Clear coating !!!

If you keep your playfield waxed and good balls in the machine, it will never wear out in a HUO environment. So, no need to clear coat. Just my opinion.
Bob

If one of your balls gets a nick on it, it can do a lot of damage before you might notice.

I clear new playfields.

It lets me become intimately familiar with the game upon reassembly and I have a protected playfield that looks like glass.

Yes, clear does not stick to Mylar very well, so it has to come off.

For a beginner, nothing is easier to lay down and get perfect than JC660

http://www.bapspaint.com/docs/psheets/PPG/Automotive/Shopline/JC660.pdf

If you painted cars for a month professionally, you are overqualified to clear playfields.

Plus you clear them flat on their backs, so no runs or drips!

I've got some Devilbiss guns, but honestly, I've used the $10 Harbor Freight HVLP guns many times when away from my own shop and they work perfectly.

Sometimes with old Ballys, the "heat' from the clear can react with the plastic of the inserts and make little spots. On those games, I mix the fastest hardener with the clear so it does not have time to react.

I also have some real Diamond Plate clear that I use.

But if you have never done a playfield before, stick with the PPG.

Don't even try sanding off the clear coat.

It's not a real clear coat like you are thinking, it's often just a layer of clear silkscreen over the last batch of ink.

Just lightly scuff up the surface with around 800 grit to give the new clear some "tooth"

Fair warning, body shop car painters dela with a totally different medium, that is used as different as can be. I have redone many many many.
Most house painters also are not familiar with the process, but if you ask them, they will say no problem.
good luck.

Im thinking of having my spare AC/DC PF cleared too. There is a guy in san jose who will clear my PF with automotive clear (ppg-2042). Anyone know how that is for a playfield? I am wondering how it will look with the large clear window?

The next update to my Playfield Restoration Guide will be clear coating, so if you have any doubts in your mind, wait until you read all the details.

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration

That is the 10000$ question...

Maybe mask it off and feather in.

Myself, I'd hate to put it under more clear in case it hazes or needs to be totally replaced one day.

I used a Dupont Chroma Clear snap dry clear on a WH2O with the factory clear on....came out great.....

If you need just clearcoating. I can bust it out for you with autoclear for $275 + shipping back. Takes about 1-2 week turnaround time for NOS stuff. Or non touchup fields.

Neo does fantastic clear work! Well worth having a pro do your clear work IMHO!

Send it to neo and no more worries

I used a automotive gloss clearcoat on some of my inserts that were bowed.I was told it was super strong and would not cloud some touched the paint and it lifted the paint. Should this be used at all on older painted playfields ?

you can and it will be fine. But it will be shiny in those spots. But will hold up well. And if you ever want to restore it later, more clear can be cleared right over the top down the road.

removing mylar is very easy. You can do it yourself in about 20 minutes.

Freeze spray removes the mylar
Goo-gone and flour trick for the sticky left behind.

You will not need mylar to be replaced after a proper clearcoat and home use.

Cool thread. I read it again seconds after just to make sure it "locked" in my brain. I mean...really cool info for down the road.

vid1900. special thanks about the drip issue being way less risky for PF's since being sprayed flat/horizontal. After I thought about that comment a bit, it makes sense and helps takes some fear out of me trying this down the road.

Tx all you guys for some good, good, reference info!

I'm working on the road, so I can't really spray in my hotel room (although I have a complete solder/rework station spread out over the desk in the room).

Hopefully it won't be too long. In the meantime if someone has questions, I'll keep answerin'.

Don't be afraid to practice on a crap playfield, or just a painted piece of plywood.

You will be pleasantly surprised on how much build you get in a single coat of clear (maybe 4x what a coat of poly builds), and how high of a gloss you can put on it (maybe 3x over poly).

Spraying coats 10 minutes apart does not suck either.....

No. If you have full playfield mylar, that's extra. If it's just little square here or there, I don't charge for that. Once a playfield is cleared, there is no reason to need mylar ever again.

Er, I have seen Stern playfields with wear where the ball disappears, after 200 plays. Some have more wear there than my BSD which has had 40000 plays!!!

All it takes is a nicked ball....

stern also only throws down one layer of clear. Restored fields have like 4 by the time your done, so the chance of wearing in a home environment is slim to none.

And people are paying $6000 - $10,000 for that kind of junk, glad I quit buying new after Spider-man.
I have a hard time believing that a new Stern with 200 plays is going to be more worn out than a Williams with 40,000 plays.
Just my opinion, and I've been in the hobby for about 20 years.