Quoted from Lethal_Inc:Ok where can I buy some?
Paint department at Home Depot too.
(Topic ID: 137689)
Quoted from vid1900:WHAT IS THE BEST PLAYFIELD WAX?
============================================================One Grand.jpg
You drag your fingers over the well played surface and it still feels like it's waxed. So you know it's still protecting the playfield from ball wear. It's not $60 a can. It does not leave white residue everywhere after it drys that you have to vacuum up. It does not stain plastics. It cleans off completely with Naphtha and allows clearcoating later without fisheyes. You use an incredibly tiny amount to wax a playfield.
Where does one find this stuff? Amazon is clean out!
Iowa City, IA
these guys claim to have inventory, at a bit of a premium, but most common outlets are showing nothing available to ship currently, as you have realized.
http://store.carcareonline.com/onegrandblitzcarnaubawax-15ozcan.aspx
Sana'a
You can buy it local, but it's always behind the counter, never on the shelf that I've seen.
http://www.calcarcover.com/product/29/34/One_Grand_Blitz_Carnauba_Wax_12_oz_Wax_Jar
http://doxyman1.tripod.com/AutoLounge11/onegrand.htm
http://www.topoftheline.com/blitzpastewax.html
http://www.detailer365.com/collections/wax/products/one-grand-blitz-carnauba-wax-0-75-lbs-jar
http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic06c/80-8115
http://www.serpentautosport.com/carcare.htm
http://www.worldclassmotoring.com/one-grand-blitz-wax/
In the UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Grand-Ultimate-Carnauba-Wax/dp/B0064NKVFQ
I guess I got the last jar from Amazon US. Ordered about a week ago and it's scheduled to show up on Monday.
Data East plastic bumper parts after soap and water. It won't get everything but it does a fantastic job. Before these parts were covered in playfield soot and smoke.
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It's no polish but the abrasive Novus 2 also does a great job with metal bits.
Dude that's pretty sweet...Novus does work really well. I use it to level and touch up the paint when I fix a chip on my car, too. Works beautifully.
Hi Gang, I picked up a Haunted House and really want to to get it cleaned up. It's filthy and really needs a good scrubbing. I plan on using Naphtha, but I just want to make sure it's a good idea on a playfield with wear spots like this one has. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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You'll have to remove the relays and fuses before putting the boards in, and obviously any batteries that may be present.
Quoted from Crash:You'll have to remove the relays and fuses before putting the boards in, and obviously any batteries that may be present.
Thank you, so boards with:
- Relay
- Batteries
- Fuses
Should either not be washed in the dishwasher or the components removed.
Are there other components I should be aware of?
Whangarei
For anyone lucky enough to live in New Zealand, Naptha is available under the Diggers brand from Bunnings.
The MSDS lists Diggers Shellite as 100% light aliphalic Naptha.
Also tried Google for One Grand Blitz Wax and there is a company who will supply it in New Zealand.
http://prubuy.nz/
The current cost is $NZ 77.98 incl delivery but I havnt tried to order it yet
The 7 piece Micro Brush Vacuum set is available at Godfreys (SKU 31150310) for $NZ 25
Cheers
Quoted from vid1900:Once you start fixing pinball boards, you start fixing everything.... you'll see.
Indeed! I fixed a USB port for someone at my IT job with the soldering skills I learned from working on pins. Cracked solder joints. Also found out inductive amps like those cable tracers are great for troubleshooting coil issues.
Quoted from vid1900:Once you start fixing pinball boards, you start fixing everything.... you'll see.
Quoted from Crash:Indeed! I fixed a USB port for someone at my IT job with the soldering skills I learned from working on pins. Cracked solder joints. Also found out inductive amps like those cable tracers are great for troubleshooting coil issues.
Ha! I just tried to fix my doorbell with my new found pinball repair skills. How bad could it be, I asked myself. Just a couple of solenoids. Unfortunately, the thing was not built to be fixed as there was no way to remove the coils without destroying the plastic housing. So, a trip to Home Depot and $12 later, I have a new doorbell. Still, it was fun trying. 
Vid, thanks for the knowledge drop! I bought my first pinball...a LE LoTR. I was wondering what all to remove before attempting a clean and wax job. I started taking the plastics out...should I be removing everything? Ramps, PotD area etc. How much is too much? Thanks again!
Quoted from Lorisa:I bought my first pinball...a LE LoTR. I was wondering what all to remove before attempting a clean and wax job. I started taking the plastics out...should I be removing everything? Ramps, PotD area etc. How much is too much?
It depends on how dirty the machine is.
If you peek under the plastics and the game is filthy, then you might want to do a more extensive cleaning.
If everything looks pretty clean, then just clean and wax everywhere the ball can travel.
If you are new to pinball, the experience of removing all the ramps and mechs on the top of a playfield could give you a good lesson on how things work.
Take lots of pics, so you don't forget how to put it all back together, lol
Quoted from vid1900:If you are new to pinball, the experience of removing all the ramps and mechs on the top of a playfield could give you a good lesson on how things work.
Take lots of pics, so you don't forget how to put it all back together, lol
When I got my first, I took just about everything off the top. It scared the crap out of me at first because I hag no idea what I was getting into but to this day it is one of my favorite pinball experiences. Stripping the plastics, ramps, etc off your first machine is super educational and fun, plus you end up with a much cleaner machine. You cannot take too many pictures when you do this! Pictures are your friends.
Quoted from fiberdude120:When you think you have enough pictures take about 30 more and that will be good.
and then take another 30. The thing i did the first time i ever did this was get a piece of cardboard similar in size and when i took something off, i put in on the cardboard in its respective place. Posts can be screwed into it etc. then i took a marker and drew a very rough pf on it ie 3 circles for the bumpers and any other major things to remind me how things go.
Another good trick is to hang your old flat screen TV in the shop (as long as it's not so old that it can't read pictures off of a USB memory stick). Wallmart always has a sale on their website for $200 42" HDTVs, delivered free to your local store.
Your TV remote can zoom in or rotate the images, and if you hook up a regular FM antenna, you will get REAL HDTV to watch (not the lo-rez fake HD channels from Comcast).
Quoted from vid1900:Another good trick is to hang your old flat screen TV in the shop (as long as it's not so old that it can't read pictures off of a USB memory stick). Wallmart always has a sale on their website for $200 42" HDTVs, delivered free to your local store.
Your TV remote can zoom in or rotate the images, and if you hook up a regular FM antenna, you will get REAL HDTV to watch (not the lo-rez fake HD channels from Comcast).
I have a friend that does this. Pretty awesome idea.
Quoted from chuckwurt:I have a friend that does this. Pretty awesome idea.
Yeah, once you see the difference how real HDTV looks from an antenna, you can never go back.
I have an antenna on my roof that does the whole house, and I love to A/B for people the difference in resolution.
Vid: Here is cable HDTV, {click remote to change to antenna} and here is free, broadcast HDTV.
Guy: Holy Shit! It's like 1000X sharper- look at those colors! What the hell have I been watching at home????
Vid: Comcast.
So I'm trying to get on board with Naptha, and the products I find are paint strippers. That's ok to use on fields up to the 90s?
Quoted from cody_chunn:So I'm trying to get on board with Naptha, and the products I find are paint strippers. That's ok to use on fields up to the 90s?
No, don't get that.
Go to Homedepot, ACE or a paint store like Sherman-Williams. Get a gallon of VM&P Napthta or it might be labeled as Varnish Makers & Painters Napthta.
Prague
Quoted from Strummy:Is there a good way to clean a worn shooter lane and make it look fairly new again?
Sadly no.
Once the wood fibers are frayed, they collect all the black coil dust.
If it's slightly worn, you can sand it and re-clear it, but if it's worn, you have to repaint, then re-clear:
Thanks Vid. Its too bad. I have 2 games with beautiful playfields but the shooter lanes are not to hot. I may try do the sanding and re-clearing one of these days. I just don't want to make things worse. I'm still loving the results from the Blitz one Grand though. So glad that I took the time to put that on. Even though I didn't use Naptha to remove the silicone based products and use Novus instead, the games still rock!
Just looked at this thread did the first time. Under cleaning 101 or novus 1,2,3 you might want to write what to use to clean the playfield when it's not terribly dirty. It says don't use novus 2 every time, but doesn't say what to use.
Quoted from chubtoad13:Just looked at this thread did the first time. Under cleaning 101 or novus 1,2,3 you might want to write what to use to clean the playfield when it's not terribly dirty. It says don't use novus 2 every time, but doesn't say what to use.
What year playfield?
An old classic Bally with a little planking would be good with Naphtha, a modern clearcoated game you could use a tiny amount of Novus1 - it all depends on the finish and condition of the playfield.
Quoted from vid1900:Put a piece of Mylar over the shooterlane and it won't get any worse.
I often do that on brand new games....
Is there no way to get the crud out before mylar? And is there specifically cut mylar for shooter lanes. Or what if I sanded and mylared without re-clearing? Thanks for all of the info!
Quoted from vid1900:What year playfield?
An old classic Bally with a little planking would be good with Naphtha, a modern clearcoated game you could use a tiny amount of Novus1 - it all depends on the finish and condition of the playfield.
Gotcha. I usually use novus 1 on my games. It does a good job getting dirt off but it doesn't really get the ball guide marks.
I have 2 newer sterns and a getaway with a diamond plated playfield. None of them have a very think clear coat.
Quoted from Strummy:Is there no way to get the crud out before mylar?
No, nothing can get the coil dust out of the porous wood fibers.
Quoted from Strummy:And is there specifically cut mylar for shooter lanes.
Each lane is cut different, some V-grove, some U-grove. You can see by the wear pattern where your lane needs protection.
Quoted from Strummy:Or what if I sanded and mylared without re-clearing?
Sanding will open the wood to moisture, dirt and the adhesive from the Mylar.
Thanks all! I ended up giving it a good vacuum and wipe down before waxing. Just took off the plastics and cut a triangle from the applicator to reach more difficult areas. Next time, I'm going to completely shop it and will remember to take a billion pics and do the cardboard trick! Waxing made a huge difference and it was much easier than I thought it would be. Very grateful for this forum!
OK, so I dropped $8 on a can of the VM&P stuff at Home Depot. Tried it on the 1970 Gottlieb Baseball and was completely underwhelmed. Moistened a rag and tried cleaning a small spot under the apron as a test and the results were very weak. Is this stuff *supposed* to be used as a cleaner for finished surfaces? I even tried a bit on an ME with lackluster results. However, it didn't liquefy the top coat like alcohol seems to do, and this field requires no touch up and clear so I'm avoiding alcohol on this one.
Just wondering what the method is for Naphtha to be an effective first-pass cleaner, as I obviously am completely missing something...
Quoted from cody_chunn:OK, so I dropped $8 on a can of the VM&P stuff at Home Depot. Tried it on the 1970 Gottlieb Baseball and was completely underwhelmed. Moistened a rag and tried cleaning a small spot under the apron as a test and the results were very weak. Is this stuff *supposed* to be used as a cleaner for finished surfaces? I even tried a bit on an ME with lackluster results. However, it didn't liquefy the top coat like alcohol seems to do, and this field requires no touch up and clear so I'm avoiding alcohol on this one.
Just wondering what the method is for Naphtha to be an effective first-pass cleaner, as I obviously am completely missing something...
It doesn't do much for cracks in the topcoat. It will clean grime and sticky residue.
Quoted from cody_chunn:Just wondering what the method is for Naphtha to be an effective first-pass cleaner, as I obviously am completely missing something...
It's a solvent.. not a detergent. It's value is cleaning out oils, adhesives, and being a fluid that is not water based and evaporates very quickly.
Quoted from ForceFlow:It will clean grime and sticky residue.
But that's the thing...it didn't clean grime. Granted the grime on this game is absolutely worse than 'average' (I am pretty sure this game survived a fire in it's vicinity), but the Nap just didn't touch it. Scrubbed and scrubbed with a paper shop towel and the scrub side barely had any black crud on it.
I have been experimenting with different cleaners and methods (that won't dissolve the topcoat like alcohol, apparently) and I think I have arrived at a combination that I am comfortable with...but need a few more sessions to really confirm it's the best of what I have tried. And Nap isn't on the list... 
Quoted from cody_chunn:Just wondering what the method is for Naphtha to be an effective first-pass cleaner, as I obviously am completely missing something...
You might be expecting more from Naphtha than it can deliver.
Naphtha is great at dissolving oils and dried beer/soda/adhesives - that kind of mess.
Naphtha WON'T dissolve the the topcoat, 2PAC, or lacquer.
So any fine cracks that have sealed in coil dust or dirt are not going to be erased because the Naphtha can't dissolve the finish to get down to it.
Quoted from vid1900:You might be expecting more from Naphtha than it can deliver.
Naphtha is great at dissolving oils and dried beer/soda/adhesives - that kind of mess.
Naphtha WON'T dissolve the the topcoat, 2PAC, or lacquer.
So any fine cracks that have sealed in coil dust or dirt are not going to be erased because the Naphtha can't dissolve the finish to get down to it.
OK, yeah, I was expecting a much more effective cleaner than it is. Coulda saved that $8.
However, I don't think you have to dissolve the topcoat to get it cleaned up. I doubt I can get it looking like alcohol on ME followed by new clear, but I am trying different things to see what does best without removing the top coat.
Okay, I'm completely new to this, but seeing as I've owned my Stargate for three months now, and I'm not sure when it was last cleaned by the previous owner, how exactly should I go about cleaning the playfield? I'm not sure I want to use novus 1 because I'm not sure there's wax on the playfield. Also, is it important I clean the entire playfield, or just where the ball travels? I don't want to tear the entire thing apart unless absolutely necessary. My playfield also has some bubbling mylar, but I'm not concerned about fixing that.
Basically, I just want to know what I need to use and how I need to use it. Thanks for any help!
Toronto, ON
Quoted from mystman12:Okay, I'm completely new to this, but seeing as I've owned my Stargate for three months now, and I'm not sure when it was last cleaned by the previous owner, how exactly should I go about cleaning the playfield? I'm not sure I want to use novus 1 because I'm not sure there's wax on the playfield. Also, is it important I clean the entire playfield, or just where the ball travels? I don't want to tear the entire thing apart unless absolutely necessary. My playfield also has some bubbling mylar, but I'm not concerned about fixing that.
Basically, I just want to know what I need to use and how I need to use it. Thanks for any help!
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cleaning-and-waxing-pinball-machines-vids-guide#post-2655215
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