Lurch's Maintenance TipsLurch's Maintenance Tips
When playing pinball, nothing beats a well maintained playfield. Here is some good, sound advice on how to keep your The Addams Family Pinball machine in top condition for years to come.
Cleaning Playfield and Parts - To clean the playfield, first remove the glass cover. I use a shop vac with a special modified attachment to clean the hard to get spots first, then a brush attachment to dust and get main areas of the board. Next, spray Novus Plastic Polish and Protectant on the entire playfield and rub it in with a soft, cotton cloth. (A good substitute for Novus is Armorall Plastic cleaner, available in auto parts stores). Do not use paper towels, because they have a tendency to break down and leave little bits of residue on the playfield that could effect the ball play. If an area is "gummed-up", try lightly brushing the area with some Windex and a toothbrush. Do not use harsh chemicals or oils on the playfield! They may tarnish the metal, fog up the mylar, and cause cracking. Next, using the ejector function on the door test switches, eject the balls and polish them with a good metal polish, such as Turtle Waxes chrome polish. Inspect your balls often! If any chips or cracks show, replace them. A small chip in a ball will make the ball act like a wild sanding machine and ruin your playfield. Next, remove the rubber flipper bands, wash them in a sink with soap and water, dry them, and spray them with rubber protectant to keep them from drying out. When you put them back on the machine, rotate them on different flippers to help maintain their life.
Cleaning glass - While you have the glass off, clean both sides of the glass with Windex or other glass cleaner and paper towels. Also, clean and wipe grooves where glass slides in on the machine.
Leveling the Machine - The Owner's Manual recommends a very precise angle to level your machine at. I followed the recommendations, and I was not satisfied with the game play (the ball rolled to slow and got stuck behind props). I suggest rolling the balls up and down the playfield at various angles, and adjust the leg levelers according to the way the ball responds to this test. This is a matter of personal taste, and there really is no science to it. Especially make sure to roll the ball to Thing and watch the ball reaction when it is ejected, and roll it into the swamp to watch the reaction. If it gets stuck in either of these two places, check Thing's Handy Repair Tips. (Note: Two of the most troublesome areas the ball gets stuck is behind the bookcase and in the swamp).
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Here is a link to hundreds of maintenance tips from Mr. Pinball: Mr. Pinball's Tip Archive
Other Links to Pinball Cleaning Tips:
Mike Minchew's Restoration Tips
Restoring Flipper Pinball Machines
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