Tempest project complete

Tempest is finally working steadily. Game worked intermittently, but then constantly reset.

Molex headers at interconnect, on both boards, replaced with square pin type. All connector pins replaced with Trifurcon type. Bad solder joint seemed to be the issue, but connector replacement is cheap insurance.





I wanted to add a fan, without adding any holes. Although not the best placement, this 12v fan is attached to the monitor frame with zip ties. Very light and so quiet you can't hear it.



Fan is plugged in to the 12v and ground test points on the ARII. A supplemental ground wire connects the ARII to the Main PCB.

Dracula backbox - yellow layer, then black

Stencil for yellow layer applied-



Came out well-



At this point, black stenciled areas are complete. Backbox surround pieces were remade out of 3/4" MDF. Must note that original pieces were closer to 5/8". They were attached to box, using carpenters glue, with pin nails to hold in place. 16ga finish nails were used in the end joints.



Done. Ready to install new sheet metal piece inside.

Time to repaint the Donkey Kong Jr cabinet. It was sanded down, primered and painted about 8 years ago and turned out poorly. It was done in oil based paint, sprayed, and thinned with Penetrol. It wasn't thinned enough and sprayed poorly with giant runs.

I sanded it flat/smooth with 80 grit on a jitterbug sander, followed by one good coat of Valspar white primer.



I used Olympic premium interior latex, matched to the original colored melamine, from inside the cabinet. Sprayed out of an HVLP gun. The mix was about 85% paint, 5% Floetrol (flowing agent), and 10% water.

It looked rougher in the first couple of coats, and I ended up sprayed a total of 5 thin coats. After leveling out, the finish is VERY smooth.

Dracula restoration - backbox repaint - Part 3

Painting of the backbox:



Notice the knot/plug in the plywood and the number stamped in the side:



After first or 2nd coat.. Although it was latex, because it was sprayed, it went on thin enough that after 2 coats, the color wasn't uniform - thin in places.



Final product:

It wasn't slick like a car finish, but it wasn't bumpy either. Ample coverage, yet it doesn't appear too thick. Considering I'm using latex instead of lacquer, I'm happy with the results and compromise.





Finally, here are the new backbox trim pieces, cut from 3/4" MDF and sealed with several coats of Zinsser sealer.

Dracula restoration - backbox repaint - Part 2

Dings filled, sanded, primered, ready to paint:



The metal sheet will be replaced. If I'm going through the trouble of repainting, I might as well fix that corroded detail. More later on that.



I took a piece of the backbox trim with purple to Lowes and they matched it. If it's not dead on, it's a very close match. Bought a gallon:



Cheap HVLP gun, cost $30 10yrs ago. (added regulator and cheap filter)



The mix I used was 85% latex paint, 10% water, and 5% Floetrol. The Floetrol really seemed to help the paint flow, as in it would have looked like crap if I didn't use it. It seemed to spray on bumpy (sputtered out of the gun?), but smooth as it dried. Although the result was beyond my expectations, I will probably thin the paint a bit more next time.

Dracula restoration - backbox repaint - Part 1

The backbox was made out of 3/4" plywood. The surround/edge pieces of 5/8" fiberboard, similar to what Galaga cabinets were made of.

The top and side piece near the lock were swollen and damaged from insects and rot. I removed those pieces and made new ones from 3/4" MDF. These were originally sprayed so that the back edges of those trim pieces were base coat (purple) and not black, and the top face of the top piece was purple. I'll spray em black, use a pin nailer to secure and Titebond glue to reinstall, after the backbox is repainted.

Here are a few before pics of the Dracula backbox. Some dings and chips and some rough spots were filled where the trim pieces were removed. I did not use a paint stripper, but sanded though MOST of the factory paint to get a smooth base for the primer.

Already applied filler, but before final sanding and primer coats:

Gorf - power supply rebuild

I got the Gorf going with the switcher kit from ArcadeShop. Worked ok, but neither the joystick light nor the rank lights were working. I thought, for the cost of the p/s repair kit from Bob Roberts, I could use the switcher for something else.

Here is the board, as I got it, non-working:



A couple of the larger caps were split. Repair kit from Bob:



I installed all of the parts. Instead of just soldering the new LM339 in, I used machine pin socket strips. I also replaced the connector headers, as the originals were grey in places.

Test

This is a test post.. I'd like to start post updates of my hobbies, with pictures, ASAP.

Here's an older pic of a few of my games-