Larry Hammer's

 Lawrence Hammer Lawrence Bruce Hammer L. B. Hammer Lawrence B. Hammer

Pinball Playfield Restoration

Eight Ball Deluxe

Wilmington Delaware Green Lane Pennsylvania Wilmington, Delaware Green Lane, Pennsylvania Sumneytown Boyertown Boyertown Area High School Chemistry Teacher MST Math Science Technology MST Jan Janis

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Eight Ball Deluxe is a classic game. So loved, that one of the first computer pinball games was a reproduction of Eight Ball Deluxe (EBD).
Unfortunately, the machines are either totally beat up, or they have been restored and are extremely costly. For those of us willing to try, the best thing to do is to purchase a beat up game and restore it.
I purchased a fairly beat up machine that had some electrical problems and the playfield was worn through.
There are several sources for pinball playfield overlays: A great resource for overlays is Fabulous Fantasies. They have great looking mylar overlays, which is what I used. Other sources include Phoenix Arcade, Arcade Shop, and Classic Arcade Grifix. (Arcade Grafix seems to have gone out of business.)
Once you have selected the source of your supplies, the next question is how to accomplish the restoration?
First, prepare an area to work on the playfield. You will need to support the playfield so the parts hanging underneath do not get damaged.
I supported my playfield to two saw horses, on the top and bottom of the field. This is tricky, since a small movement of the playfield can send it crashing to the floor. Plus sag can be a problem once the wood edging is removed. You may want to consider building a frame to support the playfield on all four sides.
Unplug all of the electrical connection from the playfield and remove it from the machine. Get a second person to help you. Place it on the supports you set in place on the previous step.
Next , get a digital camera and take pictures, pictures and more pictures. If you think you have taken enough, take more.
Before you do anything, take close ups of the entire playfield. Then, remove the plastics and take a second round of pictures. Finally, take pictures of the stripped playfield.
After you have removed the plastics, the tricky part starts. It is easy to dismantle. It is much harder to put it back together.
I would suggest that you do two things: 1) get a copy of the playfield locations from the service manual, and 2) get lots of tracing paper and tape it together so it is large enough to cover the playfield.
In EBD, there are four different types of screws (machine, wood, machine with screw top, wood with screw top). Additionally, there are two different plastic posts (two heights). It is important to know where they go! Make notes on the copy of the playfield locations. If you cannot get a copy, then draw one!
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