Author Topic: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...  (Read 6302 times)

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Offline ddstoys

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #60 on: March 24, 2010, 11:08:41 PM »
Understanding girlfriend would help a heap.   And might i add a very tidy one at that Well done a keeper for sure  ^^^

Offline pinnies4me

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #61 on: March 25, 2010, 08:29:30 AM »
I have an understanding girlfriend too.

Pity I can't say the same for my wife.. .. ..
“If you wanna escape, go up to a pinball machine. There’s a magic button on the front that takes you to a world under the glass and makes the the rest of the universe disappear.”

Offline ktm450

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #62 on: March 25, 2010, 09:48:52 AM »
Fantastic work Tim  ^^^

Offline d3vlin

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #63 on: March 25, 2010, 06:46:43 PM »
my girlfriend thinks im a freak for always looking at pinnys on ebay and going to my brothers every day. not very understanding at all. i only get like 1 hour a day to play lol. cant wait to see the rest of the restore.

Offline ddstoys

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #64 on: March 25, 2010, 10:12:21 PM »
my girlfriend thinks im a freak for always looking at pinnys on ebay and going to my brothers every day. not very understanding at all. i only get like 1 hour a day to play lol. cant wait to see the rest of the restore.

Well at least she let you get the second Pinny?   OH thats right she didnt you just got it anyway Well done im rubbing off already LOL

Offline d3vlin

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #65 on: March 30, 2010, 09:34:04 PM »
ha ha ha. i just dont really care wat she thinks on the matter of pinball machines  ^^^

Offline el_timbo86

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #66 on: April 03, 2010, 04:50:49 PM »
Hey guys,

Well, its been a while since my last update. I've been working hard to get the playfield refinished and ready for its final clear.

In my last post, i detailed how to mask colour sections with the frisket, and provided an example with the light blue sections.

I wont spend too much time talking about the process here, as it is essentially the same each time.

I have tried to keep as much of the playfield hidden up until now, so i can talk about the wear spots and problems i have assessed in one post.

Here is a breakdown of the primary areas that needed refinishing...

Full playfield inspection...


Highlighted areas...


And the lower PF...


These areas have already been 'touched up' by an operator, and they havent done a very good job. Red nail polish, textas and sharpie markers have all been used. Some areas have been worn right down to the wood grain.

Similar to the light blue, i masked off the green section...


And hit it with a fresh green paint...


I removed the mask and was left with this result (this photo also shows the red completed too)


The funhouse yellow was a tough one to match. Studying the colour; its not a bright yellow, nor is it a deep golden colour. The yellow i had was CLOSE, but not perfect by the time it had cured. I mixed some orange and gradually added this to tone up the yellow in my cup.

I mixed it gradually and constantly compared the tone as i added even the slightest tint. I also thinned this in the cup by adding a few drops of the airbrush/flow medium i talked about in a previous post.

This picture shows the match, and also the extent of playfield damage that i had to cover. The red section which has a small crest/arrow is non-existant. This will be painted back in later...


Masked and ready to go...


After blocking in all of the primary colour areas, i had to paint in some smaller areas by hand. This was the most time consuming, but the most rewarding. I guess about 60% of the the black lines needed to be refinished on the playfield. I repainted the crest which sat on the red area of the multiball lock section, and gave the lightning bolt leading to Rudy's mouth a new lease on life.

The playfield ready to clear...


Closeup of the most troubled areas (Now refinished)...



After comparing what i had, to what i had now achieved - i figured it was time to seal up the playfield. The results from the clearcoat are as follows. Please note, It hasnt been cut back, or buffed/waxed etc, this is straight off the gun. Tomorrow, i'll give it a wet sand with 1500 - 2000 grit, and after a couple of days, i'll compound what i have and polish it up with a buffing wheel.

Nice and level...


Very happy with the results straight off the gun...


Stay tuned for the next update...

el_timbo




Offline MartyJ

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #67 on: April 03, 2010, 04:54:19 PM »
I'd be pretty happy with that too Tim!

Great work, outstanding results.  Cannot wait to see the finished product in full.


Offline el_timbo86

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #68 on: April 03, 2010, 04:58:22 PM »
I'd be pretty happy with that too Tim!

Great work, outstanding results.  Cannot wait to see the finished product in full.



Thanks Marty, you'll have to make a trip down to Geelong when she's ready for a few games/beers...

Offline Strangeways

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #69 on: April 03, 2010, 10:02:07 PM »

Really enjoying this restore - particularly the touch up methods and the process itself.

Do you have to have all the paints and the clearcoat from the same manufacturer ?
Aussie Pinball - Proud to be Australia's Premier Pinball Forum

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Offline Pinfan

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #70 on: April 03, 2010, 10:28:31 PM »
Nice work mate !  ^^^
Some people have big HEADS !

Offline pinnies4me

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #71 on: April 04, 2010, 08:21:49 AM »
Spectacular effort!

I got a really nice original FH playfield - you know you want to do another resto and clear, and I'm generous enough to let you do it to mine. You can thank me later!! ;)

“If you wanna escape, go up to a pinball machine. There’s a magic button on the front that takes you to a world under the glass and makes the the rest of the universe disappear.”

Offline el_timbo86

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #72 on: April 04, 2010, 01:03:42 PM »
As always guys, thanks for the motivational words.

Strangeways, in regard to your question about using different paints, i would honestly recommend spending a little bit more and using either Jo Sonja or Atelier paints. They are a full pigment ink, which has not been thinned right down with other chemicals. Also, all colours appear to be used under licence by Chroma paint inc, which has been around for a long time. These paints will give you excellent colour, flow and adhesion to your painting surface (in our case, a fine grit sanded playfield). Highly recommended.

When it comes to 2pack clears and the like, i would DEFINETELY use only the recommended hardener and thinner specs found on the label of the tin. The 2 part sytems, although EXTRMELY effective, are also prone to a range of problems which will come at the result of any of the following points being overlooked...

- Poor surface preparation (prepsol and tackcloth)
- Correct use of flash off time in between coats (read 2pack clear label)
- Correct environment (Is there moisture in the air? Is it too hot/muggy? Or too cold?)
- Equipment properly cleaned and prepared (Gun kept clean, compressor free of moisture and water traps used both at the gun, and at the compressor tank)

And finally,

- Correct mixing of 2pack products and their associated chemicals/solvents such as thinners.

Pinnies4me, i dont know if that was a genuine offer or not, but i may as well let people know now.
I really dont want to cut anyones lunch - but since undertaking this restoration, i have been throwing around the idea of offering up a playfield refinishing service for forum members. I'm not to sure what interest it will spark, but at least the service will be available for people who require it. There will be much more info in the coming month, as i'm still building the site, but just a bit of a heads up.

I just blocked back yesterdays clear starting with 1500 -> working up to a 2000 grit wet/dry. Alhough i've have lost that vivid gloss for the moment, the clear is silky smooth, and after a cut in a couple of days - followed by a good polish and wax - it will all come back to life and give those Pinballs a nice surface to fly around on.

Ill be sure to keep you all updated, and again - thankyou everyone for your kind words and support.

el_timbo

Offline ktm450

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #73 on: April 06, 2010, 03:41:29 PM »
Outstanding work mate, unbelievable results after seeing what you had to start with  ^^^

Offline el_timbo86

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Re: el_timbo's Funhouse Restoration...
« Reply #74 on: April 08, 2010, 02:40:35 PM »
Small update today guys.

The playfield has been sitting still the past week, i've let the final clear fully cure off before i cut it back for its final polish.

I started with a 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and made my way up to 2000 grit. I wiped the playfield down to remove any water residue, and let it sit there for a few hours to really dry off. After removing and leftover dust etc, its was time to get cutting...

Because i had made my way up to 2000 grit, i settled on a black 'final finish' polishing pad, and a medium grade cutting compound. I used a low speed on my buffer so as to not risk burning through the clear. I think alot of buffers and the like work on a clutch system to help eliminate people applying too much pressure on the surface.

Anyway, after the cut, i let that sit for a day or two - and spent the down time removing all the left over compound from all of the holes on the playfield.

With a wax/polish these are the results...







I'm really happy with the finish i achieved, and would DEFINATELY do this again.

Now its on to rebuilding all of my assemblies...I really enjoy doing this, if you take your time, the parts look like they have just been assembled back in the Williams factory...

I'd also like to thank MartyJ for helping me with the spring used in the Hidden Hallway ball lock.

Stripped, Degreased, Regrained, Resleeved and Re-built...


I'll be sure to post a bit more in the coming week...

el_timbo