Problem with ice surface...please help!

[westcoastdevilsfan]

Hello,

I recently purchased a new Super Chexx from ICE roughly 10 months ago and just noticed that the ice surface by one of the face off circles is not secured to the base like the rest of the game. It is particularly noticeable when you slide the player from one end of the slot to the other end. It's almost as if the surface bubbles up. It even impedes the ability of the player (left wing) to spin as his stick gets stuck when crossing over the slot.

If pictures are needed, please let me know.

Does anyone have any idea how this issue can be resolved? I've taken the dome off to inspect, but don't really know how to remove the ice surface to look further. As mentioned, all other parts of the ice are fully attached to the base. Is this normal? Should I call ICE and complain or is this an easy fix?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks,
-Chad

[shirkle]

I would complain to ICE if it's a brand new game.
If it had been anything other than warping, I think removing the bolts would have straightened it out by taking pressure off of it. You can still try removing it completely and laying it on a flat surface to see if it's still noticeable, or if it was a problem in the installation. Removing it is easy: remove the dome bolts, remove the players by placing one hand on the ice surface under their feet, and then grip the player between the legs and pull straight up very hard and they just pop out, and remove the goalies by bending straight the two prongs of the cotter pin that sticks between the back of his pads, then pull it out through the front of his pads and slide him straight up. The players are the only things holding the ice surface down.
I can't imagine that it was made incorrectly, but maybe it got warped somehow. Or, maybe it got drilled or routed wrong. Maybe the player track underneath it isn't secured down all the way. Who knows. I'd start by removing the players closest the to affected area. See if the slots line up perfectly with the player track slots under it.
Once it's removed, just lay it flat and see if it's flat then.
Post a picture if you can.

[westcoastdevilsfan]

shirkle - thanks for your quick response.

I haven't taken the men or the surface off to examine, but that will definitley be my next step. I have included some pictures below. Hopefully they capture what I am describing.

The first and third pictures are views of the face off circle from both sides of the game. If you pay attention to the slot you can see where the surface is raised. The second pic (the one of the player) shows where the players stick gets caught when rotating the handle.

picasaweb.google.com/108816440900840548615/ChexxIceSurface#

Any additional thoughts after seeing the pics?

Thanks again.

[JG]

the ice surface will warp periodically, and once it warps enough there is no way to get it to go back down to level again, as it "floats" over the player tracks and isn't secured to the game at all except by the player posts and the dome bolts. A little trick I use to make my surfaces flat is 2-sided tape - tape the surface down along the top of the player track in the offending area and that should do the trick!