simply speechless. This thing looks fantastic. Great job
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Nino, your work is excellent to say the least
u should be proud of turning this machine into a beauty, well done mate, great job again.
p.s - best dr who i have ever seen ^^^
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Very nice Niño
And your spot on about the mini playfield assembly what a nice piece of engineering