I was not happy with the peeling, fogged, and delaminating inserts on my Arabian Nights. Most of the inserts were looking pretty bad. Advise on the web usually mentions trying Krazy glue, Varathane, or just redoing the whole playfield with a full restoration. I was not liking those options and noticed when I wiped with playfield with alcohol, the liquid seeped into the crevasses around the insert and made them look great, until the alcohol dried up. Having work experience with UV curable resins, I tried the following method and it works so well, I wanted to share. The resin used is Simoniz Fix It Pro Clear Coat pen applicator. It goes for less than $10 on Amazon. The UV curing unit is used for UV nail polish. It is a Red Carpet manicure light Pro 45 and goes for about $38 on Amazon. The procedure: (note, this works on original playfields that have not be re-clearcoated.)

1. Set the playfield more or less level so the liquid resin does not run. It is watery.

2. Use a needle to clean out any open groove along the edge of the lifting insert where wax and dirt build up.

3. Apply the UV resin in a bead along the edges of the insert where you see while lifting. See photos. In moments, the resin will bleed into the insert where it is delaminating from the playfield clearcoat. Allow some time if needed. The UV resin will NOT dry up unless there is bright UV light present. If the resin does not fully soak into the lifting area, you can try to apply a little pressure to "work it in".

4. Once you are satisfied with the results, wipe up the excess resin from the surface of the playfield so the insert is clean. If you have a small chip on the insert, you can apply a drop of resin to fill the chip.

5. Place the UV light source over the repair area and turn it on. This model shuts off after 45 seconds. I gave 4-5 does of light to fully cure the resin where it seeped deeply into the insert. You could also use sun light, but its not easy to get access to the sun with a pinball machine and these nail manicure lights are more powerful. Note: this model has an open base that shines UV directly on the playfield. Other models I looked at do not have an open base and would not work!

6. Wipe the surface again with a cotton pad to remove any reside. There will always be some liquid residue on the surface of the cured resin that needs to be wiped off. You are finished and can move on to the next insert. This is an extremely hard, clear, durable coating that should last for many years!

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More pictures...

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This stays wet until you are ready for curing to start with the UV. It also wipes up with no effort. It is water thin. Super Glue dries too quickly to work with in some cases. And wiping it up without gluing your rag, cotton pad, or fingers to the play field can be difficult. Also the super glue at the surface tends to turn cloudy and very brittle within a few days of the ball rolling across it. The UV resin is flexible a stays perfectly clear.

I would certainly think it could do a nice job on cupped inserts. The Uv resin is water thin, crystal clear, and flows nicely. It remains fully liquid until uv light hits it and does not shrink like clear coats or glues. I know people suggest super glue but what happens if you make a mistake and try to wipe it up....the glue glues itself to the wiper. The UV resin wipes up with no effort and can be reapplied if there's a mistake. Just make sure you like the look before applying Uv because then it hardens in seconds and becomes as hard as polyurethane. Please be careful if you buy some of the Simoniz Fix it Pro from Amazon. I ordered more from one source and while it advertised being the UV stuff, what I got said it now dries without UV which is NOT what you want to get. I got some from another supplier that still had stock of the right kind!

I tried it today on a cupped insert in Flash and also used it on some chipped inserts. In my opinion it works better than water or solvent based clear coats because the UV resin does not shrink nearly as much. It hardens up nearly level with the playfield. Also very durable. The UV light needs to be in the 360 nanometer wavelength to work. (UVA). Not sure what the reptile light is. You should test a dab of UV resin on a piece of mylar or foil under your proposed UV light to make sure your light really does cure the resin. Usually takes 2-5 minutes.

Same!

I've used it up at the back of the playfield where it spells G E N I E. Works fine with decals applied over the UV cured resin. Just clean it with alcohol before adding the decals.

It is confusing that Simonize sells the UV curing touch up pen and then when you order it from Amazon, you get a non-UV curing pen which is probably something completely different. I got my first good UV curing resin pens from a store in the mall called "As Seen On TV". Here is a link to what is probably a safe bet and also pretty cheap:

It is DuPont Automotive Clear Coat UV curing Touch Up.Amazon.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/DuPont-D101-Pro-Fusion-Scratch-Repair/dp/B008I2P0KC/ref=sr_1_6

The key thing here is you want something that is clear, dries hard and durable, and goes from a liquid to a solid without any off gassing of VOCs or shrinkage or bubbling. If you use something that has a water or solvent base, you will get bubbles, shrinkage, and it may never dry properly when soaked under the skin of a peeling insert. The UV resin will cure solid 100%, even if under a peeled insert because it hardens with light instead of with air.

Some people were asking if you can use this on cupped inserts. Yes, it sort of works. It may be better than living with cupped inserts and is easier than fixing them "properly". A friend had me test it on a Flash game with badly cupped inserts. Enclosed are photos. The photos are sort of blurry because I was using a crappy phone camera in a dark room. Use the following steps. Make sure it is warm in the room. Cold temps will cause the resin to be thick and you want it to flow as much as possible.

1. clean the insert to be fixed with alcohol and let dry.
2. level the playfield as much as possible. A pinball should not roll up or down on it.
3. depress the UV pen multiple times to deposit a small puddle of resin at the center of the cupped insert.
4. keep adding resin, looking closely as you go. Add too little and you will get a ridge between where the playfield meets the insert. Add too much and the puddle will flow (in a taper) over the edge of the cupped insert. I would error on the side of too much resin. You can always wipe up any excess with a Qtip.
5. apply the UV light for about 5 minutes. This is a thick coating of resin, so 5 minutes with a strong light is needed to get it fully cured.
6. wipe up the surface - there will always be a thin, oily residue on the surface after it is cured the 1st time.

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Many people asked about why kind of black light works and what is most affordable. I found this works if you add an extra minute or so to the curing process. It is very low cost. Make sure the batteries are fresh and test it with the resin before applying to your playfield.

http://www.amazon.com/BL-6-Portable-6-inch-Blacklight/dp/B000IAECQU/ref=sr_1_3

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I considered it. But hey' the stuff is out there already. Good luck.