CNC Routers can be used for any material including metal. A quality carbide bit will each most any material. As I used to make the prototype playfields (Long ago) for Williams on a laser the carbon (burnt) edge would never work well for production playfields and a waterjet (which I sell now) would ruin the material faster then it could process it.

How is no one seeing this?

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So I have an old Gottlieb Victory with a similar playfield surface...kind of like a hardtop, but a bit thinner. The playfield has held up well the last 30 years, but I have not figured out how to polish the ball trails out of it. You can get the dirt off, but the surface isn't as shiny as where they balls travel (think lanes that are only as wide as the ball. I have used Novus 1, 2 and 3, and none of those seem to make any improvement on shine. I guess I will have to strip the whole thing down and try the "mylar reconditioning" method. On clearcoated playfields, the shine comes right back after a good cleaning. Even on a game that had the crap routed out of it (like early 2000's Sterns).

Totally risky but I wonder it flame polishing like ramps would fix it?

I could try it sometime in a hidden area just to see. If I really really cared, it's like the cheapest playfield out there to buy NOS. But it would be good to figure out a way to deal with this issue now that hardtops are starting to become more popular.

Massive glare..?

What, that big white welt after the love tap with the hammer?

Yes I am seeing it.

I just don't care as this whole thing is a joke. Haggis pinball will never become a thing and neither will thick plastic playfields.

That's not glare buddy, that's damage done by the hammer. It's in the middle of a shadowed area, do we need to explain how glare works?

It's probably a bit of dust or dirt off the hammer. These type of material can take 100 MPH slaphots and stop bullets but you guys are going full tinfoil hat because they hit it with a hammer. The whole thing was just a little silly marketing no one is going take a hammer to a playfield.

Well, maybe a Ghostbusters...

Or someone could just call Balcer or whatever the name of the company Spooky uses for their current playfields and ask if a hard enough wood can be sourced for the top veneer of the playfield. Since Spooky has seen improvement I say that yes for a price hard wood can still be sourced. It’s probably about money with certain companies using a harder wood on their playfield.

Water Jets plasma or lasers?Sounds expensive Stern is trying to save money not spend more.

Yep. Stern has long been about the cheapest solution.

It doesn’t matter whether it will work, as we all continue to buy.

Stern already has a high speed router in house that they use for playfields now. Wouldn't be hard to do any playfield cut with the machine they have.

Techniply - Oconto Falls, Wi is the plywood manufacturer. They used to make the plywood 7 ply boards for Williams too. https://www.techniply.com/
Their hardwood veneer and process of cross laminating all the layers is exceptional. I am sure they have a lesser grade product, but the uncut board is not that expensive. It wouldn't even make sense to degrade to a lesser product for a minimal savings.

I'm surprised JJP's best-built, highest quality pins were not equipped with redwood or sequoia playfields. At least on the ones over $9k retail

for the record, my wonka le born on october 30 2019 is exhibiting some very minor pooling around the upper post on the left sling. everything else seems ok, just this one post has a little bunching at the base. i don't recall seeing any when it was unboxed (i did look closely at the time, early december), and am currently about 700 games in. i'm not too bothered at this stage, as long as it doesn't get any worse, and i don't want my distro to think that i am just out to find problems because i have been a real thorn in his side until now

but i did want to make clear to all that not all late run le wonkas are immune. i will keep monitoring and update the thread if it should progress/get any worse.

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for some reason, the pooling takes time to show up. Not sure why. I'm assuming the first batch of games it shows up much quicker, if it is indeed still rearing its head on later games.

Hate to say it but it most likely will get worse and probably chip. Be a thorn in your distributors side and tell him about it and get it on record with JJP.

Fix it. Remove the post and iron it down, add a washer and be done with it. Don’t wait for it to get worse.

Damn that's a shame this being your first pin and first post!

it IS actually my first pin, though like i said i want to avoid antagonising my distro any further and i created a throwaway account to avoid highlighting my case at this stage - my normal username is very easy to remember

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I dont understand why you think your distributor is going to be mad or upset if you tell him about this. His job is to help you before, during, and after the sale.

I see what you did there....

This is why I roll my eyes every time someone comes on here and says, “my new ___ pin with born on date ___ is perfect!! Buy with confidence! They’ve solved it!”

It’s like antivaxers that say “I never got mumps so vaccines are unnecessary!”

You can’t extrapolate like that!

I have a game that was built in July last year. It has pooling everywhere, and a crack/chip on the right sling, lower starpost. I'm currently working with my distro, who BTW, is absolutely awesome.

I did not notice it at first, but I'm assuming the pooling was there from the build date. It's too bad that the PF's are cracking and chipping, because the pooling could be something to live with.

Wonka was different because there were a lot of early SE buyers (first run production)who had bad playfields.But when they upgraded to second run games October and on there was no complaint of pooling until the newcomer up here,with minor pooling on one post.So yes I say buy JJP’s Wonka from the second production run!

I still have zero idea what I'm supposed to be focused in on. Sorry my vision of that blurry image is not up to par for you.

Here let me help you. This is where the hammer hit the playfield.

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Not an expert but it looks like it could be a reflection to me. Here's another image:

Seems like there's white reflections all over the place. Also, that white spot isn't there later in the video. Now sure, they could be faking this whole thing and swapping out playfields after every hit or something, but I'm not sure what the point of that would be. They also look down at the playfield right after hitting it and laugh with happiness -- not sure they would do that if they just scuffed up the playfield.

Just my thoughts.

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Not a great choice of company names if you are manufacturing hard wood products!

I heard Stern is pretty upset about this Haggis pinball vs Sledgehammer video. This leaked video show's Gary's initial comment and reaction as he then proceeds to punch a Stern playfield! Needless to say it didn't hold up well but some Stern Army members are saying that no playfield is a match for a punch from Gary.

Looking for advice. Finally heard back from Stern and they offered me a "blank playfield" which I'm guessing is unpopulated. The way they phrased it was they were asking if I "accepted this as compensation" or something like that.. Should I be pushing to get a populated or partially populated playfield or is that never going to happen?

This seems to fit with what someone said previously about not doing populated playfields anymore.

I work in the field of giant scale radio controlled model aircraft, another expensive toy.

Same, exact same customer behavior as I find it here on Pinside- the customers treat the distributors, manufacturers and big names like rockstars, let them get away with anything and glorify ordinary behavior.

Kissing up to these distributors does not make you pinball - famous, people. It makes you act like a fool.

Anyone who does not see the opportunity for falsifying facts is an idiot. Show actor cut use stuntman cut show actor the number of times they cut there could have been a half doz playfields used

Dimpling on a Stranger Things pro at Stern headquarters:
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Did you shoot that with a scatter gun?

To what end? They're not a big manufacturer nor are they making a machine with a high demand theme in which they are trying to trick customers by doing this.

I'm sure if we messaged Damien he'd do it again with a clamped camera and in a single continuous shot.

edit: i've asked Damien if he can do it again in a single shot

The new official UV dimple lighting kit makes the dimples disappear!

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Any Word on what the uv does to all the plastic clearcoat etc over time?

Why the hell would Stern make play-fields that last?
They are disposable items FFS....
If they lasted forever then they wouldn’t sell any new pins. It’s business at the end of the day. Keeps the viagra in GS’s pocket and the wigs on Steve Ritchie’s head
Give them a break guys!
Still haven’t had a response from my pooled to the Max IMDN, email sent circa 9 months ago. I only wanted to buy a replacement playfield. Great CS guys

"Keeps the viagra in GS’s pocket and the wigs on Steve Ritchie’s head"

God damn you got me with this one. LOL

It’s not actually uv light.

Hopefully cure it.

Holy sandy vadges Batman!

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