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After I found out my board set was fixed, I decided to clean the machine so it could be moved into the house.  The paint is still cracked and worn looking but I think it's OK for now.

Below is a photo of the machine back.  The white cardboard is the back of some intergalactic artwork.  The artwork is stapled to each side of the cabinet, making it a bit difficult to remove.

The first step in removing the artwork was to find an easy way to remove the staples.  I started by removing the front glass.  In the back of the cabinet on top, are 2 flat rods.  Sliding these rods back releases the tension that holds the glass in.  The glass can then be lifted up and slid out.

With the glass removed you can now see that the glass is lit in the front by 5 12v lamps.  I bought replacements at K-mart which cost $1.00 each.  A little pricey but convenient.  Unscrewing the piece of wood which holds the lamps provides access to the artwork in the back.  I slid a screwdriver behind the artwork and underneath the staples to free it up.  Unfortunately I tore the artwork slightly.  It's hard to notice so I'm hopeful that it will be impossible when it's re-installed.

    This photo was taken from the front of the machine by putting the camera in the space where the lamp holder was removed.

    The artwork is really quite nice.  It's oddly shaped to fit against the glass inside.  The inside glass is angled at about 45 degrees.  Can you see the tear in the photo?  Don't bother, I couldn't find it.

Once the artwork was out, I could see the little plastic planet and the inside glass.  Initially I thought the glass was a one way mirror.  I almost had a heart attack when I cleaned it and was able to see through it.  I thought I wiped off the reflective surface.  What I though was a mirror was actually a very dirty piece of glass.

The fluorescent lamp is also accessible after removing the artwork.  I learned at this time that the lamp is a black light.  I realized that I never appreciated the visual effects of this game when I was younger.

    Is that a mirror or a piece of glass?

After a good cleaning you can actually see through the glass and the planet is now strikingly clear.

I neglected to take a photo of the monitor bezel.  The bezel is black cardboard that fits nicely around the monitor.  It's in great condition.

Re-assembling the machine is quite easy once you've gotten this far in tearing it down.  I wiped off all the artwork and the bezel with a dry/semi-damp rag.  The plastic, wood and glass was all cleaned with formula 409 because that's what I happened to have in the workshop at the time.

After getting everything back together, I just had to see what it looked like.  The fluorescent bulb is blown so I put an incandescent lamp underneath the artwork and plugged the machine in to light up the 5 12v lamps.  The machine looks great even without the game running!  I only wish the photos turned out better.  I think the flash ruined the lighting effects.

The buttons are an interesting style where the button assembly is separate from the leaf switch.  I'd prefer to keep the original machine intact, so I took the buttons apart and soaked them in some Formula 409.  If I'm lucky they'll turn white again.  The pictures below should give you an idea of how disgusting they look now.

Well, it turns out that Formula 409 didn't quite do the job.  I tried bleach with water for another 24 hours and got much better results.  Still the buttons are a little yellowed and worn looking.  I'm satisfied with the results for now.  The "after" cleaning photo is below.

    This photo isn't real good but gives you an idea of the difference.

Second Chance Arcade

E-Mail: todd1814@yahoo.com