It looks like that's planking.

It's caused by humidity, changing temperatures, and water-based cleaning products.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cleaning-and-waxing-pinball-machines-vids-guide#post-2656050

You could restore it. But if it is worth the money is up to you (Every machine has individual value) unless you see it as an "investment".

No See link from ForceFlow

For an EM, that's in decent shape, and not something to worry too much about. It doesn't really need 'restoring', just cleaning, polishing, and waxing.

Mill Wax for cleaning is fine on EM-era playfields (despite what the SS/DMD crowd may say).

I agree with dirtflipper. Almost all EM's come with planking. It's what keeps em cheap and great players

my thoughts exactly...nothing terrible there. Wax it and play it! As far as I know planking is planking, nothing to do.

Anything can be fixed if you throw enough money at it. If that kind of thing bothers you, probably shouldn't be buying 40+ year old EM machines. It's just what it is.

If you get it fixed, you'll likely be the proud owner of a five thousand dollar five hundred dollar EM machine. Hope you can just enjoy it.

In terms of actually restoring it- I would want to see and feel it to determine how raised it is but I bet its minor and this would restore very well. That particular defect, if its not a raised wood grain as much as it is a cracking along the wood grain, is extremely easy to fix. If the surface is really raised and rough to run your hand across its a lot more work- but you would have to have done it to know whats the point where it becomes a sand it back and repaint job v.s. A fill in the cracks job.

Personally I'd just clean it wax it and play it.

If it's driving you nuts and you don't want to send it to a high cost play field restorer there are other alternatives.
http://www.pinrepair.com/restore/index2.htm

If you ever plan to clear coat it, do not use Millwax on it beforehand. The silicone in it will make it tricky for the clear to adhere.

I concur on price- there is absolutely no way this is worth paying for if you have any care whatsoever about selling it for a price related to your input money. If you know this and just want a really nice EM- go for it.

When I read the title of your thread, I clicked in expecting to see some interesting and extensive damage, maybe even something involving fire or a hatchet.

You disappointed me greatly.

What I saw was a FIFTY-year old playfield in average, maybe even above average condition. It's the same playfield in the same game you bought.

Anything can be restored. And it will be beautiful. If you want to have $2000 in a Palooka. Clean it up, work on the mechanicals to make it play great, and enjoy the hell out of it. It's a fun little game.

Millwax makes the playfield slick for a short time. That's about it. It doesn't really clean, and it doesn't really offer any protection from wear.

MILLWAX
Similar to Wildcat, Millwax is a liquid silicone and does not actually contain wax. If you have ever seen the white liquid residue that has run down all the playfield holes and onto the backside, Millwax is what it was.
It tends to fill playfield cracks with white residue, and you should keep it away from many plastics.
It make the playfield play fast for a few days, and then like other silicone products, it fades away.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cleaning-and-waxing-pinball-machines-vids-guide/page/2#post-2657083

At one time, it was recommended when games were only meant to be in service a short time, so wear didn't really matter much. But now since they've been in use 20, 30, 40 or more years, there are better products around that offer better protection that help keep the playfield looking as nice as possible for as long as possible.

I think that EM is in good playable condition and would not bother me in the least.
While it may not be totally pretty, it is far from ugly.
I little bit of cleaning, then waxing will go a long ways to making it look nice.
Then again I am not a perfectionist.
If you want it perfect, then it will just take some time and money and patience and talent,
to get it in tiptop condition, but it is doable.

There have been games far worse off, brought back to new life.
http://www.pinrepair.com/restore/qdrawpf.htm

This is absolutely incorrect. It does a great job at cleaning. It's not a wax though, and is only one part of the process (real wax being the last part).

Putting the word "Millwax" in a post is like sending up a Batsignal for Vid...

Then you'll get Naptha'd

It is an excellent cleaner. I love to use it to freshen up white rubber. It takes any grime right off. A tip from Korn on RGP many moons ago.

If you want to spend hundreds of dollars on an EM that's worth a fraction of that...is this your dream EM that you will never find another copy of in your life? Then go for it, otherwise I would live with it or sell it.

Threads like this always remind me of the Bottle Rockets song - "Thousand Dollar Car". I've replaced the word "car" in the lyrics with "pinball machine". (and to the OP - I'm not dissing your machine. It looks nice, it's fun, play it and enjoy it! I've owned lots of less expensive machines and all pinball machines are fun - it's just that all of us can think of ways to spend a bunch of $ to make our machines "better".)

A thousand dollar pinball, it ain't worth nothin'
A thousand dollar pinball, it ain't worth shit
Might as well take your thousand dollars
And set fire to it
A thousand dollar pinball ain't worth a dime
You lose your thousand dollars every time
Oh why did I ever buy a thousand dollar pinball?

A thousand dollar pinball is gonna let you down
More than it's ever gonna let you play around
Replace your flippers and paint over your rust
You still end up with something that you'll never trust
A thousand dollar pinball, its life was through
'Bout 50,000 plays 'fore it got to you
Oh why did I ever buy a thousand dollar pinball

A thousand dollar pinball ain't gonna roll
'Til you throw at least another thousand in the hole
Sink your money in it, and there you are
The owner of a two thousand dollar thousand dollar pinball

If you only got a thousand dollars
You outta just buy a good guitar
Learn how to play and it'll make you smile
More than any old thousand dollar pinball
If a thousand dollar pinball was truly worth a damn
Then why would anybody ever spend eight grand?
Oh why did I ever buy a thousand dollar pinball?

Pretty good song but would be more applicable if it was one hundred dollars. In the em world at $1000 you start to get into the desirable title and/or collector quality range.

that might change after you play a bunch more

What people are trying to tell you is a couple of coats of good wax will protect it so it plays well and doesn't get worse.

This is my first wife. She looked good to me till I got her home. I was just thinking maybe in the future when I have the money it would be great to get her looking better, maybe a new rack would be nice? I don't think I will ever divorce this one. I mean, your first wife is special and I don't think this one is going anywhere.

And the divorce rate is like 60%; same with pins.

NEver say never. Space Shuttle was mine. I put a CPR playfield in it, made a custom topper, bought CPR plastics, completely rebuild the whole game by hand in the process (I cut and resoldered EVERY WIRE ON THE PLAYFIELD, OKAY?!?)...and then sold it basically at cost.

Simple.

As he matured, his tastes followed. The longer he lived with her, the more he became convinced that she wasn't the forever keeper he thought she'd be and that there were lot of other women that he thought he'd like better. So, he put her on craigslist, sorry that he'd spent the $3000 on her for the new rack. If he'd have kept the $3000 in the bank, at least he would have been able to keep half. But since he "invested" it in her, it was adios, $3000.

How about a bit of respect for women hey-it is incredible this thread could descend to these comments.

Because I'm not a pinside lawyer with more money to pay for more space.. I owned it for two and a half years, needed room for other games that I wanted.

I looked at your photos carefully and it looks more like the paint is cracking and also a few pieces chipping off rather than the wood planking which is different.

My Palooka has the same cracks and this seems common for this title.

I've seen recommendations here for cleaning/polishing using Novus 2 for playfield posts and Novus 1 for playfield plastics.

You can order Millwax for cleaning the playfield and Blitz is the best wax according to vid1900.

Bruce

Being that it is still around I would say it already has been saved.

Your is not bad, my '76 Royal Flush was far worst than yours..... I saved it already.
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My Royal Flush is even more beat up than yours in many places! Are you touching it up or just playing it?

currently under restoration, I'll play soon!
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Impressive! are you doing that yourself?