Ron Kruzman sells a kit full of dremel bits and clear coat in a syringe to remove and repair the clear during a playfield swap. I just got mine in the mail yesterday, going to use it on a Mirco TOM...

Also maybe shoot a PM to Soulrider911 he is doing FT CPR swap right now, he may have some additional help or tips...

No link, just PM kruzman and he will get right back to you, he can help with some ideas on how to get better results

Has the clear coat cured long enough yet?

Oh man, I need to order this. Can you say the price here or best just to contact Ron?

I got a little nauseous just looking at those pictures, please keep us up to date on what solution(s) you find for this. I have a F14 swap planned for later this year and it will be my first one so I'm already nervous about it.

Just contact Ron

vid1900 has five key posts that cover repopulating a cleared playfield without cracking.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/45#post-2611546

If I run across any excess clear issues on any playfield I restore, I use a brand new super sharp #11 X-acto blade to carefully "shave" the clear back. That said, I usually only have to do that with the star inserts but the principle is the same.

Run the drill in reverse. I never had luck with Brad points. I just use a new standard bit.

On the two I've done I used a counter sink on all the holes first and then drilled out the ones that needed to be drilled out to allow for proper fitment.

Not sure if that helped or I was just lucky but that's what I've done. One of the PF's was from CPR and the other was from Mirco.

I also agree that the Brad point tip may not be the best option. I would use a standard bit as the bevel will help.

I cannot recommend the Kruzman kit enough. You won't chip any clear with them; I would never do a swap without them.

I totally understand your frustration. I too bought the best brad drill bit set available for my first restoration. I found the brad bits to be too rough on the clear. I 100% recommend Ron's dremel and glue kit. The dremel bits are so easy to use and they do not damage the clear around the hole. You get several dremel bits of different shapes and sizes that you can use depending on the hole you are working on. Operate the dremel tool at low speed, and let the bit do it's job. Ron's kit makes pre-drilling holes a breeze! You can also repair the damage you have using the dremel bits. Seal each hole with the glue provided and you are good to go. If you want to see how I pre-drilled one hole, Check out the link below starting on post # 156

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/nosnew-playfields-available-as-of-june-5/page/4#post-3943599

I'd suggest reaching out to CPR. Though care needs to be taken with playfield prep, this type of fracturing is usually indicative of an expediated curing process.

I make a kit that will allow you to remove the clear before drilling so there is nothing to chip. this also works on the t nuts so the teeth dont crack clear, and the dreaded pop bumper nail screws. I include a tool to measure everything as well as a glue kit with very thin glue that repairs halos around drilled holes, and glues the clear down to the pf around the edge of the hole, with hypo needles since the glue is thin enough to soak in to the wood and up under the clear. the whole thing is 75 bucks plus shipping.

I've done many pf swaps and never had a problem with this.
I use a thin round file (used to sharpen chain saw blades), to remove any clear that blocks the hole.
You can also run a drill bit thru from the underside. Not a brad point, but a standard bit.

I used this technique multiple times on the SBM I'm re-doing. Not sure if Vid mentions it but it helped me out quite a bit.
I'm not sure what all is in kruzman's kits, but will source one from him before my next project after reading so many positive reviews.

Pf swaps can be nerve wracking. so much money, and one little problem. I have a file of nightmare pics that people have sent to me.
I have learned to walk away for even a week, otherwise I get the attitude that I screwed the pooch, this is junk now, and I start throwing expensive things.
Hopefully my stupid process will work for you and fix a lot of your issues.
cheers, kruz. galesburg MI

The kit worked out awesome, but honestly it came from me trying to find a better way to install the cleared pf's. lets face it the auto clear dose not like getting drilled, so I am glad I figured it out. I added this measuring tool to the kit for another 5 bucks tacked on to the price, but it is a tool that is priceless when installing. The glue kit came from the fact that I dimple pf for people who have undimpled pfs and are going to install, which I highly do not reccomend! So I buy 2 sheets of 3/8 plexi and make templates from a used and usually new pf then drill and dimple them. well one job was cleared by another clearcoater and every single time I drilled a little dimple, I got a halo around the hole from the clear lifting. I feat like I wrecked the customers board. I started screwing around to fix it and thats how the glue kit was born. now I just sell them together. So let me know if you need one, and sorry to hawg your thread. the pics on my old thread titled sept pfs available has pics of that dimple job, and the before and after pics of the holes with the clear pulled up and fixed.

OK good luck and cheers. kruzman