Something that didn’t quite make it into my update last night was looking at an issue with the drop targets. I rebuilt them recently, but noticed a problem once complete. The targets sit a bit too high when they retract, which causes them to sit over the top of the playfield. This causes the ball to jump when hitting them – especially on the right target. Not good for the life of the drop target, and puts the plastic above it at risk of damage.
Pinbot – Williams (1986)
Restoring a 1986 Williams Pinbot pinball machine
Now it’s time to look at the visor. I’ve successfully managed to put this off for awhile, but I’m fast running out of things to do before I get to the restenciling of the cabinet and playfield swap. So I guess now is the time to look at it. At first glance, the only obvious issue is the damage to the colour stripe decal. The motor is operational and will raise or lower the target bank. It seems to get slightly stuck along the way, but does correct itself – so that will be something to look at. There are also two eject holes I will need to rebuild. I’ve decided to split this update into two. The first will focus on the playfield and parts. The second (which I’ll post once complete) will cover the motor and target bank.
Continuing with my focus on the upper playfield area, it’s now time to look at the multiplier advance ramp on the left. This area has a few things which will need to be cleaned and rebuilt. There is an eject saucer, a single stationary target and an assembly to raise and lower the ramp. There are plenty of metal parts that will need a good polish too and no doubt a solid layer of crap to clean off.
Time for a smallish update on a few miscellaneous things that have had my attention during the week. The first thing I wanted to look at this week was the credit button on the front of the cabinet. It’s functioning correctly, but I was eager to disassemble it and give it a clean.
The coin door on my Pinbot machine is in need of some attention. It’s not the worst I’ve seen (actually, far from it), but it could certainly do with some love. The photo makes it look a bit better than it really is. Up close, there are far more chips and scratches along the edges of both the coin accept and coin return face plates. On the up side, the door itself is solid and should do up nicely.
The middle and right coin accept slots have been covered up with tape (there are no coin mechs hooked up to either of these).
