Comments:

Marble Madness is one of those games that has floated on and off my wanted list since I started collecting.  I really wanted to add some games that could be played by two players simultaneously, so when this one showed up locally, I couldn't pass it up.  This machine is a great candidate for a full restoration.  Guess I can finally put the new compressor and sprayer to work.

Upgrades & Repairs:

-installed trackball rebuild kit

Still Needed:

-cab needs to be painted

-need to install sideart (installed

-need to install cpo (installed)

-return to games

ZOO KEEPER RESTORATION

4/1/04

At the past San Jose Super Auction, I spotted this Aliens in a dedicated Zoo Keeper cab. A local collector friend has some of the parts I need to convert it back, so I decided to go for it. This is what the game looked like when I brought it home (yuck).

Unfortunately, whoever did the conversion, used oil based paint. It has been rather difficult to remove, but as you can see in the next couple of pictures, I was able to remove a lot of the paint. I tried a few different products. 3M Safest Stripper and Goof Off were both too powerful. They were removing the original art as well. I then tried a product called Oops. This did nothing. The last product I tried was Goof Off 2. I sprayed on Goof Off 2 and would let it sit for a good 10 - 15 minutes. I removed the black paint using a razor blade. It took about 8 hrs to remove all the paint, and I still don't have any feeling in my right pointer finger:)



The results are by no means perfect, but I can live with that until I can locate another cabinet considering the rarity of this game.



I was hoping the front would turn out the best, since the sides will most likely be hidden from view between two games. Unfortunately the front actually turned out the worst. Since the art on the front is fairly simple (compared to the sides at least), my plan is to stencil the front. Luckily there is a enough of the original art there to make the stenil.



This is what the game looks like right now. In addition to repainting the front, I plan on touching up the sides a bit too.

5/31/04

Finally got to work again on my Zoo Keeper. I have decided that it would be best to just repaint the entire cabinet. The process is super slow, but so far so good. I basically lay down a coat of the orange and let it dry. I can make out the blue art through the paint, so I just go over it with a fine brush (2 coats). You can see what I mean here.

Here is the head all finished up.

Looks pretty good when you compare it to a close up of a before pic

6/12/04

I was able to work on my Zoo Keeper again these past two weekends. Last weekend, I managed to complete the brick area and the rest of the lion. This pic shows the newly painted side right next to the untouched side.

This weekend I made a stencil to complete the area with the rhinos. I made the stencil using acetate film, and mounted it using 3M Basting Spray. The stencil was a little hard to manage as one pic, so when I do the other side, I will probably cut the stencil into three pieces.

Here are the rhinos all finished up.

This pic here shows the entire side. I have a little work to do on the leaves towards the top, and still need to tackle the bottom portion. Not quite sure how I am going to do that.

I also managed to locate all the parts I needed for the de-conversion except for a marquee. I may have to have one printed.

5/22/05

I can't believe it has almost been a year since I last touched this project. I guess that will happen when you are planning a wedding and doing home improvement projects almost weekly. Today I made some great progress. I was getting ready to repaint the front panel that I had stripped last year, when I remembered that a local collector had given me a spare (picture below)..

Like my ZK front, this one was painted over with black oil based paint. For some reason though, I had a lot better luck removing the paint. This front did have a good amount of water damage along the bottom edge. I cut that away at the puffy wood with a razor blade. I then applied a layer of bondo along the bottom 1 - 2 inches and sanded smooth.

Here is the final product. I touched up all damaged areas. I also had to touch up a few areas where the black paint just did not want to come off. Another year or two, and I should be done!

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