19 replies to this topic

[povlok1]

This is a switch out, can anyone identify this cab
http://cgi.ebay.com/.....AMEWN:IT&rd=1

[Dav]

That's the standard taito cab, zookeeper, qix, jungle hunt etc. You can tell more if you scrape the paint as they were different colors.

Looks like a midway coin door though.

[Tempest]

I have a Taito Zookeeper cab (the one with the artwork), but it was painted over when they made it into (gasp) Arch Rivals. I've always wondered if there was a way I could strip the paint off and save the artwork underneath. Of course there's really nothing left of Zookeeper other than the monitor (with the classic burn-in).

Tempest

[Dav]

Some of the weaker strippers will usually work. Gasoline works pretty well too, but that's dangerous. And you can't bring it back into the house for a couple of months because of the smell.

[sku_u]

Quote

I have a Taito Zookeeper cab (the one with the artwork), but it was painted over when they made it into (gasp) Arch Rivals. I've always wondered if there was a way I could strip the paint off and save the artwork underneath. Of course there's really nothing left of Zookeeper other than the monitor (with the classic burn-in).

Tempest

It's very labor intensive, but you can use Goof Off. I've successfully stripped a layer of paint without causing too much damage. You'll need a lot of cloths and it's very messy (I just use old undershirts). DO NOT use a scraper if you do this. simply apply some medium pressure on the cloth in the area where you sprayed the Goof Off. If you leave the Goof Off on too long, it'll go right through the next layer. I usually will spray, rub, spray, rub, then spray down the area with water and lightly rub off the excess Goof Off. I recommend trying it in an inconspicuous place first to see if you have the hang of it. I've successfully removed 30 year old paint using this technique. At worst, you'll have enough of the original paint to repaint the cabinet to correct scale. If you have a nice pantone set, you can match the color almost exactly. As a rule of thumb, colors will generally dry one shade darker then they appear wet.

[christianscott27]

i used goof-off on my jungle king taito cab, somebody had covered it thickly with black spraypaint. it wasnt easy, took 3 cans and a ton of paper towels. the deep green logo writing was the hardest, it smudged a bit in places and i had to go very lightly on it, still though the final effect while not mint looks like it should.

[povlok1]

[quote name='Dav]Some of the weaker strippers will usually work. Gasoline works pretty well too' date=' but that's dangerous. And you can't bring it back into the house for a couple of months because of the smell.[/quote']

GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY.. I foundly found somthing worse than armoural People PLEASE do not soak up 25 year old wood with gasoline!!! at any cost.. gas is heavy, it wont fully evaporate,, it will be a permante part of that wood.. Use enamal REDUCER, its much less 'bitting' than thinner,, I know this from auto painting,, you may even want to use automotive reducer, it comes in different temp setting even,, the hotter stuff is the most mild and evaporates slower.. the cold stuff has more'bite' and evaps quickly in 80 degree weather.. I suggest the 85-90 degree stuff;)

[povlok1]

we would use this when tacking overspray off of cars, you can peal layers pretty good this way..

[NE146]

taito. With ab/m coindoor looks like

[Zaxxon]

I've used this stuff before to strip paint that looks like white paste. It's got concentrated orange citric acid in it. Worked well to soften up the paint and has no vapors and is non-flammable.

[NE146]

woops 'ab/m' is supposed to say 'a b/m' as in a Bally/Midway.

[Stingray]

Yeah, that's a Bally Midway door. Same one I have on my cab.

I agree that Enamel reducer is the way to go. Gasoline sounds like a really bad idea.

-S

[Tempest]

The paint looks like it may be latex based. I was able to peel some off by hand (hence I know the original orange/blue artwork is underneath), but I can't do any more that way. I did try a scraper on a small part and it worked to a point, but was damaging the artowrk underneath (nothing a little paint wont fix). However I never really put alot of effort into it since they totally gutted the cab when they turned it into Arch Rivals. I think about the only original part left is the monitor and the cab. To turn it back into a Zookeeper cab is probably more expensive and work intensive than just buying a new one. Still, it's sad to think that it once was such a great game...

Tempest

[Tempest]

Good news! I experimentally tried a little Goof Off (kind of a light paint thinner) on the paint on the cab and it came off! The original Zookeeper artwork underneath doesn't seem to be affected by it either (not that I did alot of rubbing once I saw it). However I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the cab once I get the old paint off, it was pretty badly stripped when they turned it into a JAMMA cab. Still, I can't just let a classic cab rot away under gray paint like that.

Tempest

[sku_u]

Quote

Good news! I experimentally tried a little Goof Off (kind of a light paint thinner) on the paint on the cab and it came off! The original Zookeeper artwork underneath doesn't seem to be affected by it either (not that I did alot of rubbing once I saw it). However I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the cab once I get the old paint off, it was pretty badly stripped when they turned it into a JAMMA cab. Still, I can't just let a classic cab rot away under gray paint like that.

Tempest

That's great news. Are you going to attempt to locate the original internals, or use it as a MAME project?

I'd love to own a working Zookeeper some day.

[Tempest]

I'd love to turn it back into a Zookeeper machine, but what are the odds I can find all the internals? At that point wouldn't it be easier to buy a new machine?

Tempest

[sku_u]

Quote

I'd love to turn it back into a Zookeeper machine, but what are the odds I can find all the internals? At that point wouldn't it be easier to buy a new machine?

Tempest

Probably, but fully rebuilding your existing one would be more fun.

[crsdawg]

povlok- sorry for this, non-relevant to your post, reply

tempest-

with a bit of work you could make it a zookeeper again and it'd be a fun project.

while that's not exactly a cheap boardset to buy, it can found(rgvac or ebay would be a good source).

harness might be a bit of a stretch, but i'm pretty sure this one used a more or less standard taito harness. while they are note extactly alike any older taito harness could be modified fairly easily(again rgvac or ebay).

you can use any arcade type psu(can be had for under $20), or even a computer psu.

joys and buttons, also an easy find(ebay).

marquee could also be ebayed, i've seen them come up from time to time.

if you don't mind a not exactly authentic cab. you could use a pc, arcade vga(vid card that allows a pc to display on an arcade monitor), and mame and use emlulation instead fo the old hardware. would make a cool, zookeeper themed, horizontal mame cab.

[Tempest]

Yeah that's the thing, if I was going to go through all that work I'd make a MAME machine instead If I'm making a MAME machine I'm going for a custom cab. I guess I'll just get the paint off and sell the cab to someone who needs a zookeeper cab or just hold onto it in case I find some parts down the road.

Tempest

[Cassidy Nolen]

Quote

you can use any arcade type psu(can be had for under $20), or even a computer psu.

Not without a delay circuit you cant. Some of these games required a delay in the power supply in order to work (IIRC, it was the -5 line that used it). You can make a fake one with a diode, resister and a cap, and the directions are on the web. Arcadeshop.com sells them premade that look great. Games like Qix, Frontline, Jungle King and Zookeeper all need it in order to work.

BTW, there is also a coin door board that you need for Zookeeper. It will not work with the standard roms without that board. Zookeeper from my experience is quite a pain to work on. Then again, I am not fond of working on the Taitos (too many breakdowns for my taste, and I have owned a dozen of them over the years).

Cassidy