Building A New Display For A Williams Whirlwind Pinball Machine!

[@AllanSitte]

Hope you all are safe and well after that wet deluge named Hurricane Helene. Best wishes to you and your families from hurricane free Wisconsin. 🙂

[@fisidave]

Looks like the south arrow on the compass is not lighting up except during multi ball

[@appliedengineering4001]

I wonder if it started working because of all the vibrations from playing multi ball. It does seem like a intermittent connection to me.

[@pauz2175]

Beat me to it. I noticed that too. Machine looks fantastic though Ron! Another great job!

[@billmccord2117]

I love the Wolffpac displays. The displays like this can seem overwhelming but the satisfaction of building yourself is worth it.

[@SiaVids]

Another reason that the battery board has two coin cells on it in parallel is so if you change them one at a time you don't loose settings.

[@adamboggs4745]

I am just about to build my blue Wolffpac for a Whirlwind I'm restoring as well! Some of the other LED replacements come with a filter film you can place over it so the segments aren't as pronounced. I asked David about it and he suggested I search for light gray headlight tinting film. I haven't tried it yet but thought I'd pass along the advice. Great channel!

[@simondempsey1]

You've bought a lovely machine back to life, looks fantastic.

[@justjoe942]

I'm glad your pinball skills have improved; that was fun to watch.

[@dlschgo]

Smart customer buying it rough, getting it almost perfect. A machine to be proud of.

[@midnitepagan9118]

It really cool that led replacements can be sourced found for these Newer style pinnies. Its best solution than having a broken display.

[@darrenxw3495]

Hi guys, I've never seen this one before. Wow what a cool game, it was worth every minute seeing this come back to its glory again. I like these era games A LOT lol. Thanks for mini series!! I've had a couple of late nights watching the videos, love it.

[@emrelabarjr6803]

Thanks for the video's on this. I actually own this very one. Unfortunately i have not turn it on in over 12years. It makes me want to dust it off and relive my child hood again. Thanks!

[@TomMannCenturia]

After all your work you've finished up with a lovely looking machine, now all you have to do is crate it up and send it to me in Ireland.😀 All the best.

[@Reality_Checkmate]

Those instructions call for rubbing alcohol Ron, not peppermint schnapps... we're watching you buddy.

[@ReallifeBambiDeerattheFarm1]

That looks like a fun game! Should make the next owner super happy!

[@pezjohnson]

Great work. I recently had Whirlwind in our tournament. Thanks for making the series of video on this.

[@kbramlett6877]

@ 4:45 when you were reading off the tools needed from the sheet, you mentioned alcohol. I am sure you required some after putting this thing together.

[@jasonrebello9898]

It's impressive people

[@TheRealLizardKing]

Great video series! It's always a joy! Off to watching the next one, I'm a bit behind my weekly dose of cool pinball repair videos :)

[@kenlanier2131]

Very cool Pinball machine, Looks Great!

[@TheJimbodean67]

Wheez….wheeez….(pinched nose nerdy voice) “I prefer the magenta plasma displays made between march and June of 1988 in Indonesia on the night shift by Batmen bin Suparman because I felt the crippling need to tell you for no reason”. 😆 solid work Ron, thanks for the video.

[@LyonsArcade]

Thanks! You totally understand it

[@williamnutley5509]

Thanks Ron. Enjoyed the adventure! Catch you on Friday.

[@pezjohnson]

I've done a couple of Wolff's kits. It's actually a lot of fun. Reminds me when I would build model rocket kits with my dad. Mr. Wolff makes a great product.

[@LyonsArcade]

I agree!

[@yesitreallyisme]

Glae to see you all back after that horrific Hurricane.

[@dennisbagatin4480]

Wow great job what a awesome pin

[@phildegruy9295]

Wow! That's a nice machine!

[@kenlanier2131]

:) I would have put just one resistor in backwards just to mess with the OCD folks.

[@kbramlett6877]

Ron, The emulation for the Pinball Hall of Fame games, both the Williams and Gottlieb collections for the Wii, is so spot on that you would have to play it just to experience it. I am sure you can find footage here on YT. Now, it is possible to launch the ball up that ramp if the conditions are right. If you have enough speed behind the ball, you can kick the ball up that ramp again with that flipper and either get Skyway tolls or possibly light up the E-Ball. I have done this on both the actual cabinet and the Hall of Fame. The target right below that ramp is your skill shot bonus. Just wait until you achieve Multi-Ball. That is when all hell breaks loose and if you aren't on your toes, your balls will drain faster than a keg of beer at a frat party. One last thing, I wish I was there to give this classic PIN a test run.

[@meltysquirrel2919]

🤓 What a cool game! 🤔 If anybody was looking for a Christmas present for me... Great job as always! So cool all the stuff that is available to keep these machines working and you guys always do a nice job fixing them up! 😃

[@cheeseparis1]

Gorgeous repair, your blue replaced the too blue true blue in a great way

[@WreckDiver99]

Vacuum formed mold. You can actually do that with a shop vac, vac table, and heat lamps. Small 'industrial' vacuum forming equipment (used) are actually pretty inexpensive. Adam Savage has one he recently acquired, and I think he said it was about $800 used. Since they make their ramps and other items, I am sure that their vacuum former has more than paid for itself. The mold isn't that bad, can be made from wood. I've looked at building my own vacuum former, but what I was going to need it for is no longer a 'need'....so...meh. :) LOL. Great stuff Ron. Like I said, this is pretty much the end of when I played Pinball on 'new' machines. After this they started getting beyond complex, too much crap going on, too many "tasks" to complete. Now all the machines have LCD screens with all kind of information being put on them, and you can't read that because you have to focus on the ball. Seeing more and more machines that are "virtual" now, and that's just sacrilegious to me!

[@naytch2003]

The pinball man can 🎶 the pinball man can, coz he fixes what is wrong and makes the damn thing work 🎶 👍😉

[@michaelhagin713]

Joe, you need to check the circuitry for the South compass light. It never comes one.

[@jamesk9375]

Amazing restoration video. Looks like a ton of fun. Also looks like the yellow arrow pointing south is not working. Great job as always

[@bobmonzo3137]

Great job as always.

[@davidehrler7850]

Hi Ron thanks for doing whirlwind one of my favorites

[@markjackson1444]

I’m pleased to see you still up and running after watching the devastation caused by Helene…..What a catastrophe! ….This Whirlwind turned out great, and I think the displays look really good. … and they don’t burn hot like the originals, … much better for long term home use. Great work Joe and Ron. See you on the next one.

[@macdaddyns]

Spectacular!

[@kakarrot62]

wow what an awesome game! as always great job Ron!

[@codemonkey2k5]

Hoping that Ron figures out that there is a light at the center of the wind rose that he forgot. What a great looking machine!

[@naytch2003]

I don't think so man...those lights are off on purpose 😉

[@codemonkey2k5]

@@naytch2003 I could be wrong but I swear that when he had the field up you could see a light bulb socket in the middle. But it never turned on during the light test. Not that big of a deal, just my OCD. ;)

[@bobhanner3929]

I notice one of the T-Shirts has been "Strategically" placed...😂😂 Do that Battlezone next!!

[@jeffl4810]

That topper is actually vacuum formed. Its surprisingly easy and low cost to do vacuum forming of plastic, especially for low production. Vacuum forming basically heats a sheet of themal plastic, and then applys a vacuum after being lowered onto a mold, sucking the plastic around the mold. The "mold" can even be made of simply wood for low production. A 3D scan of the interior of the original part, and a bit of time on a CNC router and its ready!

[@jeffl4810]

Many pinball parts are vacuum formed! After forming, they are cut/trimmed to final shape, and things like decals, plates, screens, etc added

[@Giraldus117]

18:42 I like that more solutions are created to deal with the issue of the batteries corroding these boards. What is the benefit of these new batteries over NVRAM options like Pinitech or another manufacturers have available?

[@VulpisFoxfire]

Another advantage of having two batteries for that replacement board--you can change one while the other keeps power to the memory, rather than losing and having to reset the settings.

[@carlstanland5333]

9:25 🎶We gonna rock down to, electric avenue, and then we’ll take it higher!🎶

[@TubeRadioRepairRestoration]

Batteries in series the voltages add up. Batteries in parallel voltage will be the same as each individual battery, the capacity adds up in parallel. Great video keep them coming

[@Ridenmy65]

Does look like a good game. Never played it...

[@jeffl4810]

@LyonsArcade @ron Use IC socket pins on the LED displays. That should put them closer to the panel glass. I like the machined socket pins, but use whatever you prefer. Note that they are avaliable in single rows, and should come in several heights

[@atmazee]

The music reminds me of Sonic Spinball for the Genesis.

[@ja031888]

I use Xpin displays as they do not require any soldering and are plug and play.

[@LyonsArcade]

I use Wolffpac displays as they require soldering and aren’t plug and play.

[@redschafer7804]

another great video that topper is awesome :D can you guys fix the Super Mario game in the background next i would love to see that one up and running

[@waynegram8907]

The Special Solenoids switches are wired directly to the Power FETs bypassing the CPU. I wonder why the special solenoids don't use the CPU to turn on/off the Power FETS?

[@robertmoore254]

It's a beautiful game but it seems the topper should be lit.

[@MartysRandomStuff]

They probably use vacuforming for the topper, all you need is a form usually made of wood and you suck a hot plastic sheet onto the form. Very quick, cutting the holes and attaching the grills would take longer than forming the plastic. I don't usually like games that use spinners or magnets to change the direction of the ball, usually they make the ball fly right into the drain, this one looks like it doesn't mess up the track of the ball as much as is looks like it should.

[@mdbelt1]

"This game is cool... literally.". 😂

[@Solitaire1]

Did an awesome job on this one. Looks like a great machine. I have never managed to come across one of those before ...But (in most whiney comment complainer voice possible) The sOuth LIght In tHe COmpaSS isn'T WORKing!

[@rickeymh]

Hi Ronnie! Thanks for another great tutorial video. Have you dabbled into Surface Mounted Devices? Primarily, have you done any SMT rework and if so, what do you think about it?

[@LyonsArcade]

I haven't messed with it much...

[@rickeymh]

@@LyonsArcade I first worked with SMT at Lockheed back in 1981 when I was a tech. However, most of my personal projects at the time were through hole technology. SMT for the DIY is a recent development. With the advent of these inexpensive SMT soldering stations, I find it much easier to perform rework with SMT now. Although I admit that these tiny components are a challenge for my tired, old eyes. However, I digress. I mention this because I read an article about a company that obtained a license from Williams/Bally to remake some of their later electronic machines overseas using older through-hole technology, because they claimed it was much easier to rework. Mastering both technologies, I find this a dubious claim.

[@2011MoJo]

we're going to rock down to Electric Avenue🎶🎵

[@kevwolf69]

I recently played the new "Twister" Pin at an event. That machine had all the bells and whistles, lcd screens, added ramp that drops the ball directly onto the spinners. To be honest I kinda prefer this machine. I just don't see the point of LCD screens playing footage while in the middle of a pin game? Just seems like a distraction to me. As always great vid!!

[@user-nd8zh3ir7v]

is it possible the old board just need the solder re-flowed? any how great video as always!

[@LyonsArcade]

Unfortunately we tested it out on an earlier video and the glass is bad

[@Vamptonius]

Is the topper a reproduction if it's made using the original mold from the original maker with permission?

[@iainodlin]

Outside of repairing damage, is there a reason to go to all the trouble and expense of removing the battery holder and replacing it with a different one that uses lithium buttons instead of just simply using lithium AAs on the original holder?

[@kbramlett6877]

Ron, I lied about the one more thing. If I am not mistaken, I saw Fun House on your sales floor that needs repair. When do you think you will be tackling that one?

[@cornbread1955]

👍👍👍😎☕

[@AerinRavage]

Regarding the LED depth difference, the only way I can see to match it to the plasmas' depth is to socket the LEDs or route grooves around the wooden board. Worth it to anyone?

[@stphinkle]

Looks like the bottom arrow lamp just burned out in this video.

[@deadhomer8468]

I figured out what's wrong with the display. It's broke

[@LyonsArcade]

How did you know?

[@deadhomer8468]

@@LyonsArcade I break a lot of stuff not on purpose so I know when something is broke 😁

[@anderslarsen1321]

I think the display would rather like to identify as BPOKE… 😅

[@dadgurt5430]

does the lady say 'tut tut looks like rain' or 'uh oh, looks like rain'?

[@chrisSP0234]

Hey Ron have you ever worked on a Checkpoint by Data East?

[@LyonsArcade]

I have not!

[@chrisSP0234]

@@LyonsArcadeHope you guys get one of them in! It’s so cool

[@jasonsteverson4609]

Hey Ron!!

[@LyonsArcade]

Hey Jason!

[@JamesTK]

The alcohol is to steady the hand not for the PCB right…right

[@interconnect-]

The down “South” arrow is not working

[@lileveretteyoakumiii]

Yodelayheehoo

[@user-nd8zh3ir7v]

i clicked the link and bought a yugo!

[@LyonsArcade]

Hell yeah!

[@leighannedawson9335]

Hope you were ok with Helene.

[@user-nd8zh3ir7v]

rubber band man?

[@kenlanier2131]

Oh now I hit the Like button and got 666.... Come, come on people somebody please hit the like button to change it to 667. LOL

[@neiltheplayer]

#2

[@thunderfan77]

When it comes to LED alphanumeric displays, I'm very particular about how they look compared to the original plasmas. I've yet to come across an LED display that looks as good as the original. Plasma displays allowed each character to be wider and each segment to be thinner, allowing it to look and read more legibly. And IMHO, of all the LED displays available, WolffPac's is the worst looking. I'm guessing all LED 14 segment displays, regardless of who manufactured them, can't be made as legible as the original plasmas and that's a shame

[@LyonsArcade]

Ok anything else you’d like to complain about? You just went out of your way to tell me I’m doing it wrong.

[@thunderfan77]

@@LyonsArcade it's nothing you or WolffPac did wrong. It's just LED displays in general don't look as good as the original plasmas. It's a preference, just like how you prefer incandescent bulbs over LEDs. No one's fault it's just unfortunate plasma displays are no longer being made. Unfortunate sign of the times.

[@LyonsArcade]

Why do you feel the need to tell us? It'd be like me saying "Hey thanks for the comment but I prefer when women comment. " You don't have to go around telling everybody every little thing that's sub part in your estimation. You probably do that in your regular life and it probably causes you problems with the people you know, and you don't even get it.

[@thunderfan77]

@@LyonsArcade bless your heart

[@pauly540]

​@@LyonsArcadeNice burn 👏😂

[@saskia6750]

3tree x