Centipede restoration - My first - There will be plenty of pics

Arcade Collecting > Restorations & repair

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opt2not:
Yeah, I'd try to keep that original art if it's possible. It's really not that bad, just the bottom needs some attention. I don't know what your plans are to approach that, but if I were to take a stab at it, I'd probably use some kind of filler to level the art to the missing portions of the damaged wood, then try to colour-match some paint for the off-white of the art, then "blend" it in with a fine fan brush. Since it's at the bottom, if you get the blend looking nice and the colour is close enough, then people might not even notice it.

bperkins01:
I'm making some progress on repairing the particle board - but that is a much longer post. While I was standing around I decided to try something - this worked out pretty good.

Here is the same spot - with only the black lines filled in with a Sharpie... freehand.. I wish I could make a sharpie in the other colors.. this would be a simple repair.. I'll clean this up a bit more - but simple is better in this case. It passes the 3 foot test easy.

yotsuya:
Oh yeah, a black Sharpie is the quick restorer’s friend in this hobby!

Arroyo:

bperkins01:
Repairing the expanded part of the particle board at the bottom and at the control panel are where I've been focusing most my attention. The right side of the cabinet is much worse than the left - so I started with the left side. Better to experiment on it.

Step 1 - put the patient on the operating table. Its much easier to work at this level and the lighting is better.

Here is the particle board expansion - can't see it in the picture very well.. but its all bumpy and pebbly. It's expanded up to 1/8" at spots beyond the T-molding.

Keep the T-molding in place and use it as a guide. Power sand with 80 grit paper and a slow sanding speed. Don't concentrate on a single spot - work your way back and forth over the entire area and continually sneak up on bringing the surface into a uniform flatness right up to the edge of the old T-molding. I did avoid the artwork however..

This part was chewed up too It got sanded and filled with epoxy/wood filler. I was using particle board dust which is good for some of the larger areas. For the smaller holes I had to switch to wood flour (its just very fine saw dust - most of the epoxy manufacturers sell it) The particle board dust was too chunky for the small dings.

This rear corner was chewed up pretty good - over fill it and sand it to shape later.

Can't really see it - but this part is very important in my opinion. Seal the particle board with a wood stabilizer. There are a number of companies that make it.

I use Smith and Company - CPES - It is a 2 part epoxy and solvent solution. You mix it and brush it on heavy to really wet out the wood. It penetrates into the fibers and the solvent flashes off. What's left is the epoxy to cure and stabilize the wood fibers. I slathered this on all of the bare areas and along the edge where the old T-molding came out to firm it all up. Its perfectly fine to add a second coat too. It goes on like water and wicks into the material.

CPES is not for everyone - You need a carbon respirator because the fumes are nasty. System3 makes a similar product that is a little less volatile. Minwax Wood Hardener is another variant that is not epoxy based. I use CPES because its on my shelf - I've heard good things about the other two. The point is - the particleboard has already been compromised by moisture. The stabilizer will help prevent any further damage and strengthen what is there.

Finish sanding with 220 grit paper to clean up around the crappy areas.

Now to paint the white areas. I took a shot and tried something that worked exceptionally well. Home Depot sells $5 paint samples that they can color match and mix. The Behr Marquee semi-gloss worked better than expected. I brought in the tiniest little chip from the white part of the side art and they mixed up the little container. Its a perfect match.. You have to look VERY hard to see the difference. If I can find a way to do it without cutting into the original artwork - I may try color matching some of it too.. At $5 a try - the price is right.

It didn't happen without a little trial and error though.. My first pass used a brush.. I ended up with thick gloppy paint and brush marks. So I wet sanded that off.. I had some Floetrol from other projects. It is a latex paint conditioner that thins the paint a bit, but more importantly it helps the paint to self level and eliminate brush marks. You can add 10-20% of this stuff to the paint. I also switched from the brush to these High Density Foam Rollers. The combination of the three really worked great.

After the white paint - I rolled on black around the edge (like factory original) so the T-Molding would blend. The new T-molding is a very nice replica of the original Atari flat stock. The lighting isn't the greatest here - but I give this side an A- overall. In the bright light of the shop - the color match is nearly imperceptible. In a dimly lit game room. It will be impossible to see. I hope I can get the crappy other side as nice as this one.

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