LOTR Premium Edition, complete!

[DRANO]

I finally put the finishing touches on my LOTR last night. I'm calling it my PREMIUM edition

Our resident enabler helped me pick up this very nice HUO example last Winter and I love the game... but I felt that it could use a few imporvements; most of them cosmetic.
I spent the last year doing a few small things here and there. Last night I finally got a standard Stern lockbar receiver that allowed me to put my brass plated lockbar on. Anyone with a standard LOTR knows that it comes with a lockbar that includes an off-centre hole for a tournament button. I hated this feature and was debating between powdercoating or plating my trim, so I figured I would also get a new (clean) lockbar. In the end, I splurged for brass from Mike Chestnut since I figured it would match the T-molding on the head better and would resemble the LE... I even went for the oversized side-rails. I was already sending him parts to do my Shadow, TOTAN and a couple of other small things for other games, so it all went off to him prior to Expo so that we could drive the massive order home. I later realized that a new lockbar receiver was also necessary and Doug at Starburst was able to assist. Got the part yesterday and this is what the game looks like.

Sorry for the poor pics. The gameroom is a bit dark in this area and still being used to hold some of our moving boxes while we renovate.

 

[DRANO]

As for why I call this the "PREMIUM" edition, here is a rundown of all the changes I've made; large and small.
It is essentially an LE now, but with figures and no plaque.

-Shaker motor added (see my other thread on how this is done)
-Brass trim from Mike Chestnut
-Path of the Dead mod added with light-up figures and green LED added underneath to light up left orbit shot
-Custom light-up Palantir mod with the eye of Sauron
-A few new characters added (Sauron, Ring Wraiths, etc...)
-Weapons and accessories added back to almost all the figures, including Gandalf's staff.
-Pinbits figure mounting plastics purchased... no more black zip-ties holding those Hobbitses on
-Plastic protectors throughout
-Grass in the Shire (that's right!)
-Custom brass wireform added to bottom of left ramp to eliminate that large clear plastic. Much cleaner.
-Target decals (meh... looks cool, but we'll see how they hold up)
-Cliffy's everywhere
-Upgraded Balrog LED light kit
-Pinbits divertor plastics to keep balls from bouncing back from PotD VUK and also for preventing ball drops onto Arwen plastic
-Custom magnetic apron art to cover up the girls (I used a map of Middle Earth)
-Custom instruction cards in Elvish script
-One Ring shooter rod from Tom Wibble, complete with lighting
-Upgraded flipper coils from PBL
-New style exterior metal leg plates (to prevent digging into the cabinet) from PBL

I think that is everything.
I also have a set of my own gold mirror blades that I will be installing soon. But otherwise, it's done. I'll post a few pics showing the items listed.

 

[mwong168]

Sorry for the poor pics. The gameroom is a bit dark in this area and still being used to hold some of our moving boxes while we renovate.

At least the pics from your iPhone are not upside down this time

Your game looks great and I think you made the right choice going with Chestnut brass plating over powder coating. Seeing it now really makes me miss mine a lot.

 

[DRANO]

Here are some of the little details.

 

[DRANO]

A few more:

 

[Menace]

Best part about this premium is the brass armor you have will not wear out in 100 games like the OE Stern junk does!

D

 

[spiroagnew]

Wow...be proud of the work you did. Looks fantastic! Never could get into this game...but I've only played it a handful of times.

 

[tkaye]

Looks amazing Drano!

I can't figure out how you have the time in your day for your work, family, renovations and these incredible pin mods and restorations.

You must sleep for 3 hours a night! :lol:

 

[DRANO]

Looks amazing Drano!

I can't figure out how you have the time in your day for your work, family, renovations and these incredible pin mods and restorations.

You must sleep for 3 hours a night! :lol:

Thanks,
I did this over the course of a year to be fair. But yes, I have a busy schedule at the moment. Just knocking away at everything a little bit at a time.
Helps that I cloned myself too :lol:

 

[yellowmustard]

amazing job Adriano...congrats

 

[Bigbossfan]

Adriano, great job. I'm envious!!

 

[ritewhereiwant2b]

I love the rules and the maps on your apron. Was that a DIY or is that available somewhere? Plus, do you remember how much the brass plated was? I have a LOTR LE and it is worn...

 

[DRANO]

The rule cards were downloaded. Check out pinball rebel, I'm sure that's where it came from.

The brass plating was done by Mike Chestnut in the US. He's a bit more than using someone local (if you can find one) and it also involved buying a few parts new (like new style 'lollipop' rails and a new lockbar without the tournament button) but plan to spend at least $500 on that whole thing.
Don't forget to order brass plated screws for the rails too!

 

[ritewhereiwant2b]

Thank you for the rules, they look great! I checked out pinball rebel, but they didn't have the maps on your apron. I have looked for exact that in the past, but was not able to find. Would you still have that on file somewhere?

 

[DRANO]

Here are two that I did.
Although I did make these layouts, I cannot take full credit for the idea. Tom Wibble did this a while back.

The secret is to print these on magnetic paper (available at Staples/Business Depot, Michaels etc..) and just lay them over the original art so you don't alter the game permanently

 

[ritewhereiwant2b]

Hey Drano, that you for the prints! Im off to Staples tomorrow to get the magnetic paper! That will be a nice improvement. Thanks again!!