Asteroids and Centipede restoration

[joeks]

Hi,

Recently I got my first two Atari machines, an Asteroids and a Centipede!
And now I am busy restoring them.

Asteroids to do list:
- Install leg levers
- Install proper leaf switches instead of microswitches
- Install light fixture and make wooden board to support it.
- Repair busted and missing corners
- Repaint front panel
- Repaint coin door and marquee brackets (black)
- Find coin door bezels and $0.25 button parts.
- Fix hum in speaker
- Replace t-molding
- Maybe replace caps on PSU and audio board.

Centipede to do list:
- Rebuild trackball
- Repair wood damage, replace front panel, bottom of cabinet and bottom half of both sidepanels with new wood.
- Install leg levers
- Remove old side art and replace it with new side art
- Test pcb and monitor since game was not working (red led did glow on pcb while power on, so PSU should be good).
- Install light fixture
- Repaint coin door and marquee brackets and speaker grill (black)
- Replace t-molding
- Maybe replace caps on PSU and audio board.
- Install new CPO and Atari cone buttons

Concerning the Asteroids, amongt other things, the corners of the side panel on the bottom front are totally busted (The Centipede is a bit worse, I know  )
I am using bondo to fix it up, but what is the original corner radius of both cabs?

When I google for pics, Centipede has a 90 degrees square corner most of the time, Asteroids is a little rounded most of the time.
Can anybody confirm please?

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Centipede and Asteroids restoration by barrybuise, on Flickr

Centipede and Asteroids restoration by barrybuise, on Flickr

Centipede and Asteroids restoration by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Centipede and Asteroids restoration by barrybuise, on Flickr

Centipede and Asteroids restoration by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

by barrybuise, on Flickr

[Etienne MacGyver]

Damn ! some serious work ahead of you, but cool to read 

Goodluck ! 

[anunaki]

very nice Barry!!

[retrocab]

very nice keep the pics coming

the centipede has had a rough life

good luck

gr robert

[level42]

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

In the US, most guys would throw these from rooftops after parting them out.....

The _good_ think about the condition of the Centi is that you don't have to doubt between replacing the artwork or not....you simply have no choice

[gyruss]

In the US, most guys would throw these from rooftops after parting them out.....

 

[Superully]

woho, this is going to be a tough one - good luck!!!

[lesoleil70]

In the US, most guys would throw these from rooftops after parting them out.....

 

sad and true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PlGhKuE1Rc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejiWIDvgAhY

[joeks]

Thanks for the replies guys!

About the original side art, I would have loved to keep it.
But the wood damage reached pretty far underneath the side art. I had to cut off 20 cm to get rid of it all.
For some time, I hoped to be able to keep the original art and re-paint the white surrounding the graphic by carefully masking it.

So, today I cut off the bottom of the Centipede with my circular saw and cut the new bottom pieces.
Only sad thing, since 19mm wide wood material is hard to come by over here, I decided to use the back door for it.
So I also have to build a new back door out of 18mm MDF, which shops DO sell.

Next step, glue and reinforce the new pieces to the bottom of the cabinet.

And I am going to cut off the broken piece (next to where the cp would be) on which I already applied some bondo.
Trace the contour of the cabinet's other side, cut it out and glue/staple it on the broken side.
Will be cleaner and faster than multiple layers of bondo.

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

Untitled by barrybuise, on Flickr

[ckong]

Hardcore!   

This is true arcade lifestyle. Keep it up.  I guess that you now have no other choice than making a US-style cab out of it,  artwork wise.  Are you going to replace the marquee and bezel also?

[joeks]

Well, I do like the US version of the marquee better, with the dark blue.
Then again, I like the Irish side art with pink outline more than the US one with yellow outline I think.
But not a bad idea to get myself a US marquee and bezel to be honest. New sideart is already arrived.

[Etienne MacGyver]

Very smart to use the backdoor barry !

Love those ways of thinking 

[joeks]

Well I'd rather pick up a new sheet of 19mm particle board if I could, but all shops only carry 8, 12, 15, 18 and 22mm.
Found some wholesale retailers online that did have 19mm, but then I'd have to buy a sheet of 4 meters wide for about €100 orso.

[Laszo]

     hardcore indeed...... Make sure you kill the bugs (houtworm) in the wood! You don't wanna have these in your house!

[joeks]

I think the woodworms are already long gone.
But to be sure and to make everything neat, I'll replace the complete bottom except back panel with power switch.