(Topic ID: 232002)

Clear coat curing?

By jgentry

5 years ago

Topic Stats

3 posts
2 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 5 years ago by jgentry
Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

You

You are not signed in!

Find in topic

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

A few questions for people that use clear coat often and have clear coated a lot of playfields. How long does it take clear coat to cure? Does allowing it to cure longer provide a harder surface that is less likely to dimple? Does a playfield continue to cure once installed in a game? My questions stem from noticing that games that I have bought NIB that have set for sometime since being made seem to have a less dramatic dimpling affect then ones that I purchased at release and set up and started playing. Might just be a coincidence or random luck but it seems to follow a pattern for my games that ones purchased NIB that are already 3+ months old seem to dimple less. So for people with direct experience does the cc continue to set up and harden or is this just a figment of my imagination.

We see a lot of posts about dimpling an people not understanding it or thinking it has increased or gotten worse on recent title. It's not really a concern to me as with enough plays they all seem to settle out, some just look a little worse for a while before it evens out some. It's more a curiosity then anything else.

There are a lot of misconceptions about automotive acrylic urethane clear coats being applied to pinball playfields. The practice started with Diamondplate and a few other efforts early on. Williams, Data East, Stern, CPR and Mirco all have or do apply clear coat to their playfields but it is not the same as having a restorer do it. Just consider the volume they produce. 1 or 2 coats is about all they have time for and that does not allow for much depth. Professional restoration usually involves at least 4 spray sessions of 2 layers. Spray a layer, let it tack up for about 10 minutes, spray another layer, let it harden at least 5 days, sand for smoothing and adhesion, do touch ups, spray again, etc. The result is at least 8 sprayed layers of clear which is final sanded, buffed and about 6 mils thick. Acrylic urethane dries to the touch in about 4 hours, can be sanded after 5 days (minimum), can be buffed at 10 days (preferably longer), waxed after another 90 days and takes 24 months to fully cure. During final sanding before buffing, you can smell fresh odors as the skim surface coat is roughed up, releasing more solvent into the air. Even after 24 months it retains some flexibility. A deep layer of material that has sufficiently hardened can provide some protection from dimpling, but don't rely on that. The reason clear coats can protect underlying artwork and wear slowly is partly due to its microscopic flexibility. Dimpling is more a function of the game design and underlying wood hardness. Every game, and every playfield, is different.
To answer your questions:
Clear coat takes 24 months to fully cure.
Allowing it to cure longer will help some.
A playfield doesn't care if its in a game or on a rack. It will cure at the same rate. Heat can make it cure slightly faster, but thats another discussion.
Game design and wood hardness are the biggest things that "control" dimpling. Fully hardened clear coating can help, a little.
Factory applied clear is not the same thickness as restorer applied clear. Usually. There are some shoddy restorers out there and rattle can clear is not the same.

Quoted from akvgc:
There are a lot of misconceptions about automotive acrylic urethane clear coats being applied to pinball playfields. The practice started with Diamondplate and a few other efforts early on. Williams, Data East, Stern, CPR and Mirco all have or do apply clear coat to their playfields but it is not the same as having a restorer do it. Just consider the volume they produce. 1 or 2 coats is about all they have time for and that does not allow for much depth. Professional restoration usually involves at least 4 spray sessions of 2 layers. Spray a layer, let it tack up for about 10 minutes, spray another layer, let it harden at least 5 days, sand for smoothing and adhesion, do touch ups, spray again, etc. The result is at least 8 sprayed layers of clear which is final sanded, buffed and about 6 mils thick. Acrylic urethane dries to the touch in about 4 hours, can be sanded after 5 days (minimum), can be buffed at 10 days (preferably longer), waxed after another 90 days and takes 24 months to fully cure. During final sanding before buffing, you can smell fresh odors as the skim surface coat is roughed up, releasing more solvent into the air. Even after 24 months it retains some flexibility. A deep layer of material that has sufficiently hardened can provide some protection from dimpling, but don't rely on that. The reason clear coats can protect underlying artwork and wear slowly is partly due to its microscopic flexibility. Dimpling is more a function of the game design and underlying wood hardness. Every game, and every playfield, is different.
To answer your questions:
Clear coat takes 24 months to fully cure.
Allowing it to cure longer will help some.
A playfield doesn't care if its in a game or on a rack. It will cure at the same rate. Heat can make it cure slightly faster, but thats another discussion.
Game design and wood hardness are the biggest things that "control" dimpling. Fully hardened clear coating can help, a little.
Factory applied clear is not the same thickness as restorer applied clear. Usually. There are some shoddy restorers out there and rattle can clear is not the same.

Thank you, very informative post.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!

Help – Contact – About Pinside – Support Pinside – Top