Pinball playfield restorations

[mod]

Hello All,

Does anybody know of any sites that focus on pinball playfield restorations?

Thanks for looking.

Regards,

Mod.

[lokki]

Have you seen marvins?
fix
http://marvin3m.com/fix.htm

and restore

http://marvin3m.com/restore/

[ChadTower]

The beginnings of an effort here.

[USSEnterprise]

I had wanted to refinish the playfield on my Space Mission http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=2253 , but I didn't want to risk destroying the paint, plus I don't want to have to strip the underside.

[fredster]

Check out a series of videos called "This old Pinball" one of them had a pretty good demonstration of Marvin3's site.

Marvin3's site is the boss.

[USSEnterprise]

I read through the playfield restoration on Marvin3m, but I would still rather not chance it. The playfield isn't in great condition. There are a lot of dings in the lamination, but the paint is pretty damn good

[fredster]

Then look for "this old pinball".

They did a restoration in it. These clowns that make it are kinda irratating, but they get the point across.

I don't blame you though. It's a total nightmare to contemplate taking apart a playerfield. There are sooo many little parts and soooo many solder points.

You could just buy one and replace the old one. Kinda pricey, but if you like it, you like it.

[USSEnterprise]

It would be kind of hard to find a NOS playfield for a 30 year old machine

[allroy1975]

oh just vectorize the PF print it out on some vinyl with a good protectant on it, buy a nice 4x8 sheet of hard birch and trace route the old one out. 

Should only take a year or ....10.

easy. 

maybe I'll be more help after sleep.

Allroy

[USSEnterprise]

I had been considering a total re-wiring, but then I added up the costs of the asylum visits and decided against it.

[ChadTower]

The problem with the TOP videos is what they send you.  I've ordered directly from them three times and all three times the DVD was bad.  I just gave up the third time.

[Stingray]

I can't even imagine what kind of job it would be to totally dissassemble a playfield and then manage to put it all back together again. Best of luck to you.

-S

[ChadTower]

Depends on the machine, really.  I would cut my freakin arm off before I tried Twilight Zone, but if you had a smallish early solid state, or an EM, there is a LOT less on the playfield.

[USSEnterprise]

The Space Mission is a late model EM, and I would be afraid to strip the playfield. There are at least 14 relays on the underside alone. The closest I ever came to stripping the playfield was taking the rubbers, plastics, and bulbs out.

[ChadTower]

Why would you have to strip the underside?  Use a playfield rotissery.

[fredster]

It would be kind of hard to find a NOS playfield for a 30 year old machine

They can be found.  You have to look through the pinball sellers.  You'd be surprised what you can find, especially if the game was poplular.

Look around, check these places:
http://www.k-k-amusement.com/
http://www.marcospecialties.com/MODERN/
http://www.pbresource.com/
http://www.centsibleamusements.com/

You can even have people do it for you.  It's kinda pricey, but ask these people, they know.

[ChadTower]

Pricey is an understatement.  The NOS playfields can be found, but often it will take a year or more and cost you four figures.

Some people don't have $1200.  Some machines aren't worth that much.  Say you want to restore an early 80s SS pin that's only worth $450 in excellent shape?  Is that really worth spending a year and 3x the value of the machine to put in a NOS playfield?

[mod]

Thanks all for your replies.

I have a 1984 Williams High Speed Pinball that needs some restoration work on the playfield. I am considering doing the work however if I manage to find a replacement playfield at a realistic price, I would consider replacing then tackling the major work needed to restore it.

Regards,

Mod.

[USSEnterprise]

Yeah. Space Mission/Space Odyssey were popular machines, with a combined total of about 16,000 units. I could probably find one.