Support this Pinball Repair Website! (It costs money to provide this information.) Donations are being accepted via Paypal to cfh@provide.net and/or please purchase the Pinrepair.com/top repair instructional videos Restoring Arcade and Pinball Games by cfh@provide.net (Clay Harrell). Copyright all rights reserved. Scope. This document is a restoration guide for coin operated arcade and pinball games. This information largely focuses on EM (Electro-Mechanical) games before 1978, but certainly applies to later coin operated games too. No experience is assumed. This document does not cover repair. If the game doesn't work, first see http://www.pinrepair.com and get your game working. This document is three parts (part one is here, part two is here and part three is here). Table of Contents 1. Getting Started: Necessary Tools and Parts Making a Parts Buffer Vibration Parts Polisher & Rock Tumblers 2. The Cabinet and Backglass Replacing the Bottom Panel Checking a Re-Painted Cabinet for Original Paint Re-Painting a Cabinet Legs and Coin Door (rust removal) Put the Legs On (stripped threads) Clean the Outside Sealing the Backglass (Krylon Triple Thick, etc.) Touch-up the Backglass Touch-up the Playfield Clear Coating ("Diamond Plating") a Playfield Polish the Shooter Clean the Score Reels Install a new Power Cord and Switch Install a New Start Button 3. The Mechanics Rebuilding the Flippers Rebuilding the Pop Bumbers Performance Tips New Under-Playfield and Backbox Lamps Sunken/Low/Loose Playfield lamp Inserts 4. The Playfield: Under the Ball Arches Cleaning the Playfield with Magic Eraser (Melamine Foam) Cleaning the Playfield and Replacing Rubber Originality. Generally speaking, I like to keep my games as original as possible. I would like to stress that cabinet repainting is generally a bad thing, in my opinion. Unless the original finish is already gone by a previous owner, or the cabinet is damaged, a repainting usually isn't necessary. In most cases it's better to have a worn original cabinet, then a perfectly mint repainted one. Original backglasses are kept unless a repro is available and the original is missing paint (and you have the extra $200 to spend). As for game play, I do make some modifications there, but they are all reversable if need be. Game(s) Being Restored. Most of this document can be applied to any EM or Electronic pinball from 1947 to present. This includes both EM and Solidstate (Electronic) pinball games (though many pictures taken are of a 1965 Gottlieb "Ice Revue" game). * Go to Pinball Restoration Guide, Part One * Go to Pinball Restoration Guide, Part Two * Go to Pinball Restoration Guide, Part Three * Return to PinRepair.com Index