Does anyone else get excited by that old pinball smell? Is it just me?
I've got a small 12'x12' clean-room set up at work adjacent to our shop where I restore the occaisional pin in my free time. I have a WH2O in there right now. Every time I walk into the room I get hit with that indescribable pinball scent. It's a sort of musty, mechanical, smokey wood scent... I can't really describe it. All I know is that it must be one of the best smells in the world. Reminds me of old arcades and pool halls or something.

Last night I had a similar reaction to some Novus 2 and Mothers carnauba wax while cleaning up my IJ

Anyone else suffer from this affliction?

#2 12 years ago

DJW

MrWizzo

Pinside member

Emerald Isle, NC

12y 60,800 3,184 6

Oh man, smell is the strongest trigger of memories I have experienced.

I walked into a cobbler's shop a few years ago and got hit with that leathery, tannery smell. It sent me back 40-45 years to a shoe repair shop I used to stop into on way home from elementary school to talk to its owner Ike. Until that day I had never thought of Ike and the shoe shop, ever. What a nice man he was!

#3 12 years ago

AJA

Drano

Pinside member

Mississauga, ON

12y 110K 3,840 14 60

crazy how that works huh?

#4 12 years ago

PNM

shock_me

Pinside member

14y 71,800 2,490

Yeah I love the smell of an old pinball, but I really love the smell of an outdoor rock concert

#5 12 years ago

MAT

Anim8ormatt

Inactive member

Highlands Ranch, CO

12y 54,400 2,193 5 21

I clear coated my Firepower playfield and it has masked some of that pinball smell. I hope it comes back as that clearcoat continues to cure.

#6 12 years ago

CAD

Crispin

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 133K 3,428 1

Smells like....Victory

#7 12 years ago

SES

u2sean

Pinside member

Madison, WI

12y 71,900 698 18

For me, that's the best part of walking into the basement. Aaaahhhh....

#8 12 years ago

WPG

guymontag451

Wedgehead

Portland, OR

13y 92,800 1,006 25 170

Agreed, doing laundry and playing pinball at the same time makes me volunteer to do the "chores" in my household. My GF just loves how helpful I've become since getting my first pin!

#9 12 years ago

AJA

Drano

Pinside member

Mississauga, ON

12y 110K 3,840 14 60

Quoted from Anim8ormatt:
I clear coated my Firepower playfield and it has masked some of that pinball smell. I hope it comes back as that clearcoat continues to cure.

Yeah, any machine I've restored tends to lose it. That could be good or bad depending on your preference.

#10 12 years ago

GLM

ovfdfireman

Pinball Pro

12y 115K 4,915

I don't know man.....walk into my game room the morning after a get together and it smells......

Like stinky man ass , and beer, when hung over the smell quickly makes me sick

#11 12 years ago

???

dlbuller

Pinside member

12y 30,400 429

i really like the smell of carnauba wax. my wife hates it.

#12 12 years ago

BRI

gweempose

Pinside Moderator

13y 154K 20,207 37

Yep. There is nothing quite like the smell of a routed pin. When I have all my games fired up, the whole gameroom starts to smell like it as convection causes the aroma to get pumped out of the vent holes.

#13 12 years ago

ABC

Crash

Pinside member

12y 141K 14,138

Yes, it smells like carbon dust and dirt. I definitely know what you guys mean.

#14 12 years ago

PGL

northvibe

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 121K 13,929

man my WW smelled like old bowling alley...still does inside...

#15 12 years ago

DLD

Dewey68

Pinside member

Plainfield, IL

12y 66,800 2,503 4 15

Quoted from ovfdfireman:
Like stinky man ass

Isn't this the only kind of man-ass?

#16 12 years ago

WIZ

wizzardz

Pinside member

Just South Of The Middle Of Nowhere, MS

12y 71,400 1,532 22

Quoted from dlbuller:
i really like the smell of carnauba wax.

When I can't smell the carnauba from the two pins in my office, I know its time for another coat or two.

#17 12 years ago

GEM

Silverballer

Pinside member

14y 88,300 3,238 51

Duude, pinballs smell? Funny, I never noticed but thats totally awesome. cough, cough, cough

sir_spicoli.jpg

#18 12 years ago

TOM

Rascal_H

Pinside member

Cumberland, RI

12y 138K 6,567 2 36

Quoted from dlbuller:
i really like the smell of carnauba wax. my wife hates it.

I like that smeel too! I hate the smell of Wildcat rubber cleaner though.

#19 12 years ago

DRM

Honch

Pinside member

12y 79,300 5,073

Quoted from dlbuller:
i really like the smell of carnauba wax.

I've always like it too. I think it's just because it makes me think of my pins.

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