Ms.Pac gets a facelift and more...FINISHED !!!!!!

[Q*ris]

Thanks for the documentation and explanations, Dre!
Now I feel like:

[Etienne MacGyver]

Great job !

Installing with the wife is a challenge, but many times woman have a bit more feeling to this kind of job.

I remember that i freaked out when installing wallpaper, while my wife and a friend, just relaxed and put it on like they do this every day 

Looking great Dre !

[anunaki]

Great result, nice tutorial

 

[Muerto]

Saw the finished product on FB, and indeed it looked good! - only, now it´s not original anymore....
But each to his own, I can perfectly understand why you did what you did!

[level42]

Thanks guys. Well, considering how I did my last wall-papering job (which I decided was the last time ever) we managed great with the artwork

A little bit more about the bubble removing:

I made the hole on the "lowest" part of the bubble and then "squeegeed" from the top down, in other words you move the air towards the hole. Makes sense I guess. The hole on the bottom was my idea in case there would be any visible damage from the hole, but I really cannot see any, even with reading glasses You don't have to use any forced on the knife. At least not with this artwork from Phoenix Arcade

On the picture I have the knife in _WAY_ deeper than I did on the other pubbles because I held the knife with one hand, the other operated the camera. Even so, it was 100% invisible when done.
I just needed to "touch" the vast majority of the bubbles with the point of the knife to get a microscopic hole, which is enough to let out the air.

If you look at the pictures this may seem like a quick process, but because I don't do this everyday it takes a lot of time.

I spent a lot of time making 100% sure about the exact positioning. Also, as Rich's video's show....go slooooooooowww during the actual application.

Next up is the kickplate...

[level42]

Saw the finished product on FB, and indeed it looked good! - only, now it´s not original anymore....
But each to his own, I can perfectly understand why you did what you did!

Yes, that's a never-ending discussion I guess. I always weigh my decisions. In the case of the Bally-Midway Galaxian, the side-arts show some wear and on one side even scratched in initials. However, the overall look was still great and I didn't see any need to replace it.
However, on this Ms.Pac the sides were really worn on the usual spots (hand-on-cab-during-play) AND (and I see that on almost every Ms.Pac) the pink had really faded badly. There was no doubt in my mind IF I would re-do the artwork, only how (I actually had stencils here, but was lucky that Ully wanted them ).
I have no regret at all. This one will look factory fresh. Yes it's not original but even if you stencil it that would still be not the factory paint if you catch my drift....restoration = compromising. Sometimes more than other times.

So far I haven't done any rigorous restorations like this. Overall I've been very lucky with the condition of most of my cabs and none needed a full-rework (some still do, but the one's I restored so far didn't).

However, when you see it look "factory fresh" like this in real life, it does also give a very special feeling...

[Muerto]

Saw the finished product on FB, and indeed it looked good! - only, now it´s not original anymore....
But each to his own, I can perfectly understand why you did what you did!

Yes, that's a never-ending discussion I guess. I always weigh my decisions. In the case of the Bally-Midway Galaxian, the side-arts show some wear and on one side even scratched in initials. However, the overall look was still great and I didn't see any need to replace it.
However, on this Ms.Pac the sides were really worn on the usual spots (hand-on-cab-during-play) AND (and I see that on almost every Ms.Pac) the pink had really faded badly. There was no doubt in my mind IF I would re-do the artwork, only how (I actually had stencils here, but was lucky that Ully wanted them ).
I have no regret at all. This one will look factory fresh. Yes it's not original but even if you stencil it that would still be not the factory paint if you catch my drift....restoration = compromising. Sometimes more than other times.

So far I haven't done any rigorous restorations like this. Overall I've been very lucky with the condition of most of my cabs and none needed a full-rework (some still do, but the one's I restored so far didn't).

However, when you see it look "factory fresh" like this in real life, it does also give a very special feeling...

Youre right my friend, the discussion will always be there, and as you say, restoring is about compromise - but like i wrote, each to his own. You cant please everyone because there are so many different opinions, but all in all, its your cab, so youre 100% in charge of what should happen to it! 

[level42]

Yup

I'll dig up some pics of how it was when I got it and post them next to the restored one's.

[Laszo]

Hi André,

Well done, it looks great...... I find these cabinet art jobs nerve wrecking. I 've still have to man up and do one myself one day.

[level42]

Hi André,

Well done, it looks great...... I find these cabinet art jobs nerve wrecking. I 've still have to man up and do one myself one day.

Believe me, I went through it all But someday you just....have to do it

I went pretty Berzerk when I noticed all the small bubbles we had produced on the first 1/3 but you simply can't stop going. Although Rich suggests to use a heat gun to pull back the vinyl a bit, this may work on his vinyls, but I would definitely not do it on this....I am sure you'll end up stretching (and thus totally ruining) it.

That's another tip: keep going. We already learned that when Etienne and I did the first side, when you pause, there is much more risk on new bubbles....if you keep going slowly at the same pace everything seems to go best.

[Etienne MacGyver]

Did you paused here and there ?  i remember when we put it, only the botto start part was bubbling and the rest was pretty straight forward afair ?

[joeks]

It looks great Andre!
Almost makes me doubt between using stencils or vinyl for my Ms Pac-Man.

Good work!

[Reboot]

Very nice done, always nerv wrecking to do something like this

[level42]

Did you paused here and there ?  i remember when we put it, only the botto start part was bubbling and the rest was pretty straight forward afair ?

Yeah the funny thing is this time the bondo was all nicely sanded away and I re-did the primer.

Had problems when "flipping over" after I had done the very first inches on the base and also after that because I tried it alone. Maybe it's my physics but I couldn't manage and I also like freaked out a bit......even screaming for your help Etienne 

I also didn't put the beer crates under the cab this time and I regretted it later, it really is a lot easier to work on it on that level instead of your knees.....

Barry, wait 'till you see it for real The only serious drawback is the Namco copyright on it IMHO. That stings a bit but as mentioned, compromises have to be made

[Etienne MacGyver]

Yeah, working on the crates gives a perfect height which also makes you move more easy around it.

anyway, it turned out really well, and dont worry about the little punctures you needed to do to let the air out, even professionals do it like that.


I have see a episode of how do they do it on discovery when they wrapped a whole car with vinyl, and the also used that to remove the last bubbles.