Hot Hand - My restore plans

[Wotto]

Hey all

So this Hot Hand doesnt need a whole lot done to it - it plays really well already
I spent today changing all the coil sleeves , cleaning switches  and threw some new rubbers on it just so I can at least play a decent game whenever I want to.

However there are some things I am going to try on this game.

1) Playfield Wear

I have seen a few Hot Hands that suffer from the same wear issue around the 'cards' in the centre of the playfield - this game has 2 cards that have issues....





My plan is to draw decals for those area's using that 'micro-thin' vinyl material used at Print shops.
I started to make some up this afternoon but I will have to wait until I have stripped the playfield and cleaned it all up so that I get the finals printed to the same colour as my clean playfield ends up.






2) Backglass - those faded reds

Hopefully I can explain my idea correctly.
Lets face it , no-one is ever going to reproduce BG's such as this one and even if they did , not many would feel the game would warrant $450 upwards on a repro glass.
So I have a cheap nasty idea to restore the reds WITHOUT destroying the original artwork AND it would all be reversible - that may just work.

You will see this BG is in terrific shape from behind - it doesnt have a single scratch  or webbing etc anywhere.



However from the front you will not the reds are all light pink.




My idea is to use red cellophane BETWEEN the rear of the backglass and a custom piece of full size perspex that would sit against the rear of the backglass.
I have seen cellophane used before and when lit , the backglass looked excellent - but it was stuck to the actual artwork and I wasnt going to do that.
So the idea is to scan the front of the backglass and then use the scans to cut the red shapes out of cellophane.
Then I would stick those pieces in the correct places ON THE INSIDE OF THE PERSPEX SHEET so that when it sits against the backglass the reds 'land' in the correct spots.



I have no idea if this will work but the idea of using a sheet of perspex to 'preserve' flaking backglasses came into my head years ago and I never tried it.
When I saw the cellophane idea I thought I would combine the 2 ideas and see what happens.
I assume this will be very time consuming 

[pinballheaven]

Wotto, Thanks for taking the time to post this issue. It is great to see how you propose to work through a problem and then see the results! Good luck.

[goodolddays]

Very interesting idea Wotto . I really hope it works for you . I will be wrapped if it does as I have a '65 Gottlieb Thorobred project who's BG has areas of missing paint that are all the same colour (funnily enough Red) .

Best of luck and please post on your progress with this idea.

Cheers
Dave

[Mr Pinbologist]

Hi Wotto, looking forward to seeing the end results, and to see how your idea for fixing the faded reds in the BG works..

your BG is MUCH better than mine 

[Strangeways]

I had a feeling that this process involved something like cellophane. I like the idea - this could solve the red issue that plagues FLASH as well.

Need to ensure that the lamps behind the 2mm perspex do not make contact / or cause pressure behind the glass. I look forward to the progress !

[Wotto]

I had a feeling that this process involved something like cellophane. I like the idea - this could solve the red issue that plagues FLASH as well.

Need to ensure that the lamps behind the 2mm perspex do not make contact / or cause pressure behind the glass. I look forward to the progress !

Haha - I saw the red cellophane done on a Flash actually - it turned the light pink fade into a beautiful deep blood red - when lit.
Yes mate I have numerous 'things to check with this - surely there would be 1.5 -2mm from the lamp tip the BG rear 

I also have to look at how to attach the large sheet of perspex to the BG - AND if it 'bows' in the middle I will sort some type of 'dowel' posts that I will have to ensure wont be seen as well ( as big black dots from the front when lit  )

Will have fun experimenting anyway.

[Retropin]

Acrylic does expand quite a bit due to heat, obviously, the thinner you go the more any heat affects it. I dont really see it as being too much of an issue though.You can get 1.2mm acrylic and if you give me the spacing behind the sheet and the backbox front, ill have some rectangular clear cut for you to use as spacers - these simply glue into place. You could then insert the clear sheet in the backbox in the BG channel and then insert the BG... if we get our spacing correct then the BG will simply clamp it in place... whole thing holds itself in position.
or - you could simply tape it in place along the BG trim.. wouldnt notice it at all.

...all food for thought!

[MartyJ]

Looking forward to this one Wotto...!

Keep the pics coming.

[ktm450]

Great ideas mate, look forward to seeing how these turn out 

[Boots]

Wonder why it is that some reds fade where others dont?

[pinnies4me]

Keen to see the results - I've a Joker Poker bg in great condition other than the faded reds - was looking at it on the weekend and thinking about just that issue.

[Bennyfactor]

nice idea 
will be keeping an eye on this thread to see how it turns out

[Wotto]

This could actually work 

Here is a VERY VERY rough 10 minute test I did tonight.
Excuse my 'test rig' - it is a small piece of perspex and some builders line and a very roughly cut heart shape 



This is it from the front - thats ONE piece of red cellophane - I will do it using 2 or 3 pieces to make it deeper/ richer colour when the proper time comes.
As I thought - this will be a SLOW and time consuming excercise to get all the reds in the right places - but maybe it will be worth it.

[shansta]

Will be fiddly - but a nice result! 

What about a Maroon type red with a bright LED to tone it down a bit - might work with one sheet of cellophane? (I have NFI!)

[Strangeways]

An excellent result for such an early test.

Suggestion - Print the sections from scans of the front of the backglass. Select the RED sections, and print the red sections (laser printer or similar) on A4 transarency. That way, you might be able to slot the A4 sheets behind the backglass trim ?