Scared Stiff Restoration

[ddstoys]

Great work John again amazing work.

  I also tried to tumble some switches with my last batch and were very happy with the result

[Steve2010]

John - great read so far, and a very meticulous approach!  Love the many and detailed photos, and following this with much interest.

[d3vlin]

 

[johnwartjr]

Monday, April 12, 2010
Scared Stiff Serial #50748101010

Day 9	< 10% restored
First Photo Of The Update	Last Photo Of The Update
25 hours spent on project since last update	42.5 hours spent on project total
37 New images in album	120 Total images in album

Direct Album Link

The 'day 9' figure is a bit misleading. It's not really 'day 9' in the sense that I've been working on the game a bit here and a bit there, but I'm running this project, so I'll call it day 9 :)

I've ordered a lot of parts in the last month. Lots of parts. I also got sidetracked on a couple other non-pin projects. Parts are rolling in, though. Cab decals are here. Speakers are due today. Game specific stuff for rebuilding the coffin are on the way.

I documented the way the ramps are populated, as the parts that are going to be moved to the new ramps need to be cleaned and detailed.



Lots of pictures are snapped of each ramp and how the protectors, wiring harnesses, etc are oriented, then I take a picture of the misc hardware before I clean it up.





Here are the leaf switches I tumbled. Took 24 hours to make them look like new!



The spider mech in the backbox wasn't working, so I decided to pull it out and have a look.



Disassembled the motor completely - this motor is also used in the who dunnit slot machine and often fills up with metal shavings, then a good cleaning will make them work again. The motor is clean. Matter of fact, looks *new*. Now, I have to trace the fault out elsewhere.

One of the first 'challenges' - there's a plastic piece of artwork over the backbox insert that is quite brittle. This one shattered just by *touching* it. I'm going to have to see if I can get it back in one piece, and looking decent. Luckily, this area is well concealed by the spider once I put it back on the pointer - but it still needs the pieces reinstalled.







At least I have the pieces!

[johnwartjr]

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Scared Stiff Serial #50748101010

Day 10	< 10% restored
First Photo Of The Update	Last Photo Of The Update
1.5 hours spent on project since last update	44 hours spent on project total
9 New images in album	129 Total images in album

Direct Album Link

Not a lot to post tonight, but figured I'd toss up an update.

New crate lid arrives



I'd been trying to figure out how this was attached, and if it was possible to remove the old one without totally destroying it. Turns out, it's pop-riveted in place. A drill bit through the center of the rivet, and it came apart. The bottom slides over a notch, the top has a hole the rivet goes into.



Easily drilled out, need to get some pop rivets to put the new one in place and install the ramp 'upgrade' kit. I may have a riveter, need to check. Not used to pop rivets being in pins!



Some decals arrived tonight. New crate decals amongst other parts. Compared to my NOS crate door, the repros are POOR quality. Not real happy with these. Had a poor quality set of repros on my first Scared Stiff, and it looked OK since the entire game was a crappy pile of poo, but on a nice game, they just won't do. Real disappointed I paid $14 for them!

There's also a coffin side decal next to the other decals that is textured like original.



Coffin 'stiff' decal is the same poor quality repro. Since it's only open a small part of the time, I think it'll be OK, but if I can find a textured original, I'll buy it. I also ordered a new plate for the decal to go on, the original was kinked at one corner. I was able to sort of straighten it out, but the new one is perfect.



A nice 8 inch pioneer sub will give the game a little bit of 'oomph' compared to the stocker, which is actually broken.



And, the best part.. I realized I had a partial set of SS crate decals in my files from a previous project. Too bad I didn't realize this before I spent the 14 bucks. Oh well, it supported a pinball vendor and I'm sure somebody can use them :)

[Pinfan]

Isn't it great receiving newly ordered parts John !

Its looking great so far. 

[johnwartjr]

Friday, April 23, 2010
Scared Stiff Serial #50748101010

Day 11	< 10% restored
First Photo Of The Update	Last Photo Of The Update
2 hours spent on project since last update	46 hours spent on project total
15 New images in album	144 Total images in album

Direct Album Link

Posting this update a little late...

Trying a new product. Well, new to pinball restoration. I used this stuff on my first (running) car, a 1991 Honda Civic 4 door. It had polished aluminum rims, and they dulled down very quickly. At that point in my life, chasing tail was very important, and shiny rims would logically help :) I found an old can while cleaning my garage, and was disappointed to learn that it had turned to dust. However, some careful internet searching indicated that it was still in fact made!



I actually switched to this product from Mother Mag polish on my car, which is what I have been using to polish pin parts, once I scotchbrite the corrosion off of them.

It's called 'X-Treem Metal Polish', and it's $9.95 on eBay for a 3 oz can - the stuff I used on my car was about $15 per can, and was a 1.5 oz can - so I'm getting twice as much for less money. Very nice.

Opening the can, you'll see that there is a plastic bag inside, with what appears to be a pink wad of cotton candy.



It's cotton wadding, which is slightly abrasive, packed with metal polish.



Just peel a chunk off, and start rubbing the part, then wipe with terry towel to check your progress occasionally.



I started with one of my least favorite parts to clean - the bracket the playfield 'rests' on the edge of the cabinet with. These are always in sad shape, because they have been handled so much.



Interim pics:



The wadding looks like this when it's spent and it's time to replace it



Not bad.. less than 2 minutes in the part to this point



Comparing unpolished section, and polished section here



Bracket completely done



The nice thing about the wadding is how it conforms to most any angle, so it's not difficult to clean inside every nook and cranny - and soap and water takes it off your hands, no need to get out the harsh hand cleaner and rough your hands up. 2 thumbs up!

I finished off what was left of the game metal in a couple hours tops, and it all has a nice shine to it. Definite time saver. A $5 can of Mothers will typically get consumed in a game, if I can get a game done in 1 can of this stuff, I can deal with that.

[johnwartjr]

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Scared Stiff Serial #50748101010

Day 12	< 10% restored
First Photo Of The Update	Last Photo Of The Update
3 hours spent on project since last update	49 hours spent on project total
18 New images in album	162 Total images in album

Direct Album Link

Now, on to today's update

Tore down a few more minimal assemblies, and finished rebuilding some others.

Test fit the Mantis crate cover.



Debating on how I finish it. Original was black plastic with decals. Replacement is stainless, and I have NOS decals



Do I leave it stainless? Do I paint it black to match original? Or should I go 'custom, and finish it in grey similar to the decals, to make them blend in better? It'll be one of the final details, so having an answer today is not terribly important. Still mulling it over. What do you think?

The coffin mechanism is a bit of a marvel. Lots to it, lots of moving parts, and it's relatively huge.



Mine was in poor repair. The plastic guy that goes on the lid was broken, so I had to replace him. To replace him, the lid of the coffin had to come off. To do that, I had to pull the hinge pin and spring. Then, the moving 'stiff' inside the coffin needed a new decal, and the plate the decal goes on was bent, so I got a new one of those, too. Luckily, I found Curly's site had NOS outside coffin decals, and NOS stiff decals. Didn't like his decal for the crate cover, but had a NOS set already.

This is what the cover looks like, the old one had a hole punched through it.



It's held in place by a 1/8 inch pop rivet.

The upper coil pulls a plunger in, and it opens the lid. Then, contact from the balls lifts the 'stiff' up. A German company makes a stiff that glows in the dark, but 2 friends who have had them said theirs failed quickly, so I'll go with original.

2 poppers on the left rebuilt with new Mantis Amusements bracketry.

[Redback]

Great work,
Learning a lot from the postings,
Red

[Strangeways]

Shame about those poor quality Crate "decals" 

I'd go with the Stainless crate with NOS decals - at least see gow it looks - it is easy to remove from the game if you don't like it.

Great progress.

[johnwartjr]

Saturday, June 19, 2010
Scared Stiff Serial #50748101010

Day 13	< 10% restored
First Photo Of The Update	Last Photo Of The Update
2 hours spent on project since last update	51 hours spent on project total
14 New images in album	176 Total images in album

Direct Album Link

Have really had a problem with finding time to make progress on this game.

I've been saying for over a week, I just need to take an hour or two, and dig into it and make a little progress so I can get the ball rolling again.

I've been waiting on some assistance on the cabinet, and had been putting the playfield aside, saying I'd start on the playfield after I got the cabinet done, as I didn't want to fill the playfield full of sanding dust, etc.

At this point, I'm going to get the playfield done. I can seal it up real well once it's done, if that's what it takes to get the cabinet done.

The playfield is on the bench. It's fresh as it came back from Playfield Renovations. T-nuts still installed, wiring and staples from pop bumpers in, etc.

I don't clean them up real well until I'm ready to install them. The buffing process fills all switch slots, holes, etc with compound - so why clean them twice?

After having a few playfields restored, I also learned to pull the t-nuts before restoring them. They get full of clear and screws won't thread into them, and the clear sometimes discolors on top of them.

But, I did pull the t-nuts from the playfield tonight. Will sand the playfield underside to clean it up, and reinstall new t-nuts. I buy the t-nuts for under 10 cents each, new, and I hate straightening the prongs of the t-nuts. You can salvage about 70% of the old ones, but it's just easier to stick new ones in.




Backside is majorly dirty




T-nuts pulled



It's purdy :)



These are actual chunks of clear

[Maxprofits]

John,
I really admire the effort that you go to when restoring a game. SS is a great game and really deserves the time and money you are spending.
Thanks very much for sharing your work with us here, on an Austrailian forum. Looking forward to the next update on this most excellent restoration.
Regards,
Dan. 

[ktm450]

John,
I really admire the effort that you go to when restoring a game. SS is a great game and really deserves the time and money you are spending.
Thanks very much for sharing your work with us here, on an Austrailian forum. Looking forward to the next update on this most excellent restoration.
Regards,
Dan. 

+1 love seeing your restos John, keep up the great work mate 

[johnwartjr]

Sunday, June 20, 2010
Scared Stiff Serial #50748101010

Day 14	< 10% restored
First Photo Of The Update	Last Photo Of The Update
2 hours spent on project since last update	53 hours spent on project total
5 New images in album	181 Total images in album

Direct Album Link

Spent a couple hours cleaning the playfield up, installing some t-nuts, and doing some of the 'through' parts.

Came across a couple of small snags to work through as usual. My new side stiffeners are not drilled, I have to figure out how to align them before fastening them down. Will have to drill new holes. Not a big deal, just have to figure out *where* to drill the holes, since there are none to locate from. But, I'm many steps ahead of where I was with no holes to work from at all! So, I asked the guy who made them for me if he has any insight, he made them using the ones from his game as a template.

This playfield has more clear on it than any I've ever worked on. Posts haven't wanted to fit their holes without reaming them slightly with a sharp bit.

Prior to sanding

After sanding


Some general beginning population pics




Hopefully I can get the side stiffeners straightened out today, then I could attach the slides and get the pop bumper studs installed as well as the pop bumper parts in place, topside.

[Strangeways]

Nice work John - Slowly getting "back into the groove"