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 New AcquisitionsSaturday June 25, 2011 The lineup was getting a little stale and decided to change things up a bit. Parlayed the KISS pinball machine, its NOS playfield, cabinet stencils, new plastic set and a few dollars into a new Stern TRON Legacy pinball machine. It is my first new pin, and probably my last, LOL. Wanted to have the experience of getting a new game and not having to restore it before putting in the game room. It has a nice flowing playfield, beautiful cabinet and backglass, and a cool playfield toy that whips the ball at you to simulate a light disc battle. Finally replaced the Defender I sold years ago. One of my favorites of all time which was greatly missed. Replaced it with an upright this time, and I am enjoying it much more than the cocktail version. Restorations are still on hold, hopefully for not much longer, they are starting to pile up! |
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| Game On! Thursday September 2, 2010 We've moved in a larger place this summer - lots more space for all my projects that have been accumulating the past few years. Game restorations are going full tilt with the following restoration and repair queue: Vids:
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| Annual Update. Tuesday May 11, 2010 It's been over a year since the last update. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to restore games as I'd like. Everything I've done in the past year has been pinball shop-jobs and re-assembling a video project that I tore down to do electronics work. Nothing has really been done that involves any woodworking or cabinet repair because of lack of time and space to work on things. Been busy getting this house ready to go on the market again and working on some non-arcade related projects. Hopefully soon, I'll be moving into a larger place with a shop and larger gameroom and I'll be able to finish my projects - first on my list is Bob's 48 in 1 Multigame. Here's what I've done since the last update:
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| Spring is here, Restorations in Full Swing, New Game. Sunday April 5, 2009 Still working on a complete restore of the Terminator 2 pinball I acquired a few months back. Game needed much more work then I initially estimated. Just got done freshening the inside of the cabinet with a fresh paint job, and repainted all black metal parts as well. Game will also get a nice new clearcoated playfield installed at some point. Just got started building a 48 in 1 game for a friend of mine who took a Phoenix cabinet and had the sides and front reproduced. Finally picked up a Pinball 2000 game, a nice Star Wars:Episode One. Game needs a light shopping and is really nice shape. |
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| Back in the Saddle. Thursday February 19, 2009 Decided to part with the Star Trek: Then Next Generation pinball. Good game with great flow, but decided to trade down to get another Terminator 2: Judgment Day machine. Getting back into video games with a couple of new titles and finishing up a few languishing projects like my Battlezone, Missile Command, and Galaga minis. I'm about to close a deal on a Robotron: 2084 project, and actively seeking a new Defender cocktail. Looking forward to getting a couple of Williams titles back in my collection. Finally, I picked up a 60-in-1 board that I am going to put in a custom built Ms. Pac/Galaga cabinet this summer. |
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| Sad Day for Pinball Enthusiasts. Wednesday October 29, 2008 Today Stern Pinball laid off designers Dennis Nordman and John Borg, programmers Keith Johnson and Dwight Sullivan, and support legend Joe Blackwell. Apparently, all designer contracts have been terminated as well, according to an RGP post on the behalf of Dennis Nordman. Things are not looking good for the last remaining pinball manufacturer. |
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| Mission Accomplished: The Atari 19" Cabaret Video Game Trifecta Acquired. Wednesday July 30, 2008 Four years ago, I completed a major restoration of an Atari Tempest Cabaret. This was one of the 3 titles that Atari had manufactured in a mini cabinet that supported a 19" monitor. The other 2 were Centipede and Dig Dug. Well within the last two weeks, I've completed the set. Centipede is a goregeous, completely original example with matching serial numbers on the immaculate boards and monitor, and the Dig Dug is a very restorable project. I'm looking for the following items if anyone knows of a source for any of this stuff:
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| I lied, I acquired two more pin projects. Thursday April 10, 2008 Couldn't help myself. Picked up a 1977 Bally Mata Hari, and my first EM, a 1976 Gottlieb Target Alpha is on the way. Mata Hari needs some TLC and Target Alpha has a nice playfield and cabinet, but needs backglass work. Battlezone is going to have to wait. Both BZ boards I have tested not working, and that project has been bumped once again for pinball. |
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| Shopping Star Trek: The Next Generation, Getting Back to Video Games, Web Site Changes Saturday February 16, 2008 Finishing up a thorough shop job on ST:TNG. Rebuilt HV section of display board, rebuilt single drop mechanism, and polished playfield. Took apart the subway underneath, repaired minor cracks, relubed pivot shafts and installed stainless steel protectors. All stainless steel cleaned and polished, and all opto sensors have been cleaned and tested. Now to put it all back together. Opted not to paint the inside of the cabinet and install backbox decals yet, as we are hoping to move into a larger living space at some point in the near future. Since my games need to have the backbox removed, I'd rather not disconnect everything 2 times over the next few months. Game is nice as it is and I'm going to wait until I move into new digs before I put those finishing touches on. Next up is to repair the Battlezone Cabaret that has been sitting in my garage for almost three years, and finally finish up the Galaga mini that has been stripped to the bare wood for almost 2 years now. After that, no more new projects until the move. Also moved this web site to a new host and changed the technology to PHP. Really pleased with the performance and the many new features that will be implemented soon. In addition, got a new web project in the works that I think will be a great benefit to pinball enthusiasts... Coming soon! Details to follow in the next month or so. |
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| Ruling the Universe, Star Trek: The Next Generation Pinball, Space Invaders Deluxe Vid. Tuesday October 16, 2007 Picked up a pretty decent ST:TNG. Excited to get another Steve Ritchie designed pin back into the mix. A great widebody game with an enormous amount of flow and an extremely deep ruleset. Had some minor problems, easy repairs. Issues with the drop target were easily overcome with a rebuild, next up - rebuilding the HV section of the display board. Once that's done this game will get the royal treatment with new side rails, backbox decals, and a repaint of the inside of the cabinet. Playfield is in very good shape and will polish out well. Got the SID running, except I'm having a problem with "foldover" on the monitor. The monitor chassis needs a cap kit badly. Finally "Ruled the Universe" on my Attack From Mars. What a rush! Only took me 1 year and 3 months to get there. |
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| KISS, Video Mania, and Vectrex. Thursday July 26, 2007 KISS - Got the KISS working 100%. Sound board was not the correct type for this game. Found the proper board that only needed to have a pot replaced. Fixed it, installed it and all is well. Playfield swap and cabinet repaint to happen in the fall. Space Invaders Deluxe - Finally got myself a Space Invaders Deluxe vid. Decent ALMOST working game with a great cabinet. Located and acquired all parts to make it a really nice example of this classic game. Will also be upgraded with a modern switching power supply and multi-game kit. Vectrex - A dear friend hooked me up with the Vectrex game that we played as kids. Still works great and is quite a trip to play such a small Vector based game. Star Castle - FINALLY finished. Unfortunately, it's going right into storage as we look for new digs. No more room in the arcade! It came out excellent, except I really wish I could get my hands on some NOS or repro sideart. Decided the next acquisition for my arcade will be a classic Gottlieb wedgehead pinball machine. Thinking about an El Dorado, Buckaroo, Dimension, or Kings and Queens. |
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| KISS Restoration Phase One Nearly Complete, Theatre of Magic Next in Queue to be Restored. Friday June 1, 2007 KISS is repaired and fully functional, but there are some issues to be ironed out still before it is 100%. Sound Board. Switch Capacitors. Displays. After these issues have been corrected, the game will be broken down and stored while I work on the next project. Looking forward to restoring a Theatre of Magic for a friend. The NOS KISS playfield should be here in a couple of weeks, so it will cure while I work on the TOM. The Pinball Wizards Convention in Allentown was outstanding this year. Some great games and great deals - especially on parts. Contemplating making the trip to Chicago for Expo this year - hope I can work it out. |
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| Current Project: 1979 Bally Kiss. Thursday May 3, 2007 With Aladdin's Castle delivered and being enjoyed by its owner, the KISS restoration project is in full swing. Most parts have been acquired - except for new finned posts, lane guides, plastics, (IPB Repro) and side rails - which are currently in production. Sent the NOS playfield to Playfield Renovations to be re-cleared - insert clearcoat sinkage was a bit much to bear, so off it went. In the meantime, the game will be shopped out, upgraded, and enjoyed. Game has new Alltek MPU board, new power rectifier board is on the way from Great Plains Electronics, and a new lamp grid PCB which uses modern #555 lamps to replace the original lamp grid plate will be installed. When the playfield clearcoat is complete, the cabinet will be repainted while the field cures for a month. Then I'll do the swap. If there's any time between shopping the game out and receiving the cleared playfield, I'm going to try and finish up the mini Galaga vid that's been waiting in my garage stripped down to the bare wood for a year! Looking forward to attending the Allentown pinball show this weekend. Always a great time! |
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| Pinball Restorations: Bally Aladdin’s Castle Completed, KISS Restoration Begins. Monday March 26, 2007 Aladdin’s Castle now shopped out and ready to go. Acquired a new KISS project that will be getting the royal treatment with a NOS playfield (clearcoated by Bill Davis), new backglass, and cabinet repaint. Game works 100% with some cosmetic issues. Could be restored to respectable condition as is, but it is easy to go whole hog on a title like this. Acquired all parts needed to bring this game to better than new factory condition, just have to do it. Once I was able to score a NOS playfield, there was no turning back… |
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| Back to Work, Aladdin's Castle and a New Game On the Way. Thursday February 15, 2007 Took another break to get through the holidays, and now finally getting back to work, although it is really hard with the freezing cold weather in the northeast. Currently working on the Aladdin's Castle. Went through the bottom panel, adjusted switches, and dehacked a very strange free play modification. Now the playfield is on the rotisserie getting shopped out. Lined up another project for my personal arcade...a 1979 Bally Kiss, that will be getting the royal treatment. Can't wait to get started! |
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| Next Pinball Project Arrives - 1976 Bally Aladdin's Castle. Sunday November 12, 2006 Repairing and shopping out this Bally classic for a friend. Score motor runs, but does not stop during reset cycle. Hacks to credit and lock relays need to be addressed. Operator hacked in a coin counter that needs to be rewired/removed. |
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| Hiatus Over - Restorations Begin. Monday October 2, 2006 Back on the Galaga restoration I did not complete as planned. Final cabinet repairs under way, paint and new woodgrain vinyl to be applied within the next few days. Boards tested and working 100%. Coin door, metal trim, and CPO restoration next. |
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| Twilight Zone and Defender Leave, Scared Stiff Arrives. Tuesday September 26, 2006 Finally sold off my Twilight Zone for something a little more fun and collectible. Parlayed both my Defender Cocktail vid and the TZ into a collector quality Scared Stiff. Although she arrived in cosmetically outstanding condition, she needed some work to get 100%. 6 dead switches, broken flipper bushing, broken coffin spring, missing ball gate to the left of the deadheads, broken wire to the skull pile flashers, and a bad chip on the driver board that made the spider freak out. In the end, she's all dialed in and playing sweet. A lot more fun than TZ IMHO, and this game plays smooth as silk. |
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| Restoration Hiatus After Current Projects and What's Next. Monday June 26, 2006 After I complete the Galaga Mini restoration for my client and finish the Attack from Mars, I will be taking an extended break from video game and pinball restorations. I'm selling off all unfinished video projects, except for the Battlezone and Missile Command cabarets which hold special nostalgic and collectibility value to me. All other parts and cabinets will be sold in the coming weeks to make room and finance my upcoming final project - a custom built MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) machine that I will build myself this fall. The planning has already started, and the whole process will be documented here as well. In the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy my collection for a while and have some fun. |
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| Attack from Mars Cabinet Wiring Complete. Sunday June 25, 2006 Just need to shop out the playfield. Cabinet wiring completed. Boards installed and tested. |
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| Attack from Mars Cabinet Decals Complete. Friday June 16, 2006 Completed application of cabinet decals. Extremely pleased with the result and quality of the Treasure Cove decals. Turned my beat cab into a factory fresh one. Over a week's worth of prep work completed, which is key. Used the dry method to install. Click here to view photos of the process. |
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| Attack from Mars, Galaga Mini Restoration Updates. Thursday June 1, 2006 Making headway on both projects. Have the AFM cabinet stripped to the bare wood, ready for touch ups and decals. I've added a photo album showing progress although it's lagging a few days behind where I am at with this game. Have the Galaga stripped down as well, ready for repairs and painting. Still need to burn in the boards for a while and clean the wiring harness, and possibly do a cap kit to the monitor. Control panel gets restored this weekend, as well as the marquee. |
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| Attack from Mars Pinball Project Begins. Wednesday May 24, 2006 Started the restoration of this machine by sanding the art off of the backbox, applying several coats of black paint and applying decals. Extremely happy with the results. Will be moving on to re-decal the cabinet in the next few days. |
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| Galaga Mini Project Begins. Tuesday May 9, 2006 Finally located an original Galaga mini to restore for someone. Been looking for over a year for a decent example to rehabilitate. Game works for the most part, but has some cosmetic issues I need to address. This game will get all new woodgrain laminate, paint and control panel overlay. |
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| "21" - Project Complete. Monday May 8, 2006 Flippers rebuilt and playing fantastic. Nice and dialed-in. Need to do some last minute details like instruction cards and start button. Unfortunately, the operator that originaly owned this game removed the credit unit amongst other functionality. Drop in a dime and play, no replay or matching! Game has roots in NY, so it was likely modified to comply with anti-gambling laws. |
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| "21" - Final Issues. Saturday April 29, 2006 Playfield has been re-assembled and re-rubbered. All lamps have been either cleaned or changed, looks great. While rebuilding flippers, one of the coil stops in one of the flipper coils separated from the bracket and got lodged in sideways. Tried to remove but was impossible without destroying the coil. So… new coils on the way. Also, while testing the game, noticed the bell wasn't ringing. Good thing too since the nylon tip was missing. Plunger was frozen in the bell's coil sleeve. |
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| "21" - Playfield re-assembly begins. Monday April 24, 2006 All surface plastics and metals have been cleaned and polished. Re-assembly started with the pops and stationary bumpers. Not a lot going on on the top of this playfield compared to modern pins. We are in the homestretch. |
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| "21" - Playflield cleaning complete. Friday April 21, 2006 Completed playfield surface cleaning after cleaning up the shooter lane and top of playfield with magic eraser. Completed rebuild of slingshots, and cleaning of eject hold solenoids. Put together a small web album. |
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| "21" - Top of playfield stripped, cleaned and polished. Wednesday April 19, 2006 Removed all parts from top of playfield, cleaned everything on the surface with Novus 2, and used the Magic Eraser sparingly on the pop bumper wear. Looks fantastic. |
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| "21" - Coil assemblies disassembled, cleaned and rebuilt. Wednesday April 19, 2006 Started upgrading existing high wear coils (pops, slings) with nylon coil sleeves. Makes a world of difference. Eject hole coils were cleaned and pivots re-lubed. Things are looking pretty snappy. |
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| "21" - Game repaired. Now plays 100% Friday April 14, 2006 Cleaned and re-lubed the 100,000 point unit and we are in business. Game plays, now it's time shop out the playfield. |
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| "21" - Played my first game… Almost. Wednesday April 12, 2006 Got the game playing until it hits 100,000 points, and then it shuts down. 100,000 point stepper unit needs to be cleaned and re-lubed - it's not turning freely enough. We're getting there… |
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| Williams "21" Power Up Thursday April 6, 2006 Game initially would not boot up. Score motor would hum, and nothing else. After working on the score wheels in the head and cleaning all switches, it started going through it's start sequence. Now to stop the score motor from running… |
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| Williams "21" Project Continues. Sunday April 2, 2006 Finishing up cleaning/adjusting the switches in the cabinet, replaced power cord. Working on the scoring reels next. |
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| Attack From Mars Arrives. Saturday April 1, 2006 Finally landed my AFM. Unshopped, just the way I like 'em. (Although a home use only or new in box would be nice.) |
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| Terminator 2: Judgment Day Pinball Leaves. Sunday March 26, 2006 Made a decision that it was time to get rid of the T2 in hopes for a deeper machine. Been searching for Attack From Mars and Scared Stiff for a while. Having thoughts of getting a Star Trek: TNG. |
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| Pinbot Restoration Complete. Friday March 24, 2006 At last, the game has been restored. This long process was very satisfying and a major learning experience. Been playing the hell out of the game, it is fast and a lot of fun. Worth the effort. |
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| Pinbot Playfield Swap Almost Done! Thursday March 16, 2006 5 plastics left, and I'm done. Put the playfield in the cab, fired him up and saw a little smoke. Wired up a pop bumper in reverse and blew out a couple transistors. Replaced them and attended to a couple other minor issues and the game tests out 100%! |
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| Pinbot Solenoid Harness Transferred. Thursday March 9, 2006 The solenoid harness has been transferred to the new playfield… Flashers, playfield flasher and relay boards have been installed. Now the individual solenoids and visor assembly need to be attached. After that, in the cabinet it goes. |
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| Pinbot Switch and Lamp Harnesses Transferred. Wednesday March 8, 2006 Switch and lamp components have been transferred to the new playfield. Coils and coil harness next, and then into the cab it goes to be tested/burned in. We are almost done…… |
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| Pinbot General Illumination Wiring Completed. Tuesday February 21, 2006 Installed all new G.I. Lamps, and ran non-insulated wiring exactly as it was in the factory. Changed out pop bumper #44 lamp sockets to new #555 style. GI will be tested and then the swap begins with the switch and lamp harnesses. |
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| Pinbot Playfield Swap Begins. Monday February 20, 2006 All electronics have been installed and verified working. Playfield swap begins with installation of side rails, wire ball guides and jet bumper bodies. G.I. lamps and wiring next, and on the rotisserie it goes. |
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| Pinbot Lives! (Booted up for the first time since I've owned it.) Wednesday February 8, 2006 Completed all board repairs and backbox wiring. Game booted up no problem, but have a couple of bad display tubes. It was cool to crank up the sound in the test mode with the new 2 way speakers and subwoofer. Next step, playfield…. |
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| Pinbot Restoration Rolls on. Tuesday February 7, 2006 Pinbot cabinet/backbox wiring near completed. Rebuilt power supply, new bridge rectifiers in the backbox, main power filter cap. All in line molex connectors re-pinned. Next up, CPU/Driver board repair/mod/test and installation. |
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| Next Pinball Restoration in Queue. Thursday January 26, 2006 Restoring a 1960 Williams "21" Woodrail for a friend. Machine is in great shape for its age, excellent playfield and backglass. General cabinet cleaning completed, looking good. Pics soon. |
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| Major Update to Web Site Completed. Friday January 6, 2006 Added many new pages to the web site. Defender, Missile Command, Ms. Pac, Atari Football, and Pinbot pages have all been updated. |
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| Evolution of a Home Arcade Page Added. Friday December 30, 2005 New page showing how this hobby can get out of control real fast. Using pictues of my small home arcade over the past 2 years, I show how my arcade has been parlayed and upgraded to where it stands today. |
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| Terminator 2 Page Completed. Thursday December 29, 2005 Finally managed to find some time to update the site with some pics and info about my Terminator 2 pinball. |
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| Restoration of Atari Football completed. Saturday December 24, 2005 Restoration complete, just in time for christmas. Game plays great, with rebuilt track balls, refinished control panels, and rebuilt power supply. |
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| Restoration of Atari Football begins. (Xs and Os) Saturday November 12, 2005 Began restoring the classic Atari Football for a friend of mine. Got a good deal on a non-working one that was easily repaired. |
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| Working on Pinbot Cabinet Repairs. Friday November 4, 2005 Made new front panel for backbox pedestal, cabinet touchups complete. |
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| Acquired Battlezone and Missile Command Cabarets Sunday August 28, 2005 Finally got a nice Battlezone mini. Great cosmetics, but need to pin down a electrical short. Missile command mini is a little rough, but will clean up nicely. Looking forward to getting these restored/repaired. |
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| Terminator 2 Pinball Enters….Ms. Pac, Centipede, Missile Command Leave. Wednesday August 3, 2005 Decided to liquidate a few games and acquire some more. Want to get some balance in my small arcade with another pin and a couple of new vids coming soon. |
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| Star Castle Lives Again! Tuesday June 21, 2005 Got the Star Castle up and running on my test bench. Going to be putting it back together within the next few days and get that up on the site. |
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| Summer is here! Restorations back in full swing. Saturday June 18, 2005 Shopped out my TZ, did some TAF repairs. Got my Pinbot playfield back from the clearcoaters, and I am back on track with my most ambitious restoration yet. Cabinet stenciling next... Pinbot restoration page is in the making. |
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| Ms. Pac Man Mini Completed. Wednesday June 1, 2005 This one came out a lot nicer than I expected. New Formica sides, great front decal, CPO, glass bezel. She's a keeper! |
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| Asteroids Deluxe Cabaret acquired. Friday April 15, 2005 Picked up a nice AD Cabaret. Really missed the Asteroids I had to part with. Over capacity in the arcade! Been a busy month. |
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| Twilight Zone Pinball and Ms Pac Mini enter the arcade… Tuesday April 5, 2005 Fed my new pinball addiction with a really nice TZ, and acquired a nearly completed Ms. Pac mini project. |
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| Picked up my first Cinematronics game… a Star Castle upright. Saturday March 5, 2005 DOA, but the cabinet is in really nice shape. Looking forward to getting this one cleaned up and repaired. One of my favorites as a kid. |
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| New "The Addams Family" page added. Friday February 4, 2005 A few quick pictures and a small log of the repairs made to the first pinball machine in my game room. |
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| The quest is over… The Addams Family has arrived! Thursday December 16, 2004 The newest member of the arcade has arrived…At long last I've found a really nice example of the classic Addams Family pinball machine. Great playfield and cabinet. More to come… |
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| Asteroids, Tapper and Final Lap 3 have left the building… Tuesday December 14, 2004 Sold these three games to finance the purchase of a new pinball machine… |
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| Phoenix Restoration Begins Saturday November 13, 2004 Since winter is coming and this cab does not need paint, I've decided to bump the Robotron restoration to work on this one. Working on the boards now, doing this restoration in parallel with the Pinbot. |
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| Pinbot Restoration Continues… Saturday November 13, 2004 It's been a while since my last update. I am knee deep in my Pinbot restoration, and things are slowly moving along. Working on the playfield now, and will be cloning the cabinet. Looks like this will be a busy winter… |
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| Acquired my first pinball project, a 1986 Williams Pinbot. Sunday September 19, 2004 Very restorable pinbot with nice backglass and playfield. Looking forward to bringing this one to life. Restoration pics to come. |
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| PCB Repair Restoration Saturday September 18, 2004 Haven't updated the site in a while. Been busy resurrecting dead/"untested" ebay boards. Brought Defender, Robotron and Galaga boardsets back from the dead. (Repair logs coming.) |
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| Built new test fixture Friday August 20, 2004 Life will be much easier with this new control panel/text fixture. Pics to come. |
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| Namco Final Lap 3 For Sale Friday August 13, 2004 Nice 25" monitor. Fully working. Extra boardset, harness, shifter, and relay board included. (unrestored) |
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| Galaga Mini Conversion Tuesday July 13, 2004 Not all cabs wound up to be a Trivia Whiz or Capcom Bowling. This Trivia Whiz mini was reborn as a Galaga. |
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| Another One Saved! Saturday July 10, 2004 Lots of new content about my recently completed Tempest Cabaret project. Check it out! Picked up a converted Robotron UR for rehabilitation and added robo joysticks to my wanted items list. |
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| Want List Page Tuesday June 29, 2004 Looking for parts on this page. Will pay cash or trade. |
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| Tempest Cabaret Thursday June 10, 2004 Another extreme restoration in progress. Completed cabinet photos will be up in a couple of days. |
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| Budweiser Tapper Upright Tuesday June 8, 2004 Budweiser Tapper restoration. |
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| Centipede Upright (Euro) Wednesday May 12, 2004 New European Centipede Upright restoration page added. |
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| Asteroids Upright Wednesday May 12, 2004 New Asteroids Upright restoration page added to site. Actually, this is more of a repair job than a restore. |
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| Creation of Web Site Begins Friday May 7, 2004 ArcadeRehab.com is born! This site is dedicated to the restoration and trade of video arcade games, and will offer restore tips, tech info and hopefully allow me to give back to the arcade collecting community. |
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| ArcadeRehab.com | EMAIL: info@arcaderehab.com |