Indiana Jones was my third pin purchase. It was boughtin 2005 off a local pin dealer, Randy Paris, for a good price. A little work and time and this pin cleaned up nice.

Hard to really tell from the picture, but this pin was filthy. It had several broke and warped plastics as well as broken plastic posts and rubbers. The cabinet art was faded and there was a little damage to the cabinet.

The cab also had the typical fade...

The head and playfield were then removed from the cabinet (as well as all screws, bolts, rails, and buttons) and original cabinet decals were removed with a industrial-strength heat gun and a putty knife. Total time to remove all decals was approx. 1.5 hours.

After the art was removed, the cabinet was sanded with an orbital sander with 60 grit sandpaper to remove any remaining glue. The cabinet was repaired with Heavy Duty Elmers Wood Filler and again sanded.

The cab was then painted with 2 coats of black, semi-gloss spraypaint.

While the cab was drying the bolts, head brackets and coin door were cleaned and painted to make them look like new.

Prior to applying the decals I wiped the cabinet with a cloth/hand to remove any dirt or debris (Ensure you do this as any raised texture on the cabinet will be noticable once the decals are applied).

Reproduced decals from Marco Specialties were then applied to the cabinet.

Techniques vary and after searching the newsgroups for opions and benefits and rawbacks, I decided I would give the windex method a try.

The windex method involves sparying the cabinet with windex and then applying the decal (just like applying tint to a window). The reason for the windex is that it allows time to move and adjust the decal into position.

I used the windex method on the coin door decal first and it went on and I was able to adjust it to where I wanted it. The only drawback to this is the drying time takes too long (approx. 3 days). However, trying to apply the coin door decal dry might have been dificult with the gap the removed coin door leaves.

The rest of the cabinet decals were applied with the dry method which is just too easy if done right.

For applying the decals via the dry method I placed the decal at one end of the cabinet and lined it up. Then I ensured that the decal was lined up at the other end while my helper (wife) held the decal in place at the initial end. Once I was pleased and checked 3 times that this was where I wanted the decal, my wife and I switched locations (with someones hand holding the decal in place at all times). I then lifted the decal at the starting point and peeled the backing paper approx. 2 inches and folded it back. Then while holding the decal in the air, I began to apply the decal where the decal and backing paper meet until it down thus creating an anchor point. I then switched with my wife and held the other end of the decal in the air while slowly pulling the backing paper away from the anchor point. While I was peeling, my wife went back and forth with a soft, clean cloth pushing the decal on the cabinet.

After the decals were applied to a side, I trimmed the decals approx 1/8" from the sides to give a uniformed look. I used a brand new box cutter and a 24" straight edge to make the cuts straight and precise.

Once all the decals were done, I began to reassemble the cabinet. The holes for the gun, flipper and coin-up buttons were cut out using an exacto knife. The holes for the bolts and screws were made by simply pushing the bolts or screws through the decal into their holes.

The playfield was then stripped, cleaned and waxed. All new plastic and metal posts, bulbs, balls and rubbers were added.

An entire set of plastics was purchased off eBay for an astonishing $100. These were not billed as NOS, but could easily pass for it. Plastic protectors by Orbit Pinball were purchased and installed to complement and protect the plastics.

The flippers were rebuilt and new flipper bats were added.

German plane and biplane reproductions were purhcased and installed.

Playfield added and machine put in place in gameroom.

Next thing I needed to attack was the habitrails. These were looking really rough and detracted from the game. I weighed several options (ie. electroplating, polishing and anodizing) before deciding on just repainting them.

I know, I know, I know... REPAINTING THEM!?!?! Just hold your gasps until you finish reading about the process.

I read on RGP that someone recommended using oven cleaner to bring old and tarnished pinball legs back to life. So I figured I could do the same to remove the old and nasty-looking coat of whatever was on them.

Nasty looking habitrails...

The Tools...

I used your typical, heavy-duty oven cleaner. make sure that you use this stuff in a well ventilated area as the fumes are strong!

I first layed down a couple of layers of newspapers on a flat surface and proceeded to pu a heavy coat of oven cleaner on the habitrails. I then waited about an hour. I then used paper towels to remove all the gunk to reveal clean and shiny metal.

Three coats of Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer were then applied to the ramps, providing 45-60 minutes in between coats to allow habitrails to dry.

In the forefront you can see the habitrails post oven cleaner. Note the shine on it. I was really impressed with the effectiveness of the oven cleaner. In the back some habitrails with a coat of the primer.

After the primer was applied and time allowed to dry, 3 coats of Rustoleum Metallic were applied. This really added a cool effect and made the ramps pop a little.

Several coats of Rustoleum Crystal Clear Enamel were applied to provide a layer of protection against chipping and as a little gloss to the habitrails.

Now to attack the gun...

The tools...

I used the same process for the gun that I used for the habitrails. I used Rustoleum Black Flat Protective Enamel as a base coat followed by several coats of the Rustoleum Metallic.

Three coats of the Crystal Clear Enamel and the gun is ready to go.