Correct me if I'm wrong, but Stern does not currently put mylar on its machines. The only exceptions to this that I've seen are small Mylar Squares placed at the drops. I have some in an Elvira that came off the line last month like this.

With that said, I personally put mylar down in the shooter lane.

Were I you, if I really wanted to mylar the playfield I... wouldn't. If you have a bare playfield and want to put down a protector look into a PET-G plastic playfield protector like these https://www.playfield-protectors.com/ Should not add any time to your install if you are doing a playfield swap anyways.

Good luck with this (and getting back in your own thread).

Don't remember seeing it there but will check. Not what you are asking, but the one CPR playfield did not have any mylar around the pops or at the drops.

Just ask them.

They already sent you a new playfield, I doubt they'll give you much guff over asking for 75 cents worth of mylar.

When I received a replacement playfield - no mylar was installed in areas normally protected from the factory.

Order what you need , titan has a good selection.

That’s really cool of them. That playfield must have been pretty warped for them to actually approve the replacement!

What game is it for @trekkie1978? Do you have to send the original back?

Hard to believe, but I recently had a ball get stuck in the inlane on a GZ-premium due to the tiny height of the Mylar installed near the drop! The ball was on the playfield going SOOOO slow, and it fell into the inlane and just sat there until I nudged it a hint. Weird. I am not saying to skip mylar, but don't go overboard with it.

Mylar on my Iron Maiden has bubbled in a few places and causes occasional ball hang-ups.

Used to be a badly warped PF in a new game would get you a fully populated replacement. Why should you do all that work as a result of a defect in their material?

Good luck. And yes, the new PF should already have any necessary mylar applied

Um they typically send fully populated playfields in these cases.

I’d be pissed.

So they should set up the line and do another AIQ run?
I doubt they just keep spare populated PFs of games that aren’t in production lying around.

Yeah. That’s fair. Didn’t consider that part.

Was this something you noticed right after getting the game? If so, then a fully populated playfield should be the expectation.

That will make a pretty sweet wall hanger... I'm on the lookout for used playfields, have another project where I work with a local luthier to turn them into sweet guitars, we haven't made one with a modern playfield before and AIQ would make an awesome one! We don't pay much but if your friend changes his mind and doesn't want it and you want to make a couple of bucks off of it I'd love to get my hands on it!

This EK is the latest one: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoTOQUIjqi8/

That’s awesome! I actually picked up a Munsters pro PF so I could use the center area for the same thing.

Wow! That would be amazing! Appreciate the consideration.

Not to derail this thread, but I'd love to see a picture of it, that's another great pf! Next guitar I make for myself will be from a c37 playfield... finding one of those however has been elusive.

I was the third owner of AIQ when I had it and getting plunge to work right and the CM ramp dialled in was still needed. This game plays amazing when everything is setup right... getting to do that all during a swap would be one daunting task. Is it a premium or a pro? I'd have to think the pro would be easier.

Well you've got your work cut out for you then My playfield swap experiences are limited to 80's games, I wish you well!

Take pictures! Every angle, every part. Don't even look at each picture, just take a bunch of them. You will find a part or a screw or a spacer just not making sense and you will treasure having the BEFORE pictures handy. No kidding, I would guess maybe 100 pictures would be needed for the top and bottom of a playfield BEFORE capture. Take Lots!!

Double it!

One part at a time doesn’t really seem to happen, be prepared to have everything off both playfields at the same time. When they are bare is when you can do the wire ball guides that are hammered into the PF, install and remove the fin shank screws from the pops, and messing with the basic playfield side rails and such.
Doing a top side shop job and doing a playfield swap are 2 different animals.
Good luck though, patience will get you through it, and it’s great when you’re done!

New rubbers seem like low hanging fruit, might as well update them when you're doing a full swap. New t-nuts are a good call... though on past swaps I've used the old ones if the teeth still bite and don't look gnarled, still can't hurt to put fresh ones in. The game is too new and LED'd so you don't need to proactively swap lights.

I'm trying to think of other high wear parts but the game just can't have that many plays it to warrant looking at flippers or pop's.

I also can't think of any areas where you may drop a piece of mylar during the swap because it's easier to get to. Beyond the ball dropping into the in lanes does it land anywhere else repetitively? It's been a while since I played an AIQ, I guess it does off the plunge but that is more of a skip than a drop. Maybe take a good close look at your existing playfield for areas that look a little more worn than others?

If you're adding Cliffy's, now is the time for sure, way easier on a bare playfield. Thinking of other mods that you may want to deal with now, there was a machined Doctor Stranger spinner people liked when I owned one, that's gotta be easier to deal with now.