I have done that many times, and will do it on the 8BD field I am currently working on. It works fine. If you're going to spray, plug all the GI socket holes at minimum.

Note that I am not trying for a restoration but rather a reconditioning to make the game cosmetically appealing for play again. With this in mind, you don't have to be perfect and anything I do will be an improvement over big chunks worn down to the wood.

IMO!

I have done it as well with great results. I plugged all the holes making sure the plugs were slightly recessed. It gets a little trickier if you plan to colorsand as the water can leave a residue that will be difficult to reach (i.e. Wire harness, inside mechs, etc.).

I have done this on pretty much every PF I have restored. Remove everything from topside, take LOTS of pics. and then take a few more just for good measure. Plug light sockets and switch holes (I use wadded up masking tape). Clean the PF with Magic Eraser (be careful it is easy to go too far really quickly with ME) and Nahptha, when done cleaning, wipe down with Nahptha to remove ME residue. Do touch ups...when satisfied with touch ups clear...
Then after clear has dried and cured, repopulate.

Phoebe

I'm in for the info.
I've got a "barn find" Flash that has a PF that needs a clear coat. Trying to do it as cheaply and easy as possible.

What do you use for touch up that won't bleed with the clear coat?

I have done it many times also all of them had all the stuff on the bottomimage-780.jpgimage-600.jpgimage-3.jpgimage-109.jpgimage-965.jpgimage-998.jpg

Working efficiently with the underside still populated:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/20#post-1788273

Safe paints for touch up:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/2#post-629391

Meh, why bother even taking the top stuff off.

LOL. Just grab a piece of plywood and unscrew everything and slide the stuff over. Not taking the stuff in the back is major pain in the ass.

I think just the prep and additional caution takes as long as removing everything, you might as well learn sometime strip the back it's not a big deal

I think that is the cv I bought off you. Wish I hadn't sold it. I think you have a body shop right? Is that auto clear sprayed with a conventional/hvlp? Did you color sand and buff? It looks like glass if it's straight spray and no buffing. Beautiful!

I was planning removing everything from a playfield I was working on in order to (hopefully) clearcoat and touch-up at some point, but after seeing this thread, I'm rethinking that approach now. Re-doing the ground braid and getting all the wires in the right position again was looking to be a project in and of itself.

Yes that is the cv I sold you. It was a very nice cv. Yes I have the auto shop.

I do it to all my own games. I have done it for customers as well. Not a big deal if you mask up the big holes and fill in the bulb sockets from getting clear in them. Saves a ton of work in the long run. If you have to ship your field, it's not recommended as the weight will break stuff off and things will be lost. But for at home or dropping off and picking up in person. Nothing wrong with it. You will get slight overspray on things like the harness or little parts of wire that are slightly exposed.

Couple others I left every thing on the bottomimage-163.jpgimage-105.jpgimage-509.jpgimage-974.jpgimage-337.jpgimage-696.jpgimage-304.jpgimage-26.jpgimage-407.jpg

[Edit] OOOPS! Sorry for not rotating those pics...I thought I already had done that.

Did somebody say Harlem Globetrotters?
Whole field - before.JPGTop eject - before.JPGLower field - before.JPGCenter field - before.JPGUpper field - after.JPGTop eject - after.JPGRight sling detail - after.JPGRight pop after.JPGPlayfield after.JPGLower field after.JPGLeft sling detail - after.JPGLeft pop after.JPGCenter field - after.JPGBonus lights detail - after.JPG4 ohm dual speakers - head.JPG

Now, many might scoff at the final result, but again, I was not trying to "restore", I was trying to "recondition" it such that it would be cosmetically appealing for play, instead of parting it out. It is also not my intention to try to inflate the price. Rather, I feel my efforts don't increase the value much at all, but makes it more attractive to a prospective owner.

IMO!

Nice touch up. You did a great job.

I always strip them bare so I can restore everything. I repaint the underside grey and replace the ground braid and re-staple it. Every part is tumbled and rebuilt/refurbished or replaced with new.

The only time I haven't stripped a playfield completely bare before clear coating was with an NOS assembled playfield. Since everything was mint to begin with I didn't want to strip the underside. But usually when I clear coat one it's because it needs some touch up and has had some use so I always go all out on everything anyway and strip it bare. I'm pretty anal on playfield restorations (especially for my own "keepers").

They are incredible. Are you buffing those or is it looking like glass right from the gun. Phenomenal skills if that's straight spray with no buffing. Simply stunning.

I am wet sanding and buffing.

Actually a very impressive restoration. How many hours went into the total project? Also, how is the game playing?

Hard to say. I don't track my hours...I know it would be too depressing to see the hourly rate when it gets broken down. It's hobby time after work and on weekends. It probably took 3 months or so to paint, clear, repair and get it tuned up.

It was playing really smooth and fast, just like it did 20 years ago. It just didn't look quite as good. A customer, non-collector, bought it a few years ago and I haven't heard back from them so I guess it's still working...

I am always really proud of my reconditions, even if they aren't high class restos. You don't HAVE to drop a ton of money into a game to come out the other end with an appealing game that plays great.

IMO!

I don't plug the light sockets. I just have a set of old bulbs I put in after I tack it. Works great.

When I clearcoat stars. You don't have to do much. I just use an exacto inside each one to clean the edges between each layer of clear, so it doesn't fill in. Just block sand as normal.

But be careful on how many layers and how thick you get. Stars limit how thick you can go. If you go to high, the amount of rollover area you have, gets smaller and smaller with each layer you do.

Clearcoating without clogging up Star Rollovers:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/19

Clearcoating without clogging up light sockets. I take ear plugs and cut them in half shove them in light sockets. After I clearcoat I pull them out with tweezers.

IMG_20141102_175708_479.jpg

I use ear plugs too. Bulbs will work but you need to pull them out between coats to sand.

I like how well CC flows under the pop bumper skirts . My opinion is , CC a PF without taking it apart is a HACK JOB ! My opinion, carry on and do what you guys like but I hope I never end up with another one that was done they way STTNG was.. Spent hours and hours fixing things .

IMG_5496.JPG

The topic of his thread is referring to the bottom of the playfield, not the top.

No shit ?

nobody clearcoats with the top shit on. Clearing without taking the stuff off the bottom doesn't mean shit. SO you get a little spray on the top edge of the GI sockets. Big deal. Besides that, you wouldn't know if it was or wasn't.

Explain the pop bumper area, please . I have seen this and don't like it one bit . But that is me .

explain what? all your picture shows is a dirty pop area. Use some magic eraser and rubbing alcohol and clean that shit.

That is clear coat over spray that is un-sanded because the pops were still on the PF when this was CC.

Then the person that cleared your playfield sucks. What does that have to do with this thread???

I Don't know ? But that is a pretty strong statement you just made.

that's been cleared? By looking at your pop mylar groove, it doesn't look like any clear has been added to that field at all. Looks like just mylar glue stuck on there.

Also, in that pic, below and to the right there is a hole the received the stud for a metal rail. You can see clear piled up on either side of where the metal rail sat.

That was a poor job by whomever performed it.

Nobody with any common sense would clear a field with the topside components still mounted, unless the customer requested it.

Reminds me of that guy that bought the clearcoated paragon, but they cleared it while it was fully populated and in the game. Just cleared over everything. Mylar, plastics rubber, everything. Kinda hilarious, but he paid a premium because it was a clearcoated paragon. Bunch of us helped the guy out. it was his first game purchase. Someone found him a better starting field and I gave him a heavy discounted restoration job on it. Turned out stellar.

I am positive that the smell of money clouded their judgement ! I think it happens a lot more than people think.

these pictures are giving me a woody. where's that green chick?

You mean the one from Guardians of the Galaxy? I wish I knew! HOO-YAH!!

batgirl-green-kirk.jpg

MMmmm...decisions...

gamora.jpg