Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Arcade Collecting => Restorations & repair => Topic started by: RetroACTIVE on May 18, 2009, 09:13:41 pm

Title: Atari 4P Football Restoration - More Artwork Panel Restoration...
Post by: RetroACTIVE on May 18, 2009, 09:13:41 pm
Picked up a free working 4p Atari Football today.  Got to give credit to my wife, as she found it for me.  I wasn't looking for one she came acrossed it through a friend at work.

Monitor is in GREAT shape!
Trackballs are toast.
Game needs some cosmetic work along the edges.
Has not been hacked up inside, eveyrhing original.
Serial #879

Pics coming...
Title: Re: Are you ready for some Xs and Os?!
Post by: orion on May 19, 2009, 08:44:12 am
Sounds like a nice free score dude... but more impressive to me is the concept of a wife who not only allows her husband to bring big bulky arcade machines into the house, but also goes out and finds them for him!
Title: Re: Are you ready for some Xs and Os?!
Post by: ChadTower on May 19, 2009, 08:59:42 am

Ooh!  Nice one!  That's one of the trackball handeaters, yes?   ;D
Title: Re: Are you ready for some Xs and Os?!
Post by: Spyridon on May 19, 2009, 09:01:32 am
Nice score.  I used to love playing the 2 player version and would love to own one.  I never played the 4 player.

Free was an incredible deal.  The 4 player units have been going for a lot of money lately.  One in great shape sold last year for $2K and I think another one that needed a bit of work went for something like $800 or $1,000.  Also, ThisOldGame is working on the artwork for this game.

Edit: Here is the story (http://www.coinopspace.com/profiles/blogs/value-of-an-atari-football-4)(and some pictures for reference)

Title: Re: Are you ready for some Xs and Os?!
Post by: CheffoJeffo on May 19, 2009, 02:10:01 pm
Nice grab -- a local BYOACer rescued a 2P from the curb some years ago and, after realizing that he wasn't going to do anything with it, passed it along to me last year (and I haven't done much except disassemble it and rebuild the power supply).
Title: Re: Are you ready for some Xs and Os?!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on May 19, 2009, 06:17:31 pm
Here are some pics... now the version I have is not like others I've seen... could this be a conversion of some sort?

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball.jpg?PHPSESSID=f34f67a11c16c2b1bff38aa7d78024e5)

Artwork:
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootballArt.jpg?PHPSESSID=f34f67a11c16c2b1bff38aa7d78024e5)

Monitor... very little burn
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/AtariFootballMonitor.jpg?PHPSESSID=f34f67a11c16c2b1bff38aa7d78024e5)

Trackball units... (effed-up!)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/AtariFootballTrackBalls.jpg?PHPSESSID=f34f67a11c16c2b1bff38aa7d78024e5)

PCBs
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootballPCB.jpg?PHPSESSID=f34f67a11c16c2b1bff38aa7d78024e5)

Rest of the guts...
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball%20Inside.jpg?PHPSESSID=f34f67a11c16c2b1bff38aa7d78024e5)

looks like a mouse got in there at one point as the cardboard bezel has a corner chewed out and you can see a pile of shiznit on the bottom by the pcbs...

anyway... gonna need some work... and rebuilding 4 trackball units is not going to be cheap...
Title: Re: Are you ready for some Xs and Os?!
Post by: Spyridon on May 19, 2009, 06:42:14 pm
... and rebuilding 4 trackball units is not going to be cheap...

Yes, but you did get the game for free so you can't complain!
Title: Re: Are you ready for some Xs and Os?!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on May 19, 2009, 06:45:49 pm
... and rebuilding 4 trackball units is not going to be cheap...

Yes, but you did get the game for free so you can't complain!


'tis true!
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football - Don't have the balls just yet ;)
Post by: RetroACTIVE on May 26, 2009, 10:24:26 pm
Mr. Adams set me up with yet another sweet deal... (stay tuned)
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Don't have the balls just yet ;)
Post by: ChadTower on May 27, 2009, 04:22:27 pm

Just make sure they don't address the balls to your wife...
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - I've got big balls! :P
Post by: RetroACTIVE on May 29, 2009, 11:29:56 am
Trackballs and shafts came in today... Thanks to Mr. Adams!  :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/AtariFootballNewBallsAndShafts.jpg)

...all said and done... with the RAM controls deal and the bearings I picked up on my own... I'm only in about $33 per unit for a complete rebuild... including balls!

I've ordered the PS rebuild, AR1 rebuild and V1000 cap kits from Bob along with two new shielded speakers... those should arrive tomorrow.

Also have some new black vinyl coming from TOG too!


Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - I've got big balls! :P
Post by: Ninten-doh on May 29, 2009, 12:35:42 pm
Hey, wrap up the Star Wars project first!   ;D

Gold Five: Stay on target.
Gold Leader: *We're too close!*
Gold Five: Stay on target!
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - I've got big balls! :P
Post by: RetroACTIVE on May 29, 2009, 12:55:49 pm
Hey, wrap up the Star Wars project first!   ;D

Gold Five: Stay on target.
Gold Leader: *We're too close!*
Gold Five: Stay on target!

Yeah... I have matrix errors.   I'm working on it.  It's slow going because I do all my soldering and stuff at work.  That's all that's left to that saga... Until the sequel... Amplifone conversion!


"What I really need is a droid who understands the binary language of moisture vaporators"
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Um...I tried not to take it apart...honest!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on June 22, 2009, 05:42:29 pm
Ok... So I started on this thing.  I really wanted to just slap some new vinyl on this baby and be done with it right?  WRONG!

Like all my restos.. this one is getting the FULL treatment.  And it really did need it.  For starters the mouse or family of mice that set up shop inside this thing made a HORRIBLE SMELLY GOOPY HAIRY MESS!  I could not take it... no matter what I could have done to try and clean it...would have been a fruitless venture.  Soooo.

I broke it completely down and rebuilt all but the top, front and back artwork panels and the long trapezoidal members.

I forgot to mention all of the vinyl pretty much was falling off due to moisture damage so all of the new panels will be getting a new vinyl treatment as well.

Pics coming...
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Um...I tried not to take it apart...honest!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on June 22, 2009, 06:18:25 pm
poo..

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootBall-MouseCrap.jpg)

totally rusted shafts w/seized bearings...

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/TB-Rusty.jpg)

nearly emptied...

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootBall-NearlyEmpty.jpg)

harness...

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Harness.jpg)

vinyl... ;)

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/UM-YeahVinyl.jpg)


... this is an embarrassing photo... my garage looks like an arcade machine exploded!
... can you find the football  arcade cabinet in this photo?? there are parts of others as well :)
... its like... "Where's Waldo?"

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Somewhere.jpg)


Here is the new base... I have to get photos of all the other panels... I will do that once they are re-vinyl'd

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootBallNewBase(1).jpg)


 :cheers:
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Um...I tried not to take it apart...honest!
Post by: Spyridon on June 22, 2009, 07:37:45 pm
Good to see this getting the full treatment.  Good luck with it.  I'd love to get an Atari football.  I remember playing the two player version in the arcade, but I don't think I've ever seen the 4 player.

Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Um...I tried not to take it apart...honest!
Post by: Level42 on June 27, 2009, 09:26:59 am
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Somewhere.jpg)

I said: DON'T let them get wet....
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Um...I tried not to take it apart...honest!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on June 27, 2009, 08:07:23 pm
I said: DON'T let them get wet....

.... I think this was Sunlight!  ;)
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Progress on new panels/vinyl covering!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on June 28, 2009, 01:07:48 pm
I've begun re-vinyl process... insides were painted satin black... outsides were coated with a little black and plenty of poly to give a good bonding surface for the vinyl...

new raw panel...
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-NewPanel.jpg)

fitting the vinyl...
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-VinylFit.jpg)

trimming the vinyl...
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-VinylTrim.jpg)

done!
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-NewPanelDone.jpg)

others...still have to do the long trapezoidal pieces...
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-NewPanels.jpg)

 :cheers:
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Progress on new panels/vinyl covering!
Post by: SirPeale on June 28, 2009, 05:05:19 pm
This may go without saying, but make sure you press or roll the heck out of the vinyl to make sure it sticks.  And when you think you're done, press it some more. 
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Progress on new panels/vinyl covering!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on June 28, 2009, 06:23:23 pm
This may go without saying, but make sure you press or roll the heck out of the vinyl to make sure it sticks.  And when you think you're done, press it some more. 

So true.  I did a test fit the first time and tried to peel it off to see how durable the adhesive is.  I also did exactly what you suggested to be sure of a good bond.

I'm pretty satisfied... time will tell...
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Progress on new panels/vinyl covering!
Post by: Spyridon on July 16, 2009, 09:41:59 pm
Not sure if you need any parts, but this (http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=96132) was posted over at KLOV.  It's for the two player, but many parts may be the same.  Your's is complete so you are probably good.

Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Progress on new panels/vinyl covering!
Post by: RetroACTIVE on July 16, 2009, 11:18:46 pm
Not sure if you need any parts, but this (http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=96132) was posted over at KLOV.  It's for the two player, but many parts may be the same.  Your's is complete so you are probably good.



Thanks for the heads up!  Seriously sucks because I desperately need a new cardboard bezel... and my 4P version is different than that one...  I would have shelled out the stupid amount of cash for it too... I'm gong to end up making one.

I have to get back to this project... its killing me!
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Progress on new panels/vinyl covering!
Post by: meauxmeaux on July 17, 2009, 10:35:56 am
It's looking good.  You are doing some impressive work!


Rob
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Progress on new panels/vinyl covering!
Post by: spriggy on July 17, 2009, 06:33:27 pm
Nice  :cheers:  Watching eagerly
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - A little progress today...
Post by: RetroACTIVE on September 07, 2009, 05:39:23 pm
I've been pre-occupied with board repairs (not mine) so I've been unable to make any headway this summer on this thing... however today I did a little woodworking and rebuilt the coin box frame, here are a few pics..

I slapped the AR board on there for the pic... I reused the wood blocks that have the slots for the AR board and that was it... all of the other panels and blocking are new.
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball_CoinBoxFrame1.jpg)

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball_CoinBoxFrame2.jpg)

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball_CoinBoxFrame3.jpg)

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball_CoinBoxFrame4.jpg)

Everything else is cut... all new blocks for every single panel of this cab.  I'm in the middle of touching up the artwork panels and getting them finished.  Once they are done... I can put it back together again...
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - A little progress today...
Post by: TheShanMan on September 08, 2009, 08:09:37 pm
Nice work Jim! You absolutely do not know how to do something half way, do you? I consider myself anal (my wife always says "ocd") but you take it to a new level. And I mean that as a compliment of course. :applaud:
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - A little progress today...
Post by: RetroACTIVE on September 14, 2009, 10:29:17 am
Nice work Jim! You absolutely do not know how to do something half way, do you? I consider myself anal (my wife always says "ocd") but you take it to a new level. And I mean that as a compliment of course. :applaud:

Thanks man!  My projects seem to take longer and longer so ... the 'sickness' is getting worse I think  :dunno

My brother took a trip to NH to visit family and went to Funspot and snapped a couple of pics of this for me...

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/4PFootballAtFunspot.JPG)

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/4PFootballAtFunspotCP.JPG)

Nice to see it in one piece ;)
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Artwork Panel Restoration started...
Post by: RetroACTIVE on September 17, 2009, 08:59:31 pm
So I started to work on the artwork restoration... the edges of this panel were all frayed, crumbly and peeling.  I decided to cut the white off so I used an exacto knife and cut the white very close to the black outline.  I then masked the artwork with painters tape and newspaper.  After some sanding and bondo application to fix the damaged edges, I put 4 coats of Rustoleum white semi sanding with 400 grit sandpaper in between coats.  It looks very very good.

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootballMasked.jpg)

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootballPainted.jpg)

What I have left to do is fix the damage of the artwork itself.  Now I plan on using hobby paint mixed to match... its only 3 colors, black, orange(lt/dk) and blue... so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Once I'm done with the touch up... I will spray coat the entire thing with Minwax polycrylic clear coat.  Once this is done, I can put it back together... the other panel has the coin door and does not need any touch up other than the white paint which takes no time.

In preparation of final assembly I've ordered all the fasteners for this machine... here is a pic of all of the "internal" fasteners (wood screws, carriage bolts, lock nuts, washers etc..) I'm waiting on the black-oxide carriage bolts for the control panels.

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootballFasteners.jpg)

 :cheers:
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Artwork Panel Restoration started...
Post by: Spyridon on September 17, 2009, 10:13:29 pm
Nice job with the white.  It looks really good. 

(I really want one of these)
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Artwork Panel Restoration started...
Post by: slasherman on September 18, 2009, 09:48:46 am
I like how you spared the original artwork, to many people get rid of it too fast. The more of the original you spare the more original it is... :cheers:
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Artwork Panel Restoration started...
Post by: ChadTower on September 21, 2009, 02:10:05 pm

Awesome.

BTW, I have played that Funspot machine with my kids a few times.  Great machine.
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Artwork Panel Restoration started...
Post by: Superully on September 26, 2009, 04:41:01 am
So I started to work on the artwork restoration... the edges of this panel were all frayed, crumbly and peeling.  I decided to cut the white off so I used an exacto knife and cut the white very close to the black outline.  I then masked the artwork with painters tape and newspaper.  After some sanding and bondo application to fix the damaged edges, I put 4 coats of Rustoleum white semi sanding with 400 grit sandpaper in between coats.  It looks very very good.

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootballMasked.jpg)

what type of painter's tape did you use? flexible one? or did you cut normal one to fit the curves? masking this thing off must have been a strenuous job!
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - Artwork Panel Restoration started...
Post by: RetroACTIVE on September 28, 2009, 09:35:14 am
what type of painter's tape did you use? flexible one? or did you cut normal one to fit the curves? masking this thing off must have been a strenuous job!

Actually I just used blue painters tape... its pretty flexible... not so strenuous.  There are better products for masking that leave less of a ridge.  I find that the ridge is not really that big of a deal anyway... I'll take it to the peeling edges.

I've almost all of the artwork touched up now... there were a couple of real big gouges, one along the qb's arm and another across the rb's face.  I had to cut away the damaged vinyl fill in the area then recreate the artwork by hand... I have a few pics I will post soon showing that process.
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - More Artwork Panel Restoration...
Post by: RetroACTIVE on September 28, 2009, 10:27:05 pm
Here are the shots of more of the repair...

Initial damage:

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-RBDamage.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-QBDamage.jpg)

I cut away the damaged artwork and picked the particle board removing loose pieces...

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair1.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair2.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair3.jpg)

I used a small amount of bondo to fill the void and used a plexiglass press to get it to conform to the surface... once the stuff was just about cured I was able to lift the plexiglass and it removed only the excess that was not filling the void...

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair4.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair5.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair6.jpg)

I used a thin coat of white to cover the newly patched pieces to give it the right base color for the application of the top coat and to smooth things out... I did lightly sand with 400 grit prior to applying the white.

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair7.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-Repair8.jpg)

Here is the semi-finished product... I hand painted it using a small brush and using pictures and the other panel as reference.  I have some white touch up light orange and blue to do just yet... I'm not looking for perfection here... I just don't want anything peeling away.

(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-QBFixed.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~retro-active1/pwpimages/Atari4PFootball-RBFixed.jpg)

I am pleased so far.
Title: Re: Atari 4P Football Restoration - More Artwork Panel Restoration...
Post by: Level42 on September 30, 2009, 01:27:50 am
Great work !!! :applaud: :applaud: