I was to take the time i would just do decals. Im not a purest however so...

I'm about to do stencils for Pinbot. Doesn't look like it will be too bad.

Funny... I clicked this topic because I was thinking about doing Pinbot stencils as well.

That's the plan. Still working on the process but I will report back

It's funny that you posted this today as I just finished a pin yesterday where I made the stencils myself. I just painted a Bally On Beam with custom stencils that I designed myself. I was planning on posting about it in a few days. Creating stencils is a lot of work (many hours!), but it is certainly do-able.

--Luke

Here's a fairly detailed article by someone who made their own stencils.

http://home.kooee.com.au/brainsnap/stencilling.html

Testor's (I think) makes an x-acto with a rounded tip so you don't cut in as much. In any case it definitely takes some technique to avoid cutting into the cabinet.

If your cabinet paint isn't in that good a shape I have a friend who uses thin mylar to make stencils. Clamp it in place and mark your lines on it. Then use one of those soldering irons with an x-acto blade on it to cut the vinyl.

You're going to have to sand down the cabinet and seal the wood before painting anyways. With this method it's clamped in place while marking off your cuts and then stuck in place with some tacky glue for painting after you've refinished the cabinet.

http://www.stevechannel.com/stencils.htm

I would totally buy stencils pre-made for Drac and Dr Who tempted to try this out myself

I'm planning on taking some pictures of the final product and posting what I did sometime soon. My process was a little different since I made custom stencils of my own design, but in a nutshell here is what I did (not including cabinet prep):

1) Purchase a roll of clear acetate for the stencils and a can of easy tac to stick them.
2) Draw stencil design in a vector drawing program (I used Inkscape).
3) Print stencils to-scale (i.e. full size) on paper.
4) Using a clear cutting mat, cut acetate stencils directly on top of plans.
5) Spray stencils with easy tac and stick stencils to cab.
6) Spray paint with HVLP gun.

Just a thought...for reproducing stencils from the art on the cabinet, you could try tracing the design onto tracing paper. Then you could use the tracing paper to cut the stencils.

--Luke

I Had to do a cabinet that did not have to be perfect but at least a little better then it was. I used clear contact paper on the cab and cut out a stencil with an xacto knife for one of the colors while the contact papar was on the machine. Painted the color in then waited for it to dry. Repeated for the other two colors. It was quick and easy and cheap. Not the correct way, but it got the job done and was just what the buyer had in mind.

Here's a post about the game I just restenciled:

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/custom-stencil-design-creation-and-painting-bally-on-beam

--Luke

I make stencils all the time. I've never used a computer to do them. Usually I trace the originals, then they go on the drafting table and get redrawn and corrected. From there they get transferred to velum and cut with an exacto. I've cut so many I'm like a damn surgeon with that blade!

i made my own stencils and it was a blast doing it. its not hard at all just time consuming. did the clear contact paper method.....here are a few after pictures. now to do the main cabinet! and i did it all with cans of spray paint!

captain16.jpg restoredbackbox.jpg

Just wanted to thank this thread for the idea. I quickly gave up on the idea after velum was a big bust (very hard to see through, and no adhesion). Then I read on here.. contact paper. YES! clear, sticky (but not too sticky), cheap! Bought an 18" x 24 foot roll at walmart (it's considered shelf paper, so look in home goods) for $6.

I do have one tip on cutting it out, don't do it on the cabinet (why risk digging into the cabinet?). I traced each section of color (just use a pen or a thin marker), then transfer that to playfield glass (if your restoring a pin, your probably going to replace it anyway). Make your cuts on the glass, then transfer back to the cabinet (yes, the sticky will still work). Make reference points from other sections so you orient it correctly. I'm gonna post pics of my first section tomorrow morning.. I'm sort of regretting doing the front of my cabinet by hand now

well the section I did didn't turn out as well as I wanted... didn't stick as well as I had hoped (a little bleeding), and because I didn't lay down white before applying red, it came out pretty dull. I think I'm going to trace a new piece and try again

traced and transferred to glass to cut out:
1.JPG

transferred back to cabinet
2.JPG

painted 2 coats of acrylic
3.JPG

stencil removed
4.JPG

Your machine art work is still visible so you don’t need stencils.

fix any dents and lay some adhesive film \ fisket cut out one color at a time with a scalpel and airbrush \ spray paint

no not crazy talk easier than it sounds.

If you want to make it look like new.
1. clean it
2. clear coat it – suggest KBS CLEAR COAT lock in art work
3. fix dents with a filler, sand flat, clear over the filler
4. cover it with a clear film \ frisket and cut and out all the whites with a scapel, airbrush \ spray paint white back in, clear coat white to lock it in.
5. repeat for all colors clearing in between until done

ps you only need to use clear in between layers if you use acrylic paints

I have been underwhelmed by the cut-your-own-stencil-out-of-contact-paper method so far. From the factory, the paint has a bit of overspray on all the edges, providing some diffusion so that the color does not have sharp edges, whereas with the contact paper stencils you get not only sharp edges but also a distinct difference in the height of the paint from one color to the next. It feels like it would be very easy for something to brush against the cabinet and pick up the edge of the color and scratch it off.

Plus, since the edges are sharp you have to be damn sure that your stencil is completely perfect. Any wobbly cuts or slight corners in a curve will be completely visible in your final product.

Multiple light coats is also a REQUIREMENT. If you spray enough for the paint to run at all, it will pool on the edge of the stencil and look bad.

Overall I am not satisfied at all with the result of the stick-on stencil, and am looking into some other options. I'm glad that the $125 laser cut vinyls for Pinbot are out of print, as I think the results with those would have been disappointing as well.

You are correct on the overspray effect on the older machines. I know of a couple of guys who made "stiff" stencils and rested them on the machine on top of pennies. This allowed for the over-spray effect you are looking for.

I just finished a Gottleb Atlantis using the stick on stencils and I am extremely happy with the results...even without the overspray.

Exactly.

Neat idea.

Anyone have any knowledge of some specifics on how the factory painted, for example, the four-color 50s Gottliebs (that resulted in the overspray...and the process in general)? Theorizing they might have used just one coat per color (to get the line moving again ASAP).

Guessing there were five stencils custom created for each title, and they covered each side from corner to corner. (Not counting the two additional stencils for the early-mid 50s Gottlieb two-color standard coindoor.)

Wonder what they were made out of: metal, wood?

Have any master sets of original factory stencils for a particular title survived?

They were made out of brass sheets. They would hold it up to the side of the cabinet, spray and move on to the next. No two games were exactly the same as far as alignment/overspray goes.

Most of the designs were reversible so that you would only need one sheet per color of the design.

I asked recently here if anyone had or had seen any original brass stencils and got no responses.

That's what I'm looking into now. Trying to find what will be the cheapest / easiest / best way of doing this. Possibly laser-cut acrylic? That would be overkill I think unless multiple people were interested in using it. I think my next step is to test something like card stock to see if a little overspray can visually compensate for less-than-100% accuracy in cutting the stencil by hand.

If you are doing handcut stencils the easiest/most accurate way I have found is using 7.5 mil mylar sheets. You can see through them to do your tracings. Then you get a stencil burner from Michaels to cut them out. You get nice clean accurate shapes, the stencils are reusable and the amount of overspray is dead on.

IMAG0177.jpg

A search for "stencil burner" at Michaels returned 0 matches...must officially go by some other name.

Beautiful job on the cabinet BTW!

Here are some images of my Atlantis using the This Old Game stencils.

IMG_5437.JPG

Couple more.

IMG_5435.JPG IMG_5452.JPG

[moved to bottom]

Finished product.

IMG_5441.JPG

Finished assembled.

IMG_5453.JPG

Yeah their search sucks, its this device and they carry it.

http://www.createforless.com/Plaid+Stencil+Decor+Stencil+Cutter+Tool/pid26026.aspx?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cse&cagpspn=pla&CAWELAID=1439803622&catargetid=1552981732&gclid=CM3QnaPO0bMCFQjznAodtxcATQ

Is that airbrushed? Spray cans? How many coats?

Spray cans. Two coats of primer, three coats of white, one coat of green, and two coats of red. Black acrylic used for speckle paint.

Huh. I guess it needs less since it is going onto white. When I was spraying yellow on black for Pinbot it took about 6 coats.

I used Rustoleum primer, Rustoleum Heirloom Satin White, Rustoleum Green and Krylon maroon. The white over the primer took three medium coats to look good. Any hue imperfections were taken out by the speckle paint for the most part. The green was one coat. The Krylon maroon seemed much thinner and this is why it took two coats.

Overall, it is not a perfect job. It was my first shot at a cabinet repaint and I was pretty happy with the outcome. I learned several lessons which will make things much better (and take less time) in the future.

Ok so I have an update. I bought the clear shelf liner roll from walmart for $6:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Con-Tact-Shelf-and-Storage-Liner-18-x-48-Clear/17127439

Covered the whole side of the artwork, traced yellow outlines first (also mark the bottom left and bottom right of cabinet), transferred that to posterboard (for a side cabinet, you'll have to tape two together). Once that's attached to the posterboard, you can easily cut out your shapes with an x-acto. Repeated this process for the red. Now it's time to spray

IMG_2222.JPG IMG_2223.JPG IMG_2224.JPG

In order to align 2nd layer to 1st layer, always have a way to align somehow. I used the dips in the yellow as my reference point:
IMG_2225.JPG
IMG_2226.JPG

Came out pretty good:
IMG_2227.JPG

Total cost to me: $19 (including two spray cans), far better than paying $130 for a stencil kit. Going to repeat this process for the front, and then clear it.

Nice. I like the overspray look.

There's more overspray than I would have liked, but I can easily touch up black around the area to clean some of it up. At least I have nice bright fairly clean lines now.

anytime you do reds or yellows, you need to lay down a coat of white first. then the red or yellow, or it's going to look like crap. save you a lot of layers.

I noticed a photo of a pinball machine I have yet to restore while browsing the internet... so I had to see what it was about... It just so happens I have both 'sign shop' equipment and nearly 30 years experience in custom painting.

There is a low tack paint masking vinyl I use for most custom paint themes. Designs are quick and easy to duplicate, but for them to work the surface to be painted has to be prepared properly. If the paint peels off with simple masking tape it would first need to be removed or sanded to make sure all new paint will stick, this will greatly improve its durability.

Primed and painted the first color which is always the lightest color when red is to be used (usually transparent). Paint white, add the stencils, paint red, cover up the red and paint blue then remove all masking.

I do not have the design in the computer, but all I'd have to do is a straight on side photo of the design to convert and clean up.

Troy

I create a vector image and cut them with a vinyl cutter . Here's a Cosmic Gunfight I did .

P1010549.jpg P1010550.jpg

Some of the above messages are fairly old, but I hope this will help some of you.

I haven't tried this organization yet, I am pondering doing my Totem cabinet stencil on my own. The issue is the cabinet is actually in very good shape and the paint is very stable, but I had to fill a few gauges and I also have a handful of nicks and color matching, even with decent acrylics doesn't seem to be going well for me.

Anyway, this might help some people reading this, it is fairly expensive, but for the same price of any of the stencils they already have listed + potentially 2 weeks of work time, they will make a stencil custom for any pinball based on pictures you send them. Neat idea, none the less...

http://www.twistedpins.com/products/stencil_creation/

i was thinking of having them make a set for a pin im redoing this winter.

I believe that this is on our list to create. Last weekend we were given access to a large private collection of over 600 pins from a collector in California. We obtained the data required to create tons of new titles that we currently don't offer.

I redrew the stencils for the gameplan Sharpshooter and ordered them cut and backed from gamestencils.com. He gave me a good deal since my vector art was basically ready to cut. They were the thin adhesive vinyl single use stencils and they worked well. They have a nice registration system between the layers.

The only bad thing about these is you have very little bleed and no overspray if you're going for that original look.

My first choice is always to buy stencils from somebody like twistedpins if they're available. You can't do it cheaper or faster doing your own if they're already available.