Just swapping the PF on my AFM with a Mirco one. Was wondering if if makes sense to put a cliffy in on a brand new playfield to prevent any damage?
Nope. I disagree!
Use a mantis protector! I love the cliffys, but on a new pf you won't need them! Artwork won't be covered, play won't be affected.... Besides that, the Cliffy SOL protector doesn't like to stay in place all that well. The Mantis covers front AND back and fits like a glove!
Make SURE that you get the protector for the hole under the mothership! Most people ignore that spot and the wood gets destroyed!
Cliffys hide wear, hole protectors like Mantis and others prevent it!
I have not done this, but some guys have posted before to put on that clear nail polish, is it Tough as Nails?... on all the scoops and that helps prevent lots of wear.
I would actually rub some fine sand paper to smooth down all those ridges and then apply that nail product.
Best of luck Gecko!
Throw some pics on this thread, would love to see your progress.
Cliffys hide wear, hole protectors like Mantis and others prevent it!
Here is a picture of my Tron Pro scoop area. I put a Cliffy on before 1 game was played and the game has around 1,000 plays now (had the protector removed to do some cleaning). The scoop area still looks brand new, so I'd say the Cliffy has done it's job of preventing wear.
I'll be putting a new Mirco playfield in our MM this summer and I'll definitely be installing the protectors as I do the playfield swap.
Personally, I would skip the cliffy. They change how the game plays and don't look that good on the machines.
If you want to protect your brand new PF then definitely add one (Mantis would be the choice of protector but does not fit properly in a Mirco PF unless you alter it). If you don't want to effect gamplay and don't care about the scoop to getting beat to shit then do Doug says. I personally would protect the hole because the number of times the cliffy actually changes how the game plays is very minimal. They are very thin and only a very very slow rolling ball might be kept from falling into the hole with a cliffy. I would easily take that trade off over allowing my PF to get trashed.
Even with Cliffys, you should still get the mantis that goes behind the drop target. So many people forget that area, probably because its not included in the 'complete set' and Cliffy doesn't make one.
Quoted from ninjadoug:They change how the game plays and don't look that good on the machines.
They change it but not enough to warrant letting the edge of the scoop get chewed up on such a sought after pin IMO. If you let it get chewed up and try to re-sell it most will haggle with you on price due to the scoop being worn. If you cover it from day one you protect your investment and the very limited effect it has on play (if properly installed) is well worth it IMO. And some people myself included think they look awesome installed.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:They change it but not enough to warrant letting the edge of the scoop get chewed up on such a sought after pin IMO. If you let it get chewed up and try to re-sell it most will haggle with you on price due to the scoop being worn out. If you cover it from day one you protect your investment and the very limited effect it has on play is well worth it IMO. And some people myself included think they look awesome installed.
Or if you ever go to sell it, put a cliffy on it.
Quoted from ninjadoug:Or if you ever go to sell it, put a cliffy on it.
That does not work for most looking at high end games. They will ask you to take it off to inspect damage when spending 7K+ on a pin. I know I would. Not the best advice as a Cliffy installed over chewed up scoop will not function properly after a decent amount of plays on it.
Couldn't you just take small strips of mylar and carefully affix pieces around the entire lip of the (new, undamaged) scoop, saucer or VUK? Would that be enough protection? I personally don't like the way some Cliffys scopp/saucer protectors look. And when I see one, I either wonder if - how much - there's damage underneath or I think about damage. it's better than looking at damage....but on a newer machine, if you're looking at a cliffy, it doesn't matter, does it? Only for resale.
I like the way a natural playfield looks. Wondering if applying mylar over the edges can work.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:They change it but not enough to warrant letting the edge of the scoop get chewed up on such a sought after pin IMO.
If he was installing a NOS playfield, I would agree with you. For whatever reasons, the original AFM playfields were crap around the scoop and drop target. Virtually impossible to find an original with no damage at all around the scoop. All NOS AFM playfields should most definitely get a Cliffy.
If you look at most used TZ's though, the slot machine scoop and piano area *typically* stay in great shape without ever getting a protector.
The way I decide whether or not I want to put a protector on a game is to look at the same game on location. When I saw how nice the unprotected scoop was on the FGY at the PHOF, I decided not to put one on my game. In this case, I think I would ask others who have bought Mirco playfields how they are holding up. I would assume the Mirco playfield gets at least as much clear as a factory game. And the plywood they use can't be any worse than what they used on the originals. In home use, I would think a protector shouldn't be needed.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:That does not work for most looking at high end games. They will ask you to take it off to inspect damage when spending 7K+ on a pin. I know I would. Not the best advice as a Cliffy installed over chewed up scoop will not function properly after a decent amount of plays on it.
Totally agree on this. I've had my eyes on a few games that had cliffys on them. When pulled up, seeing playfield devastation takes the value of the game way down.
Play-wise, I've yet to see a cliffy ever impact gameplay...but that's when it's installed on a playfield that's not torn to hell. Putting a protector down to cover a chewed up playfield isn't going to help it.
Quoted from TheFamilyArcade:Couldn't you just take small strips of mylar and carefully affix pieces around the entire lip of the (new, undamaged) scoop, saucer or VUK? Would that be enough protection? I personally don't like the way some Cliffys scopp/saucer protectors look. And when I see one, I either wonder if - how much - there's damage underneath or I think about damage. it's better than looking at damage....but on a newer machine, if you're looking at a cliffy, it doesn't matter, does it? Only for resale.
I like the way a natural playfield looks. Wondering if applying mylar over the edges can work.
No I did that in home use environment on a NIB before and the ball will still dent in and damage the scoop from balls rolling in from the side in certain games. I ended up using a Cliffy as plastic will not adequately protect a scoop even in a home environment. Scoops that only take shots straight on tend to not wear as quickly but those that take roll ins from the sides will surely show wear if not protected by a Cliffy even in a HUO environment.
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