WMS Firepower Playfield Re-build - Part IV!

EXCHANGE OF STAND UP TARGETS

Some of the center targets on mine Williams Firepower 1980 was different from the originals target. There was one yellow and two red standup targets that I thought not suit so I replaced them with targets that has 3 white round circles.

I made paint touch-up on the white round circles with a white marker pen, it was hard to get the white paint around the circles edges complete sharp. To get the edges sharp I had to peel off white color gently with a knife.

Now all center targets has the same shape. After the paint touch-up I sealed it with some layer of floor varnish, but after many game play on the machine the paint has stated to get demolish again. For the moment I do not have any good idea how to protect the white paint from the balls violence when hitting the targets.

Here I work with soldering back the targets. On the early prototype machines, Williams Firepower, there was drop down targets installed, this might be a project for the future to modify my machine with this kind of targets.

Replacement center targets installed.

REBUILD PLAYFIELD PARTS AFTER PAINTING

At last it was time to start the rebuilding of the playfield after the extensive work with paint touch-ups, around 80 hours on painting was spent. Rubber rings and posts shall be put on place.

All cleaned playfield parts is stored in a shoe box before assembly.

I replaced the lane guides since the old ones was not transparency which gives a better look.

Rebuilding of the gate after the balls left the ball arch.

The picture show the rubber ring on the plastic post – before there was one rubber ring on each plastic post which allow the ball to be caught between them. Some handy repair dude had also entered a screw straight down in the playfield to prevent the ball from being caught with some nasty damage to the playfield as result. Again a warning for Mr. McGyver. That's why we in previous pictures can see some heavy damage in the playfield above these plastic posts.

See how dirty the roll over stars was, this gives a hint about how much dirt the ball carries around on the playfield if it not is regularly cleaned. The picture to the right show the roll over stars after cleaning.

Here we can see how good the result was after it is assembled in the insert again - also the insert got a layer of floor varnish to achieve a nice and shiny surface - before it was dull and the varnish had flaked off.

Cleaning of all switches with Acetone and Novus 2 on the playfield - Since the switch blades contact point is gold plated shall they not be sanded, I use exclusively q-tips. One school speech about using a credit card but I have no tried since I think a even surface with low friction can not take away any corrosion and dirt - maybe if the credit cards surface first is sanded.

The area around the right kick-out hole rebuilt.

The picture show the flipper bate when flipper rubber is removed – a lot of Novus 2 was consumed to get rid of all dirt and remaining rubber.

Arbete pågår!

Plastic posts installed.

I use white rubber rings as factory installed.

Ball return lane och ball return shooter uppbyggd.

REPAIR PLAYFIELD PLASTICS

Unfornately the plastics in top of the playfield was broken but I repaired them with glue, used Aderalit glue (2 composite glue).

Aderalit glue (2 composite glue) is used.

I put some weights on the plastics during the time the glue is drying.

The flipper buttons on the machine was not from yesterday with dirt and wear, so I replaced them with new clean buttons.

The Shooter rubber was finished and has seen it's best days for a long time ago which is common on this old machines.

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