Hardtop Install for SS Mata Hari (and now Cabinet Resto, too!)

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/dumpster-firepower/page/3#post-5552787

Quoted from mrm_4:
It’s just the solvents in the clear eating the paint. Thinner coats when you clear and longer cure time for the paint before clearing is the fix.
This same thing gets me almost every time. I pretty much do this to myself every project, and every new project I think I have patience but I always end up in the same boat somewhere in the time line, spraying too heavy at first or not letting the previous color cure long enough. So frustrating.
I like the felt

Indeed. I'm going to finish the paint this weekend and then wait a week and finish with the rattle can clear next weekend. That'll be about 6 days for the paint to cure (I waited 2 days before, following the recommendations on the can).

Think that would be enough? How much time to you allot for the paint to cure before putting on your clear coat?

#102 2 years ago

???

KenLayton

In Memoriam

Olympia, WA

12y 83,400 5,965

A week should be enough for curing time, especially if you have a fan blowing on it to speed it up.

By the way, I like the red felt idea. I always thought the factory should have had some sort of cushioning material when the playfield is in the service position.

#103 2 years ago

MRM

mrm_4

Pinside+ Frequent

6y 126K 6,204 11

OP
Quoted from Mathazar:
Indeed. I'm going to finish the paint this weekend and then wait a week and finish with the rattle can clear next weekend. That'll be about 6 days for the paint to cure (I waited 2 days before, following the recommendations on the can).
Think that would be enough? How much time to you allot for the paint to cure before putting on your clear coat?

If you are clearing the apron after one color just do the clear about 20 minutes after your last coat of color.

Doing a single color is the best because you can knock it all out in an hour:

You see here how I tried to clear again after a certain amount of time and it wasn’t cured. Got the wrinkle:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/dumpster-firepower/page/4#post-5584476

Technically it’s because I used too much in one spot because of a bug but, if it was cured it wouldn’t have mattered

1 week later

#104 2 years ago

KVW

Mathazar

Pinside+ Addict

I went ahead and waited the week for it to cure....sure enough, after a few light coats of rattle can clear, no orange peel! Pretty happy with the results so far...will probably do another couple light coats and call it done. Next step - putting on the new Bally logo stickers.

mrm_4 - how long did you wait after clearing before putting on the apron and shooter stickers? Did you clear again after putting them on to get rid of the ridges of the sticker edges on the apron?

I'm kind of afraid if I tried that the stickers could react badly causing me yet again to go back to square one.....I'll probably live with the ridges and be happy (it'll be under glass, after all). I'm ready to be done with Mata Hari as I'm excited to have a new project to work on. I'm picking up a project Meteor next week, my first "new" pin in the house in about 2 years. I was going to hardtop and Pinball Pimp my Black Knight next but I'm thinking I want to get Meteor at least flipping first.

z86 (resized).jpg

#105 2 years ago

MRM

mrm_4

Pinside+ Frequent

6y 126K 6,204 11

OP
Quoted from Mathazar:
I went ahead and waited the week for it to cure....sure enough, after a few light coats of rattle can clear, no orange peel! Pretty happy with the results so far...will probably do another couple light coats and call it done. Next step - putting on the new Bally logo stickers.
mrm_4 - how long did you wait after clearing before putting on the apron and shooter stickers? Did you clear again after putting them on to get rid of the ridges of the sticker edges on the apron?
I'm kind of afraid if I tried that the stickers could react badly causing me yet again to go back to square one.....I'll probably live with the ridges and be happy (it'll be under glass, after all). I'm ready to be done with Mata Hari as I'm excited to have a new project to work on. I'm picking up a project Meteor next week, my first "new" pin in the house in about 2 years. I was going to hardtop and Pinball Pimp my Black Knight next but I'm thinking I want to get Meteor at least flipping first.[quoted image]

With my apron I didn’t clear it so you’re a step over me on that one. I just sprayed it with the yellow and laid the stickers down the next day. I’d say just let it cure the time it says on the can and you’d be fine. Looking good man, excited to see this finish up and on to the next.

#106 2 years ago

BFM

phillyfan64

Pinside+ Frequent

I like the yellow apron. Much nicer than the ugly green that goes with nothing.

#107 2 years ago

???

RonSS

Pinside member

6y 91,050 3,841 1 1

Glad this worked out!

#108 2 years ago

KVW

Mathazar

Pinside+ Addict

So close....I was so focused on lining up the top edges on the middle Bally sticker that I didn't think I needed to pay attention to how the bottom lined up. Wrong. Going to have to live with it....overall it came out nice, but the crooked middle sticker is going to haunt me for a while.

IMG_9894 (resized).JPG

#109 2 years ago

KVW

Mathazar

Pinside+ Addict

Fortunately, from the player's perspective, you can't really tell. And I thought these would be the "it's all done" photos but after taking these, I just noticed 2 burned out GI bulbs!

IMG_9896 (resized).JPG

IMG_9897 (resized).JPG

IMG_9898 (resized).JPG

IMG_9899 (resized).JPG

IMG_9903 (resized).JPG

#110 2 years ago

BFM

phillyfan64

Pinside+ Frequent

She’s gorgeous!!! Fantastic job. Makes me want to break down and finally do my CPR that’s been sitting here for months.

I see a 881,000 high score. I still haven’t cracked 600,000!

#111 2 years ago

BFM

phillyfan64

Pinside+ Frequent

Where did you get the stickers? I thought they usually didn’t come with the black trim.

#112 2 years ago

KVW

Mathazar

Pinside+ Addict

Quoted from phillyfan64:
Where did you get the stickers? I thought they usually didn’t come with the black trim.

I found the black trim ones at Planetary Pinball (http://www.planetarypinball.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DC-AP-MATA) earlier this year. Looks like Marco's also has the black trim ones in stock now for a few dollars less than PP.

#113 2 years ago

MRM

mrm_4

Pinside+ Frequent

6y 126K 6,204 11

Looks great man! I was gonna say im pretty sure the lock down bar covers that small amount of the apron. Turned out really well!

#114 2 years ago

HKY

HoakyPoaky

Silver State Pinball

11y 144K 3,671 128

Well done! It took you awhile to get it all done, but it was worth it

#115 2 years ago

???

RonSS

Pinside member

6y 91,050 3,841 1 1

Outstanding!
Well worth the wait!

3 weeks later

#116 2 years ago

KVW

Mathazar

Pinside+ Addict

There are some days when I love to play a complex pin with a deep ruleset and there are some days when I just want to hit drop targets and get specials. I love my restored Mata Hari - it's perfect for satisfying my drop target fix. Symmetrical layout, two banks of 4 targets, wicked fast when tuned right, and more often than not, completely unforgiving.

This hardtop is fast, fast, fast. Combined with new rubbers, a new ball, and a 6.8 degree incline it can be extremely challenging, especially with the spins the ball gets in this setup. But I love it like that. I've chosen to leave the movable posts in the Medium position rather than Liberal or Conservative, but there are times I'd swear there is a magnet pulling the ball into the outlanes.

I set up a recording rig this weekend to capture some game play. Will post links soon.

MH Rig (resized).jpg

#117 2 years ago

KVW

Mathazar

Pinside+ Addict

Here are a couple of (quick) games. Got some good measured shots in, a few decent saves, a drop catch here and there, but games on this MH have a tendency to go by quickly.

Game One:

Game Two:

#118 2 years ago

???

RonSS

Pinside member

6y 91,050 3,841 1 1

Looks so smooth,,, and shiny!

Games playing nicely!

#119 2 years ago

BFM

phillyfan64

Pinside+ Frequent