Ram is the easiest issue - If i had 1.8 that i could load - issue solved! 
Pinball info
Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Complete Revenge From Mars - High End Restore
- Thread starter PeteB
- Start date
Looks Great
I love this game, mine still gets regular play after owning around 4 different ones over the years and is why i developed my rgb saucer mod. Some of the best speech quotes in any pinball and i often play just for the martian champion score. That is serious fun, especially with friends.
"Martha get the shotgun, there's martians in the yard..."
I love this game, mine still gets regular play after owning around 4 different ones over the years and is why i developed my rgb saucer mod. Some of the best speech quotes in any pinball and i often play just for the martian champion score. That is serious fun, especially with friends.
"Martha get the shotgun, there's martians in the yard..."
Just backing up a bit (well first post actually
) I have work to do similar to both piccies above. Can you describe your process on these problems?Thanks
Looking AWESOME, @PeteB! Nothing nicer that seeing a man with a well polished plunger, and a sparkly rod and ring to match 
Mirror polishing plungers are fitting new coil sleeves has got the be the easiest 5 minute maintenance job that improves flipper action ten-fold. Done it on all my old Bally's and the difference is so obvious. Total non-brainer if you do nothing else to look after your pin.
Couple of questions:
What paint/coating are you using to match the black dimpled original on the rails?
Do you use Scotchbrite or Wet'n'Dry to re-grain your stainless steel?
Double thumbs-up fitting shiny new Superbands to shiny new white flipper bats. I've done the same on GOLD BALL. They really do look DA SHIZZLE
Mirror polishing plungers are fitting new coil sleeves has got the be the easiest 5 minute maintenance job that improves flipper action ten-fold. Done it on all my old Bally's and the difference is so obvious. Total non-brainer if you do nothing else to look after your pin.Couple of questions:
What paint/coating are you using to match the black dimpled original on the rails?
Do you use Scotchbrite or Wet'n'Dry to re-grain your stainless steel?
Double thumbs-up fitting shiny new Superbands to shiny new white flipper bats. I've done the same on GOLD BALL. They really do look DA SHIZZLE
Not sure yet. I did the 1.5 update from an old laptop. Gonna have a discussion with Mr myPinballs about what to do here.
Just backing up a bit (well first post actually
Thanks
The rusty lock bar needs to be cleaned up by either using a sand blasting cabinet or you can buy a nylon rust remover wheel from B&Q (or usual places online) like this below. Amazon link: http://goo.gl/qhIFGH
Takes a little bit more time but that wheel has other uses which I will point out in a moment.
Once the rust is removed, if the metal is too pitted then it's no good, throw it away. On lock bars which have a textured finish (like Pinball 2000) you can get away with a little pitting because the texture paint will cover it up.
For the back panel, I will first try to fill it with car body filler (harder than wood filler). If that isn't successful then I'll have a new wood panel cut. Will update this shop log when I get to that.
Paints/Coatings:
I've tried many different hammer effect sprays. The closest one to original came to be this stuff. Amazon link: http://goo.gl/NwCA6U
Two light coats of that and let fully dry for 24 hours. Then the satin black finish over the top. Usually I do two coats.
On the subject of Satin Black, avoid the normal Plasti-kote super satin. It never dries. If you touch it 3-4 weeks later it'll still leave a finger print and/or scratch easily. Instead, use this. Amazon link: http://goo.gl/TsF5CB
This stuff likes to be "baked on". Once it's touch dry I go over it with a hot air gun for 5 minutes, both sides of the piece. With that done the finish is a beautiful satin that is very tough, probably the closest you can get to actual powder coating. I use on all pinball metal now.
Re-graining:
I use the wheel above to re-grain ball guides. It has just about the right factory finish. It requires practice though to keep the grains straight. What I do is lock the drill in a vice, lock the power on (need a drill which has that function) and then feed the ball guides into the wheel at quite a fast pace (keeps the grain straight).
Once that's done I'll rub them over with Scotchbrite. It's easy to mess up the grain here. Gotta keep it straight. A quick clean over with some Silvo after that and the job's done. It's all quite quick and easy.
For re-graining side rails and lockbars, that's a bit more advanced. I use a 3M non-woven surface conditioning belt on a belt sander. These belts are a bit like very rough Scotchbrite, but you can only get them by special order from 3M and you have to order a minimum of 10, can't remember exactly, but I do remember the box of them cost me about £200.
Looking AWESOME, @PeteB
Double thumbs-up fitting shiny new Superbands to shiny new white flipper bats. I've done the same on GOLD BALL. They really do look DA SHIZZLE
View attachment 15745
Looks amazing dude. You have an official "Pete Bell Stamp of Approval" for that!
Ahh i did the full hog....
Stripped to bare metal using orbital and corner sanders. Get as much as you can off the underside..
Etch primer (Halfords) to give a good base chemically sealed to the metal. 3 coats...
Hammerite Hammered Black - 2/3 coats depending on how heavy you are
Comes up with a near-identical finish to the siderails.... (pics later when i find some!)...
Re-graining ball guides you can get virtually everything off with wet and dry.... (maybe 100 to start... then 200, then 400...). Ball-achingly slow process. Then re-grain with wire wool... tho 400 grit should do the job
Stripped to bare metal using orbital and corner sanders. Get as much as you can off the underside..
Etch primer (Halfords) to give a good base chemically sealed to the metal. 3 coats...
Hammerite Hammered Black - 2/3 coats depending on how heavy you are
Comes up with a near-identical finish to the siderails.... (pics later when i find some!)...
Re-graining ball guides you can get virtually everything off with wet and dry.... (maybe 100 to start... then 200, then 400...). Ball-achingly slow process. Then re-grain with wire wool... tho 400 grit should do the job
Stripped to bare metal using orbital and corner sanders. Get as much as you can off the underside..
Etch primer (Halfords) to give a good base chemically sealed to the metal. 3 coats...
Hammerite Hammered Black - 2/3 coats depending on how heavy you are
@Paul are you referring there to a smooth finish? I'm looking for the process I should follow for my Hook lock bar and side rails that are rusty and flaking. Lucky for me @PeteB is doing a Hook up next which I hope he logs in equal detail.
Noo.. not smooth finish... If you want smooth glossy finish personally i would use http://www.hammerite.co.uk/products/direct_to_rust_metal_paint_aerosol_smooth_finish.jsp
I ignore the "direct to rust" bit, since usually that part is crap, hence why the etch primer....
I ignore the "direct to rust" bit, since usually that part is crap, hence why the etch primer....
Hammerite Hammered Black - 2/3 coats depending on how heavy you are
Hammerite Hammered is probably the only brand of hammer effect paint I never tried. Doh! Although that stuff I used above is pretty cheap, but there's always next time.
Already started on Hook and yes I'm taking photos. Will create a shop log soon.
For the lock bar and side rails, I haven't found anything yet which recreates the texture of that era Data East machines. I'm still experimenting, but if not and if you can get your metal work smooth then just a plain satin finish can look nice, which is what I did on my RoboCop using the BBQ spray above:
Couple of jobs done today/yesterday (what day is it??)...
Got the back box light fixed, cleaned and polished the ballast, put a new tube in, and a new 110v starter:
Would have loved to have kitted that out with one of the new T8 LED tubes, but was unable to find anything really suitable without seriously hacking cabinet up. Maybe on the next Pinball 2000 project.
Installed the Ultimarc Video Amplifier mod. Thankfully my computer video card is outputting the correct voltages and no need to do the +5v mod. So everything is neat:
The difference in video quality is astounding. It may not be noticeable in the photos but honestly there IS a big difference once it's all calibrated properly. For the first time ever I was able to play RFM in broad daylight:
Apart from being a lot brighter, here you can see items on the bar are now clearly visible and the stools the Martians are sitting on have more detail:
Here's a before and after comparison:
Getting closer to the end!
Got the back box light fixed, cleaned and polished the ballast, put a new tube in, and a new 110v starter:
Would have loved to have kitted that out with one of the new T8 LED tubes, but was unable to find anything really suitable without seriously hacking cabinet up. Maybe on the next Pinball 2000 project.
Installed the Ultimarc Video Amplifier mod. Thankfully my computer video card is outputting the correct voltages and no need to do the +5v mod. So everything is neat:
The difference in video quality is astounding. It may not be noticeable in the photos but honestly there IS a big difference once it's all calibrated properly. For the first time ever I was able to play RFM in broad daylight:
Apart from being a lot brighter, here you can see items on the bar are now clearly visible and the stools the Martians are sitting on have more detail:
Here's a before and after comparison:
Getting closer to the end!
Last edited:
X
xenon325i
Looks stunning, great work. Re. the "superbands" flipper rubbers - is that a higher bounce rubber than the usual flipper rubber?
Not that I can tell. They seem to be about as bouncy as fresh / good quality black rubbers, but seem to offer more control. I've used Pinball Center's silicone flipper rubbers before and didn't like them because they felt too bouncy (and were a little too thick). Superbands feel right.
The rest of the rubber on the game is Pinball Center's premium rubber - about as bouncy as fresh white rubber but this has the advantage of lasting longer and can be wiped clean.
X
xenon325i
Where can I but those rubbers please? I think they'll match better on my FT than the dull red.
I bought a whole bunch of them from here: http://www.pinnin.de/en/home/
X
xenon325i
thank you.
I can't believe this is the same pin from the beginning of your thread! I remember seeing it on fleabay thinking damn I want one but that thing looks like the martians won!
Want.
Elbow grease is the "secret sauce" ingredientYeah it's amazing what you can do with a few tools and a lot of elbow grease!
You can throw lots of new parts at a pin but mostly you need only roll up your sleeves and do some work. I've spent next to nothing on my restorations and have surprised even myself at what can be saved, restored or fabricated yourself with a bit of ingenuity. Some "consumables" should always be replaced, e.g., coil sleeves. There's no point cheaping it on important parts like that - they're only 50p!FYI, Pinball Mania also stock them now too: http://www.pinballmania.co.uk/rubbers.htm. I really like Superbands. I got a pair of black ones at SCS last year and popped them on my VECTOR to see what they were like. They play great! Bounce seems about the same, maybe a little better compared to worn out rubbers, but I think they have marginally better control as they "grip" the ball ever so slightly. Being made of urethane they should just about last forever, certainly many years, without decaying and shedding like traditional natural rubber flippers. They stay nice and shiny, and are easily cleaned with a wipe of Novus #1 (or Pledge if that's your thing). My only gripe is that other than translucent they don't make rings, although you can get "Super-Posts": http://jcspinball.com/Pinball-Super-Posts.html
Your ROBOCOP is looking BOSS in all satin black! That BBQ paint technique looks great, I may try that on some legs instead of powder coating.
X
xenon325i
A lot cheaper from Pinball Mania too. Doh! I've ordered now from ze Germans....
£1.50 from Pinball Mania. £1.40 from Pinnin. Plus they stock the other super rubbers - I put red super posts on RFM.
Ha! Sometimes I do wonder why I'm bothering to do this.
X
xenon325i
Once you've added postage and duty it ended up at 9.94EUR or £7.80 for two.
Have to say that it's a shame more of this stuff isn't stocked locally.
I know you can get superbands in the UK now but like Peter I also want to get some matching post covers and so far as i'm aware there are no UK suppliers doing them yet.
I know you can get superbands in the UK now but like Peter I also want to get some matching post covers and so far as i'm aware there are no UK suppliers doing them yet.
Yeah it doesn't make munch sense to only order a couple of items. I usually run orders from £100 - £300 from European suppliers. Then shipping charges of £10 or £20 don't really matter much.
Order as much as you can.
Order as much as you can.
@pinballmania any plans to start stocking more of the Superbands range like the post rubbers?
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2011
- Messages
- 2,508
Not at the moment. In reality there's limited demand. I have coloured rubber posts, but have only small sales of these.
There are 45 variants of mini post and sleeve rubbers, which if I stocked say just 6 of each just to cover one potential order, that's 230 x £1.50, = £345 of stock, to cover small numbers of orders. And six wouldn't really be enough for some of them anyway.
What I can do though is make them available as special order items, but you'd have delays of 3-6 weeks before you got them.
There are 45 variants of mini post and sleeve rubbers, which if I stocked say just 6 of each just to cover one potential order, that's 230 x £1.50, = £345 of stock, to cover small numbers of orders. And six wouldn't really be enough for some of them anyway.
What I can do though is make them available as special order items, but you'd have delays of 3-6 weeks before you got them.
@xenon325i duty? On orders from Europe? Or do you tax? But all places I've been have prices inclusive of local sales tax.
Thanks for the insight @pinballmania. Must be a nightmare deciding what stock to carry, but offering items special order might give you a bit more insight into potential demand. A lot of folk wouldn't mind the delay as we're often not in rush with our restorations!
Which reminds me I need to order a new flipper bat as I had to hacksaw the last one off because it was jammed on to the linear pawl. It was a brand new bat too - never played but I had to fit new nylon "button" bush. Flipping nightmare! Literally!!!
Thanks for the insight @pinballmania. Must be a nightmare deciding what stock to carry, but offering items special order might give you a bit more insight into potential demand. A lot of folk wouldn't mind the delay as we're often not in rush with our restorations!
Which reminds me I need to order a new flipper bat as I had to hacksaw the last one off because it was jammed on to the linear pawl. It was a brand new bat too - never played but I had to fit new nylon "button" bush. Flipping nightmare! Literally!!!
Yeah, fair play to Andy. When you explain it like that then it's understandable why you have to pick and choose what to keep in stock.
I'd like to think I can spread my orders around a bit so that I get what bits I need from overseas whilst reserving other orders to UK suppliers. These guys need to be supported as much as possible.
I'd like to think I can spread my orders around a bit so that I get what bits I need from overseas whilst reserving other orders to UK suppliers. These guys need to be supported as much as possible.
I think all my orders bar one have been from @pinballmania! I bought some repro pop bumper caps and stand-up targets for PARAGON from Classic Arcades via eBay. Andy's prices are quite reasonable considering it's such a specialist US-centric hobby and he seems to have pretty much everything in terms of spare parts, but not loads of game specific parts, which I guess fits with his business of pinball servicing and repairs. I'm never going to make Andy a rich man but do my best to support him!