Williams Black Knight SS Refurbishing project - Part I!

BLACK KNIGHT (SS) 1980 - PLAYFIELD REFURBISHING


Below, a selection of images showing the playfield before the renovation.



LOWER AREA OF PLAYFIELD


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Something that I have mentioned in my other pinball projects is that the area underneath Apron attract a lot of dirt and operators/exhibitors rarely clean there. I removed all the ball tray parts and clean it with Mr Muscle, then I polish them with Autosol. Keeping the ball tray clean prevents the ball from pulling dirt up on the playfield in the future with risk of wear on the playfield. I clean the playfield with Novus 2, which I work in with a sponge and then wipe off with a cloth.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing   Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing   Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The surfaces at the slingshots were very dirty.


MIDDLE AREA OF PLAYFIELD


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The paint has worn off in both MAGNA-SAVE areas.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Horse shoe loop.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The whole playfield and all rubber rings were very dirty.



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

What in the world does the screw here? McGyver is a funny guy with the strangest solutions!


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

MAGNA-SAVE



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The damaged areas of the MAGNA-SAVE are replaced with adhesive decals.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The worn MAGNA-SAVE surface is filled with chemical wood to get a smooth surface.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Sanding with fine sandpaper before applying the chemical wood.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Sanding with fine sandpaper after filling with chemical wood to get a smooth surface.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Mark the center of the circle with a ruler to easier position the decal in center.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Draws a round help line with a lead pencil to help place the decal.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

By putting a small black mark on the decal, I can get the decal in right position on the playfield.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

With help of a razor blade scrape gently away the black mark on the decal.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Also left MAGNA-SAVE decal in place.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

UPPER PLAYFIELD



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The playfield plastic above the upper playfield drop target bank was poorly repaired with glue and tape, ugly, (ugh MacGyver!!!)


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

This playfield plastic is beyond rescue!


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Underneath the ramps have a lot of dirt been accumulated through the years.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Wear in the playfield in front of the scoop on the upper playfield.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A lot of small damages in the playfield with heavy wear around the pop bumper.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Rusty screws indicates that the Williams Black Knight pinball machine has been stored in a humid environment for a long time.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A piece of mylar are set above an existing damage in the playfield where the balls release during multiball.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

UNDERNEATH PLAYFIELD



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Contacts between the cabinet and the playfield was filled with lubricant, not good!


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

To remove all lubricant (oil) in the contacts I use electronics cleaning and blow clean with compressed air.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A bent pipe cleaners work well to clean between the connector pins.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Principle picture.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The whole wiring harness removed from the upper playfield.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Bare bone upper playfield - under side.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Bare bone upper playfeild - upper side.


UPPER PLAYFIELD WEAR



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing   Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

CLEANING PLAYFIELD - ESSENCE OF REFURBSHING



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

To clean the playfield used CP-100 and Novus 2. CP-100 removes the superficial dirt and adds luster to the playfield, works as well on rubber rings, Novus 2 removes dirt adhering harder and a little deeper in the playfield.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

I use Label Off to remove the mylar from the playfield, is completely harmless to the playfield and will not dissolve varnish or paint on the playfield. Very effective for loosening the mylar, spray thoroughly with Label Off and drag slowly in small steps away mylar. Label Off is highly recommended.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Half part of mylar has come off from Williams Black Knight playfield.


TIME FOR REFURBISHING


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

ALWAYS CHECK FOR...


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Always look carefully for solder joints that has been released or are about to devote, sometimes has the end of the wire a few strands left in the solder joint and can come off at any time. Here we see a wire that has released in the solder to the drop target bank, probably due to vibrations when drop targets moving up and down.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Another example, wire that has released from solder joint on one of the flippers (coil) on Williams Black Knight.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Another example - loose wire.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Check coils (solenoid) visually, if they appear to be burnt, measure the resistance or replace, if the measurement gives an Ohm value lower than 2.5 is coil "death". A resistance of 2.5 ohms or greater should be seen. Also, look for loose wires which often have been cut to prevent transistors to "shoot" on the driver board, often a simple "MacGyver" fix to avoid the problem.



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A coil diode having "exploded" on Williams Black Knight. MacGyver cut the wires to be able to play a moment more on the pinball machine with a dead drop target bank, fun - not!!


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Examples of loose diodes on Williams Black Knight.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Another unpardonable MacGyver fix! The wire is wrapped to the switch solder lug without soldering, what was his thought here?


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Solder pad has released from the coil when too much heat have been used when soldering.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Williams Black Knight was in very poor condition and I have never found so much loose wires and broken coil diodes on a pinball machine before.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A clue about where the orange wire in the picture before shall be connected. We see only a stump of an orange wire on the switch solder lug. I verify that it will sit an orange wire on the switch lug by reading the wiring diagram in Williams Black Knight manual.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Williams Black Knight playfield switch wiring diagram.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Offers another MacGyver solution, repair of flat T-shaped tensioner spring on Williams Black Knight drop target assembly.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The spring is exchanged for a new one.


BAD SWITCHES


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The lower leaf blade of the switches were bad on one of the 3-bank drop target assembly.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

MacGyver tried to recreate the contact point on the leaf blade by heating on a ball of solder.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The bad switch leaf blades are replaced by picking apart the switches and build them back together.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

One of three switches refurbished with new leaf blade.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The lower switch leaf blades replaced.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

New wires are installed between the switches and diodes (1N4004) has been exchanged.


BAD, BAD COIL DIODE - A RISK!


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

I always change out all diodes (1N4004) on all solenoids (coils) to avoid any bad diode or will be bad in the future, no great cost besides work to solder. Coil diodes are exposed to a lot of vibration which can crack or damage them, and sometimes I have been able to crush a diode by grabbing it´s body with mine forefinger and thumb. A bad coil diode usually results in one or more "killed" tranistorer on driver board. The coil diode prevents a coil´s collapsing voltage from flowing back to the associated driver transistor, which could damage the driver transistor.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Mark with a black line in which direction the diode's band should fit as you avoid the mistake of turning the diode in wrong direction. The banded lead of the 1N4004 diode shall be connected to the coil power lug, lug with red thicker daisy chanied power wire attached in the picture.


CAUTION - NEVER, EVER GREASE OR OIL A UNIT!



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Has MacGyver used graphite grease here?!?


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Want to issue a warning that you should never, under any circumstances, oil or grease a unit in a pinball machine, this can not be said too many times. A pinball machines units are made to move without grease, usually metal parts against plastic parts that needs no addition of lubricant.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

What do we said about graphite grease?


REMOVING WIRING HARNESS


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A soldering iron is needed to remove the wire harness from the underside of the playfield, screwdrivers, nose plier and a camera to take a lot, lot of pictures for memory's sake.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The underside of the inserts (the transparent inlaid plastic windows in the playfield) are first cleaned with Novus 2 and then with the CP-100. A lot of dirt and soot is collected here! Williams Black Knight was the first pinball machine ever to employ faceted inserts in the playfield.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The whole wiring harness with all units removed from the underside of the playfield.



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

To remove the wire form from the board I use a spatula and a screwdriver. I gently push wire form upwards with a screwdriver. I push a little at a time out of each end of the wire form to get the wire form to loosen from the playfield.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The whole playfield is stripped from the parts and getting ready for paint touch-ups of surfaces with wear.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

But first cleaning with Novus 2.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

For heavily soiled areas, as the slingshots I use Novus 2 and a piece of a scotch brite pad.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Then I clean with CP-100.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Before I begin the painting of the playfield it will be sanded with sandpaper 240 grit. By sanding playfield´s surface all residues from polish, wax, silicone will be removed so that the varnish (clear coate) will adhere.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Use a vacuum cleaner and a broad brush to capture all dust from sanding , finally wipe the playfield with a damp cloth.


RE-ASSEMBY BALL EJECT UNIT



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Once the units have been removed from the playfield, I keep them in labeled plastic cups.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Super Lube is used to VERY FRUGALLY lubricate moving parts, metal to metal details.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A Q-tip is used to apply Super Lube on the mounting bracket axle.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Mounting bracket assembly.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Install eject cam on the shaft.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Attach the plunger and spring on spring plate assembly.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Finally fit the spring plate assembly to eject cam and lock with a harelkin pin and tension the spring.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Eject hole base cleaned with CP-100.


ROLL OVER WIRE ASSEMBLY



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Wire forms for rollover switch on the lanes were heavily oxidized and had some rust. To remove all the oxidation, I used wet grinding paper P1000 grit and then Autosol to get them shiny again. First it was cleaned in the ultrasonic washer.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Here we see that the rollover wire assembly is shiny and fine again.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Acetone is used to clean the ball kicker arm, also used to clean the solenoids (coils).


RE-ASSEMBLY BALL KICKER UNIT



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

A Q-tip is used to apply Super Lube on the pivot bracket axle.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Attach the plunger on the kicker arm.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Attach the pivot bracket assembly on kicker arm.


RE-ASSEMBLY 3-BANK DROP TARGET UNIT



Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Screw the coil stop to the frame.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Attach the coil support bracket with screws.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Fit the drop target spring to the frame.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Attach the retaining bar over drop targets with screws.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

New decals "tapes" on the drop targets.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The switches are screwed to the frame.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

The switches are cleaned and diodes (1N4004) are replaced with new ones.


TARGET DECALS


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Drop targets missing decals and new will be applied to the targets.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Clean the surface with Acetone where the decal will be fitted.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

To protect the decal an additional mylar is placed over the entire surface.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

With a glass plate as underlay decal are cut out using a razor blade.


Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Black Knight Playfield refurbishing

Look how nice it became!



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