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Shipping Tips |
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What To Look For When Buying A Machine
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1. REMOVE ALL BALLS FROM THE GAME!!! This is often overlooked when most people transport their games. A loose pinball inside a game can easily break plastics, ramps, or other assemblies. And with the cost and availability of parts being what they are today, better to be safe than sorry! 2. (optional) Remove batteries from the CPU board. If the game will be in transit or storage for any extended period of time, you may want to remove the batteries from the CPU board. You will lose all settings, bookkeeping and adjustments doing this, but you'll also avoid the possibility of leaking battery acid damaging the electronics. 3. Ensure the backbox standoffs are properly trimmed. I learned this lesson the hard way. The standoffs in the backbox are positioned dangerously close to the back of the translite. It is possible (even probable) in transit that the translite could rub against these standoffs, removing artwork ...
Even in everyday use, the removal and re-insertion of the translite could result in possible damage. The best first line of defense against this is to trim the ends of the standoffs. You can remove about 1/8" using diagonal wire cutters. Make sure you don't remove anything below the solid end of the standoff. The picture below shows some of the standoffs that should be slightly trimmed. The one circled in red caused the damage you see above.
4. Secure the light board latch. Once you've closed the light board door, place a small screw in the latch so it won't open in transit. This is normally done from the factory so there's good reason for this. One small screw will keep the latch closed, preventing the door from swinging open during transport and avoiding possible damage.
5. (optional) Place padding between the light board and the translite. I place a towel over the light board before I install the translite for shipping. This is just an extra level of protection against any damage to the translite. Luckily, the translite that was damaged previously was just a normal one. But since my current translite was personally signed by Elvira, I don't want to take ANY chances!
6. Place cushioning between the cabinet and backbox. Before you lower the backbox onto the cabinet, place some type of cushioning between where the backbox will rest on the side rails. A couple of thick layers of cardboard, some foam rubber, styrofoam, or even some thick cloth rags will help. This layer of protection will help prevent any damage to the front of your backbox and also guard against denting the side rails. 7. Wrap the game. You cannot wrap the game TOO much. I like to wrap the game in packing blankets followed by numerous layers of stretch wrap. If the game is being sold, wrap it a couple of times in stretch wrap, then encase the game with pieces of cardboard. Hold the cardboard in place with at least 4-5 layers of stretch wrap. If the game is being palletized, place some extra cardboard around the edges where the strapping comes in contact with the game.
If you have any tips on shipping that you'd like to share, please email me. |
