Probably a silly question and asked/answered countless times, but what is the main cause and therefore prevention of planking? I’m guessing it’s temp/humidity related and maybe bad choice of cleaners, but does waxing make any difference for prevention of planking?

My understanding is that planking is caused by excessive temperature and humidity fluctuations which cause the wood to expand and contract more than the paint/clear can withstand. This is why people try as much as possible to keep their machines in temperature controlled environments. Wax isn't going to prevent planking.

First; what a great thread !

As I understand it, Klean Strips WMP Naphtha would be the prime substance for normal cleaning when there is dirt that wont go away by vacuuming and soft dry towel swipes alone.

The problem for many of us non-US-pinheads is that the KS WMP Naphtha is not available and hard to buy due to shipping policies for flammable fluids.

Now a friend of mine who does car paint jobs said that he probably could get me a european brand of naphtha that has the same CAS-number (international classification for chemicals) as the Klean Strip WMP Naphtha.

Like the KS WMP this is also a hydrotreated light naphtha and has a solubility in water labeled as zero
( compared to less than 0,1 % in KS WMP). The KS WMP labels the pure naphtha content to 95-100 % and the substitute from my friend as 100 %.

So.....and I am no stranger or even hesitant to ask for the obvious or stupid: based on content and especially the fact that those two naphthas have the same CAS-number: it seem right to assume that the available substitute here would be as efficient and safe on the PF as the highly recommended Klean Strip WMP Naphtha ?

Naptha is Naptha. It's not brand specific.

Use it to remove wax, especially 30 year old dried up wax.

It's used as a dewaxing agent for paint preparation.

For general cleaning you dont have to use it.

Re-waxing the playfield also removes the old wax. The solvents in the new wax do a good job of refreshing the wax.

Small quantities of naptha are commonly available and often sold as lighter fluid for the older Zippo style lighters.

The idea on older playfields is to use no water, or as little as possible. It can cause lifting and swelling of the wood.

Naptha is good for this as it doesnt hurt plastics and cleans metal.

But you have to apply new wax after using it as the old wax will be gone.

Regular waxing cleans the surface very well without the use of naptha.

Any light detergent like dish soap suds, ammonia free glass cleaner or automotive detailing compounds applied to a towel in small amounts, NOT directly to the surface, can be used for general wipe downs.

Followed by a dry towel to keep things as dry as possible.

Stupid question time - how do you guys clean your microfiber rags? I saw there was a few different cleaning solutions, or just toss em in the washer? (Or pitch them?) I usually throw my dirty ones in a pile, then they get repurposed around the garage/house in between shop outs, but it's been a busy 2019 so far and I have like two dozen in a pile. Any recommendations?

I wash in the machine with other rags / towels but line dry them.

I also seem to remember Vid saying no fabric softener because it will ruin the absorbency of the fabric?

Hey guys,

Are spinners becoming stiff a common thing?

Also, black dust?
Where would black dust accumulate? I would think near pop bumpers and all, but I don't see any.

So just curious.

Trying to work on my 1ST maintenance ever...

Spinners are always lubricated with the tiniest drop of oil.

Use super lube on them

Super Lube 51010 Oil Super Lube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXOGHY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_SETUBenXTTjZB

Black dust covers the entire machine.

It is formed when the Black coil stops disintegrate due to thousands or millions of impacts from the plungers.

The plunger in the coil sleeve acts as an air pump with the plunger being a piston to disperse air and dust.

So most black dust will appear near coil stops or actually in the coil sleeves. And a lot of it will be dispersed in the air and settle pretty much everywhere.

Vacuuming regularly really helps.

For lube, check this out, seems there are multiple answers!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/best-lube-for-spinners

I recently applied the super lube.

I'm a convert and believer !

Interesting. So this is actually a thing?

Okay so just trying to get this all down.

1) Vacuum playfield. Underneath playfield I guess
2) Use a cloth to pick up anything residual
3) *Optional* Use some compressed air ..

Easy enough .. here's where it gets a bit fuzzy..

I bought the Mist-N-Shine. I was going to "clean" with this and then perform the wax. I randomly saw where vid1900 stated that cleaners have solvents or w/e and might mess up the wax.

On a NIB game w/ under 75 plays (probably) ... can I essentially "skip" the Mist-N-Shine or cleaning for now and go straight to the wax after the vacuuming and wiping and everything?

Yes skip the mist n shine and use it for between waxing wipe downs.

Yes.

Thanks @pinballinreno!

Just ordered me a super lube precision oiler, going to give it a go, been using 3 n 1 silicone, curious to see if I notice a difference.

I use the 3 in 1 too.
The super lube seems really slippery. And us supposed to remain and lubricate long into the future even after drying.

We'll see. Its amazing for now lol

Super Lube FTW!!

So yea .. just like the tinest dot where the spinner rod goes through the hole, right?
Do you guys have anything special you like to apply it with or do you just use like a toothpick or other tip, etc

I saw this and 3 n 1 discussed the most. I think HD will have the Super Lube so I'm good for that.
Honestly, so long as it spins "better", I don't think I'll care lol

It comes in a precision oiler tube.

Good enough. Went ahead and amazon'd it (amazon'd is a verb, right?)

So I should have happy spinners in a matter of days...

I picked up a bottle of mist-n-shine recently for my new to me WOZ because it has 7.5v boards and JJP recommended it for its anti-static properties. I am curious if anyone has ideas about what it is exactly. I read the MSDS but couldn't tell from that. It definitely leaves a slippery, thin film on the surface it is applied to. I don't recommend it for glass. It makes the glass too slippery. If it does not contain silicone or oil, what do we think is the slippery substance is? Glycerin?

It's a detailer and NOT a cleaner.

However, a lot seem to use it for cleaning anyways and so I bought in and picked some up as well.

Has the mist n shine worked well for you? I have considered it, but just havent pulled the trigger yet.

Honestly, I haven't tried it, but I know it does work well for others that owe way more pins than my one.

I still need to do my initial vacuuming, cleaning, waxing, etc...

We pinheads tend to use lots of stuff from other industries for our hobby. In the case of automotive stuff - paints, clearcoats, super high grit wet sandpapers, waxes, polishing compounds, cleaners, etc. "Detailing" is just a way of saying "really meticulous deep cleaning" in the world of cars. If you mean that it is not a cleanser, you are correct and thankfully so since we do not want abrasives here. That space is reserved for Novus 2, novus 3 and melamine foam (magic erasers). This stuff does help to get things clean, much the way that a slightly water dampened cloth will pick up stuff better than a dry cloth. Mind you, I'm not getting the cloth or the playfield really wet. I'm just slightly misting the cloth to pick up fine particles that the vacuum did not.

It works well for what it is: a final wipedown type product that leaves a slick surface behind. I only use it because JJP (Jersey Jack Pinball) recommends it for its early versions of WOZ which tend to suffer light board failure. The board failure seems to be partly related to static electricity and this product allegedly has anti-static properties. Otherwise, I wouldn't be using it. Plain old vacuuming, maybe some occasional novus 1 for detailed wiping or novus 2 for ball trails and such followed by wax is what I usually do. I'm only using the mist-n-shine on WOZ.

I am suspicious of the film it leaves behind, honestly, though really just out of cautious ignorance. I'd like to know what is left behind that is slippery and can't figure it out. Since folks on pinside come from many different walks of life, it's always worth asking.

Your over thinking it lol.

Sparkle glass cleaner sprayed on a rag is a great cleaner for plastics and quick wipe down. But it doesnt have any wax in it.

Mist n shine is basically window cleaner with a tiny amount of wax in it and it doesnt strip the existing wax.

We used to use Pledge furnature polish 30 years ago...really bad stuff, but it played fast for a few games. It was easy to get and was a cleaner polish all in one.

We know better now.
Any cleaner safe for your car clearcoat is probably ok for the playfield used in moderate amounts.

...as usual!

Good point.

I did not know that Sparkle could also be used as a wipe down.

Awesome. Since I have it it’s just one more tool in the arsenal.

I would use Sparkle but it seems to have been banned in CA. Not sure why but HD stopped carrying it here and neither HD or amazon will ship it to me.

Any ammonia free glass cleaner will do.

Lots of choices out there.

Does it make sense to remove any existing wax before adding new Mylar?

Somewhere in here Vid states to apply NEW wax layer before Mylar so future removal would be easier.
Found it...

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cleaning-and-waxing-pinball-machines-vids-guide/page/20#post-3466219

Ah!

Okay... just checking.

I've yet to wax my game for the first time yet, but that's only because it hasn't been getting played lately due to some technical difficulties.

Good time to wax it when its down.

Yea, for sure.. I just want to get it working again.
Test a few times.

And I promise cleaning/waxing will be my TOP priority.

You dont have to wax it at all.
Just replace the entire playfield every so often....

JJP will gladly sell you a fully populated playfield for 5 or 6 thousand dollars, just drop it in etc.

If they have the parts or are still in business...

=P

Alright guys ...

What do you use to wax the lanes of the play field and smaller areas?

I can't imagine it's those applicator pads or whatever because they are simply too wide.

I want to be VERY CAREFUL when I wax this thing and definitely not use too much wax, etc. I was even considering using just a cloth itself to get tight/hard-to-reach-areas.

Thanks!

Yep, just a microfiber cloth and your fingers. As you said, you don’t need much wax at all.

Fingers I can do .. haha I wasn't sure if that was acceptable.

Of course, a microfiber cloth to buff it or whatever when it turns "hazy" 20-30 mins later?

EDIT: Might have misread that. I assume you meant microfiber cloth OVER fingers so that I'm not getting wax on my hands. That might make a bit more sense.

EDIT: Might have misread that. I assume you meant microfiber cloth OVER fingers so that I'm not getting wax on my hands. That might make a bit more sense.

Yes. You can use a microfiber cloth over the fingers to apply, and a separate clean cloth to buff.

I suppose you could wax with your bare fingers, theoretically speaking, but I wouldn’t.

So much useful information and shared views here - really appreciated.

One short question on wax; the One Grand Blitz Carnauba Wax more precisely. How long do these jars with wax last in a small 3-5 collection with regular cleaning ? How long would you reckon that it is possible to store such a jar (unopened) without the wax becoming to old or dryed out ?

I thinking of ordering my first now, and should maybe get two while I'm at it.

Many, many years.