(Topic ID: 231924)

Does Stern use Auto Clear on their Playfields?

By Deez

5 years ago


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  • 64 posts
  • 39 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by kcZ
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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    There are 64 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.
    #1 5 years ago

    I'm just curious if Stern uses two part auto clear on their playfields? Someone had mentioned to me that they changed to polyurathane and that might be the cause of the dimpling. I have a GOTG and DP and they have the worst dimpling of any other Stern I've ever owned and it seems something must've changed. Just curious if anyone knows. Has anyone had their PFs recleared with 2PAC and noticed it not having dimpling? I hate how PF protectors play so I'm just looking for another option.

    #2 5 years ago

    1300 plays.

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    #3 5 years ago

    Wait, is that a pic of the moon surface?

    #5 5 years ago

    OH BOY! Here we go again. lol

    #6 5 years ago

    oh boy. oh BOY. OH BOY. ANOTHER DIMPLE THREAD GUYZ.

    #7 5 years ago

    Im not sure if this is "another dimple" thread... looks more like a "has anyone tried this out" kind of thread to me...

    #8 5 years ago

    Somewere in this vid Garry explains

    #9 5 years ago

    Ok - lets rephrase this. Will shooting auto clear on this fix this piece of shit PF or not?

    #10 5 years ago

    and... Do they use Polyurathane or auto clear?

    #11 5 years ago

    You just haven't pounded that soft crappy wood flat yet.

    #12 5 years ago

    One major problem is they don’t allow enough time for the clear to cure before they shoot more layers, so the middle layers are still really soft, which leads to.. dimpling

    #13 5 years ago
    Quoted from Travish:

    You just haven't pounded that soft crappy wood flat yet.

    Could I take a rubber mallet to it and pound it flat?

    #14 5 years ago

    Pinsiders think automotive clear coat will prevent steel balls from dimpling wood, news at 5. We didn't need another thread about this. Take a moment to think about a ball bearing being thrown around with some force versus a thin layer of clear coat. Thought about it? Well, guess what, its not going to do jack. The hardness of the wood? Different story.

    #15 5 years ago

    I think it is the clear.
    I use 2pac on old flat, predimpled playfields.
    They dimple with the first few games. That old plywood should be compressed before I apply the clear.
    I think it is the clear itself and the thickness. We want a deep shine on the games, more clear is applied as well as being a different formula , the result is dimpling.
    The old lacquer was 1 maybe 2 coats and hard as a rock.

    #16 5 years ago

    Dimples are the new standard

    #17 5 years ago
    Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

    One major problem is they don’t allow enough time for the clear to cure before they shoot more layers, so the middle layers are still really soft, which leads to.. dimpling

    How much time are they allowed to dry?

    Quoted from dung:

    Pinsiders think automotive clear coat will prevent steel balls from dimpling wood, news at 5. We didn't need another thread about this. Take a moment to think about a ball bearing being thrown around with some force versus a thin layer of clear coat. Thought about it? Well, guess what, its not going to do jack. The hardness of the wood? Different story.

    Just hit the drain button pal..

    #18 5 years ago

    As a test, I just dropped a pinball onto the auto-cleared hood of my truck and guess what. it dimpled! it'll probably buff out.

    -1
    #19 5 years ago
    Quoted from Deez:

    How much time are they allowed to dry?

    I don’t know exactly, but you need to let each layer really cure for about 30 days, and if you do several layers .. Doing the math, it’s probably not practical at the pace Stern is going. I think they spray them, let them cure enough to not be sticky and then do the next layer, etc. This means they are still soft underneath, and still malleable, so the ball pushes right through to the wood, and there you go, a dimple. If we were to not play our NIB games for 6 months, I wonder if the dimples would be far fewer, as the clear would have had time to cure.

    #20 5 years ago
    Quoted from Xenon75:

    As a test, I just dropped a pinball onto the auto-cleared hood of my truck and guess what. it dimpled! it'll probably buff out.

    Pics please!

    #21 5 years ago
    Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

    I don’t know exactly, but you need to let each layer really cure for about 30 days, and if you do several layers .. Doing the math, it’s probably not practical at the pace Stern is going. I think they spray them, let them cure enough to not be sticky and then do the next layer, etc. This means they are still soft underneath, and still malleable, so the ball pushes right through to the wood, and there you go, a dimple. If we were to not play our NIB games for 6 months, I wonder if the dimples would be far fewer, as the clear would have had time to cure.

    This is like the pinball equivalent of a flat earther, or an anti-vaxxer or something. Seriously? You think think clearcoat is some kind of alien technology that if just air hardened a bit more would stop steel balls?

    #22 5 years ago
    Quoted from epthegeek:

    This is like the pinball equivalent of a flat earther, or an anti-vaxxer or something. Seriously?

    So just typical standard Pinsiders then; got it.

    #23 5 years ago
    Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

    I don’t know exactly, but you need to let each layer really cure for about 30 days, and if you do several layers .. Doing the math, it’s probably not practical at the pace Stern is going. I think they spray them, let them cure enough to not be sticky and then do the next layer, etc. This means they are still soft underneath, and still malleable, so the ball pushes right through to the wood, and there you go, a dimple. If we were to not play our NIB games for 6 months, I wonder if the dimples would be far fewer, as the clear would have had time to cure.

    This would be easy to test if you find a dealer that has a game that's been sitting at their warehouse for a while. Finally get some use out of the WWEs!

    #24 5 years ago
    giphy_zpsmc2ogkie (resized).pnggiphy_zpsmc2ogkie (resized).png
    #25 5 years ago
    Quoted from Deez:

    Ok - lets rephrase this. Will shooting auto clear on this fix this piece of shit PF or not?

    Getting it professionally clearcoated will remove the dimples..until you play it.

    #26 5 years ago

    Stern's issue is not dimples. It's ghosting, which happens when you clear several coats in a short time. They can't wait weeks or months between coats. Best bet, sand and clear it after it sits a while, or send it out to someone who knows playfields.

    #27 5 years ago

    Clear coated a CPR Centaur playfield. Lots of sanding and time between coats. After a few hundred plays, some dimples. Not that many. About as many as air balls that occur on that game. Newer games = more air balls= more dimples.

    #28 5 years ago

    Something you also have to consider is softer wood could be a factor but if the clear was hard as rock there is a bigger risk of chipping and cracking of the clear. There is a fine balance and it’s difficult to achieve. And modern pins have WAY more air balls compared to earlier machines. I think about the air balls I get in Metallica and Kiss and there are tons more. New games play faster...harder impacts so there is going to be dimpling. It’s just a part of pinball. GET OVER IT if it’s a machine you plan to play. If you want a museum piece then don’t play it and you will never have to worry about dimples.

    #29 5 years ago

    All pinball playfields dimple, no question about that. However, something within the past 3 years either changed with the wood or the clear that Stern uses as their recent playfields end up having similar marbling to a 65 day aged Wagyu steak...

    Here's the comparison

    Mid 90's Bally / Williams and early 2000's Stern playfield. Very little marbling.

    usda-prime-top-sirloin-raw (resized).jpgusda-prime-top-sirloin-raw (resized).jpg

    Recent routed Stern, 65 day aged Wagyu steak lol
    waju (resized).JPGwaju (resized).JPG

    #30 5 years ago
    Quoted from Pickle:

    Something you also have to consider is softer wood could be a factor but if the clear was hard as rock there is a bigger risk of chipping and cracking of the clear. There is a fine balance and it’s difficult to achieve. And modern pins have WAY more air balls compared to earlier machines. I think about the air balls I get in Metallica and Kiss and there are tons more. New games play faster...harder impacts so there is going to be dimpling. It’s just a part of pinball. GET OVER IT if it’s a machine you plan to play. If you want a museum piece then don’t play it and you will never have to worry about dimples.

    I agree. The game design is what allows more dimples than the materials used to make the pin.

    #31 5 years ago
    Quoted from PanzerFreak:

    All pinball playfields dimple, no question about that. However, something within the past 3 years either changed with the wood or the clear that Stern uses as their recent playfields end up having similar marbling to a 65 day aged Wagyu steak...
    Here's the comparison
    Mid 90's Bally / Williams and early 2000's Stern playfield. Very little marbling.
    [quoted image]
    Recent routed Stern, 65 day aged Wagyu steak lol
    [quoted image]

    Since marbling is good, dimpling must taste awesome.

    #32 5 years ago
    Quoted from jgentry:

    Since marbling is good, dimpling must taste awesome.

    Yes, especially when cooked medium rare!

    #33 5 years ago
    Quoted from Pickle:

    Something you also have to consider is softer wood could be a factor but if the clear was hard as rock there is a bigger risk of chipping and cracking of the clear. There is a fine balance and it’s difficult to achieve. And modern pins have WAY more air balls compared to earlier machines. I think about the air balls I get in Metallica and Kiss and there are tons more. New games play faster...harder impacts so there is going to be dimpling. It’s just a part of pinball. GET OVER IT if it’s a machine you plan to play. If you want a museum piece then don’t play it and you will never have to worry about dimples.

    This! Amen

    #34 5 years ago
    Quoted from jorro:

    Somewere in this vid Garry explains

    He talks about it at 39:10

    #35 5 years ago

    Because sometimes 20 dimple threads just aren’t enough..........

    #36 5 years ago

    Take a look at this playfield.....New plastics, tons of clearcoat everywhere.... and yet, still tons of dimples... Some things are just the victims of simple science.

    81aeae4cb9b871f0f7e6cb77848076a1 (resized).jpg81aeae4cb9b871f0f7e6cb77848076a1 (resized).jpg
    #37 5 years ago
    Quoted from Deez:

    I'm just curious if Stern uses two part auto clear on their playfields? Someone had mentioned to me that they changed to polyurathane and that might be the cause of the dimpling. I have a GOTG and DP and they have the worst dimpling of any other Stern I've ever owned and it seems something must've changed. Just curious if anyone knows. Has anyone had their PFs recleared with 2PAC and noticed it not having dimpling? I hate how PF protectors play so I'm just looking for another option.

    LOL don't like dimples get out of pinball

    #38 5 years ago

    Does not matter what you use to clear. With wood vs. metal, wood will lose the battle 100% of the time.

    There are variations on dimpling tendencies regarding wood types and play field layouts but it's not possible to eliminate dimpling...

    BUT, one alternative is to use a play field protector. However, there is a entirely different set of dynamics/preferences when installing/using one.

    Remember, pinball machines were meant to be "dimpled".

    #39 5 years ago
    Quoted from Pickle:

    Something you also have to consider is softer wood could be a factor but if the clear was hard as rock there is a bigger risk of chipping and cracking of the clear. There is a fine balance and it’s difficult to achieve. And modern pins have WAY more air balls compared to earlier machines. I think about the air balls I get in Metallica and Kiss and there are tons more. New games play faster...harder impacts so there is going to be dimpling.

    I agree 100% with the first half, but I'd also submit that there are older games like DE Simpsons that have equal or perhaps more airballs than MET and Kiss. DE Simpsons bowling pin drops are like small catapults that fire the ball everywhere are are in the exact middle of the game. I don't know if I recall if my DE Simpsons PF was flattened out over time, or never dimpled in the first place. I'd love to see pics if anyone has a DE Simp.

    #40 5 years ago

    Whether you love them or hate their games, Spooky's playfields look amazing and seem to hold up well. Are they doing anything differently?

    #41 5 years ago
    Quoted from hAbO:

    Whether you love them or hate their games, Spooky's playfields look amazing and seem to hold up well. Are they doing anything differently?

    Nope. And they are having issues with their playfields like everyone else.

    #42 5 years ago
    Quoted from Deez:

    Ok - lets rephrase this. Will shooting auto clear on this fix this piece of shit PF or not?

    God have you ever CC anything? what a horrible nightmare it is.

    #43 5 years ago
    Quoted from Yoko2una:

    I agree 100% with the first half, but I'd also submit that there are older games like DE Simpsons that have equal or perhaps more airballs than MET and Kiss. DE Simpsons bowling pin drops are like small catapults that fire the ball everywhere are are in the exact middle of the game. I don't know if I recall if my DE Simpsons PF was flattened out over time, or never dimpled in the first place. I'd love to see pics if anyone has a DE Simp.

    just picked up a de simpsons, thousands of plays= no dimpling, stern luci 300 plays=lots of dimpling. family guy =thousands of plays hardly any dimpling.

    afmr le, 300 plays= dimpling like crazy. don't make em like they used to.

    #44 5 years ago
    Quoted from hAbO:

    Whether you love them or hate their games, Spooky's playfields look amazing and seem to hold up well. Are they doing anything differently?

    Yeah.... Making games that are far less played.

    #45 5 years ago

    There are literally more people in this thread complaining about dimpling threads than there are actual dimpling threads....
    I cant tell if people are defending dimpling and are insulted that others are frustrated about it or what.

    And why is there this "lets attack the guys mad at dimpling" movement...

    This is the theme I'm seeing here: (LOOK EVERYONE SOMEONE'S MAD ABOUT DIMPLING LETS GET'M)
    "Hey Buddy, if you don't like cheaply made playfields that look like shit and want to complain about it, why don't you just jump in front of a f**king truck!!! You better get happy about dimples OP or don't God help you if we come face to face"

    Its like dimpling has turned into a SJW topic. #DimplingPlayfieldsMatter
    Dimpling (resized).jpgDimpling (resized).jpg

    #46 5 years ago

    It's groundhog day again

    #47 5 years ago
    Quoted from Deez:

    Ok - lets rephrase this. Will shooting auto clear on this fix this piece of shit PF or not?

    Man, there needs to be a laugh button like on FB

    That’s some funny shit there.

    #48 5 years ago
    Quoted from ccbiggsoo7:

    just picked up a de simpsons, thousands of plays= no dimpling, stern luci 300 plays=lots of dimpling. family guy =thousands of plays hardly any dimpling.
    afmr le, 300 plays= dimpling like crazy. don't make em like they used to.

    Agreed.

    My TSPP, FGY & LOTR have little to no dimples. That’s always been the case too. HUO & in my collection for 7+ years.

    My AS & TWD (the walking dimple) have TONS of dimples.

    All games have a similar number of plays too. These aren’t location games.

    Something has indeed changed with the play fields, cabinets & boards.

    #49 5 years ago

    The walking dimple, dude that is just too f'ing funny. I laughed out loud.

    #50 5 years ago

    My offer still stands if you want to get rid of that POS.

    There are 64 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 2.

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