Trying to save this Franken-Pac (should have killed it with fire)

Arcade Collecting > Restorations & repair

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Keroppi:

--- Quote from: pbj on April 17, 2019, 11:12:36 am ---Scrubbing bubbles also works pretty well.

--- End quote ---

Scrubbing bubbles, like the toilet bowl cleaner?

pbj:
Yeah, the stuff in a spray bottle. Foams up.

Keroppi:
So I got out the "plastic wood" and went to town on the other side:

Mr. Sparkle!

So, I started cleaning. This is the part I dreaded most. Probably because I knew it was the most intensive.
This was a process. I tired: Naphtha, rubbing alcohol, 409, Novus 2, Mean Green, Simple Green, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Rag vs ME foam. Yes, 16+ combinations.
Everything either removed too little, or removed too much.
After much trial an error, I settled on Scrubbing bubbles+ME foam (thanks pbj!). Yes, a toilet cleaner.
Although this was the least of the evils, It still had it's own problems. It wanted to quickly remove the paint, particularly the black.
So I gently used the ME+Scrubbing Bubbles:

Unfortunately, Fresh plastic wood doesn't hold up. I wiped most of it out with the cleaning. Lesson learned:

I had to continue cleaning very carefully. The idea of preserving the artwork vs. the usual wholesale replacement meant I would have to be vigilant. Most people's "restore" of arcade cabs: in the pinball world it is akin to an "overlay"...sand everything off and replace it.
That's not a "restore" to me.

Unfortunately, most cleaning wanted to rip the art off....particularly the black:

... it took over 4 hours to do one side:

However, I think the results speak for themselves:

Recognizing that 80% of the damage present is the insects that decided it was food, one must conclude that if it wan't for them, this would be a great survivor cab.
Compare to the other side:

So...I am done with cleaning for tonight.I cannot endure any more.
So I switch my attention to the control panel. Notice the extra button isn't even hooked up properly.

So,,, I pull off the useless button:

...then I take stock of what's left, and strip it apart:

Once the underside is separated, I separate it even further:

Now all that's left is the bare panel, to toss in with the rest of the metal that needs attacking. I am done for tonight. Let's pick this up tomorrow.

Keroppi:
So I spent some time on the cab tonight.
I am quite sick of cleaning, so I focused on other parts I could do.
I used mostly the sander, but for the worst parts: the wire wheel to clean the marquee brackets, the bezel holder, and the control panel.
After clearing the cpo residue, there was still a layer of who knows what, with paper consistency. Maybe the underlayment of the original cpo?

So I finished cleaning them all. I couldn't get the cp perfect; I tried using wire wheel on the rougher parts, but it made no difference, so I gave up:

I am clumsy and careless, which caused me to recognize that a wire wheel would make an excellent torture device:

I disassembled the joystick, and cleaned all of the rust off of each bracket:

...and began cleaning the speaker:

...you don't realize how filthy something is until you clean it. It could use a coat of paint:

It wasn't until after I'd finished cleaning the speaker that I flipped it over:

I don't know if it was like this, or I'd caused it in the last few minutes cleaning.
The sound was fine before I disassembled the machine. I went ahead and super-glued the cracks...I have no interest in buying a new speaker.

So, although I got all of the cp cleaned, I was foolish enough to not fully disassemble it first. The wire brush wheel caught a couple wires, and now I have solder work required before re-assembly:

So I put the first coat (*way* too thick) on the metal:

...and cleaned the joystick shaft. I used 80>220>440>600 grit in my drill, the end was done by hand:

All the cp pieces needed cleaning:

I decided this was a good opportunity to try my new ultrasonic cleaner:

Add all the parts, 1/2 simple green:

...then the other 1/2 water:

I set it to run...and it did *nothing* useful. Absolutely worthless. 5 cycles, and I am still better off with a toothbrush. You get what you pay for...
So then while waiting I started to clean the cab. First a dusting with a brush to get rid of all the sawdust:

Then, since I wanted to keep the original black, I tried to get the over-spray of whatever the white ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- was. It wouldn't come off nicely, and I burned through the paint:

...I guess I'm painting the black after all. So, I moved onto the permit stickers, using goof off. I got the brunt of the residue off, but unfortunately I took the blue speckles with me:

...just one more thing I have to fix. I just can't win...I'll stop now, before I do any more damage. I'll start again tomorrow: I have plenty of issues to fix.

Keroppi:
Well, it's day 10 of the restore, and though there's not many pics, it was a long day.
I wanted to clean the other side of the cab, but I can't risk it without first addressing the hand wear.
The paint is next to gone already, and I fear cleaning it would finish it off:

So I went to the craft store and got a black paint pen and a sheet of adhesive vinyl. Yellow, of course.

I cut strips which I used for masking the straight lines:

Unfortunately, there's no using the tape on the lower detail area. Gotta go freehand:

Is it perfect? No, but it's better than some of the illustrator files I've seen, and I'm satisfied.
I'll need to go back and touch it up later, I just had to get it on there before cleaning.
Which I then began the long and arduous task that I had been dreading.
There seems to be some permanent discoloration on the front hand wear edge.
It runs down the cab, but really its most noticeable against the paint that has been covered since '82:

I have to decide what to do here. I scrubbed until I burned through, the whole section is like that.
Depending on my color matching, I may blend that corner. I have to repaint the blue specks there anyways (most were already worn off, I finished off the remainder with my cleaning attempt).
It's a damn good thing I repainted that area first. The paint was so thin there that even being cautious and cleaning lightly it was checking to the wood just to get it clean.
Now it looks like my touch-ups are 100% original!

Abut 2 more hours, and I'm halfway done:

About 2 1/2 more hours, and I finished cleaning. Gave both sides a good Novus 2 polish, and touched up all of the black on both sides of the cab:

Now it's ready for the rest of the filler and paint!

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