Low End Pin Guy scores a Data East Tommy

[jennifer]

    The right screw looks off, almost like the whole thing is twisted counterclockwise, The art can be off, I"ve seen that before,
but where the pin studs were origanally will leave marks, can"t really see if the wireform dump lines up to the hole in that pic...
     I gotta +1 with PJ here and take it apart again.

[TopJimmyCooks]

It's assembled correctly.  If you review the literature (well, RGP and Pinside, anyway) they always break.  definite design flaw.  A straight shot up from the VUK hits the plastic first a good percentage of the time.  I replaced the VUK cap as well, the ears were gone on mine.  The wireform has some play left and right, but if you move it too far right the ball bounces out of the lower ramp return wireform and rolls SDTM rather than going into the right inlane.  The ball guide around the hole under the plastic has zero location adjustment.

I'm going to redo it with more clearance. 

Here's a link to High End Pins' photo of an awesome restoration he did - shows the same condition. 
http://christopherhutchins.com/albums/album397/28_G.jpg

[ChadTower]

His website is like pinball pron.  I just lost my afternoon.

[jennifer]

Jennifer rubs up on Getaway...I love when they're hot and wet!!!

[TopJimmyCooks]

Well, cut yourself another plastic, widen out that hole, and make the screw holes bigger so you can shift it around for best alignment.

One perk of using photopaper for the artwork...

You are correct, Sir.  The location is perfect but it will be clearanced inside. 

Jesus Christ his website is like pinball pron.  I just lost my afternoon.

What, did you think I call myself the Low End Pin guy cause I like the sound of it?  It's a homage to the one true master. 

The finished games are beautiful, but what I really love are the albums where he takes you through a months long restoration and you see the amount of work hes putting into a $5k labor cost resto.  so many coats of clear sanded down, stencils on cabinets where any overlaps are fixed to avoid edges (like on a custom car)  replating zinc finishes.  It's not something I would ever choose to buy or do, but I have a huge amount of respect for taking something and making it better than new.  the knowledge of those pins he has is unbelievable. 

[ChadTower]

Don't know for sure whether or not I have ever played a game he restored.  I have played a Kingpin, though, so there's a reasonable chance I have.

[TopJimmyCooks]

If I was in a position to buy a nice medieval madness and put $6K+ into it, I would be in a position to buy another player grade MM to actually play so as to not desecrate the perfection.   

I'm interested in what you didn't like- I have never played one or any clearcoated or highly restored pin.  Too slick?  No spin on the ball?  It seems like they should be perfect mechanically but with a lower than normal friction PF surface.  He's using accurate original and repro parts, etc.

[jennifer]

They're pretty, but they don't play well IMO.

Clear coating is awesome if it's done right, applied by somebody who knows what they're doing and using quality materials...I have noticed however people that do this tend to crank levelers down in back and adjust the tilt to go off easily. An attempt to discourage abuse, I suppose. The only real drawback to cc IMO is that it locks the inserts down...FWIW, a shot of acetone in the clear will level it to such a point, cutting and buffing is unnecessary. Orange peel will affect ball travel.