Working on a Sega Blast City

[Thomas]

Now on to the monitor. Standard stuff here. Geometry problems and poor convergence around the edges making things blurry:

Cleared out the broken bits from the deflection yoke:

(This step is mandatory, I learned. I initially tried to skip it and immediately regretted it as I heard one of those broken pieces fall as I mounted the monitor back in the cabinet. I had to pull the monitor down, remove all of my convergence strips, and start from the beginning.)

I read somewhere about not discharging monitors because there's a bleeder resistor. That's true, and I've never seen a spark when discharging a CRT. But it's easy and quick to discharge so I think it's good to do every time, especially when working on the monitor immediately after it was powered on. That bleeder resistor might not discharge fast enough, might be faulty, or might not even be there for some monitors.

Here is the monitor complete with the convergence strips that I bought on ebay, with ASI brand 388 electronic grade silicone added for extra adhesion, and some Permatex Dielectric Grease around the anode cap:

End results are not perfect but pretty good. I still have some poor convergence and even had to make the geometry worse in order to improve the convergence. Overall, much better than before:

For Gunbird 2 I needed to change this jumper to "WIDE" so the image would fill the screen. The GB2 manual mentions adjusting the aspect ratio because the game is "wide sideways" so I suppose it's normal that I would need to do this.

I still couldn't get the GB2 test menu circles to be circles (instead of ovals) without leaving some blank space on the sides. Maybe the game is supposed to be letterboxed? I don't know. I chose to have slightly non-perfect circles in favor of no black bars on the sides:

I used 99% alcohol to clean the screen per the Blast City owner's manual but that didn't clean off everything. There were still some small sparkly bits all over the screen. Invisible Glass worked much better:

After some time turning knobs back and forth I was able to make the picture look really good. At first I was disappointed with this monitor not only because of the convergence problems but also because the colors weren't as vivid as they are in my Astro monitor. But now I think it looks great:

 

[Ziggy Cheetos Dust]

Great run-down on the project. Thanks for sharing the details and pics.

 

[Ziggy Cheetos Dust]

@Thomas are the original speakers 4ohm but the the replacements you got 8 ohms? I’m trying to work out if you dropped in the new speakers and connected them the same way as the old ones.

 

[tiff_lee]

@Thomas are the original speakers 4ohm but the the replacements you got hms? I’m trying to work out if you dropped in the new speakers and connected them the same way as the old ones.

Yes, stock is 4ohm in series so total impedance of 8 ohms. Thomas's replacement as per his drawing is 16 ohms.

Some guy on the facebook candy cab group made a jig for repairing stock blast speakers, unfortunately he didn't seem keen to release the STL (despite not wanting to profit from it).

Great work @Thomas cab is looking super clean! pretty much all my Blasts suffer from similar fractures under the control panel, just something else to repair eurgh.
That PSU came up clean, did you mask over the original stickers? it's hard to tell, one min its all black then they just appear again (I suspect you sprayed over masking tape?).

 

[Thomas]

Yes, stock is 4ohm in series so total impedance of 8 ohms. Thomas's replacement as per his drawing is 16 ohms.

Some guy on the facebook candy cab group made a jig for repairing stock blast speakers, unfortunately he didn't seem keen to release the STL (despite not wanting to profit from it).

Great work @Thomas cab is looking super clean! pretty much all my Blasts suffer from similar fractures under the control panel, just something else to repair eurgh.
That PSU came up clean, did you mask over the original stickers? it's hard to tell, one min its all black then they just appear again (I suspect you sprayed over masking tape?).

Correct. 16 ohms total (tweeter is 4 ohm but doesn't add to the total due to the capacitor). New speakers are connected in series like the original. I explained why I connected in series (instead of parallel) in the previous post.

I dunked the PSU cover in a tray filled with vinegar without thinking about the stickers and without knowing that the black part is some kind of vinyl and not paint. It all peeled off easily and the stickers weren't damaged so I removed them, sanded the metal, painted, then glued the stickers back on.
Edit: original coating is paint with two stickers applied over it.

I didn't rinse and dry properly so that's all flash rust in the photo that I sanded off before painting. I think I used a regular glue stick or maybe some Elmer's glue to put the stickers back on.

 

[Thomas]

Next step: I added new 1/8" adhesive foam to the monitor mask/bezel:

And here are all the things I did to make the bezel fit in vertical position:

-adjusted the monitor mounting bolts so that they are in line with the monitor mounting holes
-filed 1mm off the monitor mounting holes to make sure they wouldn't get caught on the bolts
-pushed the monitor frame all the way back on the mounting bolts
-pushed the cabinet in at the top with a wrench so that it wouldn't block the bezel
-ran out of ideas so I filed a few millimeters off of the bezel mounting holes
-and lastly, forced the bezel latches into the bezel with a screwdriver

The monitor bezel easily snaps into place when the monitor is mounted horizontally. But in vertical position, the bottom of the monitor screen blocks the bezel from moving in far enough to allow the latches to lock into place. Even after filing the bezel holes I need to push very hard against the bottom while at the same time pushing hard with a screwdriver on the latches. I spent a lot of time on this and never properly fixed the issue. I don't want to file any more off the bezel holes because they might become too thin and crack. (Note: this bezel and the Astro City bezel are fiberglass, not plastic as I had previously thought). Any ideas on how to fix this are very welcome.

The gap between the cabinet under the bezel and the control panel base seems too wide. Must be related to the bezel fitment problem.

 

[Thomas]

The coin mechanism that I bought wasn't accepting 100 yen coins so I first gave it a cleaning with alcohol:

Then sprayed with WD-40:

Still wasn't working, and after closer inspection, realized that the screws were not in the original positions. Turned them back in line with the red paint:

Still wasn't working. Then I saw that one part was bent to accept a different coin size. I bought this from a UK website so that makes sense:

It took a few attempts to bend back to the correct position so that 100 yen coins would be accepted every time and not get stuck or rejected:

Then I discovered a new problem. No mounting studs:

I couldn't find these anywhere online but fortunately I found some 2mm x 6mm screws in my hardware drawer and those work very well:

And that's everything I've done so far. I already bought all the missing parts I need like locks and I'm only waiting on one more thing from Yaton. I'm currently in the process of repainting the monitor bezel right now and after that I need to sort out the control panel and buttons. I finally took some time to read about sticks and buttons so now I know what people are talking about when they say "JLF" or "LS-56". I think I'll try a Seimitsu lever and see what the difference is. Then I think (and hope) all I have left are cosmetic things like repainting the coin entry surround and possibly using some touch up paint around the cabinet. I'll post an update once I get everything done.

 

[Ziggy Cheetos Dust]

@Thomas have you checked under the control panel whether it’s affixed properly. That might be what the gap is?

 

[PASTBLASTER]

One of the nicest Blast restore threads I've seen. Awesome work!

 

[notsonic]

That pcb suspender looks really janky.
I recently picked up these and they work pretty well https://www.ebay.com/itm/400198868479

I think the monitor frame is supposed to have round holes and sit on the lip of the round base of the mounting studs, not on the studs themselves. That couple millimeters might be the cause of your bezel problems.

 

[Thomas]

@Thomas have you checked under the control panel whether it’s affixed properly. That might be what the gap is?

The control panel base is flush with the front of the cabinet. It looks like the front of the cabinet should curve outward more to follow the curve of the upper part of the control panel base. Or maybe it was made that way.

That pcb suspender looks really janky.
I recently picked up these and they work pretty well https://www.ebay.com/itm/400198868479

I think the monitor frame is supposed to have round holes and sit on the lip of the round base of the mounting studs, not on the studs themselves. That couple millimeters might be the cause of your bezel problems.

I thought about getting one of those PCB holders on ebay but I like my janky one better.

The Astro City has what you describe. I think the monitor in my Blast is the original so I don't know if it's supposed to have different mounting holes.

Astro:

There's a metal plate on the Blast so the holes wouldn't be able to sit around the base even if they were bigger:

 

[mR_CaESaR]

One of the nicest Blast restore threads I've seen. Awesome work!

Have to agree there.. .it's so much love and effort put in

 

[notsonic]

The control panel base is flush with the front of the cabinet. It looks like the front of the cabinet should curve outward more to follow the curve of the upper part of the control panel base. Or maybe it was made that way.



I thought about getting one of those PCB holders on ebay but I like my janky one better.

The Astro City has what you describe. I think the monitor in my Blast is the original so I don't know if it's supposed to have different mounting holes.

You're right, I have an Astro and a Blast and I was thinking of the Astro. I've found more so with the Blast that the way you mount the monitor really dictates the squareness of the cabinet, and subsequently how well the bezel fits. To get my bezel on right I have to press on the top corner of the cabinet to get it in square before seating it all the way.

My control panel also has a gap at the center, and other out of square type imperfections all over. I think its just the nature of it being a much softer plastic composite than like an Astro City.

 

[Ziggy Cheetos Dust]

@Thomas just read this for a second time and it’s been really helpful. You know a lot of stuff and make it look easy. I don’t have the confidence to strip down my entire cabinet in one go like that. I’m in the process of cleaning my filthy power supply. I had the panel powder coated. The PS case is quite tarnished so I’ll use some WD40 lanolin corrosion inhibitor (called WD40 Specialist Corrosion Inhibitor in the US) on that and other rust spots. The AMP UP 3 connector is a great tip for extra power - thanks.

I also saw people having trouble with the cabinet screws so got myself a Vessel Impacta screwdriver which turns 12 deg when you hit it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BI8HHQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I’d love to hear how the machine finished up.

 

[hyp36rmax]

Another one for the books, thank you for the detailed build log, lots for me to reference when I finally start. Awesome work!

 

[Thomas]

@Thomas just read this for a second time and it’s been really helpful. You know a lot of stuff and make it look easy. I don’t have the confidence to strip down my entire cabinet in one go like that. I’m in the process of cleaning my filthy power supply. I had the panel powder coated. The PS case is quite tarnished so I’ll use some WD40 lanolin corrosion inhibitor (called WD40 Specialist Corrosion Inhibitor in the US) on that and other rust spots. The AMP UP 3 connector is a great tip for extra power - thanks.

I also saw people having trouble with the cabinet screws so got myself a Vessel Impacta screwdriver which turns 12 deg when you hit it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BI8HHQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I’d love to hear how the machine finished up.

On the power supply case, if it's not showing any rust maybe leaving it alone is best. Should be fine I think even if the plating looks oxidized. The corrossion inhibitors are stinky and sticky, although that does fade over time. If you don't have the parts and proper crimp tool for the AMP UP connector you can buy the connector with AC power plug from Lemony Vengeance on this forum. The screws were very, very difficult to remove. That Vessel driver looks like a good plan. I still haven't finished working on the cabinet but I'll post an update once I make some good progress.

 

[Thomas]

Finally finished painting the monitor bezel a.k.a. monitor mask. Painting something black and making it look flat and reflective like a mirror without any flaws or scratches is tough.

I decided to paint the Astro City bezel as well since I had to paint the Blast bezel. The Blast bezel was in bad shape. All those white spots in the photograph are areas where paint was peeled or scratched off. And overall the paint was cracked, blistered, and nasty looking. The Astro bezel wasn't bad but there were a few deep scratches that I previously filled in with a brush that don't look great, and the rest of the paint is also starting to crack.

First step was to get all of that old paint off, or most of it, with an orbital sander. Plus a red scuff pad to get all the edges sanded so the primer would stick. The bezels had a thin white layer under the black paint, which is an odd choice because it looks terrible when the paint gets scratched. Then I think there was an additional thin black layer under the white. Can't remember now.

Both bezels aren't painted plastic as I assumed. They are made from the same material as the rest of the cabinets, which I've been calling fiberglass like everyone else. But now I'm not so sure there are any glass fibers in these cabinets at all. When I did repairs on both the Astro and Blast, I didn't see any fiberglass. Just a resin with possibly something else mixed in. And the description for the new Astro City Mini V calls the original Astro City "the first resin cabinet". This isn't really important and the repair and painting materials I've used seem to stick fine but I thought I should mention it.

Next step was to clean with wax and grease remover. Then I applied body filler to fill some pinholes in the resin and other areas that weren't flat. Then sanded the filler after it dried. Then wax and grease remover again.

Next was primer, and I started with a can of Spray Max 3 in 1 black primer, which was defective and stopped spraying after a short time. I had a can of grey so I switched to that. Not ideal, but one benefit of using grey primer under black paint is that it's much easier to see when I have full coverage when spraying the black.

I found this Spray Max 3 in 1 primer to be lacking as the spray was weak unlike the Spray Max 2K clear which has a strong wide spray. Primer is thicker so that could be the reason. But other aerosol primers are easier to use.

After allowing the primer to dry, I sanded with 400 then 600 grit dry, then cleaned again with wax and grease remover. Then it was time for the color. I used 1976 Toyota 4 Runner black as it was recommended to me at the paint store. I was told that the added blue creates a deeper black.

I used a spray bottle to wet the walls and floor to keep dust down. Then wiped the bezels with a tack cloth, and again before each coat of black. The Spray Max 1K urethane fill cans that I used aren't great and have a weak and small spray like the primer. Also the pressure completely disappears if the can isn't kept completely upright. But after a few coats I got used to it and was able to get a nice even color. This paint is from a professional automotive paint store so it's much better than the stuff at auto parts and hardware stores (also 2 to 3 times more expensive). I think I needed 4 or 5 coats before the grey primer was fully covered and I was satisfied with how the black looked. I dry sanded with 1000 grit before the last coat because I had some uneven spots or maybe some blobs where the spray can was spitting paint.

 

[Thomas]

After that I sprayed clear but due to some mistakes and my unreasonable obsession with getting a perfect finish, I resprayed both bezels separately later. For the Blast bezel, I sprayed 2 heavy wet coats, let it dry for a day, sanded with 1000 grit wet plus a grey scuff pad, then sprayed a 3rd heavy coat (used an entire can). In the past I made the mistake of spraying a light coat for the first coat of clear but that's not right. The first coat needs to be sprayed wet. As wet or almost as wet as the last coat (the data sheet for Spray Max 2K clear also doesn't have anything about a tack coat). It's difficult to spray clear on the surface thick and wet without getting runs or sags but I'd much rather have a run than have dry spots from not spraying enough. Having good lighting and carefully watching the paint as it hits the surface helps. Spraying clear properly (especially out of a can) seems to be one of those things that takes time and practice to get right.

With the Spray Max cans, since the pressure stops if the can is tilted, it was difficult getting adequate paint thickness on the inside trim of the bezel. I had to start by laying the bezel flat with one end propped on a box, spraying the inside edges, then setting the bezel upright to spray the front surfaces. I also rotated the bezel while I sprayed so that the outer edges were all adequately covered. All this movement creates more opportunities for dust to get in the paint but it was the only way I could get enough thickness so that I could sand the clear without worrying about sanding through to the color coat.

For the Astro bezel I started from the beginning, this time doing a few rounds of spraying primer, sanding, spraying more primer, sanding again, to get the surface extra flat. For the clear, I sprayed 3 wet coats, put the bezel out in the hot summer sun for a day, sanded with 800 grit wet plus a grey scuff pad, then sprayed 3 more wet coats. I used 2 full cans of clear. Excessive? Yes.

I've used Spray Max 2K clear in hot weather, cold weather, low humidity, high humidity, tried different spray distances and follow the data sheet carefully but still always have too much orange peel texture. Maybe it's not possible to get a flat finish out of a can.

After leaving the bezels to sit in the hot sun for several days I then wet sanded to remove all of the orange peel, dust, runs, and sags. On the Blast I started with 1500 grit followed by 2000 and 2500. I discovered while doing this that I use a sheet of sandpaper for too long. Even expensive, quality sandpaper doesn't last. (Side note: those huge multi packs of sandpaper on ebay and amazon for under $10 are no good, especially the finer grits). When wet sanding, the paper still has a bit of a grip on the surface and once that diminishes, it's time for a new sheet. It feels wasteful to go through several sheets for a small area but it makes the process much faster and lessens the chance of not sanding enough to remove the 1500 grit scratches.

For buffing and polishing I used the SPTA Mini rotary buffer. It's cheap but seems okay, other than getting hot quickly. The pads that come with it aren't very durable but are adequate I suppose. For the Blast City I used the firm green pad with 3M Super Duty Rubbing Compound, then the medium orange pad with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, and lastly the soft blue pad with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish. I used Mother's Instant Detailer to help with compound and polish residue removal (sometimes water too). Since these bezels have small curved surfaces and a lot of edges where the potential to burn through the paint is high, I had trouble buffing out all of the sanding scratches. Eventually I was able to get them all out but it took a long time.

 

[Thomas]

For the Astro City I switched to Meguiar's 105 because the 3M compound has a strong odor and creates a lot of dust. The 105 unfortunately creates just as much dust but at least doesn't have the chemical smell. I also used some better quality pads from Fastline (Sherwin-Williams) and Lake Country. But before buffing I of course needed to sand. I started with 1000 grit, then 1500, 2000, and lastly 2500.

I then used the Fastline wool pad, followed by the Lake Country firm blue pad, then medium orange pad, all with 105 compound. When buffing and polishing I kept the SPTA on the lowest or second lowest speed (1000 and 1800 RPM). Lastly I used the black finishing pad with Ultimate Polish.

And here are the final results:

Blast City

Astro City

The bezels both have some defects like buffer holograms, a few tiny craters (maybe "fisheye" or water got on the surface), and areas where the surface isn't 100% flat. And tiny white dots and some cloudy spots which I think is due to improper curing (spraying too heavy without enough flash time maybe), like the solvent got trapped and couldn't evaporate from the surface. Fortunately these defects aren't noticeable with the bezels mounted back on the cabinets and out of direct sunlight. Even in the photos I can't see most of these defects.

After I was done I started to think semi-gloss would be better because these might be too shiny and distracting while playing a game. But once indoors and out of sunlight that's not an issue at all. They look great. And at night with the room lights off, these bezels are deep ocean black.

 

[BuddyC]

Thats some fine paintwork! Great job!