The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Restorations => Topic started by: Strangeways on September 10, 2008, 03:59:49 PM
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One of my favorite restores was a Stern Meteor..I completed this machine about 12 months ago and sold it. It sits in a gamesroom somewhere...trouble free !
History
Looks like this was a parts game from the old days. Obviously left in a corner for decades, and parts were stripped off it - coils, targets, flipper parts etc.... So it was exactly the way I like 'em...
Condition
Backglass - great 8.5/10 - no flaking.. which is common on Stern backglasses
Cabinet - good 7/10 - No major scratches or dints. structurally sound.
Electronics - Nothing... No boards or displays.. Not even a power supply or transformer
Playfield - good 8/10 - Well it will be ! A couple of nasty holes protruding through the playfield, and some damage near the upper flipper
Before Pictures
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010016.JPG)
Where is the on/off switch, the transformer and power board ?
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010015_2.jpg)
What you see, is what I got !
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Meteor%201%20026.JPG)
Filthy ! Missing the top target bank and plastics - later found in a spares box.
Here's some nasty damage to the top flipper - looks like something was dropped on the playfield, and then dragged near some bonus inserts..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Meteor%201%20013.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Meteor%201%20011.JPG)
Flipper Meltdown !!
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Meteor%201%20029.JPG)
Where to start ?
The machine is already half stripped ! So I removed everything and started on the playfield. Time to remove the mylar. The cabinet needs to be stripped and parts of it rewired. A few parts need to be ordered, and a few challenges are presented down the road...
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Holy crap - flipper meltdown alright!
LOL- can imagine the amount of smoke this gave off. I reckon i can move faster than any other living creature at one sniff of component burn in my games room
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Gotta love that distinctive smell... I can smell it a mile away :D
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Believe it or not - This machine did not really stink that badly - I think the flipper meltdown must of happened many moons ago !
Here's the next stage of the restoration. I usually spend time on the Cabinet during the day and the Playfield and electronics at night. I have a playfield stand on my bench in the house, so I can theoretically work on the pin at all times... ;)
Cabinet
After a good clean, there's no need to repair anything - it was just the filth that had accumulated. The on/off switch presented a problem, but I contacted Steve from PBR and used a Gottlieb NOS switch - worked fine. The power supply board was a spare I had lying around that I previously repaired. The board has been fully upgraded - even the baseboard gets a sand ! The wiring get dropped in after a clean and a dry in the sun..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010035.jpg) (http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010039.jpg)
Outside of the cabinet came up great..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010030.JPG)
Playfield
Here's a picture of what appears to have been the top target bank... filthy and the targets are all crap..Time to strip it and create new decals, but first, I need to find the right targets. On my game, they were originally tombstone style, on others, they were not - they were the "in line" style.. Tombstone are the correct targets... "in line" targets are for "in line" target banks...
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Meteor%201%20001.JPG)
Heres a progress picture after the first proper clean of the playfield. The metal guide has been regrained...NOT polished. These guides were originally grained. To get the authentic and original look, it needs to be sanded with wet/dry 360 grit and windex. It always tooks great. I also use this method to do the siderails on the cabinets.
Here's a long shot..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010010_2.JPG)
and again -
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010015.JPG)
Where's the mylar ?? = Removed.. Well it was not mylar. It was just ordinary contact, the type used on books. Removal took a few hours. I'll cover that process another day (thread)... suffice to say - the more patience you have - the better the job..
Under the playfield
HOURS spend here... All coils and mechanisms for the drop targets were sourced from Pinball Resource.. Yep - ALL coils are NEW.. Main reason was because they were all missing ;) - But this game is FAST and everything has to be working...
ALL parts were removed and soaked in a warm bucket of water and nifti and scrubbed and cleaned for hours. Dried in the sun and then re assembled.. Great fun.. but it will look like this ;
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010019.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010020.JPG)
Eventually - after HOURS of work... It will look like this ;
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010018.jpg)
.. and it is not hard... Just be prepared to take plenty of pictures, and have plenty of spare time... All the coils are rewired, pop bumper cleaned and rewired... Put the time in and it will come up well..
So what am I going to do with the Targets ???
Here's a clue...
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010077.JPG)
Enjoy !!!
;)
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Geez Nino, you really do go that extra mile on your pinball restorations ;)
But, it does look bloody good!!! I'm sure whoever gets the final product will be a very happy person (if that isn't you! ;D)
May as well be a brand spanking new machine!!
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Always looking forward to your updates Nino !
I actually saw and played this game and its a testiment to Nino and his work...
I like seeing Nino's start to finish restores....and playing them too... ;D
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The more time and effort put into these games, the better the final outcome will be. Being a hobbyist, time is totally irrelevant. It is all about "fun" for me. I've always enjoyed the journey from the forgotten and neglected pinball to the final working game.
The game was sold a while ago, and the only time I hear from the owner is -"Have you got another one ready... ?".
"Working" on these pins is not "work"..it is a pastime. ;)
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The more time and effort put into these games, the better the final outcome will be. Being a hobbyist, time is totally irrelevant. It is all about "fun" for me. I've always enjoyed the journey from the forgotten and neglected pinball to the final working game.
The game was sold a while ago, and the only time I hear from the owner is -"Have you got another one ready... ?".
"Working" on these pins is not "work"..it is a pastime. ;)
That's the difference between being a full time pinball tech, and a hobbyist.
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Absolutely.. It is a lot easier being a hobbyist. You do the machines when you want to - at your own pace. There are times when the cogs in my head are looking to buy new projects and you just don't feel like working on games. Then you have times when you are totally immersed in a specific part of the process.
I think one of the best parts of restoring games at your own pace is that you can experiment with different techniques, and there is always scope to learn new things..
I could never be a tech on a payroll, because if I am called to fix one problem, I end up "seeing" things I don't like, and there goes the afternoon ;D
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I could never be a tech on a payroll, because if I am called to fix one problem, I end up "seeing" things I don't like, and there goes the afternoon ;D
That's something I battle with also. I learnt years ago to only repair the problems, and not go to deep when at a customer's house. It can end up either being costly for the customer, or you spend way to much time and end up loosing money yourself.
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All the Target assemblies had to be stripped and cleaned. The three smaller drop target banks needed new coils, plungers and links. Luckily, Pinball Resource had everything I needed. The "METEOR" decals were redrawn by Wotto and printed on adhesive paper, which was cut out and then mylar was applied. The key to this game is speed - it is a very fast machine and the Targets must respond and each target recognized when dropped. Best they were all rebuilt...
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010003_2.JPG)
The mylar was removed easily with no paint lift - well to be honest - it is not really mylar. It is simply "contact", and it comes off so easily. The playfield has been totally cleaned with Shellite, Novus 2 and then Meguiars Carnuba Wax..All the posts are washed, and the bumper bodies and caps are replaced with new...
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010004_2.JPG)
In the picture below - you will see where I have filled in the hole (check the earlier pictures) just below the "WOW" - It is to the left and is black. The flash from the camera really makes it obvious. This was an early attempt at playfield repair. All I did was sand the area flat with 1200 grit and then filled it with black paint. I did paint it on, not "fill it" with blobs of paint. After the playfield was almost level, I used clear nail polish and sanded with 1200 grit.. It blended in really well. I finished it off with a mylar sheet below the drop targets..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010005_2.JPG)
Here you can see the touch up very prominently... But focus on the targets and the SHINE on the playfield :D :D
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010006_2.JPG)
The Cabinet
Time to drop the playfield into the cleaned cabinet. The door has been completed (for now) and installed. It looks much better ! The boards are being rebuilt and tested on my test bench...
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Meteor%202%20009.jpg)
:D
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How nice is that? I bet the guy who bought it was super happy!
With the black paint touch-up, did you consider masking the area off and spraying with clear?
I want to get into some air brush techniques when I get the chance.
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How nice is that? I bet the guy who bought it was super happy!
With the black paint touch-up, did you consider masking the area off and spraying with clear?
I want to get into some air brush techniques when I get the chance.
The guy that owns it was very pleased at the time and he recently contacted me "demanding" another Pinball. I'm lucky if I restore a Pinball every 6 months ;)
I have zero experience with clearcoating. I want to look at it as an option later on, but for this game, a sheet of mylar across the drop target area did the job.
I want to look at both airbrushing and clearcoating in the future.
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Top work Nino - good to see a machine that many would have parted out restored to its former glory! A truly classic machine, particularly if you like drop targets!
The "METEOR" decals were redrawn by Wotto and printed on adhesive paper, which was cut out and then mylar was applied.
The Meteor section on IPDB has the 'submarine' font that allows you to easily make decals in Word. If I could work out how to post a pic I would show you how they turn out!
cheers
Ian
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My favorite Classic Stern... I should have kept it, but I wanted to buy more projects !
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OK will try for a pic...
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There you go !
Meteor owners have told me that my machine had the wrong targets - they should be the "in line" style, not "tombstone".. Yours are the same as mine. Why would they have two different styles in one game?
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I have owned or repaired 6 Meteors, 2 US and 4 Aussie and all had the tombstone targets (except for the random replacement targets people use!). I think some ops had trouble with the ball 'hanging ' in the target slot in the playfield and replaced the targets withthe ones with a hood. The tombstone targets drop better anyhow, so they are the go for me.
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Agreed.. Tombstone are much better, especially knocking over a three target bank with one shot SIDEWAYS !
Now I'm REALLY missing the Machine !
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Coin Door
Bunnings has a can of White Knight "Hammered Finish" which is very close to the same color and texture of the original Stern legs and coin door. The can cost around $12, and I used most of the can to do the front door and the legs.
First thing to do is strip the door. Clean all the parts with Nifti and a scrubbing brush. Let them dry and if there is any dirt or crap left over, clean it now ! This door did not have any rust or corrosion, but if it does, it will need to be sanded and primed.
Setup a paint bench outside (a bucket with a piece of wood, or the garage floor!).. Spray a light coat first, and then give it two more coats as per the instructions on the can. After drying they should look like this ;
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010059.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010060.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010061.JPG)
After the Drying period - or the next day - Start to reassemble.. The coin chutes themselves are plated, so they were polished, not painted.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010062.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010063.JPG)
Finished Product - Door mounted. Don't forget to do the door frame !!!
The legs were painted using the same method. The instructions on the can are easy to follow.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010066.JPG)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010065.jpg)
Playfield
The playfield is almost finished with the exception of the plastic that is mounted over the spinner and spot target.. That will have to be remade using perspex..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/P1010071.jpg)
:)
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How bloody good is that. Thanks for the paint tip!
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Hey Nino,
Think I might employ you for my next pinball restore... ;)
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Nino, awesome restoration! it must have been sad for you to let it go
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Nino, awesome restoration! it must have been sad for you to let it go
It is hard from the point of view that you put sooooo many hours into the game, only to see it go. But I'm not much of a "player". I prefer working on them. I move the games on with the intent of replacing them with project games to feed my addiction !
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Boards
Previously I covered the power supply - I had some spares ones lying around so I rebuilt it. This machine did not have the power supply panel / transformer etc..
The MPU is a SB200 that was in very good condition - no corrosion - but I replaced the reset components as the board was not always booting. The IC sockets were replaced, 2 new 5101s were installed and a battery with a blocking diode finished the job.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/meteor7.jpg)
Solenoid Driver board had the ground mods done and the HV section repaired.
All the displays had their digit resistors replaced with 1/2 Watt 100K resistors.
Sound board was fine - just resoldered the connectors.
Lamp driver had a couple of SCRs out - So they were replaced.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/meteor6.jpg)
Missing Plastic
This was a bit of "trial and error". I found the scan of this plastic on the 'net and then I played around with the size of the image until it was right...Then I used 2mm perspex and the jigsaw and cut out the plastic. The holes were registered and drilled and fitted. I initially printed the image on clear paper, but there are lamps behind it and it looked strange. I used some white adhesive backed paper and stuck it behind the clear printed image. It had a white border until I cut it out (later on). It was a great replacement for a plastic that seems to be broken or chipped on most Meteors I've seen..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Picture%20240_S.jpg)
I was so pleased with the result that instead of glueing another broken plastic, I made another... Both are pictured here ...
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Picture%20314_S.jpg)
My favorite shot of the playfield..
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Picture%20239_S.jpg)
;)
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Machine Finished !
Here's what the door looks like after the paint job and the Stern Door Decal. Notice the legs have been painted as well, and the Stern Leg bolts have been polished and installed. The game is working perfectly and there were some of the pics used when I put it up on eBay.
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/meteor9.jpg)
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Picture%20413.jpg) (http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Picture%20424.jpg)
Final BIG Picture... YES - I do miss it, and fortunately (or unfortunately) I have not heard from the owner in a while - other than to buy another machine ^^^
(http://www.aussiepinball.com/strangeways/restores/meteor/Picture%20427.jpg)
Another CLASSIC Stern in a gamesroom rather than gathering spiderwebs !
^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^
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Fantastic result Nino!
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Nino,
Just checking where you got the Stern Coin Door Decal from please? Did you source this from oz or Pinball Resource?
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Tony - I either sourced it from BAA or Marco Specialties - Both in the USA.. I just checked both sites and their search engines did not return a hit..
http://bayareaamusements.com/
http://www.marcospecialties.com/index.asp
I've never ask PBR as they used to be available from either Marco / BAA..
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Thanks for that Nino, was hoping to find a source in oz, but will check with Pinball Resource.
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Thanks for that Nino, was hoping to find a source in oz, but will check with Pinball Resource.
Tony this is where i purchased mine from.... These guys have another style Stern decal.. . They used to have 2 styles but looks like theres only one now.
http://phoenixarcade.com/art.htm
scroll half way down to S for Stern..
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Thanks Marco, much appreciated
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See what you mean about this game Nino. Can't stop playing mine - an awesome game
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See what you mean about this game Nino. Can't stop playing mine - an awsemome game
Sterns from this era are underestimated. I was VERY lucky when a Flight 2000 landed in my lap, and it will be a Stern "keeper" - I regret selling my Meteor, and there's no way I'll sell the Flight 2000 - It will have a repro Backglass, plastics and playfield..
I'm glad you like Meteor - A very FAST machine, and Stern were "on the ball" with Meteor and Galaxy..
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Another Great Restore Nino you really do a fantastic Job. Sadly i missed out on one of these a few years back.
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Very nice,started as a not so good game but has ended up one anyone would love to have! great stuff well done. @@*