Dynamo HS-9 Cab Restore

[RealMFnG]

Aside from my intro, this is my first post! I picked up a genuine HS9 cab and plan on doing some restorations to it.



She has a lot of miles on her.



But the CRT is beautiful (although the pic doesn't show it) and she came with an honest to goodness NAOMI loaded with MvC2, a Capcom I/O board, and about $8 bucks in quarters! She cost me $175. Not too bad. But time to put in the work.



I hear this process is fun, but I have like 10 cabs to do and very little time. I travel during the week for work. So these cabs along with everything else I have to do around the house will be slowwwww progress. Welp, that is it. My first real post. Hope to learn and contribute as I go along with everyone else!

 

[Malenko]

Hey PHU, pretty sweet cab!

 

[jassin000]

I've found when restoring a woody cab Bondo (yea like for a car) is your best friend!
You can fill/sand/prime/paint away nicks/scrapes/chipouts fairly quickly.

Check out this Atari Millipede, notice the bad damage on the right edge?

This is the same edge; I chipped/cut back the damaged wood and fully rebuilt it using Bondo (white primer on it).

 

[98pacecar]

Awesome! I'm nearly done with the electronics in an HS-9 myself. When I picked it up, there wasn't a monitor, board, power supply, or even a piece of wire in it other than what was left on the coin door, so I've had to completely rewire it from the ground up. Gave me a great chance to go back in with more of a QSound setup for audio. The cosmetics on mine aren't too bad, so I may leave it with a bit of the arcade "patina" on it, minus a new marquee, bezel, and overlay that is.

 

[RealMFnG]

My HS-9 had some duct tape covering the AC button along with everywhere else. I pulled some of that off and along came some laminate. I am guessing the rest of the laminate can be dug into with a spatula and just peeled right off, exposing the partical board underneath. If I can pull that off, I am thinking I will primer the lower half and paint it. Then save the upper half for artwork. My buddy runs a packaging company here in the Bay Area. He says he can print on vinyl wrap (the same stuff you see wrapped on cars with advertising). I am thinking lower half blue, upper half white w/artwork.

On a side note, does anyone know how to remove the lower back panel off an HS-9?

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

I don't think it does since the pcb is accessible from the front.

 

[RealMFnG]

I don't think it does since the pcb is accessible from the front.

Brrrr, the PSU, ISO transformer are on the back panel. Monitor will have to come out just to get to those parts. Kind of wishing I was Eugene Tombs married to Cortney Stodden right now; a little X-files reference for you guys.

 

[Mitsurugi-w]

When the cabs were produced I think they installed the electronics first and then glued/stapled the back panels on. It's the same with the neo cabs. The monitors need to come out to do a lot of things inside.

 

[RealMFnG]

I've found when restoring a woody cab Bondo (yea like for a car) is your best friend!
You can fill/sand/prime/paint away nicks/scrapes/chipouts fairly quickly.

Check out this Atari Millipede, notice the bad damage on the right edge?

This is the same edge; I chipped/cut back the damaged wood and fully rebuilt it using Bondo (white primer on it).

Always curious how you guys form the outer edge when using bondo. But I suppose I am overthinking it. Any particular type of bondo you prefer for arcade restorations?

 

[Malenko]

I use a random orbital sander on low with 100 grit disc


You can see some edge work here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,143795.0.html

This is the bondo I use:

 

[RealMFnG]

I think I am going to have to repurpose this thread. I now have 22 cabs. This was my first HS-9. But I think I have like 4 more coming. I am pretty excited about all of this even though it is going to take up a lot of time. Probably will abandon this thread and start another one after i get all the cabs in my house this weekend.