New-old stock. Vintage cue

[hang-the-9]

Yes exactly! The wrong joysticks on Robotron and it’s a complete waste of time. Wico made lots of parts for arcade games, pinball machines too as I recall.

I was a world class Defender player. Robotron I was good at, could play long as I wanted on factory default difficulty settings-but over many years and a zillion arcades I would occasionally see better players than I was. I really enjoyed Robotron, fall into a groove and it just flows. I loved that feeling. I never got that in Defender or Star Gate(the easiest if the 3 games)

View attachment 643317

This was in 2000-2002 I’d guess, I just came across it. Was a pic from a retro video game show in Vegas. I started playing Defender right when it came out in 80 or 81. Took me a couple years to become super strong at it.

Wico, great empties. Now I want a defender machine again. I’ve had a few over the years. Has to be original. Bad control panel and it sucks as do all these multi game cabinets do. Centipede with a joy-stick……sure.

Best
Fatboy<——-can’t play pool, will beat the world playing Defender

I was never great at Defender but it was a video game that made me late for school when I lived in Brooklyn when I was around 10. A shop had a few games and I would stop to play on the way walking to school. Sometimes the playing went a bit longer than the school bell start hehe.

 

[ideologist]

Here is the ferrule next to a modern day cue. Its more cream colored and mottled, I would love to get a couple of rods of this material.

"Fiber ferrule"

 

[boogieman]

Yes exactly! The wrong joysticks on Robotron and it’s a complete waste of time. Wico made lots of parts for arcade games, pinball machines too as I recall.

I was a world class Defender player. Robotron I was good at, could play long as I wanted on factory default difficulty settings-but over many years and a zillion arcades I would occasionally see better players than I was. I really enjoyed Robotron, fall into a groove and it just flows. I loved that feeling. I never got that in Defender or Star Gate(the easiest if the 3 games)

View attachment 643317

This was in 2000-2002 I’d guess, I just came across it. Was a pic from a retro video game show in Vegas. I started playing Defender right when it came out in 80 or 81. Took me a couple years to become super strong at it.

Wico, great empties. Now I want a defender machine again. I’ve had a few over the years. Has to be original. Bad control panel and it sucks as do all these multi game cabinets do. Centipede with a joy-stick……sure.

Best
Fatboy<——-can’t play pool, will beat the world playing Defender

Joust used the same exact mechanism. They are commonly called Williams leaf switches. If you replace them with the common arcade buttons (or other brand leafs to an extent), they play like crap. I have a Joust and a Joust 2 arcade cabinet. One had a bad switch. It had gotten corrosion in the part where the little brass nub fit into the leaf switch. Nothing I did could get it clean, even soldering still gave it intermittent issues. Luckily when I bought an empty joust cabinet (that had been converted into umteen different games) it had the original harness in it. I was able to fix my Joust.

You can now actually buy new high quality replacement buttons (not the switch unless you find it nos or salvage it) and joysticks. Joust and Defender are notorious for having the sticks worn out. They only go in 2 direction (instead of the normal 4/8) so people would just jam the piss out of them in the wrong direction. I was able to buy a replacement joystick mechanism and fixed it great. Also you can sometimes switch P1 and P2 metal mechanisms if you don't care about dual play as much. I think the new reproduction mechanisms were stainless steel.

Sorry for the book! But without the leaf switches you're only getting an approximation of how the game controlled/played. Those leafs let you tap (and double tap) in a unique way.

 

[Fatboy]

Joust used the same exact mechanism. They are commonly called Williams leaf switches. If you replace them with the common arcade buttons (or other brand leafs to an extent), they play like crap. I have a Joust and a Joust 2 arcade cabinet. One had a bad switch. It had gotten corrosion in the part where the little brass nub fit into the leaf switch. Nothing I did could get it clean, even soldering still gave it intermittent issues. Luckily when I bought an empty joust cabinet (that had been converted into umteen different games) it had the original harness in it. I was able to fix my Joust.

You can now actually buy new high quality replacement buttons (not the switch unless you find it nos or salvage it) and joysticks. Joust and Defender are notorious for having the sticks worn out. They only go in 2 direction (instead of the normal 4/8) so people would just jam the piss out of them in the wrong direction. I was able to buy a replacement joystick mechanism and fixed it great. Also you can sometimes switch P1 and P2 metal mechanisms if you don't care about dual play as much. I think the new reproduction mechanisms were stainless steel.

Sorry for the book! But without the leaf switches you're only getting an approximation of how the game controlled/played. Those leafs let you tap (and double tap) in a unique way.

I was the worst Joust player ever.

I understand the leaf switches(cool stuff) We used to clean the contacts on them, nothing pissed me off more than controllers that don’t work! I play hard when I play Defender. I’m in the mood to play now.

Nice book! Great post.

Best
Fatboy

 

[jay helfert]

Hows this Jim? nice old cue.
Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, better known as Bakelite (/ˈbeɪkəlaɪt/ BAY-kə-lyte), was the first plastic made from synthetic components. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde.

I didn't know you had a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering! I read it twice and have no idea what all that means. Call me stupid!
As for that first word, it may be the longest name of all time! Longer even than the longest word in the dictionary, antidisestablishmentarianism.

 

[eastcoast_chris]

I was the worst Joust player ever.

I understand the leaf switches(cool stuff) We used to clean the contacts on them, nothing pissed me off more than controllers that don’t work! I play hard when I play Defender. I’m in the mood to play now.

Nice book! Great post.

Best
Fatboy

My room at my old house ... building something similar but more elaborate at my new place (Better table, slightly different games, but Joust and Robotron will definitely still be there).

 

[measureman]

I didn't know you had a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering! I read it twice and have no idea what all that means. Call me stupid!
As for that first word, it may be the longest name of all time! Longer even than the longest word in the dictionary, antidisestablishmentarianism.

I have no degree in chemistry but I do know how to Google.

 

[Fatboy]

My room at my old house ... building something similar but more elaborate at my new place (Better table, slightly different games, but Joust and Robotron will definitely still be there).

View attachment 643437

On my way……

 

[Fatboy]

My room at my old house ... building something similar but more elaborate at my new place (Better table, slightly different games, but Joust and Robotron will definitely still be there).

View attachment 643437

I had a Tempest for a couple years, I never could get past the “yellow” level. I can’t remember the rankings of the levels. Blue was the first then red. I think yellow is what stopped me-I just couldn’t get better. I’ll have to look it up and see-I’d remember then, if I saw the list.

I miss the “games”. I was lucky and was the perfect age for the golden era of the arcade’s.

Good times, I played pool then too and knew pool was going to end up being the long lasting game for me. Pinball was great until they started making the games to complex with ramps and other crazy stuff. I like most pins from 82 and earlier.

Best
Fatboy

 

[Chopdoc]

I recently went to Chicago and picked up this cue sold by the Wico company. Its brand new and still in the original plastic wrap. The cue has never hit a ball and stayed perfectly straight since it was made in the late 60's.
I know its not worth much but it was well made and has a new home in my collection.

Aluminum shaft insert. I think that cue is older than some might suppose.

I wonder if it was made in the National/Gandy shop?

I have this one, similar in some ways. Aluminum insert. Nice leather wrap. I have not positively identified it but feel it is in the same group with National/Gandy etc.