Just put some wax on a soft cloth, gently rub it in circles, applying a very thin layer.

Allow it to dry for about 20 mins, and wipe off with a cloth (I like an inside out terry cloth sock).

Use a super soft toothbrush to get the wax off the plastic posts.

Buffer is good if the playfield is unpopulated.

I use Meguiars plain old Carnauba Paste Wax in the can but same applies with Blitz or anything. Meguiars comes with a foam like applicator that you use to apply in gentle circular motion. I wait a few mins until it gets a "haze" and starts to dry. This should be 5-10 mins or so. I've never counted. If you don't have a foam applicator, a clean microfiber towel to apply is fine.

Then wipe clean with a clean microfiber towel. You'll want plenty of these to have on hand. Some people wash theirs when done. I use them for my car related stuff when they're too dirty to reuse. You don't need to use a lot of effort to apply or remove. The key is having the playfield clean before you start.

It's really simple as you find. Same more or less as doing your car. Which is A LOT more work. Results are worth effort in both cases.

_{Post edited by dmacy: DOH! vid beat me to it}

image-603.jpg

Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important.

_{Post edited by statsdoc: Z28dan beat me ... kudos}

I've been waxing with microfiber, but this thread has me rethinking that.

Microfiber is highly recommended for cleaning because of all the "hooks" in the cloth. Since that's the case, does that mean it's not appropriate for waxing since it's not "soft" enough?

stand back about 2 feet, squirt liquid wax all over making sure it runs down the switch lanes and fills up all the crevices of the star posts.
if it's a creech, make sure you use enough for it to seep down between the window and drip all over the speaker and bottom of the cabinet. a waxed speaker provides crisper audio in the pre DCS games.

/sarcasm off, but I hate wax and the above describes at least 50% of the games that run thru my shop. DON'T do the above.

You can save a lot of effort if you mask off the star posts and anything else you don't want to get wax on.

Absolutely. I wax mine by hand, and no matter how careful I was I still got wax on the posts. I finally wised up and started using masking tape.

Nothing looks crappier imo than old dried wax in the star posts..

And it's a pain to get those posts clean of the wax at shop time. I usually just replace them. New ones look great.

anyone try using Turtle Wax F21 spray? Its awesome. Super easy to apply, no gunk build up and super slick. + UV protection if you need it

Maybe you could try one with Wax and one with pledge.
And report back . Remember wipe off pledge with long strokes. It's all in the wrist right hand narrow bodies and left hand wide bodies. I hate microfiber period I like socks and cloth diapers

Toothbrush sprayed w/ some Novus 1 works perfect for this type of scenario.

Don't use any Pledge or liquid silicone waxes on playfields - if you ever try to repair or clearcoat them they fisheye like crazy

My problem is getting all the white residue off my play field after the wax off step. The bottom of the play field is dark and any white dust from the wax shows up.

I use Milwax, is it ok? Seems to work just fine...I apply it to a soft cloth, rub it in circles around playfield and once dry just buff it off with a clean soft cloth.

Been there. Doesn't work that great imo.

For the couple bucks it costs for new, splurge!

Masking is a great tip. I wish I thought of that before doing my first wax job last month.

Milwax is a cleaner. Used to be the go-to in the 'old' days. You need wax. Milwax Bottles are notorious for breaking also.

+1

Mill-wax is a liquid silicone...

Nothing beats a little novus and a pure carnauba wax. This is what I use,
mothers-california-gold-pure-carnauba-paste-wax-7.jpg

Heres a question ived always wondered. When it comes to waxing, does everyone remove ramps, etc first or just wax the main play area? What about by and between pop bumpers? Shooter lane? If the wax provides a thin layer for the ball to glide on, wouldn't you want to ensure this layer is throughout the whole playfield to prevent wear? I have a star trek I should give a wax to, but I'm really hesitating on trying to remove all the ramps, etc to get everywhere. Seems like a full weekend project then instead of a quick one.

I always keep my games fairly clean. I do just clean and wax the main part of my play-fields every month or so, depending on how much I've played. I do a whole play-field break down/cleaning/waxing, at least once a year, maybe twice, again depending on how many plays I'm putting on my machines. I'm sure others do it differently, but this is what I've found that works for me.

Everything is removed (all items on field) cleaned and waxed, then after reassembly I generally throw another coat in the open areas.

yeah, I have the same issue. for a week or two after i wax, I am taking the glass off to wipe up white specs that collect everywhere.

On my Getaway, it was really hard to access back areas without taking the ramps off. Those hard to reach spots get real dirty so you have to clean them at some point. It took me hours to take apart the playfield and hours to put it all back together. Cleaning and waxing only took minutes but it was still worth it. After many plays, they playfield still looks clean and glossy.

I was careful on keeping track of where everything went. I put screws/parts in ziplock bags and wrote descriptions of where they went. It was time consuming but it sure helped when putting everything back together.

Just a super thin layer is all you need.

No sense in applying 1/4 of the can, only to wipe it all off and throw it in the crapper.

i strip it down, it makes it much easier...

then again, i'm an em guy, and it's pretty easy to strip the top of a pf...

i think you're probably right. i have been slathering it on pretty thick. i'll definitely try a thinner coat next time.

It's nice being able to do it in an hour or so and be done...rather than a 12 hour project with about 200 screws/nuts/bolts...seems like a FT job if you want to even wax a dmd. Price you pay for all the toys I suppose but seems like a "modular" game where you can unplug and pull off most items/features would be popular with collectors

This is all i ever use.

For Clearcoat (and diamond coat) all I use is NXT. It is a polymer. Lasts a long time and no residue. Wipe on, wait 10 minutes and wipe off. Like I said, zero residue. This is the best stuff to use imo.

Heres my buddy doing a cleaning job bob cleaning.png

Then you are definitely either using crap wax, applying way too much, or not removing it properly.

I have never had any "white specs" from waxing.

My first coat I always remove early, before it dries. You're removing most of the product before it sets, but what you leave behind limits the difficulty in removing subsequent coats, and that residue you're talking about. It's worked for me time and time again, and I'm sticking with it.

After you remove the wax, go over the playfield with a microfiber cloth everywhere you can reach. The microfiber cloth will pick up the leftover wax residue (dust). Then slide the playfield out and put it up on the pegs or rails and use compressed air (in a can with a nozzle) to blow the remaining residue down and off the playfield. It will end up on the floor or in the bottom of the cabinet, but better there than on the playfield. You can see it working. Dust will fly.

I use a damp 1" square piece of a kitchen sponge (cut out using scissors) to apply wax. I use a cotton cloth to remove the wax after it's dry, then use a microfiber to remove the dust. Compressed air quickly finishes the job. I don't recommend waxing newer games, but that's a whole different thread.

Shooter lane? Wax or not?

Yes, wax the shooter lane.

Then either you are doing a stellar job of cleaning... Or not using a true solid wax. The wax will dry to the solid form which you want (so it remains!) and then buff out. There is always residue from the buffing. Its simply a case of cleaning and using clean cloths to minimize. Obviously putting too much on exaggerates the problem and is simply wastful... But particulate is just part of waxing unless you use the liquids or polymers.

Bullshit.

It isn't a "stellar job of cleaning" that I do. It's a very simple matter of removing the wax with a high quality micro fiber towel. Doing so will not leave behind any "white spots" or dust when you are using a high quality wax as long as you aren't using too much.

Nothing you said contradicts my post.

You can't go wrong with some Meguiars carnuba.It works great on my pins and on my car.
IMAG2768.jpgIMG_104314626885268.jpeg

Like I said earlier. If you have a clearcoat or diamond coat, Meguiars NXT Polymer and that is it. Lasts longer, easy wipe on and off. Most important...NO RESIDUE, EVER.

Sonax Premium Carnauba Care is also very easy to work with. Leaves NO residue. I let it sit for 20 minutes after applying. Then wipe off with included microfiber cloth.