Twilight Zone Pinball Restoration

[ktm450]

Here are a few photos of my TZ restoration. I restored it a couple of years back now.  Got it home played half a game to check everything was working then started stripping playfield down.  
Here are a few before photos:

[ktm450]

Check out the clock housing!
Someone had gone to town on it with a can of black spray paint, there was a little bit of overspray on the playfield, plastics glass and metal bits
It was fairly easy to remove.  Inside I found out why it was painted black, half a tub of wheel bearing grease had been poured inside to 'lubricate' the gears  
It had been loved though there was polish splatter left everywhere a rag couldn't reach.
Unfortunately all the metal posts were corroded, looked like this pin was sitting on the ships deck rather than safely inside the container
Check out the last photo with the magnet, I'll tell you something very stupid I did a little later.  You can also see some of the corrosion I had to tackle in this photo.

[ktm450]

So every thing was stripped off for the playfield clean up and polish
Before:

[ktm450]

A bit of elbow grease, Nifti, ME, Novus2, Mothers hard carubana wax and here is the result
After:

[ktm450]

So here is a list of what was done:

-replaced clock housing and lens
-replaced clock decal
-modified clock to LEDs
-replaced all coil sleves
-replaced all rubbers
-replaced all star posts
-flame polished ramp
-replaced decal under ramp
-replaced plastic above ramp
-replaced slingshot plastics
-made plastic protectors for slings, rocket, slot mach and piano
-removed and polished every post and every screw as all had surface corrosion
-a couple of small touchups
-PF completely stripped down cleaned polished and waxed
-new globes
-inserts cleaned from below playfield
-fixed a raised insert
-rebuilt all flippers, new bats, new plungers, links, and pawls. New coild sleeves and flipper bushings
-rebuilt all targets, the back plates were all too coroded to fix, so I had to make new stronger ones from stainless steel, new foam backing
-Made a stronger target for the always hammered slotmachine target using stainless steel 10mm x 10mm square section, milled back off to make a 'u' shape then milled at an angle to finish off
-replaced pop bumper metal rings
-replaced pop bumper caps
-replaced pop bumper wafers
-replaced a few coils that were the incorrect ratings
-re-blued the spring steel flaps on the entrance to all ramps
-re-blued the one way gate flaps
-all new hex-screws
-replaced lane guide
-removed the magnets and machined the face that sits level with the PF (stupid idea, DO NOT do this, machining was ok and they look fantastic, BUT the windings of the magnet started to unwind with the cardboard removed and I started to get a bit of a birdsnest going on, had to take 5 before I flipped out and calmly put it all back together again!)
-new improved trough proximity sensor
-replaced leg bolts
-reproduction translight
-changed the wedge sockets to #47 sockets on the flashing globes in the backbox to accept the more commonly available #455 globes
-added the colour changing led on the '?' and 'clock millions' globes (this is the only mod I will do as I hate the gumballs and all the 'happy meal' mods that people go overboard with)
-cleaned powerball
-New leg bolts and levelers
-added 5 new mirror glazed balls
-replaced LHS backbox speaker
-removed factory mylar with new mylar

More after pics:
  

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[ktm450]

More:

[ktm450]

So these first two photos show the magnets turned out (no pun intended) after I machined them in the lathe.  DO NOT even thing about doing this, I was almost in tears when coils of copper started unwinding from the middle as the cardboard sandwiching it all together slipped apart but the end result was worth it  

the last pic show the reinforced target I machined up from a piece of 10mm x 10mm stainles steel square section tube.

Unbelieveable feeling playing that first game, could not wipe the smile off my face, all that hard work paid off  

[ktm450]

Since I finished the restoration the only two things I have done are replaced the front black mini PF switch covers with original grey ones and I wanted to get rid of the tatty old bit of cardboard under the mini PF after a mate gave me a tip he has used a few times, he used a thin piece of MDF painted black to tidy the area up.

I didn't have any thin timber lying around but did have some 1.5mm shatter proof polycarbinate (LEXAN) and thought it would be an interesting effect being clear, as it adds a little light to the dark area under the mini PF.

I was very pleased with the result, although it is hardly noticeable standing infront of the machine, but that is a good thing as you dont want to be drawn to the area.  Looks heaps better then the old cardboard!

Here are a few pics:

[MikeDeuce]

Looks like you need to be a member of aussiepinball to see the pics

[ktm450]

Looks like you need to be a member of aussiepinball to see the pics

Ok I'll try to fix

[ktm450]

Sorry guys, all sorted 

[Q*Bert_OP]

BTW, your slingshot rubbers are too big. You need 2" on there, not 2.5"

[Pik4chu]

WOW! 
That just looks absolutely incredible.  It looks better than brand new!  So wish I could play a few rounds on that baby 

[ktm450]

Thanks mate, anytime you are in Australia you are more than welcome to pop over for a game