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Complete Scared Stiff ... My first playfield swap

s000m

s000m

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Messages
3,349
Location
Swindon
Alias
Scott
So doing my first playfield swap .. man this is scary stuff.... Might say I'm scared stiff!

Existing playfield has some wear and I'm just not happy with it.

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Bought some suitable table saws. No rotisserie will have to be a manual job.

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Added some velcro padding and reinforced cardboard struts to act as extra support for the playfields.

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New playfield is waiting... Wish me luck

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Play
Pick Holder said:
If you wanna flog the old playfield and any ramps let me know. I have a hankering to do a project retheme.
Click to expand...
Playfield already sold mate sorry.

🙂

Ant jumped on it as soon as he knew I was doing a swap.

Ramps are good enough to keep at present.

My plan here was to strip the top playfield first.

Thus making it lighter.

Then just lock it in upside down and begin transport from old to new.

Put it back into the machine and then re-assemble top side back in the machine.

Does that sound good?
 
First job is take everything off and putting in the T nuts. I think its slower to try and put one part across at a time.

With the wiring look I split it into three. One for lighting, one for solenoids/flashers and one for switches.

Label every swtich with a sharpie, and write that number on the old PF so you can use it for reference.

I used to do an AFM playfield swap in a day. Couldint do it that fast these days.
I also replace as many parts as possible when doing a swap now, put in as many new switches and assemblies etc. When you pay £1K for a new PF you can double that after you buy all the flipper mechs, targets etc........

I would advise you to get a couple of these:

You searched for screws - Pinball Bazaar

pinballbazaar.co.uk pinballbazaar.co.uk
 
Pick Holder said:
First job is take everything off and putting in the T nuts. I think its slower to try and put one part across at a time.

With the wiring look I split it into three. One for lighting, one for solenoids/flashers and one for switches.

Label every swtich with a sharpie, and write that number on the old PF so you can use it for reference.

I used to do an AFM playfield swap in a day. Couldint do it that fast these days.
I also replace as many parts as possible when doing a swap now, put in as many new switches and assemblies etc. When you pay £1K for a new PF you can double that after you buy all the flipper mechs, targets etc........

I would advise you to get a couple of these:

You searched for screws - Pinball Bazaar

pinballbazaar.co.uk pinballbazaar.co.uk
Click to expand...

Ok just consulted the manual and it doesn't say which tnut to use..

Are they all 8-32?
 
Great game. Good luck with the swap. SS is not the easiest game to mess around with.
 
s000m said:
Ok just consulted the manual and it doesn't say which tnut to use..

Are they all 8-32?
Click to expand...
Just be careful when screwing back into them and removing from them especially if they are reused. Two caused me serious issue on my lord of the rings. The screw got stuck in them and I had to cut them out.

I found it best to push them with a largish flat screw driver into the table /flat metal bit of the nut, so there less likely to move/pop out when unscrewing the bolt from them. When I didn't do the pushing with the screw driver the bloudy things popped out, spun and got well and truly stuck.

Good luck 😃
 
I'll play it safe and use new.

I'm more worried about cracking the clear.
 
There’s a lamp under the start of the boney beast ramp - usually a pain to get to. Make sure it’s LED, the incandescent ones gradually burn a hole through the ramp (ironically right in the middle of the flame decal)
 
Andydn said:
There’s a lamp under the start of the boney beast ramp - usually a pain to get to. Make sure it’s LED, the incandescent ones gradually burn a hole through the ramp (ironically right in the middle of the flame decal)
Click to expand...

Yeah I found it. The bulb had burnt out!
 
JAG555 said:
They should rename this forum, ‘What is Scott Up To Now’ 😀

Good luck with the swap mate, my strip down of Big Buck Hunter was enough and it also took me ages, so hats off to you!
Click to expand...

Think of all this amazing free content I'm giving.

I'm not even asking to like and subscribe!
🤣
 
I am sure you do this.

TAKE PHOTOS
then TAKE SOME MORE PHOTOS

It is amazing on what you forget in a few days even.

I took apart 2 bubbler jukeboxes 8 months ago and had to go to the factory in leeds to see where some parts went when I re assembled.

It is not a hard playfield change. Pinball Magic is the hardest one I did. AFM is the easiest.
 
Pick Holder said:
I am sure you do this.

TAKE PHOTOS
then TAKE SOME MORE PHOTOS

It is amazing on what you forget in a few days even.

I took apart 2 bubbler jukeboxes 8 months ago and had to go to the factory in leeds to see where some parts went when I re assembled.

It is not a hard playfield change. Pinball Magic is the hardest one I did. AFM is the easiest.
Click to expand...
Man I'd love a juke box.

But the prices are as mad as Pinball machines... :(

I have found this playfield doesn't have holes or even dimples in some area's.

One specific one which goes into the artwork i'm really worried about.

Its for the little metal wire guides. Do you have any tips when drilling into clear? I'm not looking forward to it...
 
More progress this evening but it was slow going.

Bothering @Ant-H non-stop (sorry Ant!)

He told me to widen out the hole at the other end to stop the splitting but it went in one ear out the other..

Followed his advice on counter sunking the clear out of the holes to avoid cracking the clear so thats something at least!

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s000m said:
Man I'd love a juke box.

But the prices are as mad as Pinball machines... :(

I have found this playfield doesn't have holes or even dimples in some area's.

One specific one which goes into the artwork i'm really worried about.

Its for the little metal wire guides. Do you have any tips when drilling into clear? I'm not looking forward to it...
Click to expand...

Those wire guides I'd love to know about. They scare me.

The pop screws too. You already done yours but I was told you can tap them in slightly then use a nut on one end to screw them in and they sink themselves.

I'm surprised you're not using new screws, it's not something you'll ever change again
 
David_Vi said:
I'm surprised you're not using new screws, it's not something you'll ever change again
Click to expand...

One time, two money.

They were serviceable. I can also metal polish the heads and just call it a day.

I've spent so much on this pin already and people won't recognise the cost if/when I go to sell.

I've got new screws, posts, tnuts and nuts.

As well as legs, side rails, bolts and leg levelers. Even a back box latch.

You can give me a pass on 9 screws.
 
It makes sense, I just didn't consider reusing them.
I was hoping to rebuild the pop mechs with new parts for Diner but when I added all id needed to a spreadsheet it came to £100 just for the three pops (minus coils)
🥵
So I may skip that myself and just clean them as well as I can.

I think I am going to put it off till next year now🤣
I'll follow this thread in the hope I get inspired to dive in.
 
David_Vi said:
It makes sense, I just didn't consider reusing them.
I was hoping to rebuild the pop mechs with new parts for Diner but when I added all id needed to a spreadsheet it came to £100 just for the three pops (minus coils)
🥵
So I may skip that myself and just clean them as well as I can.

I think I am going to put it off till next year now🤣
I'll follow this thread in the hope I get inspired to dive in.
Click to expand...
Do you have a tumbler?

It's a great tool to salvage old metal parts and make them look new.

I'm on a bit of time pressure otherwise I'd of tumbled those screws.

I'm doing the screws in batches including some posts.
 
s000m said:
Do you have a tumbler?

It's a great tool to salvage old metal parts and make them look new.

I'm on a bit of time pressure otherwise I'd of tumbled those screws.

I'm doing the screws in batches including some posts.
Click to expand...

I'm due to borrow a tumbler soon yeah, so that's another excuse for me to put off starting the swap😁

Our pf doesn't have dimples either. Apparently CPR stopped adding them as often they were inaccurate. It does make it scarier without the rough guide.
I was advised to use a massive sheet of tracing or baking paper to locate the holes and make a template
 
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