Gottlieb Free Fall High End Restoration

[Strangeways]

I was going to document the "Free Fall" in the same thread as the "Sky Jump", but due to developments with this restoration, I thought it needed it's own thread. When I say "Developments", I mean aspects of the restoration that change due to components being available whilst the machine is in the queue, or new ideas that come forward. This game is far the same collector as the "Sky Jump", and we always wanted the two games to look "new" - side by side. This is the RARE "add a ball" version of "Sky Jump" - so rare - I think there are only TWO in Australia.

Background

Part of two Gottliebs to be restored at a High Standard.
At the time of obtaining the game, no repro playfield was available, only the original in the game.

Condition

Cabinet - 7/10 - Original paint job. In reasonably good condition.
Backglass - N/A - Owner has a repro.
Playfield - 5/10 -  Planking and wear.
Electrical - 8/10 - Great for it's age.








High Score To Date.. No I won't be engraving the high score !





One TIRED playfield !





Internals not too bad..





Stripping the hardware off the cabinet ;





Original color to match - but it is the same as "Sky Jump" anyway !





Webbing was used on "Sky Jump" and "Splatter" on "Free Fall".




Sanded and prepped for primer..





Used @Pinball Pimp Stencils for this repaint - same as "Sky Jump".









Well this was all completed LAST YEAR.. Next update is where there are some really COOL developments !

 

[Top Card]

Beautiful. I had a Sky Jump when I was about 16. How many hours to get to this point, sanded and repainted ?

[Strangeways]

Beautiful. I had a Sky Jump when I was about 16. How many hours to get to this point, sanded and repainted ?

Depends on the condition of the machine and the stencils. This would be a simple job, the stencils are basic. The integrity of the cabinet was good to start off with, so all told - approx 14 hours effort. Most of that time is prep work. Repairing, filling and sanding.

[Strangeways]

As referred to earlier and on the "Sky Jump" thread, this game is owned by the same collector. Both these machines must be pristine once restored. Wade Krauss did a run of Repro "Sky Jump" playfields, and the "Sky Jump" will have one of these installed. But that left his machine with an original playfield that would need a serious amount of restoration, which I would have done, but it would have taken a VERY long time. I tried to twist Wade's arm into producing a "Free Fall" playfield, but that did not happen. Time passed, and I contacted Wade about a "seconds Sky Jump" for possible conversion to "Free Fall". That would include some artwork changes and an extra insert.


Geoff from "Pinball Perfection" started doing some work for me and his playfield restoration skills were brilliant. I had already received the "Seconds Sky Jump", and it sat there for quite some time before I asked Geoff's opinion. He took on the job, and cleared both playfields so that they would have EXACTLY the same finish. All I can say is that this photos of the three playfields is "Jaw Dropping" to say the very least ;






Yes - it is a BIG photo - But it is the only way to truly appreciate the workmanship !

On the Left - The Wade Krauss "Sky Jump" repro "firsts" that has been clearcoated and ready for installation.

In the Middle - The Wade Krauss "Sky Jump" repro "seconds" AFTER conversion to "Free Fall" by Geoff and then cleared.


On the right - The original "Free Fall" playfield.

Photos ;

Cleared "Sky Jump"






Cleared "Free Fall"






Centre artwork on "Sky Jump "






Centre artwork changed for "Free Fall"




RHS Rollover section on "Sky Jump"






RHS Section modified for "Free Fall"






Side By Side Comparison with the exact same Clearcoat ;






As everyone is well aware, restorations are not all about finishing the project as soon as possible. In this type of work, patience is your ally. The way these projects are coming together, is proof. When collectors / customers truly appreciate this type of effort and result, it makes all the waiting time worth it.

Special thanks to Wade and Geoff for making this happen.

[Pinballer]

Excellent job. Wade's playfields are second to none.

[ktm450]

That is really awesome, great to see them side by side to appreciate the amount of work that has gone in to changing the artwork for the free fall.

[Crashramp]

Very cool to have both these being restored at the same time Nino. The repo and reworked repo play fields are just going to top these games off brilliantly.

[Strangeways]

This machine has progressed a fair way since the last update, so it might be a little "erratic", but I won't post everything at once.


The cabinet hardware was next in line and we want the old parts looking as new as possible, so a lot of the work was done re-plating, which as I've mentioned before, I do "in-house". I have the process well advanced than when I started, but it can still be a challenge with some older parts that are too big for the bath. The door is something I like to start with because the skin is available from PBR, so everything on the inside must be perfect !


Here is the inside of the door ;





The NEW parts from PBR are all set out and ready to install once the inside parts have been plated ;





The Chimes need a fair bit of work as well !








The Credit Assembly has some rust. These thicker parts are easier to plate and always look great when plated ;





It is always a challenge doing larger parts, and these coin entry plate brackets are usually rusted, bent or broken. Once I have repaired and straightened then, I plate them at the same time as I had to use a different sized bath ;





The Lock Down Bar acceptor is an absolute NIGHTMARE to plate. Platers will not touch these as they have moving parts. I managed to plate them myself, which I was VERY pleased with, but they are VERY hard to get right.





Chime Box was really easy, although fiddly !





Even the plate for the on/off switch is plated !





Old VS New Headbolts. Yes, even the washers are replated... The brackets for the headbox as well.





.. and a sneak peak of the door..





HEAPS more to come...

[ddstoys]

Plating looks amazing


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[48]

Absolutely inspiring work Nino. Watching what you have done over the years made me go much further on my own restores. I am not in your league by any stretch but, I do try!.

[Strangeways]

Absolutely inspiring work Nino. Watching what you have done over the years made me go much further on my own restores. I am not in your league by any stretch but, I do try!.

Thank You for the kind words. I'm documenting a journey, and we all start from humble beginnings. Experience is gained from "having a go" and I find inspiration from watching other pinheads projects. I enjoy sharing my experiences as I want the hobby to continue with as many newbies, and hesitant budding restorers as possible.

[Strangeways]

Time to get busy on these longstanding Restorations. The Headbox is next on the "Freefall" and I'm grateful it is a single player game, as siezed scorereel assemblies are not my favorites !  Only one Stepper to rebuild, as this is an "add a ball" that has no credit stepper.



















I never bother powering up project games until I've gone through the resto process. There are always numerous issues I can fix while rebuilding.









Interesting Stepper Unit Spring configuration !














"Slightly" out of adjustment !







Stepper is stripped completely.









Rebuilding with the a new set of springs

[Strangeways]

Here is the rebuilt Stepper Unit. New coil sleeves are also added and it steps up and resets perfectly.









Score Reel Assembles are always fun to rebuild. Rarely is one working perfectly, as they are almost always gummed up !



















I use a degreaser for the parts except the score reel itself. Then a trip to the ultrasonic which clean off all the "hard to get" grease and dirt. Rarely do I need to replace the springs, but the coil sleeve must be replaced. The score Reel should NEVER go into the ultrasonic. They should be cleaned with a mind water and Nifti solution. NEVER spray direct on them.







Clean and polish the Score Reel Housing.









Test Fit and solder the wires onto the coils.









 

[Strangeways]

There are a few issues I will need to return to once Pinball Resource start shipping to Australia again. A couple coil stops in the score reels and the EOS on the Score reels plunger are broken off completely.












I'm collating a list, and I will find heaps more smaller items across both games, so I keep moving on...


Light Board needs a clean and a light stray of white just to freshen it up a bit..







Much Better..









.. and a test fit in the WRONG HEAD... Damn, I've labelled EVERYTHING, but I still managed to put the lighbox in the Sky Jump head.... Oh well, I'll swap it over later..









I did a LOT of plating inbetween one of the 567 lockdowns us Victorians have had, so both machines will have zinc plated parts than look "better than new". Within these parts, I did find NOS parts (from Dad's old route days), that were perfect, but needed to be replated in case I need them for either of these two Gottliebs.









The only part that I needed Nickel plated was the rear channel. The plater I used to use closed down for over a year, but I finally was able to retrieve these parts. I regrained the Glass Slide, and it came up really nice !









To replace the foam, I use the "target foam" used on various manufacturer's spot targets. Trim to size and install...














The playfield siderails. These are easy to do, but take time. I remove any guides, sand it down completely and then use Cabot's Carbothane Satin. Available at Bunnings. I use thin and even coats, waiting 4-6 hours between coats. 3-4 coats gives an amazing finish.









Before installing the side rails, I wax the playfield - much easier when there is no hardware.









Installed ;















I LOVE the playfield shine - Not glossy.. This clear is faithful to the original Varnish. The siderail and wooden guide look amazing with the shooter lane.


 

[ddstoys]

Gorgeous


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