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Thread: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

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    Eye Shooter Mrtoad's Avatar
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    Default Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    Hi,

    I'm almost at the point in my latest restore where I will seperate the front case from the playfield to replace the cell. I have done this three times prior and it stresses me out extremely. The first two I did I used a method of using a hammer and a block of wood banging for the back of the playfield to do the separation and the wood spacers shattered and was not a fun experience. The next I used a pry bar and separated slightly then used a dremmel to cut the nails and then after separated I either cut the nails off flush and left pieces in or banged out the pieces with a punch and hammer. It was less stressful but I am not sure if there is a better method but as I will be ready soon to do this I wanted to get some other ideas. Please share.

    Thanks in advance,
    Mike
    Restoring the past - Super-8 and Signal

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    Eye Shooter cardwwi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    I used a flat pry-bar to carefully remove the playing field from the wood frame, working around the playing field a little at a time. Then hammer out the nails also using a clamp next to the nail to keep the playing field from separating as I pull them
    Unless you try to be more than you are, what you are is all you will ever be.
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    Kungishi Tink's Avatar
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    Default Re: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    I use a combination both your methods, a block of wood on the face of the cell to start the separation, then a pry-bar and/or claw hammer to complete the separation. Once removed, a hammer from the back side if the nail heads are not protruding. Once the nails are up a bit, I grab them with pliers or a vise grip and rotate them out, they seem to spiral out quite nicely usually once they have moved a bit.

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    Eye Shooter Mrtoad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    Thank you both. Are these the most common methods? Anybody else?

    Hopefully will start pulling the pins tomorrow. I am just about done cleaning the back. Tis a tad gross... Much dirtier than the others I have done.
    Restoring the past - Super-8 and Signal

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    Pachi Puro emmadog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    not too many ways to skin this cat. just have to pry it off carefully after making sure there's no hidden fasteners. i insert wooden wedges as i go to keep the parts separated. once apart, i discard the old wood screws and use new ones when reassembling. if nails were used, then those are replaced with wood screws as well.
    EM Pinballs & Arrangeballs

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    Eye Shooter Mrtoad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    Quote Originally Posted by emmadog View Post
    not too many ways to skin this cat. just have to pry it off carefully after making sure there's no hidden fasteners. i insert wooden wedges as i go to keep the parts separated. once apart, i discard the old wood screws and use new ones when reassembling. if nails were used, then those are replaced with wood screws as well.
    thanks, the wedge idea is a good one. All of these are way less stressful that my first attempts knocking the entire thing off with the block and hammer.
    Restoring the past - Super-8 and Signal

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    Eye Shooter Mrtoad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    Thanks again everybody. I used Bill's method and it worked great. I purchased a workmate earlier this year for another project and it really helped with this. I had in the past had done this with it standing at my feet and it was very difficult. This took me about 20 min to do it this time with little damage to repair (side spacer cracked but not bad).

    Thanks again!
    Mike
    Restoring the past - Super-8 and Signal

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    Default Re: Separation anxiety - pls share your method for cell replacement

    After over 100 restores, my methods have evolved. I use a wood chisel to start the separation process. Then I move to a flay prybar, and then finally a claw hammer to finish it off. To remove the nails from the playfiled I bash them down on the points with a hammer, and then use a nail-removal tool from Harbor freight to get them all of the way out from thew back. The real trick is to take it slow and gentle, and don't get in a rush.

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