(Topic ID: 270026)

BOP Playfield condition, how far to go?

By hicks

3 years ago


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#1 3 years ago

I've been fixing up a bride of pinbot machine (see other posts on here) and whilst the machine is fully playable, there's the elephant in the room... the playfield condition.

IMG_0100 (resized).JPGIMG_0100 (resized).JPG

The dirt/grime on the central mylar has cleaned up without much trouble, although even that is still a little dirty. There's a good deal of loose dirt which a brush/vac will sort, however the main issue is just how dirty and well worn it appears to be outside of the mylar.

For example:

IMG_0101 (resized).JPGIMG_0101 (resized).JPG

It's quite discoloured and you can also see the wood appears to be planking (is that the correct term for that?). Don't think there's anything I can really do about those but I would like to at least remove the grime (and not the paint .

Reading vid's various guides and other posts on here I get the impression Naphtha (or the UK equivalent) is often used. Would there be any risk in using that on the playfield in this condition? I'm not sure if Bride of Pinbot would have been clear coated? Although if it was, I'm guessing there's not much if any of it left, as paint is wearing off in several spots:

IMG_0105 (resized).JPGIMG_0105 (resized).JPG

Once cleared, what would you recommend I do to protect what is left of the current artwork (and any minor touchup I attempt)? I don't think I'd be able to clear coat it myself, so perhaps an option would be a playfield protector or new mylar set? Removing them might be an issue in the future though. Is there another option to protect the playfield that would not preclude later restoration work? The playfield isn't in the best condition, but I'd like to not have it get any worse

One additional concern is the current mylar, the angle of the following photo looks far worse than it is in terms of colour, but shows the bubbling of the mylar quite clearly.

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Just how risky is it to remove mylar on a bride of pinbot machine? I read that many system 11 machines can result in disaster, but what about WPC? Was this originally clear coated?

PS: Might just be visible in the above photos, but the left ramp is cracked, someone tried to "weld" it back together with a soldering iron :'( and the heart ramp has a missing section were someone has fastened 3 screws into the playfield to block it I'll figure out a way to fix those or purchase replacements, so that's not too big a concern though.

#2 3 years ago

looks like a good candidate for a playfield swap. The Buthamburg playfields look beautiful.

#3 3 years ago
Quoted from kevmad:

looks like a good candidate for a playfield swap. The Buthamburg playfields look beautiful.

They do indeed. I was looking at those a few minutes before writing this post. I'd love one, but don't want to spend that much on fixing this up at this time. Maybe some time in the future

#4 3 years ago

Maybe look for a used PF. A lot of guys have put in a Buthamburg PF and may have nice used PF taking up space.

#5 3 years ago

Clean it up, put a Playfield Protector on and play it.
I like the protector and some folks don't - look around and if it fits your needs.

Its not so bad that a swap or hardtop is really needed to me.

https://www.playfield-protectors.com/Home/Details/kVhQbtXUGUKXzln-Rn4Uog?catgoryid=22&name=The%20Machine%3A%20Bride%20of%20Pin%C2%B7bot%20%7C%201991%20%7C%20Playfield%20Protector

#6 3 years ago
Quoted from Impzilla:

Clean it up, put a Playfield Protector on and play it.
I like the protector and some folks don't - look around and if it fits your needs.
Its not so bad that a swap or hardtop is really needed to me.
https://www.playfield-protectors.com/Home/Details/kVhQbtXUGUKXzln-Rn4Uog?catgoryid=22&name=The%20Machine%3A%20Bride%20of%20Pin%C2%B7bot%20%7C%201991%20%7C%20Playfield%20Protector

Probably the most bang for the buck and not too much money to invest in the game.

#7 3 years ago

I would just clean it and wax it and enjoy it! If it's playing 100% that's all that matters!

#8 3 years ago
Quoted from crujones4life:

I would just clean it and wax it and enjoy it! If it's playing 100% that's all that matters!

It's not quite there yet for playability, I need to pull all the coils and check/clean the sleeves. One I know is totally gone, sleeve/plunger were totally jammed in the coil and a few others feel like they're sticking a bit. Also need to repair the two ramps, left one is cracked, the right one has a section missing. Other than that it's working fine though. Certainly playable.

The Mylar, I'm not sure about. It has bubbles but they're not impacting the gameplay too much which has me inclined to just leave it in place and not risk pulling paint. However it would be a bit pointless to add a playfield protector over existing worn/bubbled Mylar. It's either risk removal or just clean/wax the playfield and hope it doesn't wear too much more and I'm not really sure which way to go there.

I think first I'll see if Naphtha helps with the grime outside of the Mylar. Depending how that goes, I'll consider clearing the top of the playfield for a full clean and wax and decide on the Mylar. I'll have to remove most things to swap out the rubbers anyway and sort the ramps.

#9 3 years ago

Classic arcades sell's a very good overlay, if your looking for a easier fix than replacement.

#10 3 years ago

I used to be all gung-ho about ripping apart every game I got and spending lots of time and money making it as good as it could be.

These days, I appreciate the value in just replacing rubbers, removing wireforms and ramps and cleaning and waxing that way.
Put it back together, play the crap out of it. A few bucks and a few hours and you're going.

Your call, I'd assess how much free time and money you have and would be willing to invest in this game.
Is it a keeper? Then do a playfield swap
Does it work just fine and is a little rough around the edges? That's character to me, play the crap out of it

#11 3 years ago
Quoted from dudah:

Does it work just fine and is a little rough around the edges? That's character to me, play the crap out of it

This is the way. These are made to be played and enjoyed. Every game is not a beauty queen. Some are players. My mean ass Mata Hari plays awesome but looks like poop. I wouldn't hard top that one ever.

#12 3 years ago
Quoted from QuietEarp:

This is the way. These are made to be played and enjoyed. Every game is not a beauty queen. Some are players. My mean ass Mata Hari plays awesome but looks like poop. I wouldn't hard top that one ever.

Well said. This is the way i see it. Clean what you can and have fun playing it.

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