Robotron Restoration

[Spyridon]

Just got back with the next restore candidate.  Unfortunately, this one won't be staying as it is a commission job.

The good news is that the cabinet is solid and after some bondo will clean up nicely.  The bad news is the game does not work (but at least is complete)



The ugly Willis control panel has got to go


No top back door on the cab so I'll have to make one.  Luckily, I have a Multi-Williams in a Robotron cab so I have one to match


Marquee may clean up, if not replicas are available.


Bezel has some flaking and no instruction sticker


Cigarette burns everywhere, but the blue buttons may be salvageable. 


Both joystick balls are pretty banged up.  What's the best way to try and clean these up?


Worst part of the cab is the front corner.  A good healthy application of bondo will take care of it.


Coin door looks complete but no keys. 

Not a problem on the top coin door, but the lower coin box may have to be drilled out.  unless I can get to it when I remove the carriage bolts holding it in place.

[Spyridon]

Outside will get stripped and repainted with stencils



Let's take a look inside...

Monitor is a WGK4900.  Looks like an error code message is burned into it.  How bad the burn-in is I really can't tell until I get it out.






When I power it up, the monitor turns on but is just a solid whiteish/blue color.  I get an initial Robotron sound patter and that's it.  The number on the ROM board lights up with a 0 (which I think means it passes all the self tests?)

and all three led's are lit on the power supply.

This is my first Williams game so I need to start figuring out what everything is on here.  Anyone recommend a place to start?

[Spyridon]

This is my first Williams game so I need to start figuring out what everything is on here.  Anyone recommend a place to start?

Okay, had some time this afternoon, so I started with the obvious first place to start looking...test the voltages.

-5V = -5.07
-12V = -14.39
+12V = 10.65

Looks like a power supply rebuild is a good first step.

Since my Moon Patrol was also in the garage, I pulled it over and plugged the Robotron into the Moon Patrol monitor.  Got the same thing as the Robotron screen, so at least at this point I can rule out the monitor as an issue (other than cap kit)

Since I'll be placing an order with Bob Roberts for the rebuild kit, anything else you would recommend ordering (besides a monitor cap kit) ?

[Spyridon]

What do the batteries on the cpu board actually do?  I'm guessing some type of bookkeeping save?  High score save?  Anyway, I'll order a lithium battery replacement for them.

[saleem]

dont some williams games suffer from burned connectors?i seem to remember a thread somewhere and a pic of one of the molex connectors with burning.

you know more about these things,you should be telling us!
 

[opt2not]

What do the batteries on the cpu board actually do?  I'm guessing some type of bookkeeping save?  High score save?  Anyway, I'll order a lithium battery replacement for them.

Definitely a good plan. Yes, the batteries are for the hi-score saves.
The lithium battery is what I'm going with. Really easy replacement, and well worth it.

That cabinet looks to be in pretty decent shape. Too bad it's not  staying with you, it's a classic!

Definitely rebuild the PS, williams games are notorious for their PS and connector problems.

As well, I would upgrade the RAM to the 4164's as well. It'll keep for longer, as they are more efficient than the current RAM chips.
If the monitor is fine, then it could be a problem with the RAM, or the connectors. Do a spot-check and see if any of the connectors are burnt, those could probably use a replacement. There could be a need to replace the headers as well (again, common problem with Williams games).  

well, it looks like a parallel restoration is in order! I gotta get on mine, just to keep up!
Looking forward to see what you do with yours. GL!

[opt2not]

This is my first Williams game so I need to start figuring out what everything is on here.  Anyone recommend a place to start?

Here's a bunch of links I found while researching for Robotron info.

This is a pretty hardcore restoration, lots of good information here, quite the read but worth it. This resto came out looking amazing!:
http://www.biltronix.com/robotron.html

This site has a lot of information on Williams cabinets in general. There's some blurbs about Robotron, but you'll find a lot of useful stuff here for any William's game including Manuals and Schematics:
http://www.robotron-2084.co.uk/

Williams Repair Log by Mike Ranger has a few good pointers of info:
http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/williams/ranger_repair_log.html

Bob Robert's battery conversion:
http://www.therealbobroberts.net/wmsbatt.html

Hope this helps get you started! 

[Spyridon]

Hope this helps get you started! 

Thanks for those links.  I pulled some of them out of your restoration and spent a few days reading up on these games.  I like the way the boards are setup and they really aren't that difficult to understand.  I also found a Joust drawing set in a box of manuals I have.  Since Joust is basically the same as Robotron with some different ROMS, they have been very useful.  It's nice having a full sized drawing set and not a print out from the online documents.

Ordered my 4164 chips today from here.  Good price even with the minimum order requirements.  Putting together a Bob Roberts order in the next day or so.

[matman]

Did the original Robotron ship with the WGK4900?  Just curious.  (and i need to find a monitor for my robotron cabinet)

[Spyridon]

Did the original Robotron ship with the WGK4900?  Just curious.  (and i need to find a monitor for my robotron cabinet)

They may have used a few different models, but the 4900 in this one is the original.

[MythTrip]

Joe,

Thank you again for tackling this project.  I really appreciate it.  Looking forward to you bringing this one
back to life.


 

Thanks,

Jim T.

[Spyridon]

Pulled the boards out of the cab today and screwed them onto a piece of MDF to make it easy to work on outside the cab


Also pulled the power block.  Looks like I'll be doing some cleanup in here:


Here is what it looked like right out of the cab:


and a little clean up latter:


It's nice to actually be able to see the color of the wires


I'll have to replace the molex on this one:

[Q*Bert_OP]

I don't know if you plan to repaint the transformer or not, but Rustoleum BBQ grill black paint works wonders...it's a high heat paint (over 600 degrees, IIRC), and a somewhat flat finish, so it looks close to the original finish.

[Spyridon]

Continued to strip the cab tonight.

Monitor has a bit of burn in on it


Control panel may look ugly on top, but it is solid and will clean up well


The hinge where the control panel hooks onto the cab is really rusted.  Will need to strip this down to the bare metal


I saw this on one of the other Robotron threads as well - looks like the couldn't get the serial numbering right and had to do it a few times


Luckily the speaker grill is in good shape.  Not an easy piece to find an exact replacement


That's it for tonight.  What I have is one mostly empty cab. 


The coin bucket is present in the lower coin door, but my dreams of finding a bucket full on quarters in a cab will have to remain just a dream...it was empty!

[Spyridon]

Boy, what a pain this old solder is on the power supply.  Very hard to get it going and I have one spot where I just can't get the solder out of the hole.  Gave up for tonight and will tackle it again tomorrow.

On a much better note, I got an awesome package in the mail today...

New Robotron joystick shafts!!!!    



Here is a comparison between the old and the new.  Much nicer and saves me a lot of cleanup

[Spyridon]

Picked up a new repro marquee today.  Here's a back-lit shot of it as it still has the protective paper on it


One of the first things I like to do to all my cabs is replace the original legs with nylon ones.  This makes moving the game around much easier as these things just glide on a concrete floor

Old legs removed

New ones ready to go


But I ran into a problem.  The old t-nuts were loose and at an angle so these legs just won't sit at the right angle.  I'll have to replace the wood base the legs screw into with new ones.

While I had the cab on it's back, I got a better look at the base of the cab.  It's a little worse than I though.  The corner will take some work to get back in shape


and I found some water damage at the very bottom


I broke out the sander and used it on the bottom area that had puffed out from some moisture.  Starting with 80 grit and working down to 220, I now have a nice smooth lower panel. 


Once it's primed and painted, you'll never know there was a problem

[Spyridon]

This is the second Roborton control panel I've done and I have come to the conclusion that Williams panels suck when it comes to new overlays.  Not easy to get the old off and tons of adhesive left.

The heat gun, a scraper, and some elbow grease were used to remove the old overlay


The bolts holding the joystick bases in place from the bottom are completely stripped on top so getting them out isn't easy.  I'll need to pry off the t-nuts from the top and replace with new ones.


Yuck...look at those cigarette burns


Next up is to remove the joysticks and then figure out what to use on the wood panel to remove some of the adhesive that is left over. 

Got a couple packages in the mail today.

• control panel
• bezel
• t-molding
• control panel molding
• stencils

[Havok]

Looking good so far. One of these days I need to pick up a Robotron and work on beating my highscore. 650K just isn't good enough!

[Spyridon]

One of these days I need to pick up a Robotron and work on beating my highscore. 650K just isn't good enough!

If it makes you feel better, I haven't broken 200K yet   

[Kman-Sweden]

Love this thread. 
I've similar plans for my "generic" cabs. They're just "plain" cabs with cherry wood finish that needs re-laminating and some general fix-me-ups.
Still it's fun to follow your thread and it pumps me up for my own project.

Good job! 

[Pinball Wizard]

What overlay was on the control panel? That is labeled with the proper items but was no where near the right artwork. Make sure before using the 4164 rams that you adjust the power wires going into the main board or you'll fry the ram chips and need the entire set. That isn't an error message burned into the monitor just the attract mode text. If your getting a zero on the ROM board then the game is passing self-check and your video issues appear to be in the connectors or you wouldn't get a zero unless IIRC the only other possible problem could be the video decoder chip but most likely a connector has an issue in it for video.

[Spyridon]

Progress today.  I recapped the sound board and the power supply.  All my voltages are in line and the game powers up 

Only issue I have now is a double image on the screen


Not sure what is causing that, but up next is to replace all the RAM chips with 4164 chips and do the power mod to support them.  Not sure if that will fix the problem, but I'll tackle that before I try anything else.

[Spyridon]

What overlay was on the control panel? That is labeled with the proper items but was no where near the right artwork.

It's a Willis control panel overlay made for Robotrons.

Make sure before using the 4164 rams that you adjust the power wires going into the main board or you'll fry the ram chips and need the entire set.

Yep, already have that ready

If your getting a zero on the ROM board then the game is passing self-check and your video issues appear to be in the connectors or you wouldn't get a zero unless IIRC the only other possible problem could be the video decoder chip but most likely a connector has an issue in it for video.

Was definitely a power supply issue as now the game boots up.  Still have issues however.

[Spyridon]

Worked on the main PCB a little today.  First I removed the old battery holder and did the lithium battery upgrade


Next, I replaced these 4116 Ram chips

with the new 4164 chips

and the result


Plugged the game back in with the power mod for the 4164 chips but I still have the same double image on the monitor.  At this point, I'm not sure if this is a board issue or monitor issue.  I did connect the game up to a G07 monitor I had nearby, but I couldn't get the game to sync up (and I didn't have time to mess with it)

[Pinball Wizard]

I have seen a similar issue with arcade monitors when vertical hold or horizontal hold needs adjusting. Could be something else but I have seen that to double and image similarly.

[Spyridon]

okay, good Great news.  I plugged the game into my Satan's Hollow to see if this was a board or monitor issue.  After initially having the same sync issue as my G07, I moved around a few wires, adjusted the vert hold and had a perfect picture.  That means I have a working boardset.   



I was also able to cut the new top back door out tonight.

[Kman-Sweden]

Fantastic news!

[brock.sampson]

Where did you get these replacement shafts from?  I'm looking to do a multiwilliams on a joust or defender cab.  I have had zero luck locating leaf joysticks with the long shafts.

Boy, what a pain this old solder is on the power supply.  Very hard to get it going and I have one spot where I just can't get the solder out of the hole.  Gave up for tonight and will tackle it again tomorrow.

On a much better note, I got an awesome package in the mail today...

New Robotron joystick shafts!!!!    



Here is a comparison between the old and the new.  Much nicer and saves me a lot of cleanup

[Spyridon]

Worked on the underside of the cab a bit today.  Used a pry bar to remove the old leg leveler blocks




Next up, I'll need to cut some 3/4" plywood to size to create the new ones.

Also, the new monitor for this game arrived

[Spyridon]

Where did you get these replacement shafts from? 

Unfortunately, these were his last ones.

[Spyridon]

Continuing with the new leg sections...

New blocks cut from 3/4" plywood


Holes drilled and t-nuts inserted


Glued and screwed to the bottom and nylon legs added


I tried out a product I haven't used before on the rusted bolts.  Worked really well.


I also got started on the cab repair.  First I applied some wood glue where some of the plywood was separating.   After clamping tightly over night, I then used an orbital sander to remove all the loose pieces of wood.  There was quite a bit of rot around the corners.


Next, I added some wood stabilizer to strengthen it up.


Next up....Bondo!

[Spyridon]

Did some more work on the control panel this weekend.  The bolts holding the joysticks in place were a pain to remove.  I had to use a dremel to cut new holes on the top because they were stripped from trying to remove with a screwdriver.  They were so rusty that half of them snapped in half as I turned them.

I had to remove the t-nuts of the ones that broke off




I'll need to source some new ones and I will probably replace them all since I have to purchase new ones anyway.


Speaking of rust...


Once again the trusty wire wheel brush comes to the rescue



And a fresh coat of paint


Also did some body work on the main cab.  I used my orbital sander to smooth down the cab.  It felt very rough from the old cracking paint.  Now it's nice and smooth.  


I also started the bondo work.  More to come...

[Pinball Wizard]

When you go to paint the cabinet, be sure to let us know exactly what paint you used. My robotron could use some body work and if I dive that deep I'll end up with repainting the entire thing and I'm curious as to what paint you use, especially how close to the original colors you get and such.

[Spyridon]

When you go to paint the cabinet, be sure to let us know exactly what paint you used.

Paint codes I'll be using can be found at Gamestencils.com

These colors have been verified by several people that have used them.

[Crayola]

Did you have any trouble with your stencil order from gamestencils.com?
I oder a stencil for my defender a week ago and havent gotten anything from them.

Crayola

[Spyridon]

Did you have any trouble with your stencil order from gamestencils.com?
I oder a stencil for my defender a week ago and havent gotten anything from them.

No problems getting them.  I don't remember how long it took, but many of these are not cut until after you place your order so a week isn't bad on the wait.  Give it some time, they are a very reputable shop.

[Lewis Black]

Looks like a fun project.  Good work so far.

[Spyridon]

It's amazing what you can do with bondo. 


Before there was no corner, now...



Almost done with the final touches on bondo.  I picked up all the paint this weekend (about $150) so I should be ready to paint very soon.

I also painted all the carriage bolts black.

[Spyridon]

Finished up the other side of the cab with bondo.  Corners took a bit of work to rebuild, but they look good now



She is now ready to paint.  I took Friday off from work to get started on the first coat of primer.

[opt2not]

Heh, I like the idea of taking a day off for arcade restoration work.

Nice job on the corners. 

[Spyridon]

Heh, I like the idea of taking a day off for arcade restoration work.

Colder weather is not far out.  Need to get moving on this while the painting conditions are still optimal

[arcadefan85]

Great job! My son and I are getting ready to restore his Robotron. Maybe we will do mine when were done. Don't toss your old sticks. Chuck them up in a drill motor on low gear and polish them with scotch-brite and polishing compound.

[Spyridon]

Well the day off from work was a complete success.  (and it was 85 degrees which was nice)

I sanded down the cab with some 150 grit sandpaper to get it nice and smooth.  I used the air compressor to blow away all the dust and then a tack cloth to wipe down the whole cab.  I wanted to make sure it was nice and clean before beginning to paint.



Since I'll be using a combination of oil based paints (black) and latex (everything else), I needed to go with an oil based primer.  It's okay to put latex over oil, but you don't want to put oil paint over latex.  It probably wouldn't cause a problem, but latex paint needs to breath and unless you let it cure long enough, it could bubble up under the oil paint.


First coat of primer sprayed on:


I'll sand between coats and go with at least two coats of primer.  Once that is in place, I'll be able to judge if I think it needs a third coat.

[Spyridon]

Second coat of primer is in place.  I sanded with 220 grit sandpaper between coats.




Unless my sanding uncovers any problem areas, that should be it for the primer.  Next up is the black.

[matman]

Looking good.  Why did you decide to go with oil based black instead of doing a complete latex job?

Also, are you repainting the top?

[Spyridon]

Looking good.  Why did you decide to go with oil based black instead of doing a complete latex job? 

I really prefer oil paints and the Rustoleum Satin Black is the best black paint I've found so I wanted to use it. 

Also, are you repainting the top?

Yes

[Spyridon]

2nd coat of black paint applied and side masking removed  (paint still wet in this photo)

[matman]

how are you keeping the upper back door on?  just screws?

mine has a hole for a lock assembly that I think i'll re-use.  (my restoration is going to take forever..)

Yours is complete motivation for me.

[Spyridon]

how are you keeping the upper back door on?  just screws?

mine has a hole for a lock assembly that I think i'll re-use.  (my restoration is going to take forever..) 

Right now just two screws holding it in place.  Eventually, I'll drill a new hole and install a lock

Yours is complete motivation for me.

Go for it!

[Spyridon]

Cab masked off for the side painting:


And the first coat of gray paint applied:


The main side color is a two step process.  First the base gray goes down (a few coats), and then a metallic paint is applied over it to give it the Robotron sparkle!

[Spyridon]

Sanded down the first coat with some 220 grit sandpaper and then applied the second coat


Paint is perfectly smooth with no orange peel which is nice!

I also finally figured out how to deal with the adhesive on the control panel.  Williams must use adhesive that could survive a nuclear blast as these panels are the biggest pain to clean up.  After no success with several "safe" strippers, I finally found one that works.



It still requires some elbow grease, but this stuff really softens the adhesive and allows you to scrap it off. 

[Spyridon]

Two coats of silver pewter were put on over the gray base coat (doesn't photograph well, but looks really good)

[Spyridon]

Just an administrative question.  Are these pictures too big?  I've been uploading them at full size instead of shrinking them down like I did in some earlier threads.  Would you prefer smaller pics?

[SirPeale]

Is fine sizewize, but perhaps less photos per post?  On the last page, even on broadband, it took quite a while to load them all.  Spread them out a bit.  I don't care how many page the thread takes up, but I'd still like to be able to see your work.

[Spyridon]

First layer stencil (blue) was applied to the cab


Premask removed


And the rest of the cab masked off for painting


Blue paint sprayed on

[Spyridon]

I pulled the stencil off when the paint was still slightly tacky.  No issues with removing the stencil and none of the paint pulled up.

And the reveal...





Went on great and perfectly smooth.  Now just need to line up the red stencil and paint

[opt2not]

Lookin' really nice! The stencils look great so far. This cabinet is going to be a beauty!

[Spyridon]

Lookin' really nice! The stencils look great so far. This cabinet is going to be a beauty!

Thanks.  I have to say that the most fun part of a restoration has to be peeling off the stencils.  It's exciting to see what was left behind and makes you step back and marvel at how good it looks.  Nothing beats a stenciled cab (do you hear that Level42!  )

[orion]

You never cease to amaze!  So how many of your restos have I missed out on this past year.... 10, 100? 

[Spyridon]

So how many of your restos have I missed out on this past year.... 10, 100? 

I really don't do that many, I just spend many months working on each one.  Expect a slow down as my wife and I just had our first child.  A happy healthy baby girl!!!!     

Of course, I am picking up another classic Williams game tomorrow.  So expect another stencil job in the Spring.   

[m_mcgover]

Of course, I am picking up another classic Williams game tomorrow.  So expect another stencil job in the Spring.   

Hopefully a Sinistar.  I'd like a reference for when I eventually get to mine.   

[MythTrip]

Joe,

The Robotron is starting to look really nice.  Thanks again for all your hard work, it's
very much appreciated.


Jim

 

[opt2not]

Of course, I am picking up another classic Williams game tomorrow.  So expect another stencil job in the Spring.   

Hopefully a Sinistar.  I'd like a reference for when I eventually get to mine.   

I'm betting it's a Joust!

[Spyridon]

Hopefully a Sinistar.  I'd like a reference for when I eventually get to mine.   

Ding Ding Ding...we have a winner!

[orion]

So how many of your restos have I missed out on this past year.... 10, 100? 

I really don't do that many, I just spend many months working on each one.  Expect a slow down as my wife and I just had our first child.  A happy healthy baby girl!!!!     

Of course, I am picking up another classic Williams game tomorrow.  So expect another stencil job in the Spring.   

Congrats! Children have a way of changing your life in a major way! I always enjoy your stencil jobs.. you have been the master at paint jobs, ever since you got that air compressor and went to town on that Gorf One day I'm going to give that a try myself... you make it look easy though! 

[m_mcgover]

Hopefully a Sinistar.  I'd like a reference for when I eventually get to mine.   

Ding Ding Ding...we have a winner!

exxxccceeellllent.   

[Spyridon]

Of course, I am picking up another classic Williams game tomorrow.  So expect another stencil job in the Spring.   

Hopefully a Sinistar.  I'd like a reference for when I eventually get to mine.   

Don't want to throw this thread into a tangent, but I may have a problem with a full stencil restore on the Sini.  Look what I ended up getting:

I had no pictures of the sides when I bid on it on eBay.

[m_mcgover]

My suggestion is that you just restencil mine.   

[Spyridon]

Time for the next layer of color.

Stencil lined up and cab masked off


Red paint sprayed on

[Spyridon]

And the unveiling:

[RetroACTIVE]

Where is the fan? 

Seriously, that's flipping gorgeous!

I'm getting ready to do my Berzerk... I have a ton of body work to do first... It will be my second stencil.   Did you do just one hit with the stencil colors?

[opt2not]

Beautiful!
The owner is going to be so happy. 

[Spyridon]

I'm getting ready to do my Berzerk... I have a ton of body work to do first... It will be my second stencil.   Did you do just one hit with the stencil colors?

I did one coat of blue, but when I got to the red, I did several light coats over a couple hour period.  I tried to give it some time to dry between coats so it didn't run.  It took a while to cover the blue.  Next time, I may hit it with a coat of white first then the red.

Are you going to add the texture to the Berzerk sides?

[Spyridon]

Beautiful!
The owner is going to be so happy. 

I hope so.  These restorations for hire are fun, but it's tough to let go of it in the end   

[Spyridon]

I just got the painting done just in time.  This was my last weekend to do it.  Temperatures have now dropped (as of today) below the minimum for painting.  I wish I had a heated external garage to work in.  Can't do any more painting until Spring (and I've got a line of cabs waiting)

[opt2not]

I just got the painting done just in time.  This was my last weekend to do it.  Temperatures have now dropped (as of today) below the minimum for painting.  I wish I had a heated external garage to work in.  Can't do any more painting until Spring (and I've got a line of cabs waiting)

Is your garage insulated enough so that you can use those portable heaters to warm up the space? Or is that not warm enough conditions for painting?

[Spyridon]

Is your garage insulated enough so that you can use those portable heaters to warm up the space? Or is that not warm enough conditions for painting?

Probably not insulated enough as it gets below freezing, but even if it was warm enough, I need to get the car out of the cold.  I already had to scrape the windows.   

[MythTrip]

Beautiful!
The owner is going to be so happy. 

I hope so.  These restorations for hire are fun, but it's tough to let go of it in the end   

Wow, Joe.  The cab looks absolutely gorgeous.  The colors really leap off the sides.  Thanks again. 
 

If it makes you feel any better, you can rest assured the game will be going to a loving home. 

[valgalder]

  amazing amazing work! 

[m_mcgover]

I just got the painting done just in time.  This was my last weekend to do it.  Temperatures have now dropped (as of today) below the minimum for painting.  I wish I had a heated external garage to work in.  Can't do any more painting until Spring (and I've got a line of cabs waiting)

How cold is too cold?  Down near Philadelphia, we should still hit temps in the low 60s next week.  I need to get some paining done in that week!

[Spyridon]

How cold is too cold?  Down near Philadelphia, we should still hit temps in the low 60s next week.  I need to get some paining done in that week!

Most paints state to not use below 50 degrees

[JustMichael]

How cold is too cold?  Down near Philadelphia, we should still hit temps in the low 60s next week.  I need to get some paining done in that week!

Depends upon the paint.  Please check the side of the can.  Also understand with the cold, the paint will take a LOT LONGER than normal to dry.

[RetroACTIVE]

I'm getting ready to do my Berzerk... I have a ton of body work to do first... It will be my second stencil.   Did you do just one hit with the stencil colors?

I did one coat of blue, but when I got to the red, I did several light coats over a couple hour period.  I tried to give it some time to dry between coats so it didn't run.  It took a while to cover the blue.  Next time, I may hit it with a coat of white first then the red.

Are you going to add the texture to the Berzerk sides?

No sirreeee.  I hate that finish I don't care if its not original, I would take a nice clean satin black over that textured booger any day!

[Kman-Sweden]

 
Fantastic.

[Spyridon]

Got a lot accomplished on this.  Pics and update coming soon. 

[Kman-Sweden]

can't wait. 

[Spyridon]

Took some better pictures outside as I was moving the game to the basement arcade for reassembly. 

[Spyridon]

"Registered" and "TM" symbols added

[Spyridon]

The control panel had some major dings in it, so it required some bondo to get it nice and smooth


The rusty t-nuts were replaced with new ones


The metal plates were caked with adhesive and rusty. 

These were stripped down to bare metal and painted with black Rustoleum paint

[Spyridon]

Time for the new overlay


Problem!  If I line up the overlay to match on the P1, P2, and joystick holes, the left edge is short


I'll need to hit the edges with some black paint so it won't be noticeable.  At the same time, I'll paint a few of the remaining metal parts like the coin doors and marquee bracket



The carriage bolts that hold the control panel on were really rusty.  I put them in my drill and spun them on sandpaper.  Makes them look like new in under a minute

[Spyridon]

Once the panel was dry, I applied the new overlay as well as the control panel molding


The edge that was showing now blends in nicely and once on the game I don't think anyone will notice


New translucent blue buttons


Bulbs for the buttons were burned out.  Replaced with new ones

[opt2not]

This is looking great Spyridon!

Great work-around with that CPO problem, and as always, great documentation. 

[Spyridon]

Joystick actuators (or whatever they are called) were really filthy

so I cleaned them up with soap and water.  Not perfect, but much better


Joystick bases and wire harness in place


Two of the leaf switch tabs were broken and needed to be soldered back in place

[Spyridon]

And the completed panel

[Spyridon]

I want to bullet proof this game since it won't be local where I can work on it.  I replaced the original harness with a brand new one.  I also have new interconnect cables that I still have to install.  Here is the wire harness.  I'll neaten it up with some wire ties.

[Spyridon]

Coin door inserts were cleaned up.  Here is a shot of one clean and one still dirty.  The difference doesn't show too well in the photos, but they cleaned up well.


Marquee light, new monitor and coin doors installed



New marquee and inner bezel installed

[Spyridon]

Drum roll please....





  

[Spyridon]

And a custom attract screen message as requested by the soon to be owner:

[Spyridon]

Items left to do:

1. Cut hole in upper back door for new lock (all three locks are keyed alike)
2. Install new interconnect cables
3. Add wire ties to new harness

That's it! 

[yotsuya]

Just.... beautiful.

This has become one of my favorite games due to MAME, and to see this restoration, it makes me wish I could have played one in its heyday.

[MythTrip]

Looks awesome, Joe.  Thanks again.   


Hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving!   Also, great to see that your
taking on another Gorf project.



Jim

[Kman-Sweden]

You made it look so easy..   

[BurgerKingDiamond]

WOW. Like a beautiful naked woman. I'm drooling right now. You are a craftsman.

It almost makes me want to play some Robotron. But then I remember how much I suck at it.

[Rick]

Is there somewhere I can just subscribe to all of Spyridon's threads?  It's like reliving my childhood, when all the games you walked past were new and shiny.

 

[yotsuya]

Is there somewhere I can just subscribe to all of Spyridon's threads?  It's like reliving my childhood, when all the games you walked past were new and shiny.

 

Amen. We should pitch in to buy him a webcam so we can watch live feeds!

[emphatic]

Wonderful work! 

[Spyridon]

Well, went to play a game the other day and no sound.  Fuses are still good, but the +12v seems low.

Voltages at the test points are:
+5v = 4.98
+12v = 8.71
-12v = -13.76

Will reflow the header pins first to see if that does anything.  I've been told that sometimes the amp goes bad after the board is recapped. 

[opt2not]

She's a beauty! Nice job as always!

I hope the reflow fixes your sound problem.

I'd hate to state the obvious, but did you check the volume pot? Perhaps it got accidentally turned...or became faulty. Just throwing it out there...

[Spyridon]

I'd hate to state the obvious, but did you check the volume pot? Perhaps it got accidentally turned...or became faulty. Just throwing it out there...

Nothing wrong with stating the obvious, but yes, I did check that.

[Spyridon]

I hope the reflow fixes your sound problem.

Reflowing the header pins didn't help.  I swapped out the 40 pin 6802 CPU chip on the board with the one on my Sinistar and now I have working sound  

Now I just need to order a replacement chip to put in my cannibalized Sinstar sound board.

[Spyridon]

Joysticks were a bit loose and sloppy so I picked up a set of NOS Wico grommets.  I'll replace the ones in there now and that should tighten things up

[WhereEaglesDare]

What did you use to mark off the "W" when painting red?  is it some sort of adhesive part of the stensil, i notic it isnt connected to anything

[opt2not]

What did you use to mark off the "W" when painting red?  is it some sort of adhesive part of the stensil, i notic it isnt connected to anything

The stencils are printed on an adhesively backed vinyl. Here's a link to gamestencil's "stencil guide".

[WhereEaglesDare]

yea, I had already read that, its just a little strange.  Never dealt with stencils like that before.

[Spyridon]

Finally found some time to install the new grommets.  Here is a comparison between the new and the old:


You can see how the old one was dirty and the rubber was cracked.  Inside the joystick was full of rubber shavings.  Did it make a difference? 

Boy did it ever.  On my very first game with the new grommets, I set my high score (I won't tell you what it was because it's not too good)!  The game was in slow motion compared to before.  If you have a Robotron, I highly recommend you replace the grommets.  You won't believe the difference.

 

[opt2not]

Woah, your old grommets looked pretty bad. The ones I replaced on mine didn't look as worn down, though my cabinet may have had less plays on it.
I replaced them with new ones anyways, and I agree, the joys feel amazing afterward.

Are you going to hang onto this cabinet for much longer? Get your plays in while you can!

[Spyridon]

Are you going to hang onto this cabinet for much longer? Get your plays in while you can!

It's mine until the weather breaks.  Will be shipping out in March.

[Level42]

 

TIGHT !!!! LOVE IT !!!!!!




Now....how did that Dutch lightbulb end up in that machine

[Spyridon]

Now....how did that Dutch lightbulb end up in that machine

Don't worry, I got it out quick and replaced it with one that worked.   

[Level42]

Harumpffff, god only knows how long it lasted You now got an el-cheapo Chinese surrogate in there




I just installed a fresh new Philips bulb in my Ms.Pac marquee and a Philips starter and miraculously, these are actually still "Made in Holland" !!!!!!!

Felt good.... The marquee looks BRILLIANT now

Man I love that Robotron. I could sit half a day and just watch it. If I were there.

[Epyx]

 

Man beautiful work...I gotta browse the restoration forum more often. Amazing work on one of my fav games of all time. So glad there are those of you doing these restores!