Pinball Machine Refurbishing
Process
Our primary goal at BMI Gaming is giving our customers the
most reliable pinball
machines
possible! We strive to deliver to all of our clients the most fun and
trouble-free games
they will
ever own. Coupled with our own award-winning
customer support staff and very experienced
game technicians and restoration experts, few can equal our
level of commitment in this area.
Prices on our refurbished games
reflect the many hours of expert labor that each machine
undergoes
during the restoration process.
This level of care not only increases the value and
appearance
of your game,
but makes
it play and last as long as possible without repair..
All
of
this means getting a better and more reliable
pinball machine that
will hold up longer,
requires
little
or no
service down the road and retains a much higher resale / trade-in value.
All of our refurbished games come with our
90-Day Refurbished Game Warranty
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Our 15 Step
Complete Pinball Restoration Process |
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Remove, Clean & Polish Playfield Parts -
We strip the playfield of parts, then hand-clean
and hand-buff
playfield parts that were removed,
then
repair any parts not up to
our standards. Plastic & star post are
hand-cleaned with a toothbrush. Any post that can't
be
cleaned, or that is cracked or broken is replaced. Metal parts
are hand-cleaned, and
then hand or machine polished
as needed. Playfield plastics and ramps are hand-cleaned,
and then shined with Novus plastic
polish if needed.
Average Time :
7 - 12 hours |
|
Clean & Polish Playfield -
We then proceed to
completely hand-clean
and
hand
polish
the game's
playfield. We use special and expensive playfield cleaners
and
polishers
to do this
(depending if the playfield
surface is wooden, clearcoated, mylared
or Diamond-Plated)
and we finish up with a
few coats of
polish or
wax if needed or required.
Average Time: 3 - 6 hours |
|
Reassemble Playfield Parts -
We then start the process of reassembling the playfield from top to bottom. We
start out by replacing all light bulbs, then install the metal
parts such as pinball guides, plastics, bumpers and wire forms. Then we install
the pop bumpers and their assemblies, replacing any broken or worn out parts as
we go along.
Then we install plastic, star and metal posts, replacing them as needed, install
all-new
rubber rings, then put back the plastic pieces and larger assemblies like
plastic / metal
ramps, playfield toys, motors, etc
Average Time : 7- 12
hours |
|
Replace Rubber Rings - All the rubber rings on the playfield are now replaced
with new,
high-quality, heavy-duty rubber ring sets for that fresh, new "factory" look and
feel.
Average Time : 1
hour |
|
Replace / Clean All Light Bulbs -
We replace just about every light bulb on
all games
we sell
and then
test them all to be sure everything is working as it should be. We replace lamps with
high-quality brand new ones,
even the large flashers on some newer
games. We also clean
and replace all lamps
on the underside of the playfield and make
sure to include a few extra
boxes of
bulbs just for you in case you need to replace them
down the line free of charge.
Average Time : 1 - 2 hours |
|
Clean Interior Light Lenses - We then wipe clean
all light lenses (its where
bulbs
shine through plastic lens from underneath the playfield). These are usually very dirty in used machines, and
if they are
dirty, lights will not glow as brightly as they should, and give a game
playfield that "old" or "worn" appearance. This important lens cleaning
will greatly add to
"rejuvenated" appearance of the
your playfield and the overall game experience.
Average Time : 1 hour |
|
Clean Cabinet Interior &
Exterior -
After our work on the playfield is done, we
clean
and vacuum the inside
of each game's cabinet
as best as possible.
After cleaning the interior
and exterior of the game, we will
often touch up small nicks, scuffs
and
scratches in
the cabinet finish, if present. Most pinball collectors prefer
pinball machines in
their
"original" condition and do not want to have the outside
cabinet paint "touched-up". Some games are also not
able to
be touched-up. If you would prefer
not having any touchups done, please let
us know your preference,
if any, before you order your game.
Average Time :
1 - 3 hours |
|
Clean, Repair & Paint Coin Doors
- We
remove, disassemble and clean most
parts
on
the coin door assembly.
We make sure that all 25 cent coin mechs are working
and complete. We then paint the door if needed,
or
replace it if worn beyond repair.
Most homeowners will never use the coin mechanism, and request us to set
the game for "free-play", but we make sure the
coin door
and mechs look and work as close to new as possible.
Average Time : 2 - 3 hours |
|
Backbox Cleaned -
The "backbox", where the "backglass" (glass) or "translite"
(plastic) game art
on
the front of the game is located, is removed and thoroughly cleaned.
Average Time: 30 hour
|
|
Clean & Polish Pinball Legs
- We clean, refurbish or replace all four legs on
every game we sell
to factory specifications to give the legs on your game that like-new look.
Average Time : 1 hour |
|
Install New Leg Levelers -
We install shiny new leg levelers (used to level your pinball
machine for
optimum play) on all four legs
for
every pinball machine we sell, so
your
game has that factory-new look
and
feel, and to be sure your levelers operate correctly.
Average Time : 30 minutes |
|
Insert New "Mirror-Glazed" Pinballs: We replace all balls with new premium "mirror-glazed" pinballs
because older balls tend to be either rusty, have tiny rust pits and
or get lots
of scratches
from being played.
Scratched pinballs can also quickly damage
your
just-refurbished playfield -
We replace all pinballs with new
ones for that "like-new"
look and to
help protect and preserve the playfield finish and your investment.
Average Time : 10 minutes |
|
Checkout All Electronic Parts -
We check all the electronics and circuit boards
in the
games we sell to
make sure they are functioning properly, look good, and
will be
reliable for years
to come, as well as completely checkout the following::
-
All wiring and wiring harnesses are checked for
defective wires or connectors. -
All fuses / fuse holders checked for operation and rating, and replaced if needed. -
Remote-mounted battery holders are installed on older style machines that originally
used an
enclosed board-mounted battery unit. This gets the battery off the board,
and
avoids
damage if the battery were to leak (common problem
on old machines)
-
All batteries (used for game memory and high scores retention) are replaced
with
new alkaline batteries to prevent future battery corrosion and possible
board failure. -
Upgrades or modifications are occasionally made to older pinball circuit
boards to
help them run better and be more reliable in the long run.
Average Time : 3 - 6 hours
|
|
Auto Burn-In and Final Test & Inspection: This
is the next to the last step
in our restoration
process.
First we set each game (post 1980's) on its "Auto Burn-In" mode where
all of the games bulbs,
flashers, bumpers, flippers, displays, solenoids and other electrical
and
electronic components are tested and stressed continually for
24-36 hours to
make sure that
everything on the machine is working as it should be. If any game component should
not make
through this test, is it replaced, tested again, and then the entire
game undergoes one last
complete and
final top to bottom inspection to double-check everything is
working as
expected one last time before the shipping process begins.
Average Time : 2 - 3 hours (plus 24-36 hours
"Burn-In" time)
|
|
Game Manuals, Documentation and Play Cards:
We make sure to include with
all
machines the original game operation manual, either on paper (if a manual came
with the game) or in electronic format (using Abode
Acrobat (.pdf) files) via
our website. While most customers will likely never
need to consult a game manual, in any event, just about every
game we sell
already has its original operators handbook or manual on our web site for
easy
downloading, printing or reading online. We will then install two new "play cards" for your
game with basic game play goals and instructions (when available), otherwise we will ship the
game with a BMI Gaming play card or the cards
that were with the
game when we acquired it, if they are the original OEM cards.
Average Time : 30 minutes
|
|
Total Average Pinball Machine Restoration Time
: 35
to 65 Hours
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If you decide to order a refurbished game from us, the only thing we ask
of you is that you
please be patient - The last thing you want to do is "rush" a game restoration; by
allowing our
game technicians and restoration experts the time to complete the
process correctly, we will
not
have
to cut some "minor corners" to get your game out quickly that might affect your
game
in some minor way down the road - Please keep in mind that sometimes
during the process
we need a part
not in stock to complete the job, and it might
take a week or two to locate it,
so being patient is
important. If you need
a pinball machine quickly and in brand new
condition,
you might want to
consider
purchasing a brand new pinball machine from us.
We also can customize just about any pinball machine new or old, with
custom speakers
and subwoofers, custom lighting, custom game ROMs, custom hole
protectors, ramp protectors, and
other game items and upgrades sold on the
aftermarket; plus we can also customize just about
any machine with your company logo, products, slogans, pictures, etc. for trade
shows,
displays,
corporate lobbies or game rooms and promotional functions and
campaigns.
Have lots of questions about pinball machines? Click here for our Pinball Machine FAQ Page!
Want to learn more about the history of pinball? Click here for our History Of Pinball Page!
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