Removing rivets on 80s Williams side armour

[VeeMonroe]

I ground them. I’d literally tried everything else reasonable (except the suggestion to set fire to the cab ).

 

[carl lawrence]

Ok now get that scraper with the flat side up and the chamfered side down and hit it with your hammer sharply and it will pop up . Remember the cabinet can be filled .
The twisted nails are completely different metal to the side rails so don’t worry no welding will take place !

 

[drhex]

No chance to weld them together without setting the cab on fire. Take your scraper, hammer it underneath the siderail and twist. The rail is done for anyway, you can as well bend it now.

 

[VeeMonroe]

No chance to weld them together without setting the cab on fire. Take your scraper, hammer it underneath the siderail and twist. The rail is done for anyway, you can as well bend it now.

How is the rail done for (confused)? The rail is entirely smooth to the touch - just polished from the original dull finish in places. Powder coat is more than 0.5mm thick so the visual contrast between the polished/non-polished surfaces should be invisible (?) once it’s powder coated. So, unless it turns out I’ve drilled into the rail by accident or the screw head is actually welded to the cab, it should (hopefully) be fine (?)…

 

[AlanJ]

How is the rail done for (confused)? The rail is entirely smooth to the touch - just polished from the original dull finish in places. Powder coat is more than 0.5mm thick so the visual contrast between the polished/non-polished surfaces should be invisible (?) once it’s powder coated. So, unless it turns out I’ve drilled into the rail by accident or the screw head is actually welded to the cab, it should (hopefully) be fine (?)…

they’ll sand and polish up. forget powder coating, it’s so chavvy. raw metal is best.

 

[Ant-H]

Have you tried removing them since grinding the heads down?

 

[drhex]

You still have to lever them off, this is going to cause waves. Why do youbwant to save them in the first place?

 

[David_Vi]

raw metal is best.

Especially on classics

 

[VeeMonroe]

Have you tried removing them since grinding the heads down?

No, I haven’t tried removing the rails since grinding down. I had a free half an hour, and thought I’d have a go at @carl lawrence’s technique for dremelling flat and then drilling. I’m now going to wait for the gizmo Keith @new forest pinball recommended to arrive, and try that on the other screws, before having another attempt at dremelling/drilling.

I‘d had great success drilling rusty rivets out of the plate on the top of Fish Tales when I installed the reproduction topper, but - in that case - I’d drilled down through the screw head, and a little ‘ring’ popped off where the head detached.

You still have to lever them off, this is going to cause waves. Why do youbwant to save them in the first place?

I’m trying to retain good-condition parts, where possible, and the actual rails are in pretty good nick. I doubt I have the physical strength to warp the rails.

they’ll sand and polish up. forget powder coating, it’s so chavvy. raw metal is best.

These are my current nails…

I’m also working on an Alien Poker, which is a pin that graphic design forgot. So, I’m planning to go for a holographic rainbow-shimmer chrome powder coat for an intergalactic 80s feel that is out of this world (or something), e.g.

Prismatic Powders - Clear Vision And Thunderkiss Wheels

This project was coated in Clear Vision and Thunderkiss. It's tough. It looks great. and it lasts a long, long time. PrismaticPowders.com.

www.prismaticpowders.com

 

[carl lawrence]

Don’t forget to centre punch the nail head once ground back ,this will stop the drill bit slipping all over the place

 

[VeeMonroe]

Well, I tried removing the flipper button and wedging a painter’s tool down the side of the screw. And, amazingly, the side rail bent, but the DAMN SCREW STILL DIDN’T MOVE.

So, it’s new side rails for me at this point… :/

01-6600 - Side rails - Williams early pair 51-1/8 inch - Marco Specialties Pinball Parts

Left and right side stainless steel trim molding for early Williams pinball machines.

www.marcospecialties.com

I’m moving the discussion to the main Alien Poker restoration thread because I’m spending some of the summer period working on this pin now. I really miss it and I keep looking at other classics, which we don’t have room for - purely because my classic isn’t in operation

 

[drhex]

Good thing is that you can now lever on it to your heart's content. I find it nigh impossible to get them off without damage.

 

[carl lawrence]

Well, I tried removing the flipper button and wedging a painter’s tool down the side of the screw. And, amazingly, the side rail bent, but the DAMN SCREW STILL DIDN’T MOVE.

So, it’s new side rails for me at this point… :/

01-6600 - Side rails - Williams early pair 51-1/8 inch - Marco Specialties Pinball Parts

Left and right side stainless steel trim molding for early Williams pinball machines.

www.marcospecialties.com

I’m moving the discussion to the main Alien Poker restoration thread because I’m spending some of the summer period working on this pin now. I really miss it and I keep looking at other classics, which we don’t have room for - purely because my classic isn’t in operation

View attachment 227686

Yep it will do as that one is a bolt with a nut on the inside !

 

[David_Vi]

Same on my Bally Centaur I believe. Most of the trim is secured with a bolt and a nut on the other end

 

[carl lawrence]

Undo the nut but do not take it off at this point .then hit the nut , this will move the bolt a little , then remove the nut completely. Doing like this will save damaging the thread of the bolt .