Ace High Restoration

[mark jackson]

thanks gents. From memory I used Cabotts brand. I mix 'satin' and full gloss together so that the shine is not too glossy for pinball. I think full gloss is too full on for both playfields and cabinets when restoring 50's and 60's machines, so I knock it back with the satin. I'm now converting the cabinet back to a woodrail Gottlieb cabinet. I thought it would be marginally easier to convert rather than start from scratch. I'll let you know. .....

[Retropin]

LOl- i do exactly the same, but i use 80% gloss with 20% low sheen... just enough shine 

[mark jackson]

some pics ...before & after ...

[mark jackson]

one more pic ............ All these shots are of the same cabinet. I took to it with a circular saw after marking out the dimensions of a 50's woodrail single player cab. I thought it would be easier to change this back to a single player cab than it would be to start from scratch. I'm glad I did, as it keeps the project as 'original' as possible. Also, this cabinet was in very good condition structually, and I doubt I could've made one as strong and stable as this one is. I had to redrill the flipper holes, plunger holes, push-up rod hole, but the hole for the coin slot, and the coin return did not have to be changed. I tried to do it with a minimum of 'footprint'. It's hard to tell that it was a completely different shape and dimension.
I got the wood (frame) for the head and the rails made up by a custom furniture maker. .... Almost up to the art-work for the cab. Cheers, Mark

[Retropin]

Mate... you always take on the craziest tasks... will be watching another HUUUGE project with great interest

Gav

[Strangeways]

Well done Mark. you are very talented and dedicated. I love seeing your work documented and it's a pleasure to read and admire.

[goodolddays]

Well done Mark .   I can't believe the projects you tackle .
This will look soooo much better than what you started with .

[mark jackson]

Thanks lads. I realise now that I've been 'on' this machine since last October. .... The playfield was the real hard part of this restoration. As involved as the work on the cab is, it seems 'easy' compared to the 4 months we spent on the playfield. After that had been done, it has given me the 'drive' to see this part completed. Ace High is one of the best Gottlieb's of its time.
               Some folks think that 2" flipper games &/or woodrails don't play well, but I have no idea where this myth got legs. In all of pinball there were two great decades where Gottlieb brought out some of the most playable games of all time. I class 1955-1965 as the first of these decades (woodrails, wedgeheads, but ALL 5 ball push-up games.) Then 1966-1976 ... ( 2" to 3" flippers, auto ball shoot, drop targets etc but ALL wedgeheads {single player games}.  .... To me these are pinball's 2 greatest decades .... just a few ramblings.
              I'll post a few more pics when more progress is made. 

[mark jackson]

.... a few pics. ... some progress. clear coating to come.

[Retropin]

Ooooh.. VERY VERY nice!!!!!!

[mark jackson]

thanks Gav. I like this colour combination a lot. It just says '1950's' to me. I obviously did most of the prep work 'on the box' which I like to do when I can. For general info, I used a small roller (3cm wide) for both the green and red. No spray was done on this cabinet. The great advantage of doing it this way is there's no fumes/paint that you breathe in when spraying. .... the green will hopefully complement the green on the backglass, when the machine is back together. We'll see.

[Retropin]

thanks Gav. I like this colour combination a lot. It just says '1950's' to me. I obviously did most of the prep work 'on the box' which I like to do when I can. For general info, I used a small roller (3cm wide) for both the green and red. No spray was done on this cabinet. The great advantage of doing it this way is there's no fumes/paint that you breathe in when spraying. .... the green will hopefully complement the green on the backglass, when the machine is back together. We'll see.

Agreed... CLASSIC colour combination and oh so 50's...LOVE IT!

[Strangeways]

Really impressive standard you have set, Mark. Looks amazing - well done so far. Do you always clearcoat your cabinet repaints ?

[Olivia_jason]

very interesting machine, what was the cabinet from originally??

[goodolddays]

Supurb work Mark  . Yep , definitely looking the goods now .

Do you have a timber lockdown bar to finish it off ?