Bally Fathom Restoration

[ddstoys]

Good one Nino would never have thought of just masking and repairin the one section like that.

[ajlaird]

Awesome, looks really great!

[Steve2010]

Looking great Nino, and coming along nicely ..... almost there!

[Strangeways]

Looking great Nino, and coming along nicely ..... almost there!

On the home stretch ! I'm fiddling around with the spinner repaint and clearcoat. When the decal is applied, I will finish the game off with a new set of legs.

[Strangeways]

The spinner has been painted a color close to the original, then clearcoated 3 times. I apply the decal and it looks NEW !








It might seem a small detail, but a new spinner can really complete the game. I'm not entirely happy with the result, as I applied the decal too high and the clear AND paint have already started to chip - which really is really annoying. Lucky I bought spares !


I've also installed the factory lane guides from RTBB. The game had NOS Bally white stamped lane guides which is a bonus as I could use them on another game.

Here are some pictures of the completed playfield. New plastics set, Bumper bodies, caps, targets and post caps. No expense spared. The Clearcoat has held up VERY well. The pictures don't do the game justice. I will take some final pictures over the weekend (during the day). But here's the playfield with the flash on the camera..








The game plays 100% and is going through final testing.

[indazone gav]

WOW, that looks amazing

[Mr Pinbologist]

SWEET dude   I've been following this thread pretty closely, good too see the final outcome.

looks great.. WELL DONE  

[MartyJ]

Excellent work Nino.  Hope the new owner enjoys the game and appreciates all the hard work.

[faza]

As usual another brilliant restore well done

[Strangeways]

Excellent work Nino.  Hope the new owner enjoys the game and appreciates all the hard work.

The new owner has not seen the game as yet - only photos from last year. Gladly, it remains "in the family" and part of a desirable collection.

I'll take some photos (during the day) of the finished game. Thanks all for the kind words 

You are welcome to drop by for a game or two before I deliver it 

[Steve2010]

You are welcome to drop by for a game or two before I deliver it 

I only wish ..... haven't been to Melbourne for years, but knowing the collection of games you have stashed, I would probably "camp" at your place for a while.

That apron is primo .... is it original, or decal?  If that's original, then that is awesome for the paint to have come up that good after all these years.  Any chance the new owner is a member here???  Never played this beast, but it looks to be a very, very good player.

[Strangeways]

You are welcome to drop by for a game or two before I deliver it 

I only wish ..... haven't been to Melbourne for years, but knowing the collection of games you have stashed, I would probably "camp" at your place for a while.

That apron is primo .... is it original, or decal?  If that's original, then that is awesome for the paint to have come up that good after all these years.  Any chance the new owner is a member here???  Never played this beast, but it looks to be a very, very good player.

Apron is 100% original. I simply cleaned and polished it. Very lucky to have found this particular Fathom.

New owner is not a member - he is a private collector (no time for forum). There was an "expression of interest" from several members, but the collector had first option and committed to it early on. I will have another Fathom in the restore queue that will be on the market, but that won't be for a year or two. Then there is the third Fathom which is my keeper game. This will have a repro playfield and will never leave my gamesroom.

[ktm450]

Beautiful work as usual mate 

[andtan]

That playfield looks amazing

But now for a nooby question.

What is the best approach for a playfield restoration, remove mylar, remove and replace mylar, or clearcoating? The clearcoating looks fantastic - but is it a long term restoration option or just a preference?

 

[Strangeways]

That playfield looks amazing

But now for a nooby question.

What is the best approach for a playfield restoration, remove mylar, remove and replace mylar, or clearcoating? The clearcoating looks fantastic - but is it a long term restoration option or just a preference?

 

Each playfield should be evaluated in isolation. The "best approach" would be the condition you are comfortable with. If the game has mylar, and it is in good condition, then it can be left alone. If it is dull, shrinking or lifting, then look at removing it. Games of this era didn't have factory mylar, but the operator installed Contact (used to cover school books). It was in good condition, but it lifted very easily. The decision to clearcoat the playfield became apparent when I looked at the amount of the original clear that was being removed as I cleaned the ball swirl marks. There was no way the playfield could not be protected. I was initially going to clear it myself, but I thought I'd leave that to a professional, who did an impeccable job for me.

In this case, the clearcoat was a necessity. Given the game is rare and collectible, I wanted to finish it as original as possible and that meant investing more time and effort in a clearcoat.