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In Progress Alien Poker - full restoration

Anyway, I got some time to work on Alien Poker today.**

I decided it would be easier to remove the side bars if I’d removed the flipper buttons, which - in turn - required the removal of the leaf switches. Then, I realised the test buttons inside the coin door were getting in the way, so it’d be easier to remove all of that first.

I’m now left with an issue. I know how to clean rust off small screws (drop them in a pot of Evaporust overnight), but have no idea how to remove rust from an entire receiver bar. Do I use an entire bucket of Evaporust? Clean it with wire wool?

All suggestions welcome as I’ve no idea the best way to do the simplest thing here.

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**I’m waiting to collect a part for Creature from the Black Lagoon but have otherwise mostly finished the work on the downstairs pins for the moment.
 
You can buy blanking end stops for drainpipe or soil pipe - I went for 4" soil pipe so I can fit a lot in, but it takes a fair few litres of evaporust !!
 
AlanJ said:
You can buy blanking end stops for drainpipe or soil pipe - I went for 4" soil pipe so I can fit a lot in, but it takes a fair few litres of evaporust !!
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Thanks, I was using the wrong search/technical term! I did think, by the laws of logic, there must be a way of ending a pipe.
 
We've got a pipe I used for derusting Centaurs long parts. You can borrow it if you can wait till Pinfest

It was easy to make , as Alan said. But we used that sealant stuff plumbers used.... I forget what it's called but it stinks .
 
David_Vi said:
We've got a pipe I used for derusting Centaurs long parts. You can borrow it if you can wait till Pinfest

It was easy to make , as Alan said. But we used that sealant stuff plumbers used.... I forget what it's called but it stinks .
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Yes, huge thanks for the offer 🥰 I’ll let you know if I get to a point where I have to start de-rusting things, but it doesn’t look like I’ll have got there before then.
 
Moved the side armour discussion over here as I’m back working on the pin.

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No ****, I have just bought a tool box that is currently 50% of tools purchased JUST TO REMOVE SIDE RAILS…

I figured I’d stick the painter’s tool behind the rail and then try to remove the rail with the blue gripping tool afterwards. And, nope, that didn’t work either because these are tough customers. Tough like Gorons in Zelda or Jason Statham in Meg 2 The Trench.

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i think the one right at the front is a bolt not a nail. it should go right through the wood - unscrew the nut from inside the cab? it is on a bally not sure on williams
 
Crap happens, when I saw the pic I thought oops. At least you will have new shiny side rails.
 
M4carp said:
Crap happens, when I saw the pic I thought oops. At least you will have new shiny side rails.
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I’m going to end up powder coating over new rails :eek:

It’s worth mentioning I played my first full-sized pin in 2021 and now trying to do a full restoration... So, yep, mistakes will be made. Many MANY mistakes…
 
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I went to collect a post for CFTBL from @Dave Bishop this afternoon who pointed me to High End Pins - not for Alien Poker (Christopher Hutchins hasn't done an Alien Poker, obviously), but for the locating the right screws for Creech from the gallery. Anyway, I noticed how Christopher Hutchins cleaned and polished literally everything, which I've been *trying* to do.

Here's the shooter rod backplate. I've been getting rust off with Evaporust, polishing any other corrosion off with a Dremel and then - as I don't want to send a bucket of parts away (I'd never put them back together again) - I've been spraying them with a can of zinc. Not sure what to do with screws apart from cleaning them with Brasso.

Alien Poker shooter rod backplate.jpg
 
Have you got a tumbler? That will clean and polish up nearly every metal part small enough to fit in it

I've cleaned up anything and everything including springs, coil stops, shooter housings, nuts, bolts , screws , posts etc.
 
David_Vi said:
Have you got a tumbler? That will clean and polish up nearly every metal part small enough to fit in it

I've cleaned up anything and everything including springs, coil stops, shooter housings, nuts, bolts , screws , posts etc.
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Yes. It's currently in the conservatory. I'll shove everything in it, then :)
 
VeeMonroe said:
’m now left with an issue. I know how to clean rust off small screws (drop them in a pot of Evaporust overnight), but have no idea how to remove rust from an entire receiver bar. Do I use an entire bucket of Evaporust? Clean it with wire wool?

All suggestions welcome as I’ve no idea the best way to do the simplest thing here.
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A bucket of hot water and 10-15 scoops of citric acid below. Save the expensive stuff for something else.


I did my lockdown bar / receiver and coin door on my DE JP with it. Previously stripped motorbike parts with it.
 
David_Vi said:
Add big slug of mags metal polish, Autosol or similar.
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It’s one of those ones with walnut bits…
Replay said:
Presume you have seen this?

My $300 Alien Poker Project | Restorations documented | Pinside.com

| Forum Topic by RGarriott
pinside.com pinside.com
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No, I haven’t, but a lot of these tend to include details like ‘cleaned wiring harness’ and I’m like “what with?” 🤷‍♂️

He also had the added benefit of being good at carpentry. The last carpentry I did was sanding and crackfilling a door and our decorator, Paul, said it sucked and redid it again!! 😲

I should be good at electronics as I did it at A-level, but have largely forgotten it. My only relevant skills are computer programming and only in really obscure languages, and acrylic painting flying cats. So, this is all a vertical learning curve - there are no easy sections here. But, on the upside, I changed some post rubbers on Fish Tales yesterday, which I hadn’t changed since I got it. It took me about five minutes and I was like, “why did I think this was hard a year ago?” So, I’m hoping I get less clueless during the process…

[Also, I made a reproduction topper for Fish Tales… but that was off instructions on the web]

Fish Topper.jpg
 
VeeMonroe said:
It’s one of those ones with walnut bits…
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Doesn't matter, you need to add some polish if you want the metal to come out shinier. Make sure you change the media regularly too
I've got a giant bag of walnut media and a big tin of Autosol.

I even polish my balls in it😄 they come out shinier than new after a couple of days.
 
David_Vi said:
Doesn't matter, you need to add some polish if you want the metal to come out shinier. Make sure you change the media regularly too
I've got a giant bag of walnut media and a big tin of Autosol.

I even polish my balls in it😄 they come out shinier than new after a couple of days.
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Do you mean the squirty tubes?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autosol-Metal-Polish-75-ml/dp/B003XJ1ODM

Do you just squirt the paste into the tub? How much? Doesn’t it make the tub/walnut grains stick together?

[At some point, someone is going to realise this thread has gone downhill into squirty tubes and ball polishing 🤣]

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🤣
 
yes a big squirt of that stuff. it just works a dream. it will spread itself throughout the walnut and polish the metal. it makes a huge difference
 
What Alan says above.

If you've been using your tumbler without adding polish you've been missing out!

Usually I use the tin and just drag one of the screws around in it before putting it in the tumbler.
It'll spread out, unless your media is old and contaminated, then it may form big clumps on your stuff.
 
Perfect, thanks.

Next question (sorry for so many questions). I’m starting to take things off like the shooter rod (and coin door). I realise I’m going to do the legs and side rails in a Prismatic Powder powder coat.

What do you typically do with the shooter rod and door, in that situation? And, also, with the screws for holding the rails on? (I know you can ask the powder coater to only do the top of the leg bolts) Do I chrome it (will the chrome come off when the coin door opens)? Or just polish it? I’m guessing I’ll try to powder coat the end of the shooter rod, as well… but not sure.

Also, is there any way of efficiently storing parts better than sticking them in a plastic bag with a label on?

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