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In Progress Rocky & Bullwinkle Shop Log
- Thread starter Wiredworm
- Start date
Wax
Currently at the point where i'm rushing to the door every time the doorbell rings; i've got a couple of packages due and until those arrive this rebuild is in limbo a little.
Fingers crossed I can get moving again later this week; bits from Marcos should be here in the next few days hopefully - presuming that HMCE don't decide to drag their feet over them.
Fingers crossed I can get moving again later this week; bits from Marcos should be here in the next few days hopefully - presuming that HMCE don't decide to drag their feet over them.
Ok, so i've had the last few needed parts arrive but now i'm struggling to find time to make any progress.
I'd ordered a set of new targets from Marcos to replace the B-O-M-B targets but it transpires that they're marginally wider then the originals; so much so that you can't actually drop them through the hole and instead you'd have to strip down the stack so you could just insert the plastic target from the top.
Also, the rear metal post that came with them isn't suitable as it's too wide at the top and it means the whole thing is just too tight.
All things considered i've decided to stick with my original targets but with new target foam. I've managed to sit down and rebuild three of the targets tonight and they're back in place now. The yellow target needs a little more finessing tomorrow as it's needing too much of a wallop to register a hit. Once that's done I can reinstate the original blue target which was the only one i'd desoldered and started to swap out.
Hopefully the flipper spring brackets will turn up tomorrow and then I can finish off the flipper rebuild. Then it's just a case of resoldering the wires on the bottom and it's onto the top side. Woo hoo!
I'd ordered a set of new targets from Marcos to replace the B-O-M-B targets but it transpires that they're marginally wider then the originals; so much so that you can't actually drop them through the hole and instead you'd have to strip down the stack so you could just insert the plastic target from the top.
Also, the rear metal post that came with them isn't suitable as it's too wide at the top and it means the whole thing is just too tight.
All things considered i've decided to stick with my original targets but with new target foam. I've managed to sit down and rebuild three of the targets tonight and they're back in place now. The yellow target needs a little more finessing tomorrow as it's needing too much of a wallop to register a hit. Once that's done I can reinstate the original blue target which was the only one i'd desoldered and started to swap out.
Hopefully the flipper spring brackets will turn up tomorrow and then I can finish off the flipper rebuild. Then it's just a case of resoldering the wires on the bottom and it's onto the top side. Woo hoo!
Managed to get a little more done yesterday. No photos as yet because there's really not much more to show.
I've now refitted the original B-O-M-B targets having had them stripped, cleaned, new target foam fitted and then rebuilt. I also stripped the original decals from the Hat Trick targets because they were peeling at the edges.
A little wipe over with isopropyl alcohol removed the last of the sticky residue before I gave them a good dry off and applied the new decals I got from Marcos a week or two ago. Lovely. New target foam was fitted here too and then they were refitted back in place.
I also refitted the flippers which have had a full rebuild. I took the liberty of fitting new flipper bats too as the old ones had discoloured a fair bit.
Some of the various switches and coils have been resoldered back in place but there's still some more to do. However, I wanted to just verify that things were all in order so I taped off any exposed wires and hooked the loom back up into the main cabinet to see what happened. Maybe I should have had more faith but i'm pleased to say that the machine booted up with no issues and everything seems to be absolutely fine. Hurrah!!
Hopefully the spring brackets for the flippers will turn up today so I can get those fitted. Once that's done it's just the final soldering to do and then it's onto the upper side of the playfield. At this rate it might actually be finished in the next month or two.
I've now refitted the original B-O-M-B targets having had them stripped, cleaned, new target foam fitted and then rebuilt. I also stripped the original decals from the Hat Trick targets because they were peeling at the edges.
A little wipe over with isopropyl alcohol removed the last of the sticky residue before I gave them a good dry off and applied the new decals I got from Marcos a week or two ago. Lovely. New target foam was fitted here too and then they were refitted back in place.
I also refitted the flippers which have had a full rebuild. I took the liberty of fitting new flipper bats too as the old ones had discoloured a fair bit.
Some of the various switches and coils have been resoldered back in place but there's still some more to do. However, I wanted to just verify that things were all in order so I taped off any exposed wires and hooked the loom back up into the main cabinet to see what happened. Maybe I should have had more faith but i'm pleased to say that the machine booted up with no issues and everything seems to be absolutely fine. Hurrah!!
Hopefully the spring brackets for the flippers will turn up today so I can get those fitted. Once that's done it's just the final soldering to do and then it's onto the upper side of the playfield. At this rate it might actually be finished in the next month or two.
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Man you've got some patience! I'd have been chomping at the bit a looooong time ago having my game in pieces unable to play it
How much longer do you think until that first game?
How much longer do you think until that first game?
Hehe, finding the time is tough with family life, grandchildren and foster daughter. Also throw into the mix that i've had to work to a bit of a budget and i've also been concerned about advancing too quickly and losing track of what came from where and you can maybe see why it's taken so long.
The parts I need for the top side are all close to hand so I suspect that the upper side of the playfield will be much faster to re-assemble. The only thing I do need to keep in mind is that I need to tumble a lot of the metal parts so I might well sort those out over the next night or to and get things moving. The ball guides all need to be polished by hand so i'll have to get started on those too.
The way things are going i'm hopeful that it should be back in a playable state by the end of August.
The parts I need for the top side are all close to hand so I suspect that the upper side of the playfield will be much faster to re-assemble. The only thing I do need to keep in mind is that I need to tumble a lot of the metal parts so I might well sort those out over the next night or to and get things moving. The ball guides all need to be polished by hand so i'll have to get started on those too.
The way things are going i'm hopeful that it should be back in a playable state by the end of August.
Ok, so I realised tonight that like a total plum i'd forgotten to fit the new coil sleeves when rebuilding the flippers.
However, that in itself now introduces an issue. I've stripped it down and put them in place but now when I come to put the front bracket in place it's pushing the coil forward so the plunger doesn't move freely.
I'm presuming i've got the coil sleeve in the right way round - the flared end should be inserted from the end with the connectors and diode on it right? That leaves the unflared end protruding slightly from the other end but that goes over the end stop anyway? (It protrudes by 2-3mm).
I've checked my reference photos and that looks like how it should go and the sleeves are the same length as the old ones removed. Only thing I did notice was that it was very very tight getting the sleeves in place; maybe a sign I should replace the coils?
Tips, comments and feedback welcomed as always.
However, that in itself now introduces an issue. I've stripped it down and put them in place but now when I come to put the front bracket in place it's pushing the coil forward so the plunger doesn't move freely.
I'm presuming i've got the coil sleeve in the right way round - the flared end should be inserted from the end with the connectors and diode on it right? That leaves the unflared end protruding slightly from the other end but that goes over the end stop anyway? (It protrudes by 2-3mm).
I've checked my reference photos and that looks like how it should go and the sleeves are the same length as the old ones removed. Only thing I did notice was that it was very very tight getting the sleeves in place; maybe a sign I should replace the coils?
Tips, comments and feedback welcomed as always.
I swear that eventually i'll get some time to spend on this darned machine. ;-)
However, we have a little progress.
The new flipper coils, sleeves and spring brackets arrived on Friday so i've managed to get those fitted. That means the flippers are all back in place; pretty much every part has been replaced with the exception of the flipper plates and the rubber bumpers and their mounting brackets.
All that's left now is to solder all the wires back to the coils and the switches and the jobs done.
Then onto the top side. Woop!!
However, we have a little progress.
The new flipper coils, sleeves and spring brackets arrived on Friday so i've managed to get those fitted. That means the flippers are all back in place; pretty much every part has been replaced with the exception of the flipper plates and the rubber bumpers and their mounting brackets.
All that's left now is to solder all the wires back to the coils and the switches and the jobs done.
Then onto the top side. Woop!!
Managed to get the majority of the switches and coils soldered back into place tonight.
There was a LOT of swearing. Most of the coils were straight forward but some of the switches, particularly those on the SVUK and VUK were a real pain in the backside.
Just the trough switches left to do and the slingshot switches and then i'll most likely connect everything back up and verify that everything works as expected. Easier to do it now than get all the top rebuild and find i've buggered something up.
There was a LOT of swearing. Most of the coils were straight forward but some of the switches, particularly those on the SVUK and VUK were a real pain in the backside.
Just the trough switches left to do and the slingshot switches and then i'll most likely connect everything back up and verify that everything works as expected. Easier to do it now than get all the top rebuild and find i've buggered something up.
It turns out the reference photos I took weren't quite as clear as I might have hoped and it really had me scratching my head over how the trough switches were wired up.
Anyway, I figured the best thing to do was solder the wires back onto one of them and then reconnect the cables and fire things up to see what's working and what's not.
The great news is that i'd got it right and as a result of that all of the trough switches are now back in place, tested and confirmed as working. The only soldering left to do now is the switches for the slingshots.
I took the opportunity to test all of the switches and coils. Had a bit of a panic when I noticed that the start button wasn't lit, nor was it registering when being pressed. Turned out the illumination wasn't working due to a loose bulb and the switch wasn't working due to a loose connection; removed the connector from the CPU board and refitted and all was well.
All coils worked a treat as well and the flippers seem to have a real nice 'snap' to them now they've had a full strip and rebuild with new coils. In fact the only coil I had an issue with was the Laser Kick which had jammed for some reason; initially I panicked and thought the coil had locked on but I powered it all off, stripped and rebuild the mech and it's working flawlessly now.
Can't wait to get the slings done so I can get onto the top side of the playfield. Photos should resume then too.
Anyway, I figured the best thing to do was solder the wires back onto one of them and then reconnect the cables and fire things up to see what's working and what's not.
The great news is that i'd got it right and as a result of that all of the trough switches are now back in place, tested and confirmed as working. The only soldering left to do now is the switches for the slingshots.
I took the opportunity to test all of the switches and coils. Had a bit of a panic when I noticed that the start button wasn't lit, nor was it registering when being pressed. Turned out the illumination wasn't working due to a loose bulb and the switch wasn't working due to a loose connection; removed the connector from the CPU board and refitted and all was well.
All coils worked a treat as well and the flippers seem to have a real nice 'snap' to them now they've had a full strip and rebuild with new coils. In fact the only coil I had an issue with was the Laser Kick which had jammed for some reason; initially I panicked and thought the coil had locked on but I powered it all off, stripped and rebuild the mech and it's working flawlessly now.
Can't wait to get the slings done so I can get onto the top side of the playfield. Photos should resume then too.
Fanfare please!!
Slingshot switches soldered back up - all tested and all working fine. Hurrah!!
Onto the top side now. I need to start off by getting the playfield protector fitted but i've immediately found that some of the holes, particularly those for the targets look like they might be too small. I'll strip off the flippers tomorrow night and then check. I need to trim a section away from the ball launch lane anyway and i'll most likely need to mark up holes where things such as the ball guides need to be reinserted.
Once i'm happy that i've got things in place then i'll remove the backing from the protector and fit a few components to secure it in place.
Slingshot switches soldered back up - all tested and all working fine. Hurrah!!
Onto the top side now. I need to start off by getting the playfield protector fitted but i've immediately found that some of the holes, particularly those for the targets look like they might be too small. I'll strip off the flippers tomorrow night and then check. I need to trim a section away from the ball launch lane anyway and i'll most likely need to mark up holes where things such as the ball guides need to be reinserted.
Once i'm happy that i've got things in place then i'll remove the backing from the protector and fit a few components to secure it in place.
Apologies for the text-heaviness of this shop log lately. Picturage should resume in the next day or so.
The last day or so has been spent fitting the playfield protector and drilling any required holes that might be needed for mounting parts later on. It's all very easy using the playfield as a guide when cutting holes that go all the way through, but it's really no use for partial depth holes such as those used for mounting the ball guides and other components.
Anyway, it looks like i've got the majority of those done now; i've got a small section to cut out near the VUK and another near the bottom of one of the ramps and then I should be able to remove the bottom cover on the lexan sheet and start securing it in place. I'm being quite obsessive about getting all of the holes cut now because once the backing is removed any further drilling will most likely result in debris getting trapped behind the sheet and that's the last thing I need.
I also had to look at areas where lexan needs cutting back, such as the shooter lane. That's now done.
To finish up the night I went through all of the parts from the topside and sorted out what needs tumbling.
All ready to go. I've refitted some other parts temporarily just to confirm that the holes i've cut in the lexan are sufficiently large enough for the parts they need to accommodate.
The last day or so has been spent fitting the playfield protector and drilling any required holes that might be needed for mounting parts later on. It's all very easy using the playfield as a guide when cutting holes that go all the way through, but it's really no use for partial depth holes such as those used for mounting the ball guides and other components.
Anyway, it looks like i've got the majority of those done now; i've got a small section to cut out near the VUK and another near the bottom of one of the ramps and then I should be able to remove the bottom cover on the lexan sheet and start securing it in place. I'm being quite obsessive about getting all of the holes cut now because once the backing is removed any further drilling will most likely result in debris getting trapped behind the sheet and that's the last thing I need.
I also had to look at areas where lexan needs cutting back, such as the shooter lane. That's now done.
To finish up the night I went through all of the parts from the topside and sorted out what needs tumbling.
All ready to go. I've refitted some other parts temporarily just to confirm that the holes i've cut in the lexan are sufficiently large enough for the parts they need to accommodate.
Nice tub of shiny stuff!
How are you cutting your holes, @Wiredworm? Are you following a similar method to mine for GOLD BALL? I think I'm going to make some changes to mine. A lot of holes I cut larger than what goes through them, for example guide wires and nut posts got about 0.5-1.0mm clearance all the way around, but I only drilled holes big enough for the screw/bolt on star posts. I'm now thinking of making those larger too so the PF really isn't fixed down anywhere because I noticed that when the machine gets really warmed up and hot the Makrolon starts to warp and pucker. It tightens back up when everything cools down again, which is why I put LEDs in all the under-playfield inserts to keep the temperature down.
How are you cutting your holes, @Wiredworm? Are you following a similar method to mine for GOLD BALL? I think I'm going to make some changes to mine. A lot of holes I cut larger than what goes through them, for example guide wires and nut posts got about 0.5-1.0mm clearance all the way around, but I only drilled holes big enough for the screw/bolt on star posts. I'm now thinking of making those larger too so the PF really isn't fixed down anywhere because I noticed that when the machine gets really warmed up and hot the Makrolon starts to warp and pucker. It tightens back up when everything cools down again, which is why I put LEDs in all the under-playfield inserts to keep the temperature down.
I used the dremel attachment you recommended for the majority of the larger holes, but for smaller ones i've removed the cup attachment from the dremel and done them freehand. If you apply slight pressure then it takes a while to cut through the makrolon, but on the plus side once you break through it causes the material to lift so it's pretty easy to release the pressure without causing any damage to the playfield.
A few of the cuts were also done using scissors because the material is thin enough to cut that way; it required a fair bit of care but it is possible and it was mainly for just a few straight cuts (such as removing the area over the shooter lane).
Thankfully R&B has a metal guide which you screw into the shooter lane which then lifts the ball up and over the guide at the edge of the right loop. That meant there was no need to cut careful to create a 'blend' from the shooter lane to the main playfield. The actual cuts will all be hidden by plastics once done.
Things like the posts only have holes thick enough for the screw to pass through but I don't know if i'll have heat issues with mine as it's fully fitted with LEDs already and being a newer machine I suspect it doesn't run so hot anyway? I guess we'll see.
A few of the cuts were also done using scissors because the material is thin enough to cut that way; it required a fair bit of care but it is possible and it was mainly for just a few straight cuts (such as removing the area over the shooter lane).
Thankfully R&B has a metal guide which you screw into the shooter lane which then lifts the ball up and over the guide at the edge of the right loop. That meant there was no need to cut careful to create a 'blend' from the shooter lane to the main playfield. The actual cuts will all be hidden by plastics once done.
Things like the posts only have holes thick enough for the screw to pass through but I don't know if i'll have heat issues with mine as it's fully fitted with LEDs already and being a newer machine I suspect it doesn't run so hot anyway? I guess we'll see.
Tumbler on.
Still slowly pawing over the playfield protector and drilling and cutting as needed. I dug the wire ball guides out last night and now need to check to make sure the holes are sufficient diameter to fit. Once i've got the protector in place i'll post some photos. Won't look top notch as obviously i'll be leaving the film on the top until a bit later to prevent finger prints and stuff from marking it.
Still slowly pawing over the playfield protector and drilling and cutting as needed. I dug the wire ball guides out last night and now need to check to make sure the holes are sufficient diameter to fit. Once i've got the protector in place i'll post some photos. Won't look top notch as obviously i'll be leaving the film on the top until a bit later to prevent finger prints and stuff from marking it.
The tumblers still going and i've made a start on trying to get the wire guides back in place.
It's made me realise what an utter pain in the **** it is trying to make your own playfield protector. It seems i've under-estimated the size of many of the holes needed so when refitting the bars it's causing the lexan to lift. It's not a catastrophic issue but it is meaning it's taking me longer to progress as I have to keep stopping to trim another section away from the playfield.
I've actually removed it for now and will mark out a few more sections to cut out tomorrow. Lesson learnt; if I did this again i'd cut away all sections that aren't physically going to be contacted by the ball. I was being lazy and thinking I could get away without doing that but it's just making life even harder.
Alas cutting this stuff isn't so easy either; a dremel with cutting disk is great for straight cuts but it makes a lot of dust. Circular cut-outs can be done with a drill or dremel but you have to be careful you don't end up with a large 'burr' on the edge of the hole that's been cut. I'm still hopefully this will all work out but at worse case i'll just strip it and perhaps put some form of protection near the ball drops.
It's made me realise what an utter pain in the **** it is trying to make your own playfield protector. It seems i've under-estimated the size of many of the holes needed so when refitting the bars it's causing the lexan to lift. It's not a catastrophic issue but it is meaning it's taking me longer to progress as I have to keep stopping to trim another section away from the playfield.
I've actually removed it for now and will mark out a few more sections to cut out tomorrow. Lesson learnt; if I did this again i'd cut away all sections that aren't physically going to be contacted by the ball. I was being lazy and thinking I could get away without doing that but it's just making life even harder.
Alas cutting this stuff isn't so easy either; a dremel with cutting disk is great for straight cuts but it makes a lot of dust. Circular cut-outs can be done with a drill or dremel but you have to be careful you don't end up with a large 'burr' on the edge of the hole that's been cut. I'm still hopefully this will all work out but at worse case i'll just strip it and perhaps put some form of protection near the ball drops.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2014
- Messages
- 31
I made all the required holes in the vinyl artwork overlay for Futurama using a set of hole punches like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Punch-Set...et-/160774870285?_trksid=p2349526.m2548.l4275
Much faster than drilling. Just a question of if they are sharp enough to cut the overlay plastic. I can try my set out on some overhead projector plastic (should be similiar in thickness and hardness) and report back the results if you like.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Punch-Set...et-/160774870285?_trksid=p2349526.m2548.l4275
Much faster than drilling. Just a question of if they are sharp enough to cut the overlay plastic. I can try my set out on some overhead projector plastic (should be similiar in thickness and hardness) and report back the results if you like.
The Lexan i'm using is 0.75mm so it's pretty thick. I think the sheets used for commercial playfield protectors is now down to 0.5mm.
I think ohp film is much thinner so not sure it's a good candidate for testing. At £10 for a set I might be tempted to give them a go.
I think ohp film is much thinner so not sure it's a good candidate for testing. At £10 for a set I might be tempted to give them a go.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2014
- Messages
- 31
Well, goood job I tried that out, cos it doesn't work! For a 4mm punch, It would punch out the 0.5mm sheet eventually, but it takes a lot of wacks and will probably blunt the punches eventually. I doubt larger sizes would cut through at all.
No doubt some kind of industrial punching machine could do it.
No doubt some kind of industrial punching machine could do it.
Well, for better or worse the rebuild of the playfield is now underway. I'm still not 100% sure if this playfield protector is actually going to work or if i'm going to end up with hideous sections where it's lifting. Part of the reason why it's taken me so long to get to this stage is because i've had to remove and adjust the protector at least half a dozen times and even now i'm still having to trim bits when I find it's not fitting correctly.
Those of you who can buy pre-made protectors should really really be thankful for it; I hounded the company that make them for a good few months and they said they had no plans to do Rocky & Bullwinkle. Sods law dictates i'll get this rebuild done and they'll decide to produce one.
Anyhoo, tonight I finished rebuilding the lane return guides and the slingshots. Had a bit of fun with the sling because I found that once i'd fitted the rubber on the left sling it was pulling the posts together and that meant the plastic wasn't fitting correctly. A bit of adjusting and I got it sorted; i've fitted plastic protectors underneath the slingshot covers so hopefully if there is any slight rubbing it won't result in any damage to the slingshot cover itself.
All of the plastics i'm refitting here are part of a set made by @PeteB. They really are nice quality and i'll post some closer photos once everything is back together and powered up. I don't think I can really do them justice until the machine is all back in one piece.
I've also refitted some of the posts. This is also taking a little longer as i'm swapping out the crappy silver DE posts for coloured star posts. A mixture of white and blue with one red to sit behind the red 'M' target.
Anyway here's an update photo of the progress. Excuse the crap photo; the room i'm having to work in has terrible lighting and there's barely enough room to swing a cat. Annoyingly the wife has had bunk-beds put into the room since I stripped everything down so it's making it really tough going. Hopefully things will gather pace from here.
Oh, and before anyone says; i'm aware the flippers aren't aligned correctly. I'll do the final adjustments on those once the machine is back together. Similarly the pop bumper cover shown above is in the wrong place (the bottom one should be on the left pops, but it's not actually screwed down yet anyway).
Those of you who can buy pre-made protectors should really really be thankful for it; I hounded the company that make them for a good few months and they said they had no plans to do Rocky & Bullwinkle. Sods law dictates i'll get this rebuild done and they'll decide to produce one.
Anyhoo, tonight I finished rebuilding the lane return guides and the slingshots. Had a bit of fun with the sling because I found that once i'd fitted the rubber on the left sling it was pulling the posts together and that meant the plastic wasn't fitting correctly. A bit of adjusting and I got it sorted; i've fitted plastic protectors underneath the slingshot covers so hopefully if there is any slight rubbing it won't result in any damage to the slingshot cover itself.
All of the plastics i'm refitting here are part of a set made by @PeteB. They really are nice quality and i'll post some closer photos once everything is back together and powered up. I don't think I can really do them justice until the machine is all back in one piece.
I've also refitted some of the posts. This is also taking a little longer as i'm swapping out the crappy silver DE posts for coloured star posts. A mixture of white and blue with one red to sit behind the red 'M' target.
Anyway here's an update photo of the progress. Excuse the crap photo; the room i'm having to work in has terrible lighting and there's barely enough room to swing a cat. Annoyingly the wife has had bunk-beds put into the room since I stripped everything down so it's making it really tough going. Hopefully things will gather pace from here.
Oh, and before anyone says; i'm aware the flippers aren't aligned correctly. I'll do the final adjustments on those once the machine is back together. Similarly the pop bumper cover shown above is in the wrong place (the bottom one should be on the left pops, but it's not actually screwed down yet anyway).
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It's time for another crap photo from the dimly lit room. ;-)
Managed to get a few most posts fitted along with the main ball guide which runs around the entire upper part of the playfield. Also refitted the ball launch ramp.
If i'm honest i'm not rushing because i've decided to ditch the black rubbers and i've ordered a full set of white from Andy. I know black is factory original but I just think it looks crap on this machine, particularly now that i've brightened up the interior and the artwork.
The good news is that the playfield protector looks to be fitting ok. There's no raised sections as yet so fingers crossed it's going to work as expected.
I'll try to get more light into the room for the next photo; or when i've made more progress i'll move the entire thing somewhere else where I can get better photos.
Managed to get a few most posts fitted along with the main ball guide which runs around the entire upper part of the playfield. Also refitted the ball launch ramp.
If i'm honest i'm not rushing because i've decided to ditch the black rubbers and i've ordered a full set of white from Andy. I know black is factory original but I just think it looks crap on this machine, particularly now that i've brightened up the interior and the artwork.
The good news is that the playfield protector looks to be fitting ok. There's no raised sections as yet so fingers crossed it's going to work as expected.
I'll try to get more light into the room for the next photo; or when i've made more progress i'll move the entire thing somewhere else where I can get better photos.
Slow progress of late due to holidays, work and illness.
Managed to get the Spin & Win Clock all back in place tonight. Hopefully back to the rebuild in the next few days; looks like I might need to order in a couple of hex spacers and then I should be able to get moving again.
Managed to get the Spin & Win Clock all back in place tonight. Hopefully back to the rebuild in the next few days; looks like I might need to order in a couple of hex spacers and then I should be able to get moving again.
The hex posts I needed arrived today from Germany. Hurrah!
I tried refitting the Mr Know It All plastic using two hex posts of slightly differing lengths because it looked like the lane guide on the right was ever so slightly higher than the post to the left because it had a star post beneath it and not just one of the plain plastic covers. However, I quickly noticed that there wasn't going to be sufficient spare thread inside the hex spacer to refit the screw fully.
In the end I fitted the same size spacer on both sides and truth be told you can't tell at all. Happy with that.
Now starts the time consuming task of refitting the ramps. I must have already fitted, removed and then refitted 3 or 4 times as I slowly realise which plastic need to be removed to route the cables and how things like the cliffy protectors refit in place. The first segment of the Rocky Ramp is in place and the WABAC ramp is almost ready to go back in too. I just need to drop one plastic off the left side so I can fit the Hat Trick lane gate and then I should be able to crack on.
Hopefully have all the ramps back in place by the end of the weekend. Once that's done we're almost in the home straight. The subway needs refitting as does the cliffy on Aesops Hole. Once that's done it's a case of reconnecting all the various switches and bits and bobs under the playfield and then it can go back into the cabinet.
I also need to get the coin door and coin mechs all back in place. It's all slowly coming together though.
I tried refitting the Mr Know It All plastic using two hex posts of slightly differing lengths because it looked like the lane guide on the right was ever so slightly higher than the post to the left because it had a star post beneath it and not just one of the plain plastic covers. However, I quickly noticed that there wasn't going to be sufficient spare thread inside the hex spacer to refit the screw fully.
In the end I fitted the same size spacer on both sides and truth be told you can't tell at all. Happy with that.
Now starts the time consuming task of refitting the ramps. I must have already fitted, removed and then refitted 3 or 4 times as I slowly realise which plastic need to be removed to route the cables and how things like the cliffy protectors refit in place. The first segment of the Rocky Ramp is in place and the WABAC ramp is almost ready to go back in too. I just need to drop one plastic off the left side so I can fit the Hat Trick lane gate and then I should be able to crack on.
Hopefully have all the ramps back in place by the end of the weekend. Once that's done we're almost in the home straight. The subway needs refitting as does the cliffy on Aesops Hole. Once that's done it's a case of reconnecting all the various switches and bits and bobs under the playfield and then it can go back into the cabinet.
I also need to get the coin door and coin mechs all back in place. It's all slowly coming together though.
The playfield is finally back in the cabinet and all hooked up. No photos as yet but I will post some when the lighting in the room is better and i've finally fixed the last of the issues I have.
Right now the things to address are:
1. The left slingshot isn't working; simple fix as I can see the wire on the switch has come adrift. Just need to hook up the soldering iron and get it reconnected.
2. The slingshots need a bit of adjustment on the switches; they look to far apart right now but i'll be able to gauge better once i've got the left one working and I can actually attempt to play a game.
3. I've identified that the lamp above the right ramp doesn't appear to be working. Tried different bulbs and also connected the bulb directly to the cables (thus removing the bulb holder from the equation). No luck there so need to lift the playfield and make sure the connector is hooked up correctly.
4. The machine is complaining that the first B and the M target (from B-O-M-B) are permanently active. Pulling them forward doesn't change anything so I might need to drop these targets back out through the playfield and do a little finessing so they play nice.
5. I'm still missing a screw from the ramp diverter; despite @BigIan very kindly sending me some screws it turned out the thread pitch and length was wrong so they were no good. I also ordered some possible candidates from The Pin Witch but they are also unsuitable. If anyone has a spare ramp diverter amp from a Rocky & Bullwinkle or the screws that hold the head onto the shaft then please get in touch.
6. A couple of the coils are making a right racket when firing so I need to take a closer look at those and see why they're making such a racket. It's the playfield diverter and the outer loop gate which are the worst culprits.
Once those little tasks are all deal with the machine is done in as much as I can fire up a game and play it. I do, however, still need to fit the glass, the coin door and get the credit board back in place too. Photos hopefully later in the week.
Right now the things to address are:
1. The left slingshot isn't working; simple fix as I can see the wire on the switch has come adrift. Just need to hook up the soldering iron and get it reconnected.
2. The slingshots need a bit of adjustment on the switches; they look to far apart right now but i'll be able to gauge better once i've got the left one working and I can actually attempt to play a game.
3. I've identified that the lamp above the right ramp doesn't appear to be working. Tried different bulbs and also connected the bulb directly to the cables (thus removing the bulb holder from the equation). No luck there so need to lift the playfield and make sure the connector is hooked up correctly.
4. The machine is complaining that the first B and the M target (from B-O-M-B) are permanently active. Pulling them forward doesn't change anything so I might need to drop these targets back out through the playfield and do a little finessing so they play nice.
5. I'm still missing a screw from the ramp diverter; despite @BigIan very kindly sending me some screws it turned out the thread pitch and length was wrong so they were no good. I also ordered some possible candidates from The Pin Witch but they are also unsuitable. If anyone has a spare ramp diverter amp from a Rocky & Bullwinkle or the screws that hold the head onto the shaft then please get in touch.
6. A couple of the coils are making a right racket when firing so I need to take a closer look at those and see why they're making such a racket. It's the playfield diverter and the outer loop gate which are the worst culprits.
Once those little tasks are all deal with the machine is done in as much as I can fire up a game and play it. I do, however, still need to fit the glass, the coin door and get the credit board back in place too. Photos hopefully later in the week.
