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Storing an old pinball advice needed

Moonbus

Moonbus

Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
537
Location
Forest Hill
So I have this 1960's EM pinball and I just got a new machine.

Problem is I only have space for one machine in the house and the old EM is going to be relegated to a damp garage until the time comes to swap it out. Damp as in air flow, not leaky roof.

How would people prep the old girl for hibernation ?

I'm thinking of removing the playfiled and screwing the rials on the back and then vac packing it and then boxing up the rest of the machine in a hardboard box.

Thoughts welcome
 
Put something else in the garage instead seems like the most logical plan.
 
Damp air / condensation is horrendous for Pinballs. Every piece of metal gets tarnished then corrodes. Backglasses hate moisture and changes in temperature

I think the loan idea is a good one. Em machines need to be played to keep the relays and contacts working properly.

If you must store in a damp garage. Dehumidifier with a pipe leading to an external drain point so you do not need to keep emptying it. Keep the backglass indoors. Pray
 
Moonbus said:
I'm thinking of removing the playfiled and screwing the rials on the back and then vac packing it and then boxing up the rest of the machine in a hardboard box.
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If loan out not possible, this isn’t a bad plan. If you can remove and store the important metal bits inside (playfield, inner gubbins) and just the empty box out there, even better. Also wrap it in a blanket or two, and maybe buy some of that calcium chloride moisture absorber stuff to put in socks around inside it. Or the large bags of similar stuff that they put in big packets of edible seaweed strips in Oriental supermarkets. Take the ball out, it’ll rust.

Will the machine not just sit under your new one, on its side?
 
Sgt GrizZ said:
In the past I have kept both Earthshaker and a Seawitch in an unheated outhouse for about a year. Took backboxes off and stored in house. The main cabs were on a pallet off the floor, wrapped in blankets and tarp. Both were totally fine.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
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Or chuck it up Rav's unit and forget about it :rofl:
 
Thanks for the input. people.
Unfortunately the machine is not really suitable for loaning out as although it works 100% it is only 90% complete as it is missing a replay modifier unit and the outside of it looks like crap. The backglass is broken and not really a storage concern. Most people would part it out but as it was my first machine and my test subject I don't want to do that, plus my father and his mates like the old simple style. One day I would like to make it sexy again.

Reason for storage is space but also as its a bloody hard game and my boys (3 & 5) whilst enjoying the noise they find the game frustrating. The small flippers and the layout make it a SDTM game unless you are a nudging master.

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=1513
 
There was an article in Pinball Player many years ago that recommended hanging a low wattage (tungsten filament) light bulb under the playfield. Not tried it myself but the author seemed to have had some success.
 
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