List of things to do with and to my machine. Some are repairs, some are maintenance, some are modifications/improvements. Some I will definitely do (or have done), some I might do, and some I probably won’t do, but I’ll include because I could do them.
Maintenance:
- Clean and wax play field (every 300-500 games)
- Replace balls (when worn)
- Probably some external cleaning and maintenance I can do for the cabinet artwork
- Rebuild flipper mechanics
Repair/Replace:
- Playfield support bracket (The right bracket broke off the playfield the first time I lifted it. It was a few hours later I found a Pinside thread recommending novices not use the support brackets as they break off easily. And much later I noticed the damage where the left bracket had been broken off and reattached.)
- Safety strap eyebolt. (The bolt on the playfield underside to attach the safety strap when the playfield is upright.)
- Backglass lift trim (I broke this the first day after setting up when the backglass wouldn’t move and I wasn’t sure how far it was supposed to move or how much force it should take.)
- Replace middle ramp (Ordered. The side of the ramp are separated from the bottom near the entrance to the ramp. This can be fixed with some tig welds, but I don’t weld and read a bunch about these ramps recently not being available, so I figured I pick one up while it was in stock, and if I get the current one fixed it can’t hurt to have an extra.)
- “Beer” seal (A strip of foam along the underside of the lock down bar. This absorbs any liquids spilled on the glass before it can drip down to the coin box, but not being a barbarian I’d never place any beverage on the glass. But something to replace for completeness.)
- Data East chrome logo decal
Upgrade:
- LED kit (It came with LEDs in most sockets, but there are some old bulbs left to upgrade.)
- Speakers
- Speaker surround lights
- Playfield protector
- Cash box lid (Not necessary for home use and free play, but something to replace for completeness.)
- Topper (My ceiling is too low for the original Darth Vader topper to fit on top of the back glass, but still might be nice to have for completeness.)
- Backglass (These are some after-market variations with better art than the original.)
- Red or blue lights on power bumpers
- Lights for Death Star
- Blades for the inside cabinet sides above the playfield. There are mirrored blades and SW art.
- Replace black metal with chrome. Legs, side rails, coin door. I’m unlikely to do this, but it looks real sweet in the pictures I’ve seen.
- Replace yellow targets (5 x-wing targets and Death Star target) with SW images
- Or replace x-wing targets with translucent plastic and light from below
- Add lights under the Force and Sarlacc scoops
- Light-up flipper buttons
- Light saber flippers
- Flipper button guards (to protect wood around the buttons) (turns out the metal side rails dip down to surround the flipper buttons, so this is not necessary)
- Glow balls
Done:
- Power switch (Oct 2021)
- CPU ROM v1.07 (Nov 2021)
- NVRAM (Nov 2021)
- Cliffy’s Protectors (Sarlacc pit, out hole, switch slots, Jan 2022; Force scoop, Feb 2022)
- PinSound Plus (Jan 2022) & headphone station (Mar 2022)
- ColorDMD (May 2022)
