Gorf restoration

[Spyridon]

Gorf was always one of my favourite games growing up.  For one quarter, you got to play space invaders, galaxian, and two other games.  A good value for my limited money.

Gorf was the first dedicated arcade machine I picked up for the house (after building my mame cab).  Here is what it looked like:







It's fully working but needs cosmetic work and a cap kit.

The first thing I did was order some parts:

Side art from arcadeoverlays
New control panel, coin door inserts, and joystick insert from thisoldgame
t-molding, cap kit, and joystick grommet from arcadeshop
New white buttons from Bob Roberts

[Spyridon]

The one thing that wasn't working were the lights in the joystick.  After tracking down the correct security bit to get the joystick open, I was able to replace the bulbs inside.  Once that was done, they worked perfectly.




Here is a shot of the non-working bulbs that were removed:


According to the manual, they are .08 Amp 14V wedge lamps.  It took me a while to locate replacement lamps.  I finally found them at AutoZone

I couldn't find ones that had the exact specs listed on the package, so I matched by size.  The ones at AutoZone said either .08 Amp or 14V on the package.  I don't remember which it said, but it didn't list both the Amps and the Volts on it.  I'm not sure they are an exact match, but they work.

[Spyridon]

Next up was to start removing the old torn side art.  I used a heat gun to heat it up and then a putty knife to scrape it off.  I knew I would be sanding the entire side down and repainting, so I wasn't too concerned with scratches.

side 1



side 2

[Spyridon]

Next up was to start cleaning it up a bit.  They grey bottom part was prety nasty looking

I used some Murphy's Oil Soap and steel wool to clean it up

[Spyridon]

The marquee had a vending sticker on it that needed to be removed. 


I used Goo Gone to soften up the sticker and then lifted it off.

[Spyridon]

so that's what 25 years of dust looks like...


Time to start striping everything out of the cab.


The power supply had one wire that was soldered directly to the pin on one end and just connected to the harness with electrical tape.  I'll fix this when putting everything back together

[Spyridon]

Now to start cleaning these guys up.  The transformer really needed a clean up.


After taking lots of pictures to make sure I can get everything back together, I started removing the parts from the board



The board the transformer and fuses were connected to was hand washed.

There were too many wires soldered onto the transformer to remove and put into the dish washer, so I hand cleaned everything with water and a little bit of dish detergent.

Looks much much better (you can actually see the colors of the wires now)



The wire harness and cage go into the dishwasher. No detergent, just the water.  I considered putting the PCB's in as well, but I didn't want to go through the trouble of removing the socketed chips.

when it comes out, you can actually see the circuit board in the bottom of the cage.  It was still a little wet in this picture, but I took a hair dryer to it to make sure it was completely dry

[Spyridon]

Next I needed to remove the monitor.  This was not an easy one to get out by yourself.  I ended up having to lay the cab on it's side, remove the bolts, and then pull it out.  I discharged the monitor before I removed it.



Every screw that was removed was put into a sandwich bag and labeled so that I can get this back together.  Here is what it looked like with everything stripped out.

[Spyridon]

I used Citristrip to remove the paint on the sides.  (Ummm...orange smell)





The screens covering the vent holes on the back were pretty dirty.  I removed the staples and pulled these out to be cleaned


I also removed the bubble from the back for cleaning

[Spyridon]

The cab design on Gorf is really nice in that the top seperates (12 screws) from the bottom




I applied bondo to some areas that needed it. 

[Spyridon]

When the bondo dried, I sanded it smooth





I also spray painted the bubble and the vent screens.  I used a flat black on the bubble

and a rustolem silver on the screens


It looked really good when dry

[Spyridon]

I still need to pick up a compressor and spray gun, so in the mean time, I started working on the control panel.  The first thing I did was to use a dremel to put a nice shine to the carrige bolts.

Can you tell which one of the five bolts is done?

And here are the rest of them completed.  I was going to purchase new bolts, but these turned out great.


I did the same for the 10 carrige bolts holding the bubble onto the back of the cab.

I used the same technique on the security bolts holding the joystick together.

Here is one completed one next to one that I haven't cleaned up yet.

[Spyridon]

I disassembled the control panel next and removed the joystick.

I had a problem at one point playing the game where the ship would not move up.  It went away, so I thought the grommet may need replacing.

I took the joystick apart to get to the grommet


Here is the original on the left and the arcadeshop replacement on the right

I ran into a problem trying to get the new one on.  It would not fil all the way up on the shaft.  It was too small.  In fact, not even close to being able to fit.  Oh well, back to the old one.  Hopefully it wasn't a problem anyway.  Since I had the joystick apart, I used the trusty dremel again and cleaned up some of the rust on the shaft.  Here is the before shot:


While I had everything apart, I hit the bottom of the control panel with a new coat of flat black paint.

[Spyridon]

I reassembled the joystick, put in the new buttons, new inesrt, and put on the new control panel.



Wow, that control panel looks good.  Rich over at thsoldgame did a great job on the panel.  The only complaint I have with it is that the fonts are different on the new one compared to the old one.  That being said, it still looks great and I highly recommend it.

Here are some comparisons between the two panels

[Spyridon]

Okay, that brings you up to speed.  Next step is to paint the cab.  I'm going to purchase a compressor so that I can spray the cab.  More updates to come...

[Paladin]

Fantastic job so far!

I've always loved Gorf, you get to play several different games all for one quarter!  Add to that the unique cabinet and the speech, and you have a definate winner.

[SirPeale]

Why did you have to lie the cab down to remove the monitor?

[Spyridon]

Fantastic job so far!

Thanks.  It's been slow progress as I don't get much time to work on it.  I'm looking forward to getting it back together as I haven't been able to play in a while.

[Spyridon]

Why did you have to lie the cab down to remove the monitor?

I couldn't figure out any way to get it out by myself.  It had your typical 4 main bolts holding it in, however, two were in the front and two were in the back.  Also, it wasn't one of those were if you took the bolts out, it would stay in place resting on some braces or wood.  The bolts were the only thing holding it.  It would take two people to remove it.  One would have to hold it (supporting all the weight) from the back, while the final two bolts were removed from the front. 

I looked at every possible way to get it out, and unless I missed something simple, laying it down on its side was the only way I could figure it out. 

[SirPeale]

I see.  I've never worked on a Gorf before, so I don't have the benefit of that experience.  I'd have to see a picture of the setup to get a grasp.

[Level42]

Great work ! Really hardcore restoration, just the way I like'em 
 

[Spyridon]

Making slow progress on this.  I started working on the coin door.  I removed all the parts so that I can sandblast the door.  I picked up a sandblasting cabinet that I'm going to try out tomorrow.  I still need to figure out how to remove the rivets holing the Midway plate on.




I'm probably going to pick up the replacement Midway logo plate the arcadeshop has for sale.  Not the best option, but the ones at thisoldgame aren't ready yet.

Level42 did a good write up on the differences that you can read here

I also picked up an air compressor today.  One step closer to being able to repaint the cabinet.

[JeepMonkey]

Great work so far.  I really like the step by step progress and pics.  Keep it coming.

 

[SirPeale]

I still need to figure out how to remove the rivets holing the Midway plate on.

Drill them out from the back with a small bit.  That's how I've gotten all mine off.

[arcadefever]

 

Very nice restoration  i really enjoyed the step by step pictures 

[Level42]

I still need to figure out how to remove the rivets holing the Midway plate on.

Drill them out from the back with a small bit.  That's how I've gotten all mine off.

Can you still re-use them this way ?

I hammered them out. At least that left the top OK, and I glues them back in. See my Galaxian restore..

[Spyridon]

Got to use the sandblasting cabinet today.  It works really well, it's just slow going. 



The sandblasting cabinet came from Harbor Freight.  It was $99 and worked well for the price.  I think a more expensive one would have had a better filter system and an internal light.

Like I said, it worked well, but was slow going.  I decided to use a wire brush attached to a drill to speed up the process.  I hit the metal with the wire brush to get the big spots and then used the sandblasting for the tight spots.



Here is the final product after removing all the paint.



After removing the paint, I lightly sanded it and washed it down to clean it off.  I then applied a coat of rustoleum primer to it. 



Waiting for the first side to dry as I type this.

[Spyridon]

While I was waiting on the coin door paint to dry, I worked on the marquee retainers.  They were discolored and scratched up.

I used a 180 grit sandpaper to smooth them out.  I made sure to go with the grain to keep all of the lines smooth.  I started with 220 grit, but it didn't work well enough so I switched to 180 and then used the 220 at the end.

Here you can see the right side where I started working compared to the left which is untouched.  It's hard to tell in the photo, but it really shined it up nicely.


Once the top and bottom bracket were done, I hit them with a coat of clear enamel

[danny_galaga]

damn, good work so far! i can't wait to have my own place so i can restore something cool.

oh, and bead blasters are the bomb for restoring things. anyone else, if you are doing a restore, try and get friendly with a mechanic or auto electrician. not only do you get a really clean finish and remove every bit of corrosion, but you have a nicely etched surface for new paint to stick to...

[SirPeale]

Can you still re-use them this way ?

You're drilling a hole right thru them.  What do you think? 

[Spyridon]

Can you still re-use them this way ?

You're drilling a hole right thru them.  What do you think? 

I used a grinder to take them off.  No chance of reusing them on mine.  I'm going to put on the arcadeshop "sticker" and then when (if) thisoldgame gets theirs done, I'll replace it.  My wife's uncle owns a nuts and bolts company, so I should be able to get a replica rivit that is pretty close.

[Spyridon]

Painted the front sides of the coin box with the rust primer



Once that was dry, I lightly sanded with some 220 grit sandpaper to take out any parts that weren't smooth.  I then hit it with Hammered black paint.

still wet in this picture


I also placed an order with arcadeshop today for the replacement Midway plate for the coin door.

[JeepMonkey]

Did you buy or rent the sandblaster box?  Either way, may I ask you what it cost?

If you do own it, you may make some extra cash sandblasting fellow member restoration coin doors. (hint, hint, wink)

[SirPeale]

Can you still re-use them this way ?

You're drilling a hole right thru them.  What do you think? 

I used a grinder to take them off.  No chance of reusing them on mine.  I'm going to put on the arcadeshop "sticker" and then when (if) thisoldgame gets theirs done, I'll replace it.  My wife's uncle owns a nuts and bolts company, so I should be able to get a replica rivit that is pretty close.

My wife scrapbooks, and I found something of hers that looks like it'll work perfectly.  It's called a snap (I think).  Looks pretty much like the original.  Only thing I don't like about them is the length - they're pretty short.  So I can get them thru the hole just fine, but I haven't tried securing one down yet.

[Spyridon]

Did you buy or rent the sandblaster box?  Either way, may I ask you what it cost?

If you do own it, you may make some extra cash sandblasting fellow member restoration coin doors. (hint, hint, wink)

Harbour freight is your friend for cheap stuff if you have one near your.  I picked this one up on sale for $99.

[Spyridon]

What paint has everyone used on their coin doors?  I used the Rustoleum hammered black, but after looking at the back side that I painted it seems to be too glossy.  Also, the hammered look adds some texture, but it isn't the same kind as the original.  Maybe a dull coat on top will help?

[Spyridon]

My wife scrapbooks, and I found something of hers that looks like it'll work perfectly.  It's called a snap (I think).  Looks pretty much like the original.  Only thing I don't like about them is the length - they're pretty short.  So I can get them thru the hole just fine, but I haven't tried securing one down yet.

I'll check that out but I'll probably not use anything with the arcadeshop sticker.  I'll wait for the metal plate from thisoldgame.

[SirPeale]

What paint has everyone used on their coin doors?  I used the Rustoleum hammered black, but after looking at the back side that I painted it seems to be too glossy.  Also, the hammered look adds some texture, but it isn't the same kind as the original.  Maybe a dull coat on top will help?

For any Midway coin door - Rustoleum textured black.

[Level42]

What paint has everyone used on their coin doors?  I used the Rustoleum hammered black, but after looking at the back side that I painted it seems to be too glossy.  Also, the hammered look adds some texture, but it isn't the same kind as the original.  Maybe a dull coat on top will help?

For any Midway coin door - Rustoleum textured black.

Unless it should be grey or brown. 

[Spyridon]

You don't need to prime parts that you're putting Rustoleum on.

Great job so far.

I know.  However, at the time I primed it, I hadn't decided on a top coat yet.  Didn't think I'd end up with a rustoleum.

Thanks for the compliments.

[Spyridon]

For any Midway coin door - Rustoleum textured black.

Thanks.  I'll check that out.

[SirPeale]

What paint has everyone used on their coin doors?  I used the Rustoleum hammered black, but after looking at the back side that I painted it seems to be too glossy.  Also, the hammered look adds some texture, but it isn't the same kind as the original.  Maybe a dull coat on top will help?

For any Midway coin door - Rustoleum textured black.

Unless it should be grey or brown. 

Only if you're going for 100% authenticity.  Then I *suppose* you could put a light coat of another color on top of the textured.

[Spyridon]

What paint has everyone used on their coin doors?  I used the Rustoleum hammered black, but after looking at the back side that I painted it seems to be too glossy.  Also, the hammered look adds some texture, but it isn't the same kind as the original.  Maybe a dull coat on top will help?

For any Midway coin door - Rustoleum textured black.

Unless it should be grey or brown. 

Only if you're going for 100% authenticity.  Then I *suppose* you could put a light coat of another color on top of the textured.

Pay no attention to Level42.  His coin doors don't even say $.25   

[Encryptor]

Nice work so far. If you want to get a new centering grommet for your joystick you can get one from divemaster. The one from the Happ Heavy Duty 8-Way Trigger Joystick fits the Midway Tron/Xenephobe/Gorf type sticks. I think it was like $17 when I ordered one to see if it would fit my Tron stick. It bolts right in. Part # 96-4550-01

I had my Coin door sand blasted and powder coated with what was called wrinkle finish but it doesn't look like wrinkles. Just a rough texture. While not 100% authentic I think it looks nice. I'll post a pic if anyone wants to see it.


Encryptor

[WunderCade]

For any Midway coin door - Rustoleum textured black.

At my local Home Depot they have "textured" and they have "hammered" finishes in the Rustoleum product line. The finishes are duplicated on the lid of the spray can for reference.

I just sandblasted my Ms. Pac coin door and the Rustoleum Hammered Finish looks closer to the original than the Rustoleum Textured finish did.

Did you check out the Hammered finish Peale?

[SirPeale]

Did you check out the Hammered finish Peale?

Yes, which is why I suggested textured.  To each their own.

[Spyridon]

Did you check out the Hammered finish Peale?

Yes, which is why I suggested textured.  To each their own.

The hammered finish doesn't look correct.  I think the textured, while still not exact, looks better.  I painted the front with the textured and will post pictures later.

[Spyridon]

Cleaned up the coin entry plates.  I used a dremmel with a wire brush attachement to remove the rust.

Front before and after:

Back before and after:


After the dremmel work, I polished them with some Brasso cleaner.


I also used the dremmel on the bolts that hold these onto the coin door

Before and after:

[Spyridon]

Continuing on with the coin door today. 

I ended up switching to the textured rustoleum paint.  The hammered was too glossy.  I didn't redo the back side since it was good enough for the inside of the cab.  I did paint the front with the textured paint.  Again, not exact to the original, but it looks pretty good.



A few days later once everything was dry, it was time to start reassembling the parts.
I didn't spend too much time on the interior parts.  Most of it was cleaned off with a wet paper towel.  The coin shutes were scrubbed with water and dish detergent to get some of the heavy dirt off.

Before and after (not a big change but still cleaner)


I picked up replacement $.25 inserts from thisoldgame.com.  Much improved over the old ones


I used a picture of the coin door before I removed everything to make sure I put it back together correctly



The lock was purchased from Bob Roberts


You can see how shiny the hammered paint looks

[Spyridon]

One piece that was missing from the coin door was the vibration leaf switch.  I wasn't going to worry about it, but I remembered that I had one on a spare coin door that I picked up on eBay.  I pulled it from that coin door and installed it.




The only thing left on the back side is to connect the vibration switch.  I'll do that later when I have the soldering iron out.

[Spyridon]

Now the exciting part (never thought I'd get this excited about a coin door...but wait until you see it)

I put on the new Midway manufacture plate on.  This is the one from Arcadeshop

I'm really pleased with the way this turned out. 

Before and After


More After shots






I'm really pleased with the way this turned out.  Time to take a break and have a cold one!   

[Level42]

Excellent job !

I do miss the logo plate rivets though....

[JeepMonkey]

Great work on the coin door.   

[Spyridon]

Excellent job !

I do miss the logo plate rivets though....

Yeah, I agree.  When Rich gets his plates done, I'll replace this and add them.

[arcadefever]

 

[SirPeale]

But where do you get the rivets?  The ones used aren't actually rivets, they're snaps.

[Spyridon]

But where do you get the rivets?  The ones used aren't actually rivets, they're snaps.

I haven't looked yet, but I know people in the nuts and bolts industry.  I'm sure I can find something close.  When (if) I do, I can probably place orders for anyone who wants some.

[Level42]

Wasn't Rich planning on including something ? I don't remember it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO long ago....



 

[csa3d]

I emailed a bunch of rivet distributors and didn't have much success finding a good rivet match.  I've also emailed Rich a total of about 3 times about that Midway plate that he keeps teasing us all with.. I hope it comes out soon too.  I'm to the point where it's time to give in too and get the yucky one.

-csa

[Encryptor]

I thought I would post this anyway. The door and frame were powder coated with black wrinkle finish and the coin shoots were done in what they called chrome but it's much more like silver.

The Midway plate was taken off and had several spots where the black paint was worn off so I masked off one area at a time and sprayed them with new black paint. It didn't come out perfect but it looks much better than it did. The rivets are fake. They are some kind of little craft rivet that you split after putting them through. But they look decent.

It has a new lock, the 25 cent plexi pieces are original just cleaned up nice and the coin return plungers are original just cleaned up.

While not looking 100% original I think it looks good.


Encryptor

[JeepMonkey]

The first thing I did was to use a dremel to put a nice shine to the carrige bolts.

What did you use with the dremmel?  Wire wheel, polishing wheel?

[Level42]

I emailed a bunch of rivet distributors and didn't have much success finding a good rivet match.  I've also emailed Rich a total of about 3 times about that Midway plate that he keeps teasing us all with.. I hope it comes out soon too.  I'm to the point where it's time to give in too and get the yucky one.

-csa

I have a feeling he has a secret deal with Arcadeshop to wait until AS sells out all the "bad" one's........

[Spyridon]

[What did you use with the dremmel?  Wire wheel, polishing wheel?

I used a wire wheel from a 20 piece dremel polishing kit.  Similar to this one:

[Spyridon]

Okay, back from vacation and back on the project.  Today I taped off some areas of the cab in preparation for painting. 

On the front interior is some art on each side that is in pretty good shape.  Even if it wasn't, I don't believe a reproduction is available.  I masked off each side with blue painters tape and newspaper.

Left side:

Right side:


I also maked off the coin door:


And the bottm side of the back:


And the upper back part (bubble area):


My goal is to put the first coat of primer on tomorrow.

[Spyridon]

I picked up the paint today as well as the HVLP spray gun.

I was planning to get an oil based paint, but they weren't able to match my colors in oil, so I went with latex.  First attempt at spraying the primer did not go well.  The instructions with the spray gun are pretty much useless.  I only got splatters of paint to come out of the gun.  I was testing on some card board so I didn't mess up the cab.  I need to do some research on the gun to figure out what I'm doing wrong.  It may be that the paint is too thick but I'm not sure.

[Donkey_Kong]

Try thinning it down. I've heard latex is harder to spray and wider tips are good.

[WunderCade]

I just used a very similar HVLP gun. This is important: Get a big can of lacquer thinner to keep your gun and its nozzle and pathways clean.

Before getting to the paint, prep your gun by putting about 2 oz. of lacquer thinner in the hopper and spray it all through into a cloth you are holding in your other hand, use the cloth to clean the nozzle's outside etc. Also, if you've used the gun already, disassemble and use the thinner to clean all the parts and put it back together, then spray the thinner through it.

After that, the key is thinning the paint with clean water (bottled) until it is the consistency of heavy cream, it'll be quite runny (almost watery) and that is what you want. Again, getting the paint thin enough is key to eliminating your problem.

Make sure you have at least a 15-20 gal compressor or you'll have a lot of down time waiting for the compressor to catch up.

Now, load your thinned paint into the hopper and test/adjust the "fan width" (using some scrap) to about a 10-12 inch span. The fan width should be top to bottom, not side to side. Make sure to also practice your painting stroke from side to side. You want to start the spray stream just before you make contact with the cab spraying uniformly from side to side. Keep the spray gun about 8 inches away from the surface. Each pass back and forth should be like mowing your lawn....as you move along, make sure the next pass crosses by half, the pass before it to get proper blending. Don't worry about "lite spots" as you will want to apply at least 2-3 coats. Make sure each coat goes on criss-crossing the direction you went on the prior coat. So, if you went from top to bottom on the cab the first time; on the next coat go from side to side.

Do a light sand (I used 220 grit) in between coats for a great sheen.

This is very important. After each coat, CLEAN your gun and it's parts with the lacquer thinner and repeat the process from the beginning, spraying a bit of lacquer thinner through the gun before loading the hopper with the next batch of thinned paint.

Also, as your painting, keep a wet cloth in your non-painting hand and frequently wipe the nozzle tip between passes as you paint. This prevents dried debris on the tip from flying onto your paint job.

For painting I placed the cab on its side spanning a couple saw-horses with towels on them. This allows easier painting and it eliminates runs. You may get some pooling if you linger in one area too long so make sure you keep your strokes consistent and moving.

Hope this info. helps.

[Spyridon]

Great information WunderCade.  I'll try out your advice and post the results.

[WunderCade]

Great information WunderCade.  I'll try out your advice and post the results.

One more thing, and I always assume people do this....but just the same....always wear eye protections, gloves, and a respirator when spraying/handling thinner and paint. Your spray gun will atomize those liquids into a fine mist that will get into your lungs, nose, mouth, pores and eyes if you don't wear the proper protection.

Also keep other people away from the area that don't have the protection equipment on. Especially kids that wanna see what you're up to. Make sure they are not breathing this stuff in.

[ChadTower]

That's a fantastic project.  Great work.  I love it.

Good post from WunderCade on the HVLP sprayer tips, too.

[shred5]

Anything new? i like the way you are documenting every little thing you are doing and taking pics... Even though my gorf is in excellent shape this makes me want to restore it even further..


Dave

[Spyridon]

Anything new? i like the way you are documenting every little thing you are doing and taking pics... Even though my gorf is in excellent shape this makes me want to restore it even further..


Dave

Not yet.  I don't get too much time to work on this.  I should be able to paint this weekend, so stay tuned.

[JeepMonkey]

Spyridon - I used your wire wheel method on some old bolts I that needed to be cleaned up.  It works pretty well, but I am going to try to get by Fastenall to see if they have these small carrige bolts new.

[Spyridon]

After some trial and error with thinning the paint, I finally got the spray gun working.

First I finished masking off the areas I didn't want painted


Here is the base primer that I used

Based on WunderCade's advice above, I also picked up some laquer thinner.


Here's some shots of the first coat of primer.  When it dries, I'm going to hit it with some sandpaper and then apply another coat.




When I was done spraying, I cleaned up the gun with water and they sprayed some of the laquer thinner through it for a final cleanning.

I'll get a better idea on how it turned out when it dries, but it seems to have worked out pretty good.  I should get enough practice on the primer coats before I get to the final colors.

[Spyridon]

Spyridon - I used your wire wheel method on some old bolts I that needed to be cleaned up.  It works pretty well, but I am going to try to get by Fastenall to see if they have these small carrige bolts new.

I've had pretty good success with the wheel.  I do have some that aren't perfect however.  If you can get new ones, then go for it.  Should add a nice shiny touch.

[WunderCade]

Coming along nicely...

You'll never go back to brushes. 

When you get to the latex paint, make sure to let it dry completely before sanding or else the paint will "gum up" on the sandpaper and ruin your day.

[Spyridon]

You'll never go back to brushes. 

Yeah, I will agree with that.  The process is so quick with the gun compared to using brushes.  Plus a much better finish.

[JeepMonkey]

The primer looks great.

How much did you dilute the primer with the laquer thinner?  One part thinner to how many parts paint?

[WunderCade]

I think that primer is water based, like the paint. Which means you dilute it with water. The lacquer thinner is for clean up only.

[Spyridon]

The primer looks great.

How much did you dilute the primer with the laquer thinner?  One part thinner to how many parts paint?

WunderCade is correct, the laquer thinner was for clean up only.  I'm not sure of the mix ratio, but it was probably around 2-3 parts paint to 1 part water.  The first time with the water, it was still a little too thick, so I added more.  It was much more liquid than I would have expected to get a good coat, but it worked well.  Plus your paint goes farther 

[Spyridon]

Today I used some 220 grit sandpaper to go over the first coat of primer.  After sanding I used the air hose to blow away any dust left from the sandpaper, followed by a wipe down with a tack cloth to make sure I got it all.  I then hit it with the second coat.  I went with a vertical spray pattern on this coat since I used a horizontal spray for the first coat.





You can't even see the big scratch that was in the interior side anymore.

Before and After:


Paint is extremely smooth.  I think that will be the last coat of primer and now onto the main color!

[WunderCade]

Man, you got this! 

It looks good bro.

[Spyridon]

Man, you got this! 

It looks good bro.

Thanks for your help.  Excellent suggestions and I've been following all of them.

[WunderCade]

No problem.

One other thing I did....at this phase in my painting, I was having trouble seeing the new spray as I was spraying over the dried primer (it's white on white), so I found it very helpful to add a tiny bit of the blue paint to the primer to just tint it a little, not much. Then I was able to see the coat I was spraying against the previous coat. It worked great.   

[JeepMonkey]

WunderCade - Nice tip.

Should I be concerned / jealous at the amount of enjoyment I get from seeing a well primered bit of plywood?  Your results with your lack of experience gives me hope for my own cab.

[Spyridon]

Should I be concerned / jealous at the amount of enjoyment I get from seeing a well primered bit of plywood?  Your results with your lack of experience gives me hope for my own cab.

No concern at all.  Just wait until you have one of these primered beautie sitting in your garage.  It gets even better.

[tafische]

Did you fill in the scratches with anything (bondo, putty, etc) or did the primer fill it in enough that it hides them?

[Spyridon]

Did you fill in the scratches with anything (bondo, putty, etc) or did the primer fill it in enough that it hides them?

I used Bondo on the scratches.  Primer alone won't do it.

[Spyridon]

Oil and water don't mix.   That is the lesson for today. 

Last night I began the process of spraying the black interior section of the cab.  I pulled out the Rustoleum black satin paint and noticed that it was an eanmal paint.  This paint had been recommended for the black so I didn't give the type much thought.  At this point I though, Hmmm....I don't think I can thin this with water. 



Well, since I didn't haven anything else to mix it with and not wanting to make a trip to Lowe's, I gave it a shot.  Sure enough, my old 5th grade experiment still holds true.  Oil and water don't mix.  I ended up with some sludge with most of the water floating on top.   

Okay, plan B.  I search around to see if I have anything to thin this paint with.  I have laquer thinner, but the can specifically states not to use it.  I finally found a bottle of "paint thinner".  Doesn't say anywhere on the bottle what is actually in it, but I'll give it a shot. 



Success, it mixes well and I have a nice thinned black paint.  Time to spray the cab. 

I begin the painting process and then quickly realize that I need to tape off the exterior parts.    Doh!  I was in too much of a hurry to see the next color go on.  Okay, put the spray can down, get out the newspaper and tape and start covering the external pieces.



Done.  Hope my paint didn't harden up on me. 

Sprayed the cab and all went well.

Now time for the clean up.  What a pain in the --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules--!  I will be using all latex paints from now on.  Thankfully, I had my can of laquer thinner to clean up, but what a mess.  Wife wasn't happy when I used the industrial sink in the laundrey room.  Smelled up the whole area and I still have black paint in the sink.  Well eventually, I got the spray gun cleaned.  I really hope that one coat of black paint is good enough.  I really don't want to go through that again.

[Spyridon]

Got a better look at the paint job today.  Turned out pretty nice with one issue.




Very smooth.  The side above is the one that had the deep scratch in it (see pics a few posts above).  Can't tell it was ever there.

Okay, here's the one issue I have.  I didn't completely cover one of the areas.  I wouldn't be too worried about it if I was doing a second coat like I planned.  Here is the area:

You can see it is a little spotty in that area.  I'm considering leaving it as is to avoid having to clean up that paint again.

[WunderCade]

Oil paint over water based primer = problem.

Wish I would've caught you earlier, but what happens is that the latex breathes and is flexible...and draws out moisture. You can put latex paint over oil primer, but not the other way around. Just make sure now that your cab is never outside or in a moist area or an area where temps significantly fluctuate.

Also, for that black Rustoleum Enamel, you'd use mineral spirits for clean up.

[JeepMonkey]

Sorry to hear about the unfortunate situation.  I will be reviewing my plans now.  We might need to get a paint sticky somewhere.

[Spyridon]

Oil paint over water based primer = problem.

Wish I would've caught you earlier, but what happens is that the latex breathes and is flexible...and draws out moisture. You can put latex paint over oil primer, but not the other way around. Just make sure now that your cab is never outside or in a moist area or an area where temps significantly fluctuate.

Didn't even think of that issue over the primer.  It will be inside in a controled environment so hopefully it will be okay.  I've been thinking about hitting it with another coat.  Do you think making it that much thicker would make it worse?  I can live with it as is if so.

[Spyridon]

Sorry to hear about the unfortunate situation.  I will be reviewing my plans now.  We might need to get a paint sticky somewhere.

Well hopefully it will bo okay.  Only way to learn is to get in there and do it.  I'll know better for the next one.

[Wade]

Oil paint over water based primer = problem.

Wish I would've caught you earlier, but what happens is that the latex breathes and is flexible...and draws out moisture. You can put latex paint over oil primer, but not the other way around. Just make sure now that your cab is never outside or in a moist area or an area where temps significantly fluctuate.

Didn't even think of that issue over the primer.  It will be inside in a controled environment so hopefully it will be okay.  I've been thinking about hitting it with another coat.  Do you think making it that much thicker would make it worse?  I can live with it as is if so.

If it makes you feel any better, my stenciled Moon Patrol had a latex base coat, got stencilled with oil rattle cans, then got a sprayed heavy clear coat of Polycrylic.  Haven't had any problems with the mix of paint types.

Wade

[Spyridon]

If it makes you feel any better, my stenciled Moon Patrol had a latex base coat, got stencilled with oil rattle cans, then got a sprayed heavy clear coat of Polycrylic.  Haven't had any problems with the mix of paint types.

Yes, it does make me feel better.   

[Spyridon]

I decided to bite the bullet and put another coat of black paint on.  I've put too much work into this to not fix that bad paint section.  Picked up some minearal spirits to help with the clean up this time.  Paint went on fine and clean up wasn't too bad.  Still a pain in the --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules-- compared to latex but not too bad.  (Except for smelling up the house again)

Before painting, I went over the first coat with 220 grit sandpaper.

Left and right side with second coat:


Next I prepped the bottom section for the first coat of grey paint.  I masked off the back section which will get hit with the blue color.


I got the paint color codes off of someone on the KLOV site that had computer matched it.  Unfortunately, when I took those codes to Sherwin Williams, the base color was a type that they no longer carry.  He said the one he used should be fine.  Well it wasn't.  I could see right from when he put it in the can that it was way too dark.  I tried a sample of it on my cab and confirmed that it was way too dark.   I decided to take the entire bottom of the cab in to get it matched.  Before I carried (pulled on the hand truck actually) into the store, I asked the girl if she could match something of that size.  She said yes, and I asked her again if the sensor can be moved off of the desktop because the piece is pretty large.  She said no problem.  I pulled it in and by the look on her face, I knew she couldn't do it.  I guess my explanation including exact dimensions was too much for the (possibly teenage) girl.  Anyway, we did pull out the paint samples and matched one by eye as close as we could.  

Here is the paint I used (Latex!!!!!):



After thinning with some water, it sprayed on with no problems.

Here is an in process shot that shows you the color difference:


And the completed first coat:



Color looks to be a real good match and clean up was two minutes with some water  .  One more coat and I should be ready for the blue!

[JeepMonkey]

Oil paint over water based primer = problem.

If you use an oil based paint what type of primer are you supossed to use?  I just realized that my paint is oil based and my primer is water based (both still unused).

[WunderCade]

Oil paint over water based primer = problem.

If you use an oil based paint what type of primer are you supossed to use?  I just realized that my paint is oil based and my primer is water based (both still unused).

You use oil based primer for oil paint.

But since you have the water base primer, just use waterbase paint. Todays latex paints are excellent, just go to Sherwin Williams and use their best latex. Clean up is way easier and you dilute with water. Just my preference...others may differ.

[Spyridon]

But since you have the water base primer, just use waterbase paint. Todays latex paints are excellent, just go to Sherwin Williams and use their best latex. Clean up is way easier and you dilute with water. Just my preference...others may differ.

I agree 1000 percent!  Go with latex and save the clean up headaches.

[Spyridon]

While waiting for the paint to dry, I got started on a cap kit on the monitor.  This will be my first attempt at doing a cap kit and really, my first use of a soldering iron.

This video posted by KLOV member p1899m on youtube was very helpful:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3EEPLjJeXg[/youtube]

Monitor is a Wells Gardner K4600 model.  The first step was to try and figure out how to get the chasis off to work on. Took a while to figure out what to unscrew but I got it to a point I could work on it. 



Here is the general process.

Step 1: Locate the cap to be replaced.  In this example it is cap C311 (upper left)

Step 2: Desolder and remove the old cap.  I tried using the desoldering braid as shown in the video but wasn't having any success.  I switched to a solder sucker and that worked really well

Step 3: Locate the replacement cap.  Insert, making sure to allign the positive and negative correctly.  Bend the legs back to hold it in place

Step 4: Solder in the new cap

Step 5: Trim off the excess legs


Wash, rinse, repeat.

The photos above were from my first cap.  I did get better using the solder as I went along.  Here is the finished auxilary board:

Not sure why the kit didn't come with a replacement for one of the caps (grey colored one), but I checked another 4600 kit I had and it also did not include it.  I also replaced one resistor on the board that was included in the kit.  I didn't know that resistors went bad over time like the caps?

I continued on to the main board and with just 3 caps remaining, I noticed this:

Here it is from the top:

 
I looked  back to my original photos and the crack was present when I started.  It may have gotten slightly worse as the board was moved around. Here is the original shot before I started working on the caps:


The monitor was working when I pulled it and I don't think I caused this when taking the monitor out.  Anyone know if this is a problem?  I know it can't be a good thing, but the monitor was working.  I would guess I need to run some new tracers but why did it work before?


Well, after that dissapointing discovery, I did finish up the last of the caps:



I was worried about doing the cap kit, but it was pretty easy.  (maybe I shouldn't say that until I know it works)

[Level42]

Resistors don't go bad over time. They can burn out when something else goes wrong in the circuit though, and if it's a common failure, those kits often include these resistors.

Don't know if you used it already, but my golden trick to get those old solderings flowing quickly and easy is applying a little bit of new solder first. The flux in the new solder will make the old soldering flow much quicker so you don't have to apply the heat of the iron for too long.

About the break: did you measure it ? The copper could be intact (on a tiny spot maybe) so I guess that's why it still works. I would surely jumper it anyway (take a pretty heavy gauge wire, that's a wide track) .

[Spyridon]

Resistors don't go bad over time. They can burn out when something else goes wrong in the circuit though, and if it's a common failure, those kits often include these resistors.

That makes sense. 

Don't know if you used it already, but my golden trick to get those old solderings flowing quickly and easy is applying a little bit of new solder first. The flux in the new solder will make the old soldering flow much quicker so you don't have to apply the heat of the iron for too long.

Didn't try that, but I did put some flux on the iron each time.  Seemed to work pretty well.

About the break: did you measure it ? The copper could be intact (on a tiny spot maybe) so I guess that's why it still works. I would surely jumper it anyway (take a pretty heavy gauge wire, that's a wide track) .

How do I measure it? 

I'll pick up some heavy wire and jumper it.  Should I put some silicon or something over the crack to keep it from expanding?

[Spyridon]

About the break: did you measure it ? The copper could be intact (on a tiny spot maybe) so I guess that's why it still works. I would surely jumper it anyway (take a pretty heavy gauge wire, that's a wide track) .

Okay, I did figure out how to measure it using my meter.  The copper must still be intact as I am getting reading at all points across the break.  I'll still jumper it to be safe.

[Spyridon]

Another problem with the monitor.  I noticed this today:


The width coils on these are very fragile and it looks like I cracked this one.  I'll need to find a replacement.  Bob Roberts has a good tutorial on transplanting these.  Hopefully he still has some replacements available.

[Level42]

About the break: did you measure it ? The copper could be intact (on a tiny spot maybe) so I guess that's why it still works. I would surely jumper it anyway (take a pretty heavy gauge wire, that's a wide track) .

Okay, I did figure out how to measure it using my meter.  The copper must still be intact as I am getting reading at all points across the break.  I'll still jumper it to be safe.

Sorry should have replied a bit quicker Yeah good thinking. Not sure if you will need to "support" the PCB in any way to prevent the crack from going further. Can't think of a good way to do that...

[Spyridon]

Not sure if you will need to "support" the PCB in any way to prevent the crack from going further. Can't think of a good way to do that...

I was worried about that as well.  Maybe I can cut a piece of PCB from an old PC I have lying around somewhere and glue it onto the component side of the board above the crack.  Not sure what to use to glue it.

[WunderCade]

This is quite primitive and probably smelly, but maybe you should try melting a plastic spoon or fork along the break, not sure if it will stick though.

[Spyridon]

Bob Roberts has a good tutorial on transplanting these.  Hopefully he still has some replacements available.

Good news.  Bob Roberts has some of these in stock.  Ordered one today.

[Wade]

Not sure if you will need to "support" the PCB in any way to prevent the crack from going further. Can't think of a good way to do that...

I was worried about that as well.  Maybe I can cut a piece of PCB from an old PC I have lying around somewhere and glue it onto the component side of the board above the crack.  Not sure what to use to glue it.

The cracks don't usually get worse if the board is not stressed, and it shouldn't be.  After soldering in the patch wires, I'd just put some high temp hot glue across the crack or just leave it as it is.

Wade

[Spyridon]

Second and final coat of grey paint is done. 



Next up...the blue paint!

Getting close to being able to reassemble everything.  Can't wait to play Gorf again.

[DrumAnBass]

Awesome restoration! You are really sweating the details; this is going to be like a brand new machine once you finish...! Great information too.

 

[Spyridon]

Awesome restoration! You are really sweating the details; this is going to be like a brand new machine once you finish...! Great information too.

 

Thanks for the comments.

I masked off the base for the blue paint yesterday.  Hopefully I'll find some time to spray it today or tomorrow.

[ChadTower]

I agree with above... the crack isn't an issue if you jump it and put some glue in place.  I'd use superglue or an epoxy rather than hot glue.  Hot glue is sort of flexible and may not secure a crack like that.  Probably doesn't matter though as it's not a moving part.

[Spyridon]

I agree with above... the crack isn't an issue if you jump it and put some glue in place.  I'd use superglue or an epoxy rather than hot glue.  Hot glue is sort of flexible and may not secure a crack like that.  Probably doesn't matter though as it's not a moving part.

That sounds like a good suggestion.  I was holding off until I got a chance to pick up a hot glue gun, but if superglue works, I have that in stock.

[Spyridon]

Black and grey are now masked off and the cab is ready for the blue paint.

[Spyridon]

Did the first coat of blue today, but it didn't go to well.  First the paint was too thick and I was just getting splatters out of the gun.  I added more water and still the same.  Did this two more times and finally got a good spray pattern.  The problem was that at this point, it was too watery.  It's only the first coat and I was planning on lightly sanding after this coat as well so I'm not too upset.  I may just need to do some more sanding than planned and maybe need a third coat.

Hopefully I can figure out the water to paint ratio and get it right for the next coat.  (still learning)

Here is the paint I used:

The good news is that the color looks great.  The paint codes were provided by a KLOV user that had gotten it computer matched. 




Another issue I see is where I had used the blue painters tape to mask off when I painted the black.  It must have left some residue behind as I can see exactly where it was all around the cab.  Sanding it down should fix it.

[Spyridon]

While the paint was drying, I went back to work on the monitor.

First order of business was to add some jumpers around the cracked area.  I used a combination of methods that had been suggested.  I used one of the left over legs from one of the caps for the short jump and some 30 gauge wire for the longer one.

Here is the wire I used:


and here is the board with the jumpers:

Does it look okay?

I also picked up some loctite glue and added it to the cracked area on the component side.  It should be strong enough to just make sure it doesn't crack anymore.

[Spyridon]

Next step was to replace the broken width coil.

I ordered a replacement from Bob Roberts:


To remove the old coil, I used a dril to remove the rivets that were holding it in place.


Here is the new one in place.  Old one is still attached.  Next I have to swap the wires and I'm good to go.

[Spyridon]

New coil has been soldered in.


Chasis has been put back together.  I need to pull the pictures to make sure I've got everything back together.

[Level42]

About the soldering: that wire you used may be a bit too thin. Do you have a bit thicker wire around ?

Also, the solderings look......well like a mess...Sorry to say so.....

It looks like you didn't let the solder do it's work "by itself". When I was taught soldering the teacher said "let the solder do the work".Anyway, since the solder on there is about 27 years old, it will not run easily anymore. To compensate for this, hold a tiny bit of new solder to the soldering and flow that together with the old soldering. That will make it run better. Let it completely get fluid. Don't be too worried on applying the iron a little longer. (It looks like you applied it too shortly, or you used an iron that was not hot enough).

The best thing would be to suck away the old solder completely and make a complete now soldering. But if you don't have soldering wick or a soldering sucker, you will be OK with just reflowing it with a bit of new solder like I explained.

Here's how it should, and shouldn't look like...

[Spyridon]

About the soldering: that wire you used may be a bit too thin. Do you have a bit thicker wire around ?

I thought a thicker wire would be better, but I went with the approach they used in this article and several others I found.

Also, the solderings look......well like a mess...Sorry to say so.....

You're probably right.  This is the first time I've ever used a soldering iron and I didn't have anyone locally to show me the ropes.

Do you think what I have will work or does it need to be redone?  I do have continuity across the break.

[ChadTower]

About the soldering: that wire you used may be a bit too thin. Do you have a bit thicker wire around ?

That is the first thing that occurred to me too.  That trace is way too wide for a 30 gauge wire to replace it.

Agreed on the joints... if they're not cold now they will be after heating up a bunch of times.

[Wade]

The most important tip anyone told me about soldering was this: Don't use the iron to melt the solder... use the iron to heat the parts and then let the parts melt the solder.  The only time you should put solder on the iron is to

To me, that seems to be the key to making a good solder joint.  Before I was told that, all my solder jobs were horrible.

Wade

[ChadTower]

Yeah.  That, and you're not even managing the solder.  You're managing the heat.  I wasn't a good solderer until I figured out to stop thinking of solder movement and start thinking of heat movement.  The solder will follow the heat, even away from the part into the air, so if you keep the heat exactly where you want it the solder does its own thing properly.

[Spyridon]

Okay, good tips.  I'll give it a try. 

How about 18 or 20 gauge wire?

[ChadTower]

Since that looks like it might be the ground, I'd err on the side of 18 gauge.  It might be easier to get on if you replace the diode with a new one that doesn't have the leg clipped yet - gives you something larger to wrap the wire around and solder onto.  It will also give the jumper a mechanical connection that it doesn't currently have.

[Spyridon]

Since that looks like it might be the ground, I'd err on the side of 18 gauge.  It might be easier to get on if you replace the diode with a new one that doesn't have the leg clipped yet - gives you something larger to wrap the wire around and solder onto.  It will also give the jumper a mechanical connection that it doesn't currently have.

Which area are you referring to? 


If I remember correctly the top blue wire is solderd into any empty hole.  There was solder there, but it wasn't holding anything in place.

[SirPeale]

The 30 gauge they want you to use in that link is for tiny traces.  18 to 20 would be fine.

[ChadTower]

If there's no component in that hole then you can just pop a leg in.  A mechanical connection is always better.

[Spyridon]

Okay, I redid the connection this time using 18 gauge wire.  I know it doesn't look great, but I had a hard time with the thick wire.  especially where I had two of them spliced together.  Anyway, I'm still learning, but it does work.  I have conenctivity across the gap.  Hopefully it will hold for the long term.

[Spyridon]

Okay, some better news.  I sanded down the cab where I had the first coat of blue paint.  It was really watery and made a mess.  I used 180 grit sandpaper followed by 220 grit to smooth it out.  I then hit it with another coat of blue.  This time it went on beautifully.  I made sure not to water it down too much.  I couldn't get it to spray in a very wide pattern, so I took it slow with a narrow spary.  It turned out really nice.  It needs at least one more coat and maybe two more.  I didn't want to go too thick with this coat.

Here is the cab sanded down and ready for the blue paint, and the after shot:

[ChadTower]

Nice, looks good. 

[8way]

Okay, I redid the connection this time using 18 gauge wire.  I know it doesn't look great, but I had a hard time with the thick wire.  especially where I had two of them spliced together.  Anyway, I'm still learning, but it does work.  I have conenctivity across the gap.  Hopefully it will hold for the long term.

By the looks of that solder job, you must not be using flux or your soldering gun is not high enough wattage or both. The solder your using may also be to high of a gage. That kinda goes hand in hand with the solder gun wattage. So either get smaller gage solder or higher watt solder gun. And definitely make sure you use plenty of flux, yes its messy but its and easy cleanup with some rubbing alcohol or similar. Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to down your work, I'm just giving you some helpful advise. And hey for a beginner you at least got the job done.

[ChadTower]

Could he be using the wrong solder?  Normal 60/40 type electronics solder has flux in the core - for small things like this you often don't have to add any.  You may be right that the problem is not enough heat.  This sort of thing happens when the solder became soft but didn't flow.

[Spyridon]

Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to down your work, I'm just giving you some helpful advise. And hey for a beginner you at least got the job done.

No offense taken.  As i've said, this is the first time I've done any soldering so any advice is welcomed.

I'm using a solder starter kit from Bob Roberts.  It came with a strand of solder that is unmarked, so I'm not sure what type it is.

[Spyridon]

Oh yeah, also I used Rosin Soldering Paste Flux.  I dipped the iron into it before applying.  Maybe I'm using it wrong?

[ChadTower]

Don't dip the iron in that... wipe a little onto the parts about to be soldered.  If you put it on the iron it will just burn off immediately and make the tip filthy.  Filthy tips don't transfer heat properly.  We can assume Bob gave you appropriate solder but that iron looks like a cheap one.  Make sure you let it heat up something like a full ten minutes.

[WunderCade]

You should always tin the tip of the iron before use. Don't dip the iron in that paste. Go to radio shack and get this stuff:


Tip Tinner and Cleaner Compound  $6.99

Been using this stuff at the beginning of every solder job and it works wonders. When the iron is hot (you should always give the iron a minute to heat up all the way) dip it in this stuff, it'll be like a hot knife in butter. It'll clean your tip and tin it in one dipping. Wipe the excess off on the damp sponge that is on your station. This is Great stuff to use.

Some tips on soldering...

I always tin the lead I am about to solder to a pad. I do this by wrapping the wire lead around a small segment of solder wire. I then apply the iron and the solder molts around the lead. Likewise with the pad your about to solder  it to. I usually create a big bead of solder on the pad if the wire is a heavy gauge. I then put the tinned wire lead on the fresh bead of solder and apply the iron. It all molts together. Remove the the soldering iron while holding the lead to the pad for a couple seconds while the solder solidifies. Also, make sure the pad is clean, dirt or rust or tarnish will cause the solder to not pull up and not stick.

There are other techniques for other types of jobs, like cap kits etc. But for now, hope this helps.

[SirPeale]

No offense taken.  As i've said, this is the first time I've done any soldering so any advice is welcomed.

The best advice I can give you is this: practice.   You need to find a circuit board you don't give a rats butt about, and practice both desoldering and soldering components on it.  Once you become proficient at it, move on to something you care about.

[Level42]

How much watts is that soldering iron ?

[Spyridon]

How much watts is that soldering iron ?

15 Watts

[Spyridon]

Today I worked on the metal piece that goes between the control panel and the bezel.  I sanded it down with 180 grit sandpaper, followed by 220 grit.  You have to make sure you sand in the same direction or you will leave marks.  After that I hit it with a coat of clear enamel.  Really turned out nice as I was able to remove the scratches.

Before:

After: (still wet)


I didn't worry too much about the bottom part (you can see it's slightly discolored) as it is hidden below the control panel.

[Level42]

How much watts is that soldering iron ?

15 Watts

That's just not enough. Get a more powerful one, or preferably a soldering station. There are relative cheap one's that are actually pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-Soldering-Station-Hobbyist/dp/B000AS28UC

Honestly, I don't understand that someone like Bob sells this kind of ---Cleveland steamer---. The excuse of "I only need to solder once" is only frustrating people into thinking they can't solder. EVERYONE can solder, but like with any job you need a proper tool.

Because of the low power, the heat is "running away" as soon as you touch the parts/soler/tracks. That's why the solder won't flow enough and you get the results you got. Good soldering requires _enough_ power so you only need to apply it for a short time.  This is not to criticize you, just trying to help out. If you'll be in this hobby, you're going to need a good soldering device. Although it doesn't need to be a metcal.

Here's a nice thread about soldering....

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=57052.0

[Spyridon]

There are relative cheap one's that are actually pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-Soldering-Station-Hobbyist/dp/B000AS28UC

That one is currently on sale for half price.  I think I'll grab it.

Thanks for the link.

[shred5]

There are relative cheap one's that are actually pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-Soldering-Station-Hobbyist/dp/B000AS28UC

That one is currently on sale for half price.  I think I'll grab it.

Thanks for the link.

I use this one:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-7945
If you watch it will go one sale under 20 bucks... I think it is the same as the weller... looks exactly the same...


Dave

[8way]

How much watts is that soldering iron ?

15 Watts

Wow that's definitely too low for this kinda job. I use 15 watts to work on PSP mods mostly SMD leds. I would definitely go with the Weller its top of the line brand, i don't think i can trust that "TENMA" never heard of it. And the couple feedback on it are pretty bad.

[Spyridon]

Put the next coat of blue on today.  No problems and it looks great.  Perfectly smooth coat with the spray gun.




Next up is adding the white dots onto the blue.  I'm going to test out using a toothbrush to see how that works.

[ChadTower]

Tenma is okay.  Occasional use consumer level quality.  If you do a lot of soldering get a Weller but Tenma will get it done if you aren't doing it all the time.

[Level42]

Tenma is okay.  Occasional use consumer level quality.  If you do a lot of soldering get a Weller but Tenma will get it done if you aren't doing it all the time.

Like that 15 W piece of ---Cleveland steamer--- he already has ? For 40 bucks, I'd pick up that Weller and play safe...

[Spyridon]

The Weller has been ordered.  Got if for $39 shipped.

[Encryptor]

Spyridon

What is the mixture of paint you are using? (ie...ratio of paint to thinner) Are you using water as a thinner?  TIA!

Encryptor

[shred5]

Tenma is okay.  Occasional use consumer level quality.  If you do a lot of soldering get a Weller but Tenma will get it done if you aren't doing it all the time.

Like that 15 W piece of ---Cleveland steamer--- he already has ? For 40 bucks, I'd pick up that Weller and play safe...

I have the tenma and my friend has the weller. He comes over and helps me a lot because he is far better at this stuff than me and he said he can not tell the difference between the two. The Tenma can be had for under 20.00 and is more watts. Plus that is not a high end weller it is in the same class of the tanma model shown and We know what the high end ones cost. Weller is one of the best and that one he bought will do just fine.

Dave

[Spyridon]

Spyridon

What is the mixture of paint you are using? (ie...ratio of paint to thinner) Are you using water as a thinner?  TIA!

I'm using water as a thinner.  Hard to say what the ratio is, but it's not a lot of water.  Basically, I put enough in to cover the top of the paint and then mix it in.  It just takes some experimenting to get it right.

[ChadTower]

Like that 15 W piece of ---Cleveland steamer--- he already has ?

Ask him what he paid for it.  Pay for a piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- and you get a piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.  That's the bottom of the line pencil.  The Tenma stations are decent.  I have one and did fine with it until I was given an old Weller.

[Spyridon]

Final step on the painting today.  I tried out two options on toothbrushes to see which would give the better paint splatter.  I used an old used (yuck) well worn toothbrush I found in the bottom of a drawer as well as a new hard bristle one.

The new one performed much much better than the worn one so I used it.

For the white paint, I just used the original white primer paint.  Didn't make sense to go out and buy white paint for how little I needed.  I dipped the brush into the paint and then used my thumb to flick the paint off the brush.  It worked even better than I expected.  Got just the right amount of speckles without and big runny ones.

Here are the photos.  It's hard to see in some of the pictures, but it really looks good in person:





Give this a day or so to dry and then the fun begins...putting it all back together!

[Spyridon]

Gorf is now one piece again!     I reassembled the top of the cab and the base today.


I also put the screens back in using some staples
bottom:

And sitting in place:

top:

with the bubble back in place



Now I have somewhere to put all of this:

[WunderCade]

 

So, now that you've been through the spray painting part, what do you think about the labor:results ratio involved? lol

The results are phenomenal but it sure does take a lot of work spraying a cab, huh. 

Anyways, it looks fantastic. Congrats....can't wait to see it back together. Did you get the replacement side art?

[Spyridon]

So, now that you've been through the spray painting part, what do you think about the labor:results ratio involved? lol

The results are phenomenal but it sure does take a lot of work spraying a cab, huh.   

It's a bit of work, but once you get the hang of it, it's not bad.  Working with oils is much more difficult, but latex is a breeze.  The results don't even compare to my MAME cab that I used a roller on.  I've got a few more cabs lined up to be painted and they will all be done using the sprayer.  Thanks for all the tips along the way.  They really helped out. 

Anyways, it looks fantastic. Congrats....can't wait to see it back together. Did you get the replacement side art?

Yeah, I picked up the side are from Arcade Overlays.  It's ink jet, but it looks pretty good (and it's the only option).

[ChadTower]

Nice.  Looks great.

[Spyridon]

Reassembly continues...



...and the best advice I can give anyone that is doing a complete restore is
1. Bag and Tag all the parts into individual bags
2. Take lots of pictures before you disassemble

[Level42]

Yep completely agreed on the bags and pictures.

Great work, I really should look into a spray-gun etc.

[Spyridon]

Boy there are a lot of wires in this game.  Today I finished putting all the wires back in place.

The on/off switch had been bypassed by the previous owner (not sure why) so I hooked that back up.


Here are all of the wires hooked back up in the base of the cab (nice and clean compared to what it looked like before I started)


Stapled the serial number tags and warning tag back in place


Back back doors didn't have working locks and were just screwed into place.  I added new locks:


Picked up a set of 3 keyed alike locks from Bob Roberts.  Worked out perfect as I needed one long and two short ones.  Now one key will open both of the back doors as well as the coin door.

Next I put the monitor back in:


Finally, the marquee, bezel, and control panel are put into place:


All that's left is side art and t-molding.  Also need to fire it up and see if it works!

[WunderCade]

 
 

Man that looks minty...and it's not even done...lol. Great job Spyridon! Can't wait to see the end result with the game screen on.

[Spyridon]

Installed the t-molding today.



The bad news is that I fired it up and...nothing 

The lights in both marquees turn on but I don't get anything on the screen.  It does not play blind, but I do hear a slight beeping coming from the speakers.  I checked the voltages and they are good.  Not sure what the problem is at this point.

[SirPeale]

Double check your connections.

Check your fuses.

Does your monitor come on?

[Spyridon]

Double check your connections.

Did that.  Everything appears to be correct

Check your fuses.

I haven't checked these yet, but I think all the fuses are before the power board.  I have correct volatages coming off the board.  Am I missing a fuse somewhere?

Does your monitor come on?

Yes, but has a black screen.  When you turn off the game, it flashes white as it goes out.

[Encryptor]

Any update on this one?


Encryptor

[Spyridon]

Any update on this one?

Yeah, I have a working borad set arriving this week that I will use to help diagnose the problems with the current one.  Just that and the side art left to go.

[Level42]

The RAM boards are supposedly to fail often on Gorf. There is a test-rom image available to test the RAMs:

http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/tech/gorftest.zip

[Spyridon]

She Lives!!!!!!     

I swaped in the new board set I got and she fired right up.  I'll start swapping boards when I get time later to try and figure out what happened with the original boards.





Just needs the side art to really finish her off!


This board set was pulled from a cocktail, so one issue I have to figure out is how to stop the picture from flipping on player 2.  I don't see a dip switch for cocktail mode.

[MaximRecoil]

If you'll be in this hobby, you're going to need a good soldering device. Although it doesn't need to be a metcal.

No one thinks they need a Metcal until they try one. 

Here's a post I came across on a newsgroup a while ago which sums it up pretty well:

I couldn't agree more.  Metcal irons are miraculous.  If you haven't tried
one, you haven't been enjoying soldering.  It took me months to talk my
new employer into trying one.  In less time than that, we now have them all
over the company.    One assembler called it a 'dream iron'.  Yes, they're
*that* good.  Those of you who work with your soldering station switched on
most or all of the day really owe it to yourselves to try one.  They're
expensive, but well worth the money if you solder a good deal.  For fine
pitch work, they're not merely a luxury -- once you try one you'll be hooked.

I finally got a Metcal of my own, the same model I used to use when I worked at the PCB factory.

Anyway, Spyridon, did you get your soldering sorted out? As others pointed out, you had some goose-pooping going on there. A low wattage iron combined with being new to soldering tends to give results like that. You want your through-hole fillets to be shiny and smooth, and be shaped like a Hershey's Kiss. Heat the pad and post from one side by pressing your iron down against both simultaneously, and then feed the solder wire (use flux core 60/40, or better yet, 63/37; ~.025" diameter works well for most PCB soldering) in from the other side, pressing it into the pad and post in a steady motion (not into the iron; the heated pad and post will melt the solder); then pull the iron and solder wire away at the same time when you have enough solder in there.

Also, until ThisOldGame gets the authentic style of coin door plates made, have you thought about applying the ArcadeShop sticker to the top of the original plate, and then installing the plate with original-style rivets to the coin door? That would at least retain the look of an actual riveted metal plate rather than just a sticker.

[Spyridon]

Anyway, Spyridon, did you get your soldering sorted out? As others pointed out, you had some goose-pooping going on there. A low wattage iron combined with being new to soldering tends to give results like that. You want your through-hole fillets to be shiny and smooth, and be shaped like a Hershey's Kiss. Heat the pad and post from one side by pressing your iron down against both simultaneously, and then feed the solder wire (use flux core 60/40, or better yet, 63/37; ~.025" diameter works well for most PCB soldering) in from the other side, pressing it into the pad and post in a steady motion (not into the iron; the heated pad and post will melt the solder); then pull the iron and solder wire away at the same time when you have enough solder in there.

I did pick up the Weller soldering station discussed earlier in this thread.  Good advice on the soldering tips above.  I've got three monitors sitting waiting for cap kits to be done, so I'll be using the new iron and your advice soon.  I think I just need more practice.

Also, until ThisOldGame gets the authentic style of coin door plates made, have you thought about applying the ArcadeShop sticker to the top of the original plate, and then installing the plate with original-style rivets to the coin door? That would at least retain the look of an actual riveted metal plate rather than just a sticker.

That's a good idea, unfortunately, the original plate was destroyed in the removal process.  I wasn't trying to be gentle with it and I didn't think about applying the sticker over it.  Hopefully the metal replacement plates will be done soon (yeah, I've been saying that for a while).

[ChadTower]

That looks really good.

[Spyridon]

This board set was pulled from a cocktail, so one issue I have to figure out is how to stop the picture from flipping on player 2.  I don't see a dip switch for cocktail mode.

Okay, I figured out how to switch between cocktail mode and upright mode.  There is a jumper on the board that sets this up. If the jumper is in place, then cocktail mode is enabled.

Here you see the cocktail board on the top and the upright on the bottom.  JU1 is the culprit




Instead of removing the jumper, I swaped in the board from my original set and it solved the cocktail issue.  And now I know that board wasn't the problem in my original set.

I'm also having a problem with the joystick.  Once you let go, the ship moved down on its own.  I'm going to pull the control panel and clean the optics with a q-tip and alcohol.  I may also reflow the solder joints.

[Spyridon]

I'm also having a problem with the joystick.  Once you let go, the ship moved down on its own.  I'm going to pull the control panel and clean the optics with a q-tip and alcohol.  I may also reflow the solder joints.

I pulled the control panel and removed the optic board.  Using rubbing alcohol and a q-tip, I cleaned off the optic sensors.


On the back side, I also reflowed the solder at the pins for the optics.


Put it back together and it works perfectly!

Now if I can stop playing the game, I'll get around to putting the side art on.

[Spyridon]

Put the side art on today.

First step was to check the drawing I did months ago when I started this project to find out where the art should line up:


Since this was inkjet art, I didn't want to risk using the wet method on it and went dry.  I started by lining up the art in the correct spot and using in masking tape to hold it in place.

I then pulled back the top few inches of backing and applied the art.

Then using a flat object I pressed the art work securly onto the cab.  Moving side to side as I slowly pulled the backing away allowed the art to go on without any bubbles.


Repeat for side 2:

[Spyridon]

...and now...some arcade porn for you to enjoy:






And one last look at before and after:





Time to celebrate the completion of my first full restore. 

I'm very very happy with the way it came out.  Now I can enjoy playing one of my all time favorites!
 

[WunderCade]

 

Man, you must be stoked....that thing looks minty fresh, like it just came new from the factory. Very nice, I'm speechless.

I guess this now makes you even more confident and excited about your next projects. Freakin amazing looking.

 

[Wade]

That's one of the nicest restorations I've seen in a long time.  Very, very nice!!

I can't remember the last time I saw a full sized upright Gorf.  Never been a favorite game of mine, but one that nice... if I had a chance, I'd take it.  It has a very cool cabinet with more artwork than most.  Very similar design as Tron with all the extra artwork.

Wade

[Level42]

This is definitely worth a "Restorey" !

Looks like it just came out of the box. Fabulous job !

[Spyridon]

This is definitely worth a "Restorey" !

Looks like it just came out of the box. Fabulous job !

That's one of the nicest restorations I've seen in a long time.  Very, very nice!!

Thanks for the compliments on the final product. 

"Restorey" ... I like that.

[Level42]

 

Yes, I think there should be an award for best restoration here next to the Mamey.

[Zeguna]

That is so beautiful.

[debauche]

Where was the sideart from? I got some when I restored my Gorf, and one side does not stick that well so will probably have to buy another set and re-apply.. but cannot find wehre the heck I got it from..

btw, nice job!

[Spyridon]

Where was the sideart from? I got some when I restored my Gorf, and one side does not stick that well so will probably have to buy another set and re-apply.. but cannot find wehre the heck I got it from..

btw, nice job!

Side art is available at ArcadeOverlays.  It's not the correct shade of blue, but the only thing available.

[payment_due]

Wow, this is an awesome restore thread. Great job man, that thing looks gorgeous.

[Spyridon]

Wow, this is an awesome restore thread. Great job man, that thing looks gorgeous.

Thanks!  It's in the game room and looks good.  Of course, it makes some of my other games look bad so I'll have to get them all cleaned up at some time.

[dmel75]

Now to start cleaning these guys up.  The transformer really needed a clean up.


After taking lots of pictures to make sure I can get everything back together, I started removing the parts from the board



The board the transformer and fuses were connected to was hand washed.

There were too many wires soldered onto the transformer to remove and put into the dish washer, so I hand cleaned everything with water and a little bit of dish detergent.

Looks much much better (you can actually see the colors of the wires now)



The wire harness and cage go into the dishwasher. No detergent, just the water.  I considered putting the PCB's in as well, but I didn't want to go through the trouble of removing the socketed chips.

when it comes out, you can actually see the circuit board in the bottom of the cage.  It was still a little wet in this picture, but I took a hair dryer to it to make sure it was completely dry

I can't tell you how nice it is to have your thread to go by!!! I'm beginning my Gorf restore and I'm going to start pulling the wire harness, power supply, PCB, etc out tonight. When you say you "...hand cleaned everything with water and a little bit of dish detergent." You literally scrubbed these parts with water and soap? Seems like that would kill it, everything I've ever known about electronic equipment says NO WATER! =)

[RetroACTIVE]

Daaaaamn dude... I can't believe I've not seen or commented on this restore!... Awesome!  You've done a great thing here!

I love it when a restore is really truly that....exactly what you've done... left no stone unturned!

Makes me want to do a Gorf...
 

[Spyridon]

When you say you "...hand cleaned everything with water and a little bit of dish detergent." You literally scrubbed these parts with water and soap? Seems like that would kill it, everything I've ever known about electronic equipment says NO WATER! =)

The water and dish detergent was only used on the dirty wires.  I used a damp rag with some degresser to individually clean the wires.  None of the components were wet.  I did this on the wires that were soldered to other parts that I didn't want to get wet.  The cage and wire harness went into the dishwasher with water only.

I thought about putting the board sets in the dishwasher, but didn't want to risk it.  Others have had success with that method (but remove and socketed chips first).

Just make sure everything is completely dry before reassembling.

[Spyridon]

Daaaaamn dude... I can't believe I've not seen or commented on this restore!... Awesome!  You've done a great thing here!

I love it when a restore is really truly that....exactly what you've done... left no stone unturned!

Makes me want to do a Gorf...
 

Thanks for the compliments!

[Foot]

Great game, would love to play Gorf on an original cab like this one.

Well done 

[Kevin Mullins]

Fantastic looking machine !!
You've done a superb job.   

[telengard]

Wow, this restoration is awesome beyond words.  Chocolate covered awesome??

 

~telengard

[Silas (son of Silas)]

I have so much respect for the time, detail and effort you put into this resto. You have a fantastic looking finished machine that you really deserve to be proud of.

[Spyridon]

Thanks for all the compliments.  I'm very pleased with the way this turned out.

[Level42]

And it is with great pleasure that the Committee of RESTOREY's has awarded this cab the second official RESTOREY !

The RESTOREY is awarded to people who have done a restoration that:

a) is beyond doubt and discussion extremely beautifully done
b) is well documented on this forum
c) is finished

Regretfully, there is no prize attached to it (yet?) other than "Eternal Fame".

Congratulations !

Well done, and keep up the good work !

[Majoraslayer]

Very well done!

We need a stickied topic listing all of "Restoreys" that have been awarded.  It would be a great way to quickly jump to these completed and beautiful projects.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Wow.  I read through the entire topic and was floored with your attention to detail.

Great, great, great work!   

I have an empty Gorf cab sitting in my garage that I almost MAME'd until I saw this.  I have the control panel complete with Joystick and all glass ovelays and such.  I probably won't MAME it, but I won't restore it myself either, as my time and budget is too limited.  I'm so impressed in fact that I wouldn't mind GIVING this to Spyridon if he could restore it again.  I'm in NY which isn't too far away from PA.

** EDIT:  Forgot to mention that the Gorf cab doesn't have a monitor or PCB in it.

Thoughts?

DeLuSioNaL29

[Spyridon]

  I'm so impressed in fact that I wouldn't mind GIVING this to Spyridon if he could restore it again.  I'm in NY which isn't too far away from PA.

Thoughts?

Thanks for the offer, but I've got one beautiful Gorf in my game room.  Don't need another one.  Besides, I've got to finish up Pac-man and Centipede.  Then I've got Gyruss, Galaga, Satan's Hollow, and Phoenix to get the same treatment.  Plenty to keep me busy.

[Spyridon]

Wow.  I read through the entire topic and was floored with your attention to detail.

Great, great, great work!   

I have an empty Gorf cab sitting in my garage that I almost MAME'd until I saw this.  I have the control panel complete with Joystick and all glass ovelays and such.  I probably won't MAME it, but I won't restore it myself either, as my time and budget is too limited.  I'm so impressed in fact that I wouldn't mind GIVING this to Spyridon if he could restore it again.  I'm in NY which isn't too far away from PA.

** EDIT:  Forgot to mention that the Gorf cab doesn't have a monitor or PCB in it.

Thoughts?

DeLuSioNaL29

Still have this?  I might reconsider doing another one.

[Silas (son of Silas)]

When I die I want to be born again as Spyridon's arcade playing buddy. Failing that, if I come back as an arcade machine I pray that after years of abuse at the hands of teenagers I end up in his basement.

[Spyridon]

If you remember back to after the painting was completed, I installed everything back together but the game wouldn't work.  I had a problem with the boardset.  I purchased a working boardset and replaced the nonworking one and was good to go.  Now, I decided I wanted to see what the issue was with the original boards.

It's always easier to diagnose problems when you have a working board to compare to.  One by one, I swaped each of the 6 boards in the rack to determine which board had the problem.  Didn't take long to find this one as the culprit:


I reviewd the board for any obvious problems but couldn't find any.  I know that heat is a problem with Gorf boards and that is why chips U3 and U15 usually have heatsinks attached to them.  Looking at the board, only U15 had a heatsink on it.

U3 at the top and U15 with heatsink at the bottom:


Thinking this was as good as any place to start, I swapped the know good U3 from the working set in and BINGO!  Working Gorf boardset.  Now all I need to do is find a replacement chip and I'll have a second working set.

Both of these boards only had heatsinks on U15 so maybe they didn't come from the factory with the heatsink on U3?  These boards require a unique style heatsink because of the lack of space in the rack system.  Doing some research, I was able to find someone that had matched the OEM part and had the heatsinks for sale.  I ordered one for each set and had them engraved with the chip location because once installed, you can't easily see the lettering on the PCB.

[Spyridon]

I just found out that this chip is a Midway custom chip.  I'm not going to be able to just order it from any of the typical vendors.  I'll need to find one from another Gorf.   

Gorf, Wizard of Wor, Robby Rotto, 10 Pin Deluxe, Professor Pac are a few of the games that used this chip.

So...anybody got this chip for sale?

[SirPeale]

Nothing like trying to find chips from fairly uncommon games. 

[Spyridon]

Nothing like trying to find chips from fairly uncommon games. 

Yeah, tell me about it.


A little more information I found out on these chips.  Early runs of Gorf were shipped with a heatsink on the lower chip, but not on the top (as shown in the pic above).  There was a high rate of failure in these chips, so on later runs, they shipped with heatsinks on both chips.

[WunderCade]

Your best bet is to search for those boards that have this chip, that are "too far gone" or non-working for sale cheap. Then just cross your fingers that one of those boards has a working chip and scavenge it.

[Spyridon]

The generosity of people in this hobby is amazing.  A KLOV member saw my post looking for the custom chip and sent me one for free.  He said it was a thank you for the great job I did on the Gorf restore.  Plugged it in and the board set is working perfectly! 

 

[Spyridon]

Some new photos for the gallery...





And one of me with my new Gorf t-shirt

[saleem]

is that thing on the back of the cab there because the monitor is colour and sticks out,thats to cover over the neck?

i got a space zap restore going.

the cab is having the cosmetics sorted but,it needs the monitor sorting,its the wgv1001,theres a prob with the ht lead (in that area) no power.pretty big job for me realy as i am after getting the artwork stenciled,the stencils are not available online (as far as i know) so i am after getting a laser cutting service here in uk,it will probably cost me a faortune but,will be worth it in the end.

space zap has a lot in common with gorf,some of its boards can be used with space zap,it uses the similar cage setup.

the door was well beat that is in mine,i had to buy a door like the one you got there,from usa,i will have to send it for sandblasting and get them to powder coat it grey.

i know this is old project and you are just updating the post with fresh pics but,nice job.
 

[opt2not]

Nice job Spyridon. That thing looks minty fresh!
Thanks for the new pictures.

Word on the street is that you got a Robotron restoration in the works?? Seem like recently we'll have a bunch of Robotrons back from the dead , a cocktail, a cabaret and I'm assuming a stand-up?   

[Q*Bert_OP]

is that thing on the back of the cab there because the monitor is colour and sticks out,thats to cover over the neck?

Yes. Wizard of Wor and Bosconian also have these...I think a bunch of the cabaret Midway games have them as well.

[Spyridon]

Word on the street is that you got a Robotron restoration in the works?? Seem like recently we'll have a bunch of Robotrons back from the dead , a cocktail, a cabaret and I'm assuming a stand-up?   

Wow, news travels fast.  I just worked that deal last week and I'm not picking it up until July.  It's a stand up and will get a full restore with stencilled paint job.

[DrumAnBass]

Beautiful work on the Gorf; looks brand new!! 

[west]

nice resto thread
I may also be doing a GORF resto soon and this gives me some inspiration 

[SavannahLion]

Can someone help me find my teeth? I lost them when my jaw hit the floor.

This is probably one of the best restores I've seen so far.

[rchadd]

Why did you have to lie the cab down to remove the monitor?

I couldn't figure out any way to get it out by myself.  It had your typical 4 main bolts holding it in, however, two were in the front and two were in the back.  Also, it wasn't one of those were if you took the bolts out, it would stay in place resting on some braces or wood.  The bolts were the only thing holding it.  It would take two people to remove it.  One would have to hold it (supporting all the weight) from the back, while the final two bolts were removed from the front. 

I looked at every possible way to get it out, and unless I missed something simple, laying it down on its side was the only way I could figure it out. 

i got to do the same thing tomorrow! i have a wells gardner k4600 in my gorf that needs a cap kit (well hope thats all!)

spent ages trying to figure if posisble to remove the chassis boards without removing the entire monitor.

i managed to remove two cards but doesnt seem able to remove the main pcb - anyone know if its possible?

it is definitely gling to be a two man job to remove it and quite fiddly at that as there is nothing to take the weight as you remove the 4 bolts. there are also brackets attaching to the side of the cab on the inside.
 

[Spyridon]

You should be able to remove the chasis without removing the whole monitor.  Be careful with the width coil that is attached to the frame.  You'll need to desolder the wires that are connected to it.  Be careful as it is fragile.

[rchadd]

ended up taking the entire monitor out - wasn't quite so hard as i first thought!

still need someone to help to hold the monitor in place whilst removed that last top bolt.

quite a few wires to disconnect but finally removed the chassis from the tube and flyback.

now got to figure how to get the circuit board away from the remaining frame and plastic holder

yes i noticed the width coil - seems like a strange design and no connector to allow easy disconnect!

[rchadd]

it was lucky that the lip of the monitor frame rests on the wood to allow remove of the bottom bolts!

[rotheblog]

Joe has done some amazing restorations - both this Gorf and his Pac-man stencil immediately come to mind.

[Spyridon]

Joe has done some amazing restorations - both this Gorf and his Pac-man stencil immediately come to mind.

Thanks Jeff.

[Spyridon]

Farewell my friend...

(but don't worry, I've already started collecting parts to do another one!)

[valgalder]

pretty much the coolest thing ever    Don't know how you could have parted with it..

[BobA]

Amazing restoration.  I don't usually check this thread but your work on the Gorf cab caught my eye and I am glad I checked out the whole tread.  It must have been like parting with a friend or family member when sending your cab out the door.

 

[Rick]

Farewell my friend...

Oh, no!  Where'd it go?!  That resto was so amazing.  (Tell me you received serious coin for it, or that it's going somewhere that you can still visit.)

[opt2not]

I hope it's going to a good home. The person who bought it better be a fan of the game!!

[BurgerKingDiamond]

I can't believe that after all of that tedious, patient work you let this go!

You have skills.

[Pinball Wizard]

If your feeling empty-handed now you could always come down to Baltimore and restore mine. I'm leaving in 7 hours to take a 5 hour trip to pick it up. Right price with only a monitor issue. I can't believe you'd part with the best restored game I have ever seen.

[Spyridon]

If your feeling empty-handed now you could always come down to Baltimore and restore mine. I'm leaving in 7 hours to take a 5 hour trip to pick it up. Right price with only a monitor issue. I can't believe you'd part with the best restored game I have ever seen.

You are only a 3 hour ride from me and I am available for hire. 

[Pinball Wizard]

Well I knew driving up there I was buying it almost completely blind since the pictures weren't too good but I got it back and it's in really good shape. Could use some new sideart but overall it's looking good so I guess I won't need you on this game. About how much do you charge a game anyways?

[Spyridon]

About how much do you charge a game anyways?

[Pinball Wizard]

Well I don't have that much, I only have:


I guess I'll just do my own restorations for now.

[Scottacus]

This topic is very well done and has been very helpful to me in restoring my Gorf game.

[opt2not]

I miss Spyridon's resto's. 

[yotsuya]

Me too.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Ditto.  His restos are top notch for sure.  I was serious about giving him my Gorf I had in my garage, he declined, so I got rid of it before he asked me for it a year later.  Such a shame!  I would have kept it had I known...

D

[Spyridon]

me too

[Spyridon]

This topic is very well done and has been very helpful to me in restoring my Gorf game.

Glad I could help

[Indus]

Hey guys, new to the forum... I just finished restoring a Gorf machine, including replacing the SC01 speech chip!   However, my joystick is pulling left... I put in a new grommit and cleaned the optical sensor etc.   No matter what I do I can't get the joystick to center.  Any suggestions?  I am completely stuck.

[Howard_Casto]

It's been a while since I looked at mine, but if the plastic cover over the left optical sensor is scratched really bad it could potentially read as closed all the time.  It's either that or the left input wire is shorted somewhere.  The joystick is still just a digital 8-way, so it can't "drift" like an analog stick. 

[behrmr]

You probably need new optos. Also check for broken solder joints in the optical pcb especially the header pins. Make sure the header pins on the program pcb are clean not bent over.

[matt_]

Hello guys, why cant see image anymore?

[Spyridon]

Hello guys, why cant see image anymore?

Because Photobucket did a money grab and required payment to have your images viewable.