Catching up on the thread and this has me scratching my head.

The Weekend is Friday evening to Sunday evening or 48 hours.

1500 plays divided by 48 hours is roughly 31 plays per hour or about 2 minutes per game without bio breaks, eating, sleeping or waxing the playfield 3 times.

???

I did like your idea of crushing them into powder and then gently cleaning off the remainder with maybe a plastic razor blade and lighter fluid.
Everything eats the paint including alcohol.

Funny that had me going also but I did not get into it as deep as you did.

Naphtha and Novus 2 aren't making a dent in the melted rubber stuck to the playfield even after many applications of both cleaners.

Dropped the idea of "crushing them into powder". I think these melted pieces are too hard and may make dents in the paint if I try to do this.

I didn't know about plastic razor blades until you mentioned it but it's an idea. Will I be able to use it without scratching the paint?

Surely this is a fairly common issue with old games that others here have had to deal with that can share what they did?

This is preventing me from finishing cleaning the PF so I can move on to waxing it with Blitz.

leave it, put the game back together and play it. The ball does not go there.

I plan to leave it where the ball doesn't go but there are bumps from the rubber pieces where the ball does go. Maybe the ball will flatten them out while playing the game?

If the rubber is very hard and wont budge at all, sand it off carefully with a custom made small 1" sanding block. Be careful and mask off any areas not to be sanded with masking tape.

Once the rubber is thinned down, a cleaner might soak in enough to release the remainder, or just wax over it.

I'll look into trying that. It does need to be smoothed down or flattened somehow. I may try the plastic razor first. Are you able to slide the plastic razor across the playfield without scratching the paint?

Yes if you are careful.

I would try a little bit of goo gone. Stuff works great for rubber stuck to flipper bats.

Is the goo gone safe for the playfield paint?

I ordered the orange Scraperite plastic razor blades ebay.com link: itm

I had an idea to try using the heat from a hair dryer to soften the rubber bits before cleaning them up. I was using my ultrasonic cleaner yesterday to clean the 65 year old posts (from the same game) that had rubber stuck to them and it softened the rubber pieces to where I could peel them off.

These 65 year old posts look like new after the ultrasonic and I haven't even polished them with Novus!

Before (resized).png

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Does anyone know if Naphtha is safe to use on a playfield that has clear mylar (or something like it) in different sections? Will this break down the adhesive underneath?

I've used naptha on my playfields with mylar and I've had no issues. Recommended by Vid.

ok - Naptha Newb queston... I've read through the entire thread and am definitely going to switch my cleaning processes in my collection. I'm trying to figure out what to do with Naptha from a safety point of view. I have two pin areas in my house - Garage when I first get them in and working (eventually I'll get into PF Resto, but I just moved in 2 months ago and I'm still getting things set up - right now it's my tech bench for soldering, other electronics tools, etc). The arcade is downstairs though, and there isn't a walk in/out for the basement, so regular cleaning and maintenance will likely happen in the collection downstairs.

So - Naptha in the garage - fine, open the garage door and maybe even rock a fan. Downstairs, I have two baby windows and otherwise a large, open space with little ventilation. My question is - what precautions should I take with Naptha? I have a mini window fan I could likely put in the window and set to pull air out of the basement (or is that overkill for just a quick cleaning?) Also - I have one of these for the occasional nastier stuff I do around the house... Is this recommended (or total overkill? Or maybe smart in the basement but not needed in the garage?) - https://smile.amazon.com/3M-Facepiece-Respirator-6291-Particulate/dp/B000FTEDMM/ref=sr_1_7

Apologies if I'm being too cautious - just trying to make sure I'm doing it right when I'm getting into new chemicals I haven't used before.

This is what I do. In fact I move the rags outside immediately after Im done degreasing/dewaxing.
Usually Im done using naptha within 5 mins or so, and then its outta here with it.

I keep the used rags in a coffee can in the garage. They dont smell up the garage too much this way.

Even left alone and dry the rags smell up the whole house with my central air running.

Thanks for the tips - I'm guessing that for the most part - I'll be using the Naptha upstairs when games first come in, then downstairs will likely be quick clean, vacuum, and rewax so the downstairs Naptha shouldn't be a major issue. I'll probably give it a go and hold off on the mask. Good to know my particulate mask is totally different than the organic compound one you posted!

Its more of an old latex paint can, yes with a metal lid.

I really could use one of those red metal bins for rags that we had when I was a machinist.

I haved cleaned/waxed 3 playfeilds now and would like to chime in for older playfields. I used novus 2 on a dirty 1966 chicago coin and the results were great. I tried it on a 1969 williams and it did nothing, i mean nothing at all. I ended up using magic eraser and it was able to break down the thickness of dirt and cracks and the results also came out great.

20180620_202709_Film1 (resized).jpg

And I forgot to mention I followed up with Novus 2.

Save your brain cells and carcinogen exposure for something more fun and wear the mask.

Should naphtha be used each time you give your game a clean up, or is it better to use Novus 1? From what I've read earlier, you mentioned Novus 1 can be slightly abrasive.

Just wondering if it is safe/recommended to use naphtha on 90's-current games. I usually do a clean up every 2-3 months.

From reading the last 29 pages...

Novus 1 very lightly if the playfield is dirtier than a vacuum and dry cloth/microfiber can clean. Don't Novus 1 if it's an older/planked playfield.

Naptha cuts the wax, so if you're doing naptha, you gotta rewax (not like you wouldn't want to during your clean anyway, but still)

For light regular non-waxing cleanings whenever I take of the glass for something.

I clean off the ball tracks on standup targets with RC-88 and a q-tip (dont use it on anything plastic please).

I dampen a yellow felt polishing rag with mist n shine and rub down wherever I can reach to remove coil stop dust (works good on all plastics too). You can poke and pull a yellow felt polisher rag thru, under and around a lot of areas with a wooden spoon handle or a rounded piece of 3/8" dowel. I cut the rags up as necessary to get then into places that are tight.

If I have time to clean ball tracks I use a tiny bit of novus 2 on a small microfiber rag and rub them off.

Note: novus 2 will remove the wax in areas you use it on, as its abrasive.

Then I have to apply a super thin, almost non existent layer of carnauba over the ball track area, let it dry for a few mins and buff it off.

This differs from a big cleaning in that I spend a lot more time on a thorough cleaning inspecting nuts, bolts and screws and then wax all of the playfield I can reach with a thin coat of carnauba.

On other days I inspect the underside of the playfield and vacuum off black coil dust along with the inspection of all of the screws, bolts and nuts. I clean inside the inserts with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol.
I also tug on and inspect wires for looseness and check each solenoid plunger for smooth operation and repair or clean as needed.
I clean plungers and coils sleeves with naptha to degrease them. Especially on the flippers.

I also vacuum out the lower cabinet and wipe down the harnesses with a rag and sparkle glass cleaner.
I also use sparkle glass cleaner on plastics of they look grimy.

I only use naptha on the playfield to remove all the wax, when I change out all the rubbers.

Since you have to remove all of the assemblies, its a good time to really clean off the playfield. I do it in sections as I go.

For me its about 3000 to 5000 plays.

Notice that I havent mentioned novus 1. I rarely use it. Mist n Shine is sufficient if you have it.

So one other question - I was reading the part a good few pages back regarding spinners and using a tiny drop of oil in a needle oiler... Well I bought a needle oiler and the stuff at this link cause it matched my search and the pic Vid posted - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029NHARC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 . Unfortunately - the bottle that arrived has a clear oil in it, not golden like this is, and is labeled as a 'sewing machine oil'. Is this a similar type of oil that can be used on the spinner or should I demand a refund and try again?

No - i orderd both a needle oiler and the oil you pictured separately... apologies for the confusion.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cleaning-and-waxing-pinball-machines-vids-guide/page/15#post-3205779 is the original post - I matched your picture to the pic I order from amazon and I got clear sewing machine oil. I guess I'll give it a go on one spinner and see how it goes from there and report my findings.

I did my Firepower and Paragon spinners really quick to test... I would say both get around 20-25 spins on a nice, direct rip the shot. The Firepower spinner could be better, but it isn't level and the spinner itself is a little rusty. The oil definitely helps, but it isn't a complete solution without going through and shopping out the spinner in the first place. The paragon spinner is like night and day - it used to spin 8-10 times and now just flys on a solid shot.

I'm going to do Swords of Fury next - those are all in nice shape metal wise. Will edit this post with my findings.

Hi Vid/All, Thanks for making this wonderful thread.

I've vacuumed and cleaned with naptha but I can't get the water spots, heavy soil and fecal matter off. See the attached pics with areas circled. Any suggestions? I'm thinking the soil and water are in the top coat. I can feel the crap over the top coat but not sure how to get it off properly. This was stored in a barn with glass off

My proposed process, since I do not want to restore(auto clear process scares me), is to clean, touch up the wear spots best I can(good enough for jazz) and then
lay down mylar or maybe the vinyl cling. Since the paint is not great on the skier I'm inclined to use vinyl. I know I must wax before
laying down either. Then later I can restore if I want to. Anything wrong with this approach? I understand mylar over almost the entire lower
pf may not be a great look on an EM but I do not want to restore unless that's the only way.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

fullPF (resized).jpglowerPF2 (resized).jpgwaterNcrap2 (resized).jpg

Wow, that was fast! Thank you very much.

I know that I use very light fine machine oil very sparingly on my FP spinner, and you can get a boatload of spins easily, as the other guy said, with a straight shot up the lane.

vid1900 or any others, have you experimented with automotive ceramic coatings vs wax on a playfield yet? I recently jumped back into the automotive detailing game and holy smokes there are some cool products on the market these days. One of these products are the new ceramic coatings that are out. They leave an intense shine, are very hard, and last for a long long time. Seems like it would be a superior alternative to wax. They can be expensive (there are cheap versions out there but I'm not sure how much I trust them) but might be worth it. I've just started experimenting with them on cars but I'm very tempted to try on a pin. Anyone tried it yet?

Ceramics? TELL US MORE!

Its basically a clear liquid containing ceramic elements or more specifically a compound called SIO-2 (silicon dioxide). When applied on automotive paint, it essentially acts as a super high performance wax that lasts months or even years. Super water repellency, high gloss, super slick surface, and also some paint protection properties as well since the coating itself is very hard. Harder than the clear coat even sometimes. A coated car, will clean off like a breeze. Even hardcore things like brake dust on wheels comes right off with essentially a hose sprayer.

The downsides of the coating are- expense and the prep necessary to apply, as you wouldn't want to lock in scratches or dirt under the ceramic.

They do make cheap versions from china that I have been playing with on my beater car with good results, and I'm just about ready to try a quality one on my Ford Raptor.

It seems like it would have a lot of properties that would make it nice for pinball machines, both old style and new ones that have actual 2 part clear on them. But perhaps theres something I'm missing, which is why I am asking. When winter hits and I'm down working on my machines more often I might be the guinea pig if nobody else has tried it.

The best form is the actual ceramic liquid, but theres other styles of it as well including sprays and even a handful of paste waxes infused with it, such as Enigma by AngelWax. I just picked up some Enigma, and I'm excited to try it out on some cars and that might make it onto some of my games at some point as well.

Since we don't run ballbearings all over or cars it's hard to say if it's good or bad.

Also what about touchups after the application?

Also what about re-clear coating after application?

Many questions about this tech.

But it looks really promising.

Some guys are already using it on new games and really like it.

But as always there are the after the fact repair questions.

YOU just said silicon...

Vid, do you ever get tired of repeating yourself?

Apologies, I saw and wrote silicone...a mental brain fart on my part.

These are questions I have as well, but it is a removable coating. Theres no troubles touching up/repainting cars if need be after a ceramic job, but obviously this is not a complete apples to apples comparison.

There's a balance between playing and restoring.

Just wanted to say that after following this thread (and a few other) for a period of time, I decided to buy some Blitz Wax and give it a try on my playfields. Full disclosure - the only thing I had ever used to wax a playfield was Mother's California Gold.

WOW! Blitz wax is superb.

It's gonna be quite some time before I try anything else to wax a playfield. This stuff is a dream to use and the finish attained after a couple coats is just unreal. I feel like it is obvious from the feel of the wax itself once you open the can that it is not typical cheap wax. Was it a little more expensive? Sure, but this can of wax is going to last me a long long time.

Ball action on the finished playfield is insanely quiet and smooth. Most importantly (PINBALL NERD ALERT) there is a great level of that "unpredictable thing" that a pinball does on a really slick playfield. Odd spin. Balls walking up kicker rubber. Stuff like that.

Thanks Vid for these guides and to everyone for their input!

Thank you soooo much for this post and the tremendous amount of detail.

I have a brand new bottle of mill wax “pinball play field wax and cleaner” that I was going to apply to my Attack from Mars LE. It’s my first pinball machine I’ve ever owned, it’s my baby, and it’s due for its first waxing ever.

Instead this bottle of mill wax is going in the trash and I’m picking up some Blitz One Grand!

Silly question.

Are you supposed to wax the shooter lane too? Do you wax the metal rails the balls travel across and metal parts of the ramps?

Only wax the playfield. This includes the shooter lane.
You dont have to wax any of the metal parts.

It won't hurt them, its just unnecessary.

Dont wax the balls, the wax will just fall off of them.

Put very small amounts of wax.

Think of what a fingerprint on glass looks like.

Yes that amount is plenty.

You cant build layers of wax.

One coat is enough. If you miss an area, certainly rewax that area.

If you haven't already, get cliffy's for at least the shooter lane and the SOL scoop hole.

Thanks! For a pin that’s basically brand new do I NEED to take the whole play field apart and wax the whole play field? Or can I simply wax what’s reachable with just the glass removed until it’s time to change the rubbers?

Just wax the reachable areas. That’s fine for a new home use pin. No need to do a full tear down at this point.