How did you prep the PF before installing the overlay? I'm not a fan of their stuff but the lack of adhesion could be a prep issue.

how long did you let it dry/cure before re-populating the pf?

Wow. Sorry to see that.
How about this over the overlay?
https://www.playfield-protectors.com/Home/Details/-HVJ1WoJ6k-uZN26DIGz_g?categoryid=22&category=Playfield%20Protectors&name=Star%20Trek%20%7C%201979

Did you press all of the fluid out with a credit card after you laid it down?

Some vinyl has tiny vent holes in it (millions) it could be possible that the fluid underneath never left due to the triple thick???

Just a guess ... Vinyl sucks and I work with it all the time.

EDIT .... I think the triple thick was still gassing off and affected the adhesive on the vinyl.... I always wait 3 days after any paint is on a wall before I put any type of adhesive on it ..... you need vid1900 to chime in on this.

I had the same thing happen to a FG overlay I purchased. In your case and mine most likely the clear coat was not given enough time to cure and formed bubbles under the overlay due to degaussing of the clear. I’ve read comments that it takes several months for clear coat to fully cure, not sure if it’s true but every time I see one of these posts pop we read that the overlay was applied hours or a few days after the clear was sprayed.

Or maybe a chemical reaction between triple thick & vinyl? I understand clearing a playfield before putting down an overlay but triple thick doesn't seem like it would be the best clear for this. Thin layers of a good clear seem to make more sense than something like triple thick in this case?

Just to throw out some thoughts, Axalta recommends 24 to 72 hours after applying clearcoat before applying decals. My experience is that spray can products without hardener dry slower then an activated product. I've seen decals that were put on sooner wrinkle but not that bad. Curious if you push those wrinkles with a spreader do they move? Some people use a syringe to puncture and draw air out. Or just puncture with a razor blade and push with a spreader. I'm not thinking that you could save it but maybe help you figure out what you're dealing with.

I am finishing up a Harlem with Classic Arcades overlay. Pf was junk, so I filled cupped inserts with 2PAC and sanded and cleared the entire thing. Let it cure for a week. Applied overlay, and let it set for 1 week. Applied light coat of auto clear, and let cure for 4 days, repeated that 3 more times. I have a couple spots at inserts I am not thrilled with, but overall, looks pretty damn good. I can get pics tomorrow.

I have used jeffs overlays before with 2pac down then overlay applied with rapid tac(wet) then cleared with 2pac mist first coat then flood next coats and no issues

Sorry OP but I think it's unfair to be blaming Classic Arcades on this one. It's pretty obvious you rushed this project and started repopulating the playfield without letting the overlay adhere properly. Look at the twists and crimps in your pics. While their stuff isn't the best for collector quality restores it's def better than nothing at all. I've used plenty of their vinyl print products with no issue.

20181005_012157 (resized).png

20181005_012236 (resized).png

Looks like the posts twisted as you tightened them making the overlay wrinkle. I have used triple thick to seal a back glass but wouldnt use it on a playfield, it probably takes weeks to harden cause its out of a rattle can. There is a clearcoat in a can that alot of guys on here use I believe its (spraymax) it has a seal you brake when you use it before shaking and makes it good for a one time use, for best results I would use that or if you have a spray gun use automotive clear. You could always contact the hardtop guys and beg them to make one for your title.

This is the problem. You gotta apply bone dry. Just make sure you’re lined up first by laying out and aligning the inserts with a light under the playfield. Peel off backing and wipe down in sections. Have a friend help.

From there, I burn all the holes with a soldering iron. Then scuff, clean and clear coat over.
Also, cut off that damn fake wood! Just apply the art.

Yeah, I think u rushed it.
I also put mine down wet, you almost have to, cause the registration isn't perfect. You kinda have to be able to move it to find a happy medium.
I used shop grade automotive clear. Definitely light first coat on top of overlay, or u will melt it.

15387460836551117620279 (resized).jpg

You can see where registration is off here.

15387461138891124728731 (resized).jpg

looks like Krylon reacted with the adhesive on the vinyl

I removed all the cheesy faux wood grain, and let the wood show. My goal was to make it very difficult to see this is an overlay, and I did ok.
Not perfect, but ok.

1538746303852528837550 (resized).jpg

This is what I use

1538746946609420362852 (resized).jpg

I did an overlay on my Xenon, with the same results, laid down beautifully and looked great.
let is sit overnight, and got the same problems your showing seems like it adhered best where
there were little or no clear inserts, where there were multiple inserts that were close to each other
is where it bubbled up and just wouldn't stay down.
I let my PF sit for 1 week, added very heavy weights on top of the area that wouldn't stay flat, it helped
but ended up with wrinkles, to smooth out the wrinkles I ended having to get a PF protector just to make it playable.

I have done a few overlays and my process is different.
Sand the pf to prep it for several coats of oil base Varathane. Do not use any water base coatings. It doesn't matter if it's gloss or semi gloss. After the Varathane has fully dried you want to scuff it with 400 grit sand paper by hand. This will give your adhesive something to bite to. Don't use use dish soap to help position the overlay. It will leave residue after the water evaporates. Use glass cleaner windex or the purple stuff. Take your time and make sure the clear coat is dry. Shooter lanes always seem to be a problem with lifting after a few weeks. I use super glue on the shooter lanes. You have to be careful not to get it on your fingers or the top of the overlay. Use it sparingly. Lay wax paper over the lane before you press it down to conform to taper.
As for Triple Thick I have never had good results with it. I did hear years ago the formula was changed. That could be a just a rumor. Back in the days Triple thick was being used for BG repairs then all of sudden guys quite using it.

Lots of things could have happened differently. Why would you go ahead and apply this overlay without knowing exactly what to do. I could be wrong but I think you jumped into this without doing your homework on how these are actually properly applied. Jeff probably should have included some instructions but you should of ask questions in my opinon and waited for answers.

Get the new decal Jeff is suppling so kindly for free and do this properly.

I don't think anybody gives direction on how to install, I just searched here to figure it out.
I have done 3 of these overlays and must say that my bride of pinbot came out excellent, you couldn't tell.
My Kiss came out fair with very little wrinkling around posts, but my Xenon curled right up
after letting it st.

I've installed several of Jeff's Overlays (SilverBall Mania & Supersonic) & have done another brand of overlay on my Playboy.

I installed them all dry on fully sanded PF. A LOT of test fitting with lights under the inserts to get them lined up as best you can, often the registration is just not perfect everywhere... & then installed dry. & then they got several fairly heavy coats Spraymax 2K clear coat with several days of cure time in between coats, then wet sand & rubbing compound & then wax. Never had any issues with any of them, several have been on for almost 2 years.

My guess is your issue was installing it wet with the soapy water, or it didn't like the solvents in the triple thick.

My SilverBall actually looks so good, even now that CPR has the PF's avail again, I can't justify replacing this overplayed one, it's just too nice to spend that kind of time/$ to replace.

Nothing!
I just think they were made differently.
Running you hand over the overlay, BOP was very smooth, and the Kiss and Xenon
had a very distinct texture to it, like different colors printed were thicker.

Looks to me like the vinyl was stretched too in the install and it popped back.

These rarely give great results if not cleared over. Just too delicate and poor bonding

Not in my case, on mine, the insets were lined up good in the middle, little low on the bottom and a little high on the top.
If anything it could of used some shrinking. And I didn't stretch anything, laid it down smooth and even.

Sorry for not reading every single post in this topic but i did see the first few. You mentioned a tablespoon of soap. I install Vinyl all the time at work on trucks and sea cans. Too much soap is a big adhesion killer!! I used 1 drop or less per spray bottle mix. Too much soap and the decals can still be pushed around if you press and twist even after sitting a few days. I mostly use Windex now as its allows for repositioning easily and sets perfectly overnight.

I use rapidtac, it's the best and doesn't dissolve the adhesive

Done about 14 years ago. Still as good the day it finished.

DSC01092 (resized).JPG

Windex has ammonia which is not good for adhesive ....

Most vinyl guys use a drop or two of Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo ... Cheap and Effective...

I'm not here to bash Jeff in anyway. He makes good repos for drop targets and pop bumpers. His overlays are terrible. I put a 8 ball deluxe overlay on and it did same thing. I cleared and waited 2 weeks for it to set up. I then sanded it and it is lifting everywhere. I'm only hoping cpr makes playfield for it. I will be first on list for one. He also told me I didn't have to put clear over it. I think he needs to change the way he is makng them.

Have never had an issue yet. It evaporates faster than soap and water and is used in professional graphic shops. They actually make their own mix with other additives and ammonia in giant weed sprayers for application.

I used a Classic Arcades overlay for my Bally Playboy. Sanded playfield to bare wood then automotive cleared. Gave it a week for drying time before overlay was applied, had never done one before and looked up how on YouTube for a video - dry install, no need for wet if you go slowly. Automotive cleared over the overlay which apparently is not one solid piece on Playboy?? Center key area is a separate piece?? It wrinkled when the clear penetrated the serration line and the key area had to be replaced. 1st time was a learning experience for sure. With an overlay you had better be ready to go with Led's because they don't like the heat generated by incandescent bulbs or it will bubble. Triple thick is not for playfield prep. There may have been a reaction with the glue on the overlay or maybe just bad glue on the overlay but clearly it did not stick!

If you are doing the clearcoat route, lay down clear under the vinyl and over the vinyl. You don't want either side of the vinyl to expand or contract at different rates. Just make sure you spray the first top layer over the vinyl very thin, or it will probably melt.

I just finished reading this guy's directions (below link), on applying an overlay. He used the water/soap method, but did not clear coat the overlay afterwards. However, his directions on overlay prep seemed good: Sand playfield, apply polyurethane. Wait at least two weeks, then apply the overlay.

Honestly though, after reading every post on this thread, I'm not sold on the water/soap method of applying it. I'm going to be doing one of these next month, so I will keep on reading until then. Thanks for starting this thread.

http://homepinballrepair.com/index.php/pinball-playfield-restoration-eight-ball-deluxe/