I think the thing that has scared me away from Naphtha for so long is that it's primary use is to thin varnish and enamels, and other paints. Don't pinball machine have their playfields coated in varnish/enamel? I know it's technically lacquer (and then a polyurethane), but doesn't lacquer fall into the "varnish and enamel" category? What about the playfield inks. Are they oil based? I've always kinda felt that naphtha would either soften those inks/dyes/lacquers/clearcoats, or thin out or remove the paint in areas without a protective finish. I'm assuming that's not the case though; it's just strange that naphtha works so well for pinball playfields. Seems like an unlikely combination.

Really excellent stuff here, Vid. Your knowledge and willingness to lend it to others is invaluable. Thanks!

Don't laugh everyone, but I went out and bought both a can of "Mothers California Gold Pure Carnauba Wax" and a can of "One Grand Blitz Wax" because life is too short not to compare waxes side by side. They're both advertised as being high quality non-abrasive waxes.

Anyway, I just got them in the mail this afternoon, and upon first inspection, they look identical. I haven't been able to try them both out yet, but I can tell you this: The Mothers wax smells like they've added all sorts of chemicals. It has a sharp, sweet smell, with a tinge of what smells like a petroleum product. It's also easy to crumble and dryer than the Blitz.

On the other hand, the Blitz wax smells simple. Like a dull sweet candle with little/no fragrance added. It's earthy. It actually smells like a wax. It's also a little more pliable it looks like. Based on the smell and looks, it looks like Blitz wax is definitely "purer," and it'll probably be the one I end up using.

I'll report back with results comparing the 2 in a game, if I remember.

wax_(resized).jpg

Yea, if I can remember, I'll do a in-game comparison. Honestly, I can't see the Mothers being any better or worse than the Blitz--unless the actual concentration of wax is significantly different.

Whatever I don't end up using, I'll probably just pawn off on my friend who's just getting into pinball. He's gonna need a "start up kit" pretty soon.

What a family name you got there, vid!

I know it isn't particularly recommended by Vid, but by the looks of that dirt, you'll probably have good luck using Novus 2 and a rag on that type of dirt. It's abrasive, but it won't strip off the lacquer finish like ME+alcohol would.

ME is going to be more abrasive by a fairly large margin. ME+(solvent of choice) is basically wet sanding with a very fine sandpaper.

Novus 2 (which, admittedly, is what I've been using for years on all my playfields before I learned naphtha is far gentler), is going to be far less abrasive. It's more of a polisher. You'll be able to buff out certain areas of your playfield to a pretty high shine with the stuff, and it won't completely strip away the finish, like Vid mentions in earlier posts, it'll just thin it out. It's good for a "once over" but you don't want to make it your go-to every time you need to clean the playfield between waxes.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go with Novus 2 first, followed with a good hearty wax. It'll get the grime out and buff up nicely, but it won't get those ball swirls out, and it won't detrimentally strip away anything from your playfield like ME would. Just be careful around the planking areas. If you absolutely cannot live with ball swirls, then I'd carefully tread into the ME foam domain.

Vid (or anyone), I've got a sorta strange question to ask--and I apologize in advance if it seems like a derail question.

So, I've recently gotten back into backpacking and camping recently, and I've slowly been upgrading my gear. I bought a nice Coleman lantern (that runs on Coleman liquid fuel, or "white gas"), and I got a nice backpack stove that runs on the same stuff. The question is, is Naphtha the same as "White Gas?" Ie, do you think I could burn Naphtha in my camping gear without ill effects?

I ask here because I'd like to buy the stuff in a nice big gallon jug at a cheaper rate, and use it both for regular pinball cleaning AND Camping equipment--It'd be one less jug of dangerously flammable liquid I'd have to worry about. The internet is mysteriously vague on the topic.

For the record, you can always check the MSDS of each particular product to see exactly what is in it. "Ingredient Names" on the MSDS are ambiguous at best, so it's best to look up the "CAS Number" instead. Each chemical component is given a unique identifying number that can be used to cross reference other MSDS sheets, or to look up what exactly what the number corresponds to in a database.

I did some digging. Generally "VM&P" Naphtha from a hardware store or painting store is the "gold standard." It's what you'd want to use on your playfields. Looking up the MSDS for this particular product from Klean Strip shows the ingredient "Hydrotreated light naphtha" at a concentration of 95.0% to 100.0% (CAS Number: 64742-49-0).

Looking at Coleman Camp Fuel (White Gas), the MSDS states the ingredient as "Light Hydrotreated Distillate" at a concentration of 100%. This is technically naphtha, but not the same kind, as it has the CAS Number: 68410-97-9

Looking at Ronsonol Lighter Fluid, the MSDS States the main ingredient as "Aliphatic hydrocarbon,Hydrocarbons, C7-C9, n-alkanes, isoalkanes, cyclics" at a concentration of 100%, which is cryptic at best, HOWEVER, the CAS Number is 64742-49-0, which means that the product is chemically identical to Klean Strip's VM&P Naphtha.

Interestingly, Zippo's lighter fluid is actually a mixture of 70% "Light Hydrotreated Distillate" (CAS Number: 68410-97-9) AND 30% "Hydrotreated Light Naphtha" (CAS Number is 64742-49-0), which means it's a 70/30 mix of Coleman Camp Fuel and VM&P Naphtha.

Too lazy and didn't read all the nonsense above? In short, not all Naphthas are created equal. Kleen Strip VM&P Naphtha and Ronsonol Lighter Fluid are functionally and chemically identical in every way. So get whichever is available in your respective country/state. Coleman camp fuel, while technically naphtha, is not the same as the aforementioned products. It might be close enough to work, but it's chemically different. And Zippo lighter fluid is a mix of both coleman fuel and ronsonol fuel. Use at your own risk.

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Links for further reading:

https://chem.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/64742-49-0
https://chem.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/68410-97-9
http://ferris.msdssoftware.com/ImageDir/i011DA2E.pdf
http://doryventures.scene7.com/is/content/DoryVentures/Ronson/Website/Servicing/2018MSDSRonsonol.pdf
http://www.kleanstrip.com/uploads/documents/KS_VMP_Naphtha_MSDS.pdf
https://www.vercounty.org/MSDS/EMA/Zippo%20Lighter%20Fluid-USA.pdf