RESTORER OF THE MONTH – JANUARY 2023
WILLIAM DENT – RICHMOND, KENTUCKY
Q: Where are you located, and how long have you been restoring/working in the pinball sphere?
A: I live in Richmond, Kentucky, and I have been repairing and restoring pinball machines for about 15 years. I have been playing pinball since I was 7 years old.
Q: What is your current project?
A: I am currently doing a playfield swap on a Williams Whirlwind, and next in line is a Gottlieb Haunted House.
Q: Do you restore games to sell or to keep?
A: I occasionally restore to keep, but most of my restorations are done for pinball collectors and operators.
Q: What was the hardest restoration you worked on? Which one are you most proud of?
A: The most difficult restoration and the one I am most proud of was a Bally Addams Family. This pin was purchased at auction and was in overall very bad shape. It received a new playfield, plastics, and ramp plus a complete cabinet restoration with decals. All the mechanisms were disassembled, cleaned, and polished as well as most of the hardware. This was basically an “over the top” with no stone left unturned. When it was completed, it could easily pass for brand new.
Q: Do you have any future projects planned?
A: I have restoration projects belonging to clients routinely coming in, but I would like to restore the cabinets on my Williams Funhouse and Bally Attack From Mars. My biggest project is manufacturing and selling my PinDoc Playfield Rotisseries and accessories to the larger community of pinball repairers and restorers.
Q: What are some of your favorite types of projects?
A: I enjoy the mechanical aspects the most. I really like the challenge of getting these old pins to perform like they did when they were new. I also find myself having to make parts in-house quite often for some of the more difficult repairs.
Q: Do you have any specific tools you can’t live without?
A: The one tool I simply cannot live without is my PinDoc Playfield Rotisserie. This tool is essential for doing playfield swaps, hardtops, and other more complex restoration and repair work.
Q: How would someone get in touch with you for restoration/maintenance services?
A: I live in Richmond, Kentucky and typically service the entire state.
I can be reached on Pinside (wrd1972), or I can be reached at [email protected].
Click here for information regarding my PinDoc Playfield Rotisseries.
Tags: Marco Pinball, Pinball, pinball repair, pinball restoration, repair, restoration, restorer of the month, william dent