PinballSTAR thanks for you candidness I have a NIB on order and I appreciate you not shipping machines I have asked my distributor to not ship mine until they know why this is happening. They have agreed. I do not like that a washer is placed under a post and I believe that is a mistake. I agree that if you have a machine and this is the issue proceed with caution. Where I am having difficulty is these companies are not giving much if any information to distributors let alone directly to customers.

John

I really appreciate the high signal-to-noise ratio on this thread, thanks guys. Has anyone removed a metal washer and seen it pull up clear or art? I’m going to replace mine with PETG, and I wonder if sooner is better than later.

But what about the JJP tech bulletin fix of replacing the thin posts with star posts?
You are required to remove a post in order to replace it.

Also - removing and re-installing posts should NOT void a warranty. That is normal pinball machine maintenance, and is ultimately required to maintain any game properly.

No issues with CGC other than their clear is also soft based on the dimpling I have on my MBrLE after only a couple hundred plays compared to even a |Stern from 2014 or earlier. I know from other threads the biggest issues appears to be a product of the latest formulation of clear coats used today. Some dimpling is normal however all the manufactures have the same issues and there is no way a game should look like a minefield with craters after a few hundred games.

My Wonka had rippling clear under a couple star posts. Not sure when it started but I didn't notice it until Pinside posts made me look. Thankfully, no chipping.

Here is a fix that DOES NOT require heating and special tools:

Disassemble carefully. Twist parts to make sure they are lose as opposed to pulling up which might cause chipping.

Place a large metal flat washer on the rippled post area with the "smooth" edge of the washer down against the clear. I used 3/4"+ washers that were stock on stern games to protect the corners of the slings.

Install the star post and screw and FINGER tighten the post onto the washer. Leave it sit for 10 minutes and finger tighten some more. After several minutes, the clear will be perfectly flat again.

Install the protection of your choice. I used 3/4" rubber washers on the PF followed by a 3/4" PETG washer then the star post. So far so good!

I have rubber washers (found both clear and black) at the bottom, then put a clear acrylic over those and then the double star post. I don't think it's entirely necessary, I just removed my rubber ones to check and there is basically no sign that they were there. That's why the kit I am selling doesn't have them. I never used metal ones. The double star posts from Marco have a pretty wide/flat lip on the bottom which seems to spread the load pretty good.

Haven't tried this yet, but am going to order the heating iron and possibly work on my Munsters LE soon. I did find another Amazon link for what appears to be the same product in newer packaging (check out the Item # on both packages... same) at a lower cost.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007TQWK6/ref=psdc_15718561_t1_B07JC7SFNS

Forgive me if this was already mentioned. If not, Dave you might want to update the first post... amounts to about $8 savings I think.

Mine came in today from Amazon. I just adjusted the packaging a bit. ; )
Pin Repair Tool (resized).jpg

At work we use Shore hardness testers whenever we are using epoxies, RTVs or potting material. A small sample is put into a tiny plastic cup and allowed to cure right next to the location which the material is installed. That way it cures in the same temperature and humidity as the work location. Once 24 hours has passed we use a Shore A or Shore D tester depending on the material hardness. If the sample doesn't pass the specified hardness, we know the material did not cure properly and we have a problem.

For clear coat, I would think this would be Shore-D, but the problem is the clear is very thin and you might basically be testing the wood underneath. Best case would be to test at an area of pooling where the clear is thicker. That is the most likely location that the clear has not cured properly. Even still, this is probably not a great applications for a hardness tester...

The playfield suppliers should be keeping sample cups of each material they use for later testing. If not, everyone involved should go read up on ISO 9001.

From what I can tell, none of these companies are ISO certified! If they are, I would like the contact information for the company that audits them. Their internal processes are obviously failing or not being adhered too. If they were to become ISO certified, they would be selling a quality product and these issues would go away.

Yeah I didn't figure they were certified. A company like JJP or Stern really should be at least compliant with the basic ideas of ISO. No need to spend the money on certifications that no one is requiring.

This is a very good read, thanks to all who contributed!

I hear you. But, the cost is nothing compared to the benefit they gain from having quality processes in place. And having an outside company to work with, will push you to provide a quality product and streamline your processes. At a minimum, they should be ISO 9001 certified.

Being certified would help alleviate all of the problems they are currently facing and streamline their business. I could walk into one of this facilities and make them more profitable in 12-24 months. It would cut down on waste, reduce required manpower and cut back on warranty issues.

I have personally seen the small business owner adopt the ISO 9001 model and grow their business because of it.

For the small business owner, like spooky, it would set the foundation of a company that will survive recessions and be here decades from now.

Just look at many of the most profitable businesses. They are all certified, one way or another in their respective industries.

You can bet I'm going to try it! : )
I think it's genius. But I will be one of those that buys an extra playfield for their "Forever Pin". ; )

Thankfully my JJP isn't having an issue. But my Beatles has "slight" pooling, and is well past warranty. I got the Iron as a "just in case" measure. : )
Thanks YB!

Unfortunately, the initial pooling on an outlane post on my new Met Premium has morphed into cracking. I know the “iron” method is not going to help with that. If anyone knows the best way to repair this damage and/or prevent it from getting worse I’d appreciate it (assuming Stern doesn’t offer a replacement). Thanks.

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It won't work for the long term.
Look at it 3 months from now, it will be the same.

Some people had PMed asking about getting more of a specific size of mylar ring instead of a pre-made set, so I just updated the mylar ring options in the pinside pin monk store so there's the jjPotC/Wonka set (4 medium rings, 2 small rings) but also 10 packs each of just Small, Medium, and even larger Large rings. Here's a comparison picture of the coverage (they're clear mylar, this is just with the paper backing still on so you can see the sizes easily):

ring-comparison (resized).jpg

I didn't show it in the sample, but if you want more coverage on the slim posts, you can use a medium ring on a slim post so the protection will extend out similar to the way a Large ring does on a star post.

Great info! I assume you tried this method after getting a replacement playfield from JJP? If not, that is what I call having balls!!!!

Well my friend you did an excellent job!

Thanks for the suggestions. So far, no response of any kind from Stern or my “supporting” distributor. At the very least, a simple acknowledgement would be nice. Funny how I get a quick response from the distro when I ask about pricing and payment for a new game. Now, not so much.

I haven’t removed any of my star posts to look but what if one of the Star Posts crack or break. I have had to replace star posts on new games do to cracking with use. An operator or home owner should not have to worry about damaging the clear coat from simple removal of a Star posts. It’s crazy you can’t even remove them.

I think as buyers of these games we just want an answer from these companies of what will be done to remedy the situation as you said. I am also confident something will get eventually done. It would be nice to hear directly from someone from these companies exactly what will be done. I understand this may take some time. Just wish the companies would at least put us buyers mind at ease.

When my Ghostbusters had issues it took time but I was assured I would get a new playfield from Stern. On my recent, NIB purchases there has been too much radio silence. I’m not just talking about JJP, this is a Stern problem as well.

Agree with both PinballSTAR and TomGWI.

You don't want to do something that may effect your remedy with the manufacturer, but on the other hand what happens when you have to replace or move a playfield post for maintenance or repairs.

Many folks may find themselves in a tough spot.

Why would JJP ship customers free sling post repair kits if that void’s the warranty?

Just read this thread after finding the issue on a few of the smaller diameter posts on my IMDN pro, has anyone attempted the repair this way on these smaller stern posts? I was surprised there aren't more example photos in this thread of repairs others have carried out.

IMG_20191001_115534541 (resized).jpg

IMG_20191001_115626086 (resized).jpg

Hoping that is a typo for "now"

I am very tempted to try the "playfield iron" myself. Have you had any failures or any cases where doing it made things worse?

I have had mixed results. My "iron" (same brand) got pretty darn hot. It was too hot to hold the plastic handle near the ironing end. I lost perhaps a mm of paint and clear around the hole of where I was pressing, but the overall effect was good. I added a bit of clearcoat to lock things down and then mylar washers.

I did acquire the silicon washers from Titan and really like them on top of the mylar. It is a process, but I want to use my existing playfield as long as I can. I have another one coming from JJP, but want to put off the swap until much later.

Would I use the iron again ... I am not sure. I really appreciate the advice from Yelobird. It was my call. I have no regrets, but mylar and silicon washers might have been good enough for my situation.

... and I wasn't completely clear on my post. I actually had about a millimeter of material come loose after ironing. How attached it was in the first place is another question, but it was all covered by the post anyway so no real damage done. It was just a bit unnerving when more "chips" were created.

Worked like a charm for me - thanks Yelobird! I ironed then applied Mylar rings, and am thinking about adding the titan washers. Couldn’t be easier. Used the iron for about 5 seconds, checked and repeated if necessary. Pooling is completely gone and any impression marks are contained to under the mini-posts. Iron is very hot but after the first try I wasn’t worried at all that it would cause damage. Just don’t press down hard or move around while ironing.

This is not a wide spread problem , only a small % of playfields have this issue.