I have done it on several BGs and only time will tell for now. Hope it holds up.

I have done this plenty of times in the past. Just re-apply a coat when you replace the batteries once a year and you should be ok.

I have also done several back glasses with Triple Thick with very few issues. Certainly no cracking. The only significant issue I ever had was sometimes the Triple Thick would bead up. I actually prefer to do the coating in cooler weather, since in warm weather it dries too fast. In cool weather I just keep the back glass and the paint indoors so that they are both warm when I spray it. Quick trip outside...shoot...let sit for about 5-10 minutes, then back in the house to dry. I also spray right over the score windows. Triple thick should go on heavy (if no paint peeling). Should be able to see a complete wet look to the glass. In order to insure I get a quick wet coat down, regardless of temperature, I shoot the stuff with two cans at once. This insures that I can get it down without it crystalizing. I'd guess in total that I use probably 2/3 of one can . If you have delaminated paint that you would like to try and re-secure you can do the Glad Wrap process. Hose down the affected area, lay some Glad Wrap over it and then place a flat weight on it.....after several hours I like to lift the weight to see if the delaminated areas have been pressed into place. Recently did a FG and when I inspected the delaminated part, the Triple Thick was still fluid and I was able to press that area with fingers to get it to lay down. If you have a back glass with severe flaking, I think it is best to spray a light coat from a greater distance than normal, then after it dries lay down a heavy coat.

Good luck!

Yes, I also have sprayed TT right over the score windows. If you spray it correctly, only you will know that the score windows were covered over. The grey side off the glass will be shiny when it is all dried so there is no hiding the application of TT.

I use tt a lot and have minimal to no problems.

You may want to just leave it on there, Its going to cause more damage to remove it.

The "no damage" way is to hang the glass by the stuck metal lip upside down - 1/8" above a folded blanket or foam sheet.

The wight of the glass will slowly pull itself out over a few days, don't try to rush it.

4 milk crates and 2 2x4s will make a "backglass horse".

2 styrofoam sheets on each side will keep the glass from toppling over when it finally drops.

Gatecrasher, here on Pinside, has perfect replacement metal lips

You have to love science. Gravity, we seem to always be fighting with it.

For once, gravity is fighting on our side.

If you can see where the tape strips are located in the lift channel, you can squirt some Goo-Gone onto the old tape and it will help soften it and make it easier to remove the lift channel. Goo-Gone doesn't seem to hurt the artwork.

If the backglass is flaking at the bottom edge (like a lot of them are), after you remove the lift channel and carefully clean it up you can touch the paint up and then spray a strip of triple thick across the bottom. I do this all the time. I use masking tape and spray an inch or so or however much you need across the bottom. Then when you put the new tape and lift channel on it will be in a strong sealed area. Usually you cannot see it from the front side. I don't spray the entire backside of the backglass unless it needs it.

My lift channels fit Stern games. I used one on a Galaxy the other day. The plastic edge trim fits the sides but needs to be trimmed slightly shorter (easy to do). My plastic trim is black like Bally not white like Stern used but you don't notice it. Early Sterns have a metal piece that goes across the top edge of the backglass so you won't need the top plastic trim piece.

A lift channel set is $20.99 + $7.95 shipping to USA if you need one.

They are pre-polished stainless steel and will never rust.

Here's a link to my parts flyer:

http://oi61.tinypic.com/280136u.jpg

Is it warm where it is hanging, or a cold basement?

People do triple thick with the channel still on, but I like to remove it.

Pry it off. Don't half-ass it by spraying triple thick on the whole thing. You might as well have not done anything then.

I've never had one yet I couldn't remove with some effort and have never broke a backglass doing so. I don't use the gravity method but some say it works. I don't like waiting that long though. I usually just let it soak and yank the trim off by starting at one end and get working it. Once you get it started it will come right off. There are only two or three strips of old tape holding the lift channel on.

As for triple thick holding up.

I asked basically your exact question a few years ago when I also was getting started and was interested in triple thick. I got a response from the person who first did this (or at least popularized it) and they said they have had a few back glasses sitting around in a uninsulated garage for some very long time (decade or more) and they looked as good as the day they sprayed them. I have done it to two of my games and will be spraying a third. Basically, I concluded that its almost impossible that its worse with triple thick. The games I am spraying are OLD- 40 + years of paint on glass. They all have at least one issue (tiny hole, minor cracking, etc)- Even if triple thick does eventually crack, I would guess that my games would have been in worse shape at that point had I not sprayed it.

I will also add that you want to spray evenly and thin- if some one used 1.5 cans of triple thick on a single back glass and ended up with a uneven coat that eventually cracked out I would not be surprised. You could also screw up 2-part clear and get that to look like complete garbage with bubbles etc.... I did NOT read that post suggesting it fails- I don't care what happened there- I did my research, I use it, I have seen zero issues, I will continue to use it.

Not sure if you've seen this video but it's a great guide. GL

I want to follow this thread since I just bought a Safari that has some backglass issues. Nothing that looks major in the pictures, but it won't get delivered for about a week.

Well from a prevention standpoint (before you spray) you can cut a small piece of cardboard the size of each score window, set them on the windows, and then put a small weight (a washer or 3-4 coins) on them so the force of the spray doesn't blow them off while spraying, and that way you don't get it on the windows. After the fact, I'm not sure if there's a product that would safely remove it or not.

The product you are seeking is a razor blade and a very steady hand.

After the fact clearing of score windows can be done but it's not for the faint of heart or shaky hand. I have did the TT on a few glasses before progressing to the masked windows style. So if you have a steady hand and nerves of steel, get some brand new single edged razor blades and an x-acto knife set. The razor blades will do a great job used on the long side of the window. The x-a to set has a blade that is square and narrow enough to do the side edges. Go very easy when you get near the ink. You can actually feel when you come to the ink. I've done it and don't care to do it again. But it can be done. Good luck if you try it!

I was searching around yesterday and found a picture of someone using a scraper to remove the coating over the window. It looked like then end one of those scrapers they use to remove inspections stickers from windshields. Let me see if I can find a picture...

Here we go. Scroll down to section "2g. The Cabinet: Save the Backglass (Krylon Triple Thick)"

http://www.pinrepair.com/restore/index1.htm#bg

I set something heavy and flat on the areas that I have covered with Saran Wrap. I like to peek under the weight after about 12-16 hours to see if the loose paint has been successfully held down... if not I just massage it a little with my fingers to flatten any of it out then put the weight back on. Worked very well on a FG back glass I'm doing now.

I'm going to send my Safari to one of you guys because I'm too afraid to mess it up. I don't suspect I'll ever be able to find another.

How many coats of clear do you usually spray on? One or more? I need to spray my Bronco backglass.

Here's a Flash Gordon that I finished a couple days ago. First treatment was with Saran Wrap along the bottom. I place a weight on the Saran Wrap and after about 12 hours I check to see that the loose paint is held down. In this case it wasn't, so I then gently smooth it down with my fingers. Once fully cured (24-36 hours) I remove the Saran Wrap and wait a few more days for it to fully dry. Very hard to avoid the ripples with Saran Wrap. The Triple Thick had oozed up to the score glasses so I clean those off with a razor blade then I take some heavy grit sandpaper (150-180) and just knock the ridges off the Triple Thick repair. Then I set the glass very level and shoot the whole thing with two cans at once so I can get a very heavy wet coat down in just one application. Using two cans allows you to get fast coverage with no crystalizing. Triple Thick will set very quickly based on the ambient temperature. Came out great. Sprayed right over the score glasses.

IMG_0742.JPG

I've got an old Hot Tip glass with a lot of cracking and am planning to someday match up paint and airbrush it back to perfection. If I TT it, does it make it impossible to match paint? The paint will be behind the TT when looking through the glass, or is the TT invisible enough that you will be able to backspray it with a match color and never notice.

I've always done paint repairs AFTER applying the Triple Thick. Works great once all existing is stabilized. The only time I did a repair before applying the Triple Thick was to a Flash. The reds never did well on the Flash back glass. Mine was just bad in the actual word Flash...The red in the "Flash" is all bordered by black. So I carefully removed all the original red ink, then airbrushed in the red, and backed it with white. Came out beautiful. Once all done the whole back glass was clear coated.

Yes, I just scored the edges, then using a variety of sharp stuff....exacto, razor blades, etc..simply scraped away the paint. Think I just used a dry paint brus to remove the dust. Some of the black outline is pretty thin so you might lose some....just repaint the black you might remove in error first. The airbrush paint I used was Createx transparent red, then a little regular red, then backed it all with an opaque white. Just mask off around the whole "Flash" and paint right over the silver (light block) and the black. The result was awesome and very rich.

Just a few years back, when hunting machines was a little more fruitful, my foremost priorities were the condition of the back glass and the playfield. Everything else can be fairly easily repaired. For a bad back glass, unless there was a replacement potential, I generally passed on them.

For the Flash, I wouldn't hesitate to take on the red of the dress and the Flash above. Along the bottom would be a little more challenging, but for the most part it is not transparent so it could be repainted with some success.

You guys are working too hard! Just get some plain old polyurethane at the local hardware store and brush it on your backglass. Been doing it for years with never a problem. Around the score windows, just use the brush to get up close to the edge, but do not go over the clear area. I personally use a foam brush, but a soft bristle brush works just as well.
If the paint is loose and flaking, dip the brush into the urethane and lower it to within 1/8" of the surface, letting the urethane gently run down onto the surface of the paint where it will slowly spread out and cover the painted area. If you are gentle, you will not disturb even loose and flaking paint.
Once it is dry, usually the next day, you can apply any touch up over the damaged paint that you like.
If I can't get the lift channel off, I just cover the backglass right up to the lift channel. Won't hurt anything. Just don't later try to take the lift bar off, or you may pull the urethane coating up where it is attached to the lift channel.