New Life Games LLC
**Reel Slots** Gaming Machines => IGT S and S-plus Reel Games => Topic started by: smartin53 on April 18, 2017, 12:12:35 AM
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OK so my background is actually restoring old stereo electronics (Tube amps and so on) but some of that and my more modern training has helped with my fun with my S+.
As such I didn't see anything about cleaning up machines with some heavy buildup and corrosion issues from general use.
The biggest issue with these machines is our grubby paws slapping away at the machines in the attempt to win. I'm not sure about you...but some of the folks I've seen at casinos are terrifyingly disgusting. Not to mention general spills, environmental conditions, etc. Also...many of these machines come from a time when smoking was typical in most places.
As such, while my machine was actually decent, it did show all of the above to some extent. Especially inside and in the crevices where resellers tend to spend less time. Dunno how many do a 100% teardown but mine clearly wasn't one. I could tell someone had done some external rust removal at one time but more had occurred.
The first thing I suggest is to get the glass and buttons off. That will let you clean down in those areas you normally cant get at. While it seems trivial, as gunk builds up it provides more chances at corrosion if it hasn't occurred yet. Then just use a good cleaner to remove all that gunk. Take apart those buttons too. Just the plastic parts...not the electronics (those should stay attached to the harnesses inside the machines unless they need replaced) . Give em a soak. Remove all that "people goo" that somehow gets inside anyway. I'll get into another button aspect in a bit.
Now that you have that stuff removed and main grime from them off. Give the whole thing a general wipedown. If it was used in a smoking environment there may still be tar residue on the surfaces. Mine certainly had em on every surface even though I believe they had tried to clean it at some point. I used windex in my cleanup and some microfiber towels until I wasn't picking up any more brown residue.
Now, here is the hard part. Rust. It is hard to apply many rust removers to 3d surfaces long enough to make a difference. From my vintage experience the best solution is oxalic acid. The best source of this is Barkeepers Friend which you can find at most hardware and grocery stores for cleaning stainless steel. Since it is a powder, you can easily turn it into a thick paste that sticks with just water. Don't make it too runny. Once applied to your rust areas, cover it with plastic wrap. This keeps it in place and also keeps it wet which is important. After that, let it sit for 30m-2hrs. You may need to remove and reapply a couple times. 30m treatments is what I usually do. Then just wash up with water and windex.
The worst areas I saw were in edges and ledges around the lower glass, under the buttons, and the lower shelf behind the payline/LCD glass. AKA where liquid collects or runs under. I additionally used some plastic packing tape to isolate some hidden metal on metal areas (mainly between the LCD bracket and the door framing) to help mitigate later corrosion.
Now...back to those buttons. I noticed the plastic button text inserts had yellowed over the years. This appeared to be from age, heat, smoking residue, and UV exposure. This is similar to the yellowing you see on old electronics like Apple II PCs and the like. There is a product known as Retrobrite which uses a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and some other stuff. I've found though that Clairol Pure White 40 Creme works better and is already in a gel form. Same active ingredient and cheap. Just make sure to wear rubber gloves as it can burn skin lightly if not washed off after a minute or so. Nothing serious or long term, just annoying. Anyway, I tossed my inserts in a plastic bag and poured a bit of the crème inside to coat them completely. Then you just sit them in the sun or a strong UV light source.
It seems that the inserts are a different kind of plastic from some old electronics. They are starting to deyellow after a couple weeks but still not as fast or completely as other plastic do (usually a few hours of sunlight). I decided to just keep them in the bag and in a window sill for a while to see if they can make any more progress but I'm guessing the changes from heat may have made some of the discoloration permanent. We'll see. I'll keep you updated.
For now, here are some pics. To note...I forgot to take pre pics but the ledge under the payline glass and under the buttons was completely covered in rust. Post cleanup some rust did remain on that ledge that I removed later...but the bulk seems to be some brown residue from former pads placed under the glass to help support it. I need to add some of that back later.
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One time I sprayed Windex on the side of an S+ that had white paneling on it.
You should have SEEN the tobacco stains running down the side of it! OMG! :gasmask3: