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Robotron upright - total restoration of stripped conversion
I've always wanted a Robotron upright. I own Defender, Joust ct, and have project Bubbles and Stargate. This will be completed this year.
I bought the stencil set from Gamestencils long ago. Harness long ago. I got a reproduction marquee when they were blown out for cheap. I FINALLY tracked down someone willing to sell a Phoenixarcade tinted glass repro bezel. I bought a control panel and restored it with new CPO last year. I have a boardset. I just need to restore this cabinet...
The cabinet was converted, but stripped of board and monitor by the time I got it. It has also been sanded. What was left of Robotron besides the wood? - speaker grill assembly, light, some wiring (hacked), brackets, both back doors, metal PCB plate.
The cabinet is pretty good, EXCEPT the MDF front panel got wet and the bottom front is about 2" thick at bottom. The sides, bottom, top, etc are great and will be simple to fill, primer and paint. Both back doors are turning to dust and will be reproduced. I've decided to cut out the front panel and replace with new MDF. Why MDF? Close as possible to original construction...machines cleanly...very little prep to get it ready to finish...it won't get wet again.
The lower back door has been crumbling into powder in the bottom of the cabinet:
I took a ton of reference photos that I won't post (boring), but I know I'll be replacing the ground braid and you can't have too many pictures. I removed the harness and put most of the hardware and screws in ziplock bags.
The board with the transformer has gotten wet and will need to be remade:
Here's the damage: I know a lot of folks would sand and bondo this, but I didn't want to put a band aid on it. Since the restoration is extensive by nature of de-converting and full cabinet repaint, I will go the extra step of replacing this panel.
I needed a template to replicate the coin door cutouts and various holes. I taped a piece of vellum paper down and traced what I needed..also took measurements.
I pryed and knocked out the blocking pieces:
The next pic will skip ahead a bit. I set my circular saw to just over 3/4" deep. I sawed up the middle of the panel. It actually pryed out fairly easily. The front was in dados in the side panels. Also, they drove 2"ish finish nails through the sides, securing the front panel.
The coin box was only attached to the front panel, not the bottom. The top and one side are MDF and are swollen. The plywood side is fine. Due to all the dados in the box construction, I'll just be making a new one:
Here you can see the finish nails, which I later extracted:
I bought the stencil set from Gamestencils long ago. Harness long ago. I got a reproduction marquee when they were blown out for cheap. I FINALLY tracked down someone willing to sell a Phoenixarcade tinted glass repro bezel. I bought a control panel and restored it with new CPO last year. I have a boardset. I just need to restore this cabinet...
The cabinet was converted, but stripped of board and monitor by the time I got it. It has also been sanded. What was left of Robotron besides the wood? - speaker grill assembly, light, some wiring (hacked), brackets, both back doors, metal PCB plate.
The cabinet is pretty good, EXCEPT the MDF front panel got wet and the bottom front is about 2" thick at bottom. The sides, bottom, top, etc are great and will be simple to fill, primer and paint. Both back doors are turning to dust and will be reproduced. I've decided to cut out the front panel and replace with new MDF. Why MDF? Close as possible to original construction...machines cleanly...very little prep to get it ready to finish...it won't get wet again.
The lower back door has been crumbling into powder in the bottom of the cabinet:
I took a ton of reference photos that I won't post (boring), but I know I'll be replacing the ground braid and you can't have too many pictures. I removed the harness and put most of the hardware and screws in ziplock bags.
The board with the transformer has gotten wet and will need to be remade:
Here's the damage: I know a lot of folks would sand and bondo this, but I didn't want to put a band aid on it. Since the restoration is extensive by nature of de-converting and full cabinet repaint, I will go the extra step of replacing this panel.
I needed a template to replicate the coin door cutouts and various holes. I taped a piece of vellum paper down and traced what I needed..also took measurements.
I pryed and knocked out the blocking pieces:
The next pic will skip ahead a bit. I set my circular saw to just over 3/4" deep. I sawed up the middle of the panel. It actually pryed out fairly easily. The front was in dados in the side panels. Also, they drove 2"ish finish nails through the sides, securing the front panel.
The coin box was only attached to the front panel, not the bottom. The top and one side are MDF and are swollen. The plywood side is fine. Due to all the dados in the box construction, I'll just be making a new one:
Here you can see the finish nails, which I later extracted:
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Shane on -
Hey Joey good luck with that restore. Caint wait to see the pics of all the progress. Our member here DPtwiz does factory reproductions of the Robotron cabs. You can check his work out in the Parts and Service directory in the groups section of the forum. He might be able to assist you if you need some exact mesurements or anything pertaining to that cabinet design or replacments wood pieces.
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Permalink Reply by Joey on -
I can't put the front panel in the dados, as originally done, but I have an idea to secure it really well, without looking obvious. Wherever the factory blocking pieces were, I'm going to use a Kreg jig and do pocket screws. Those pocket holes will then be covered with replacement blocking. That, combined with Titebond glue should make it appear seamless. The only dado I'll cut in the front panel will be where the bottom panel sticks out into it.
I'll secure the new coin box assembly in the same way, pocket screws, then covered by replacement blocking.
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Permalink Reply by Joey on
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One of the corners wouldn't hold a leveler. I decided to pry the pieces out and make it more sturdy.
Before:
I cut triangles from a 2x6, fastened to the bottom with screws and glue, and used the large leg leveler plates which 'just' fit:
New front panel has been cut for a tight fit, with the dado where the bottom panel fits, and pocket screw holes for extra reinforcement:
Glue applied to front edge of bottom panel and dado. Front panel in place:
Fast forward...Pocket screws have been installed, cutouts and holes traced onto the new panel. I drilled the holes and cut out the coin door openings with a jig saw. Test fitting un-restored lower door:
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Permalink Reply by Joey on
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Since the power block board got wet, I've cut a new one from MDF. I'm going to restore the components and clean up the rusty transformer. Before:
Heavy rust on the transformer brackets and service outlet bracket. I soaked them overnight in Fast Etch rust remover. I then replated them with zinc/tin metal, with the Eastwood Co kit:
The just plated finish is dull:
Then buffed with a shop towel (and service outlet reassembled):
I didn't get all of the crud off of the transformer brackets, so they're not perfect (and don't need to be), but it's a learning experience.
Currently the rough back/bottom edge of the cabinet is generously re-glued with Titebond II waterproof, and heavily clamped. Any delamination/chips are being reinforced and sealed.
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Permalink Reply by Joey on
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Another update:
I've cut the pieces for the new coin box part of the cabinet. The original had a swollen MDF top and one side, yet the other side was plywood. I made the top piece MDF (will be easier to make the holes for the PVC), but the sides, back, and shelf from 3/4" plywood. I did not remake it with a dado for the shelf, as you won't be able to see that joint when installed, but I did make the dado for the back piece to fit into the sides:
The particle board backdoor was crumbling to powder, and had swollen to 3/4" thick in places. I bought a 2x4 foot piece of 1/2" ply from Home Depot to cut the new one from. Here it is with the dado edge:
With careful measuring, I made all of the dimples and holes for the hinge:
The cabinet piece that the bezel sits on and is notched for the joystick bases was broken in the middle, as if the middle 'tab' was broken off. Since it fit into slots in the cabinet sides, I used a thin kerf saw to cut it up the middle and remove. I had some scrap 3/4" solid wood, cut it to length, cut the dado on the tablesaw, then marked it for the cutouts:
Since I couldn't get it back in the cabinet side slots, I beefed it up. 3/4" solid wood, attached at ends with pocket screws, attached to cross brace with Titebond glue, and 2" cabinet screws up through the bottom:
Looks original and rock solid:
To replace the transformer board, which is SHOT.. I cut a new piece from MDF, primered, painted it satin white, and drilled the holes:
All of the 1/2" by 1/2" strips that serve as back door 'stops' were MDF and swollen to some degree. All were removed and replaced with poplar strips, available at Lowes. That 1/2" thick piece that the hinge is mounted on is gone also:
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Permalink Reply by Shane on
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I just picked up a Off The Wall that is appears to be a Robotron cabinet and now that i see pics of yours iam 100% positive the cab i have is a Robotron. Mine is painted black so if i use some citristrip on it do you think it will destroy the stenciling ? What was the serial number on your cabinet ? Looks like your project is coming along good.
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Permalink Reply by Joey on
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I haven't used Citristrip, so I don't know.. It's possible and worth a shot. If you end up wanting to restore a Robotron to look 'new', then I recommend the stencils from gamestencils.com. I don't know the serial off hand, not sure that I got a pic of it and the cabinet is outside in the shed.
Joey
Shane said:I just picked up a Off The Wall that is appears to be a Robotron cabinet and now that i see pics of yours iam 100% positive the cab i have is a Robotron. Mine is painted black so if i use some citristrip on it do you think it will destroy the stenciling ? What was the serial number on your cabinet ? Looks like your project is coming along good.
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Permalink Reply by Joey on
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Here is the finished transformer board, with replated transformer brackets, new fuse holder, power cord, line filter.
Drilling 1&7/8" holes for the coin tubes on top piece of new coin box:
Skip ahead a bit........
The cabinet work was done, primered, block sanded until satisfactory. I sprayed the front, inner, top, back black areas with Rust-oleum satin black, bought in a quart can, thinned with acetone, sprayed out of HVLP gravity feed gun. Since I had plenty of paint left in the gun, I went ahead with the coin doors. Very pleased with how they turned out.
The "Pewter Luster" silver is a two stage system, Valspar at Lowes - There's a greyish base color, then a pearl base silver applied over that. At this point, the sides have just been primered:
The new back door was also sprayed with the Rust-oleum satin. The hinge was painted with rattle can Valspar satin black, which has a much duller sheen than the oil-based Rusto-leum, which seems more semi-gloss than satin.
I sprayed the grey base, and had some orange peel texture, so I lightly sanded it with 220 grit dry, then wet sanded with 320 wet/dry paper. There was enough thickness to the paint that I was not worried about breaking through. I then scuffed with grey pad, wiped with Naptha and we'll skip over the painful masking process...
Spraying the metallic pewter luster, 2nd stage of the finish - here you seen the uneven-ness, as it is partially wet.
Paint has dried for several hours and while it needs some more time, the paint looks totally even now:
This concludes the painting of the base metallic silver layer. I plan to let it dry for about a week, before I even think about applying stencils.
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Permalink Reply by Joey on
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A detail I forgot to mention- I did cut the recess for the lower coin door, using a spiral cutting bit in a router, free-hand. The door hinge is welded to the door frame, so a relief has to be cut for a small area. I think it's about 1/8" deep, and not seen after I have the doors back on.
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Permalink Reply by Joey on
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Some more progress...
I bought the stencils from Gamestencils what seems like years ago. Wondered if they would stick ok, and everything was great. Since this cabinet had no art when I got it, I looked at some pics of original cabinets to get an idea how to position the stencils. Should be pretty close.
I bought the blue and red at Sherwin Williams, latex semi-gloss. Spraying the blue:
I had a couple of tiny spots that I had to touch up, as I waited too long to remove the stencils and some edges peeled up. Luckily, the gaps were about 1/16" and pretty much will be covered by the red. All in all, came out great:
I cleaned the harness and replaced every single connector, using new housings and trifurcon pins. Time to start putting the wiring back in the cabinet:
Since I'm anxious and not worried about overspray, as I'll be masking everything off before I shoot the red, I installed the control panel and speaker stuff. I found an unhacked control panel, missing everything. Got NOS Wico bases, used start buttons and sticks, repro overlay, repro metal plates for the top where the joysticks go, repro cp wiring harness, and sockets/bulbs from Bob R.
The light fixture was redrilled for longer bulb, and has new sockets, starter, ballast, and bulb.
I taped the red stencil sheet up, got it aligned with the registration marks. Cut away the backing at the top, and I've started sticking it down, using a j-roller and patience.
Got both stencils on at this point:
Reg marks are a tiny bit off, but fine:
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Permalink Reply by Roadrunner000 on -
That is some fine work there...I'm amazed at the woodworking skills some you guys have as well as the tools..I'd love to just be able to replace large portions of cabs when needed..maybe when I get that bigger building.. :)
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