Get a flat piece of wood 1/4" to 3/8" thick. Use this as a prying platform. Place it under you ball guide and start prying up slowly with a flat blade screwdriver. If you are lucky there will be no pinched, or flat areas on the ball guide that could damage your play field as you are prying.

don't force anything. Be gentle. If you run into resistance, stop, have a closer look before you proceed.

Now, for my insulting observation: you don't sound like you know what you are doing when it comes to clear coating a play field. This is no time to play hero or try to save a few bucks.

What is your experience with painting? From a pressure spray gun? From a foo foo can? Have you shot 2-part paints before? Do you know what I am talking about when I ask you about 2-part paints? Do you know what a catalyst is? How about catalytic conversion process?

Do you know how to correct orange peel? Now about fish eyes? How about dry paint?

Do you have a setup for fine sanding, buffing and polishing a clear surface to make it really shine?

If you don't know what you are doing you can really screw the pooch.

I'm sorry, but that idiot who is going to shoot some foo foo can clear needs to be taken off the air. Of all the vids on how to prepare for clear coating you had to pick the absolute worst one.

DE Star Wars is a desirable pin. Study hard and learn what you need to do to do it right.

I apologize. I hope I do not offend you. I just want to get your attention.

I live in Wichita. I do not know the person who offered you a CC job for $250.00 but $250.00 for a clear coat is a nice price. Polyurethane clear costs around $100.00 a quart. You can use $30.00 to $50.00 worth of clear for a nice job. Sandpaper costs and arm and a leg. Sanding and blocking out clear takes some time. $250.00 is a good price and it looks like he does some nice work.

Peace. Good Luck whichever way you decide.

OK. This changes things. Go to Walmart and buy some cheap paint. In my town, Walmart has a lot of cheap spray paint on the bottom row for 97 cents a can. Get yourself some cheap gray primer and buy the darker colors like black and dark blue. Dark colors make it harder to hide your mistakes. Plywood is probably not the best to practice on as it might soak up the paint. Better bet would be to get some hardboard (what used to be called Masonite). Get some of the blue masking tape. Get some sandpaper. Get a quart can of naphtha. While your are at Walmart, get a package, or 2, of cotton dish rags to use for wiping rags. Avoid the bad habit of just using any rag or cloth you find lying around because you don't know how it was used and have no idea of what it is still there to contaminate the surface you are trying to paint.

You might want to get a paint mask. Harbor Freight sells some for around $16.00 that are pretty good.

Go for the gusto. Prop up that hardboard and learn to paint on a vertical surface. You need to understand how to lay down a nice wet coat of paint with out getting runs in your work. Cheap paint. Cheap hardboard. This is where you push the limits. And then when you go for real you can always dial it back.

Once you have some color on your hardboard, then hit it with some of that Rustoleum clear. You won't find clear in 97 cent cans. And if you managed to paint some dark colors, nice and wet, with no runs, spray can clear will teach you some new lessons Play around with your masking tape. Paint some designs and feel the different surfaces where your tape was at. Shoot some clear and smooth them out.

I'll look for some videos.

Spraying is the easy part. Preparation is what makes for a great paint job. Do all of this and then when you go to clear your play field on a horizontal instead of vertical surface, you will be golden.

Advisory: You always want to keep your spray head parallel to the surface you are painting. This means you need to learn to use your wrist as you move your spray head across the surface you are painting. You don't want heavy spots of paint in front of you and dry areas out on to your side.

Painting is a rhythm thing. You get loose. You flex your wrist. You rock your body. You dance from side to side. All the time keeping the spray head parallel to your work. In time, it all becomes unconscious movement.

Practice. Ask questions.

Here is an excellent video of painting a car door. You don't need to use Eastwood products. On your play field, when you go for real, you won't be painting with primer. You won't be painting a guide coat. You won't be using bondo. You won't be using 80 grit sandpaper. You will be using 1000 grit, 1500 grit, 2000 grit, 2500 grit, and maybe 3000 grit sandpaper. And yeah, you will be wet sanding your baby and you have to be very careful when wetting up a piece of wood.

Pay attention to:

1) the long block being used.
2) painting edge first.
3) tiger stripes
4) watch how the gun is always parallel to the work
5) use of tack cloths, etc.
6) applying cross coats for leveling

If you can paint this car door, you could lay down clear on any play field that comes your way.