Q*bert. A man and his grail... FINISHED !!!

[level42]

One tip I'd like to share maybe not everyone knows:

In between painting sessions I used to intensely (try to) clean the roller. Often that failed and I simply used a new roller because there still was paint left in the roller that had dried out and would screw up your next coat.

However this is still a waste (and if you clean it's a lot of messy work and terpentine to be used) and I heard about this tip somewhere.
First time I tried it I expected nothing from it but.....it works great and have used it ever since:

When you're ready with painting wrap the roller in aluminium foil, do it carefully so it is fully closed.

The next day, simply unpack and roll away again ! The paint left in the roller is still fluent and I have done this cab 6 times with one single roller

I do use fresh aluminium foil each time... else too much risk of holes that will let in air.

[level42]

Aluminium foil rocks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-0TEJMJOhk

Sad the Americans found it too hard to pronounce it correctly 

[atarimania]

Many thanks for this tip!!! Cleaning the roller is really a pain 

[ckong]

When you're ready with painting wrap the roller in aluminium foil, do it carefully so it is fully closed.

Yeah, works great, we are doing this since years, easy solution.

[level42]

I love when things get into the "make better" face instead of "prep fase".....

Bought some new kind of black spray paint....

Motip Carat black matt.

Sprays very even and I realy really like the result.

[level42]

Let's do this !

[level42]

Done.

Used the wife's hair dryer to fold over the edges.... but I felt like a little more heat would have been better......but it worked....

I have some doubt if it was wise to go with black paint on the panel.....seems to shine through a bit on the yellow parts.......but there's no way back now and its not a big thing....

[Tyrem]

I have some doubt if it was wise to go with black paint on the panel.....seems to shine through a bit on the yellow parts.......but there's no way back now and its not a big thing....

had the same problem with my crystal castles back then. at the moment i am doing my gyruss and i will leave this cp the way it is and compare the results.

[Luigi]

I have some doubt if it was wise to go with black paint on the panel.....seems to shine through a bit on the yellow parts.......but there's no way back now and its not a big thing....

had the same problem with my crystal castles back then. at the moment i am doing my gyruss and i will leave this cp the way it is and compare the results.

So it's now the bare metal or already some sort of paint?

[Tyrem]

So it's now the bare metal or already some sort of paint?

after stripping the cpo it is just bare metal. i will sand an clean it and then i will apply the cpo on the metal. just like it used to be.

[level42]

Well, I guess that depends on factory because this one was painted black originally !

[level42]

Black leathered T-molding arrived !

They tried to deliver the package yesterday, that was 4 days from the shipping date in the US !!!!! An absolute record, usually it's about 6 or 7 days...still beats what the German guys have to go through

Picked it up from the post office today.......the trackball is for Luigi

[Luigi]

damn...now I have to install a LED underneath the trackball assy


Looks great, can't wait to see it glowing

[level42]

Better get a super bright big LED for it buddy, the one on my 2 1/4" is already very very bright, I mean laser/eye-burning beyond repair bright

Let's finish the CP  !

I had some buttons that I thought were OK for Q*bert. No idea where/when I got them from anymore and if they were sold as Q*bert buttons or not....but I had some clear doubts about them.

First of all, they have 4 "spokes" in the plunger. I have been googling for Q*bert control panel pictures that were clear enough to clearly see how the start buttons look, but none of my preceding restorers managed to take a freaking decent picture.....but I'm pretty sure now.

I didn't have the correct buttons....but then I remembered that Joust US version has the same buttons, at least I'm 99% sure they are the same......AND that I got a US control panel with my 2nd Euro Joust.....

So I dug it up:
Yep, those look correct.

[level42]

By the way, I never realized that Joust's start buttons were originally back-lit:

Now....I don't have a use for this Joust CP as I only have Euro Williams machines....the only thing I really want from it are the joysticks and the blue flap button. All the rest is....useless.

So....little harm to remove the start buttons and put them in the Q*bert CP

I cleaned them, washed them, de-rusted the springs and e-clips and made some comparison pictures that ARE clear.....well clear enough..

Left is the original Joust/Q*bert button, right the (wrong) replacement. 3/4 spokes is clear enough