This week I have learned two very important lessons, which despite being rather embarrassed and ashamed that I had to learn them in this fashion, I thought I would hold my hands up
These are probably "pinball owners rule #1 and #2" and I would love to direct all of the blame at JJP (my first machine was Wonka), but ultimately I am responsible.
Some of you may know, I received a gorgeous GB this week from Beowulf, which is in absolutely fantastic condition, good as new and really tastefully modded, I feel very lucky to have been able to buy at the right time and get this example. During my first evening of playing, I noticed the left sling wasn't firing, but it was getting late/dark, I was pretty shattered, and figured I would take a look in the morning. In the fresh light of day, I could see half the leaf switch was on the playfield side of the rubber - an easy fix. So glass off, and I poke it back to the right side of the rubber, but it had obviously been like that for a few days, as the leaf was a little bent out of shape. No problem, I have a leaf adjuster tool, so out it comes, and as I poke through the coin door, I realise there just isn't enough room. So the playfield is now up on it's supports and trying to get the tool in, but dammit it's just not as accessible as I wish it was. So I decide to put the playfield all the way up and come at the problem from above.
LESSON 1: ALWAYS REMOVE THE BALLS FROM THE TROUGH FIRST
I have become complacent because of Wonka and JJP and their device which (usually) keeps the balls in the trough. Even though it failed once for me, I still relied on it. As I lift the playfield, I hear the dreaded clatter of the balls coming out of the trough :| I instantly knew the mistake I had made, and my human reaction, as I think anyone's would be, was to lower the angle of the playfield and try and stop anymore balls rolling out.
LESSON 2: LOOK BEFORE YOU LOWER THE PLAYFIELD
I have become complacent because of Wonka and JJP and their playfield supports which extend the length of the playfield. As I panic lowered the playfield, I was in exactly precisely the wrong point, such that the bottom of the subway eject coil came down on exactly the wrong part of metal lockbar bracket at the cabinet front, and quite literally sheered the coil winding wire from the lug to the coil which you can just about make out in this picture:

It was a surprisingly precise cut, and (this so far seems to be) the only damage caused. Of course I didn't realise this at the time, so when I next switched it on and that coil was failing to fire, I then wasted a day assuming I had somehow inadvertantly knocked a connection loose on one of the boards - I definitely didn't expect physical damage like this. I was surprisingly calm given that I hadn't even had it 24 hours, but I think part of it was down to the fact I knew it worked and that it had to be something simple. Eventually I had the sense to break the multimeter out and isolated that broken wire. Little drop of solder this morning and I am back in business.
The silver lining in all the above is that I have had to diagnose and fix my first real fault so I am feeling pretty good about myself, but it may take a few weeks to shirk of the shame of having to learn these lessons this way.

Some of you may know, I received a gorgeous GB this week from Beowulf, which is in absolutely fantastic condition, good as new and really tastefully modded, I feel very lucky to have been able to buy at the right time and get this example. During my first evening of playing, I noticed the left sling wasn't firing, but it was getting late/dark, I was pretty shattered, and figured I would take a look in the morning. In the fresh light of day, I could see half the leaf switch was on the playfield side of the rubber - an easy fix. So glass off, and I poke it back to the right side of the rubber, but it had obviously been like that for a few days, as the leaf was a little bent out of shape. No problem, I have a leaf adjuster tool, so out it comes, and as I poke through the coin door, I realise there just isn't enough room. So the playfield is now up on it's supports and trying to get the tool in, but dammit it's just not as accessible as I wish it was. So I decide to put the playfield all the way up and come at the problem from above.
LESSON 1: ALWAYS REMOVE THE BALLS FROM THE TROUGH FIRST
I have become complacent because of Wonka and JJP and their device which (usually) keeps the balls in the trough. Even though it failed once for me, I still relied on it. As I lift the playfield, I hear the dreaded clatter of the balls coming out of the trough :| I instantly knew the mistake I had made, and my human reaction, as I think anyone's would be, was to lower the angle of the playfield and try and stop anymore balls rolling out.
LESSON 2: LOOK BEFORE YOU LOWER THE PLAYFIELD
I have become complacent because of Wonka and JJP and their playfield supports which extend the length of the playfield. As I panic lowered the playfield, I was in exactly precisely the wrong point, such that the bottom of the subway eject coil came down on exactly the wrong part of metal lockbar bracket at the cabinet front, and quite literally sheered the coil winding wire from the lug to the coil which you can just about make out in this picture:

It was a surprisingly precise cut, and (this so far seems to be) the only damage caused. Of course I didn't realise this at the time, so when I next switched it on and that coil was failing to fire, I then wasted a day assuming I had somehow inadvertantly knocked a connection loose on one of the boards - I definitely didn't expect physical damage like this. I was surprisingly calm given that I hadn't even had it 24 hours, but I think part of it was down to the fact I knew it worked and that it had to be something simple. Eventually I had the sense to break the multimeter out and isolated that broken wire. Little drop of solder this morning and I am back in business.
The silver lining in all the above is that I have had to diagnose and fix my first real fault so I am feeling pretty good about myself, but it may take a few weeks to shirk of the shame of having to learn these lessons this way.