I sent an email overnight concerning a packing issue and got no reply today :/

My Flash Gordon protector wasn't supported in the package properly and is deformed in it's weakest point. Being stretched, I doubt it will simply relax back into flat.

Thanks. Got an email this morning.

I finally got around to installing my unit on my Flash Gordon

I took the opportunity to led the GI while I was in there so I can't really say how easy or not it would have been to install.

I originally thought I was going to have to break the pop bumper down, but the protector could be coaxed over the ring with a little bit of try. But flippers did have to come off as well as some plastics... So that's what motivated the led swap

The design for Flash Gordon looks very good but I think I would have preferred a design that had the protector secured by some posts. Both the upper and lower can shift about 1/8th of an inch... Probably a little less. Movement on its own doesn't seem like much of an issue... But I was worried about the in line drops because it had shifted to where contact could have become an issue.

My biggest issue was it was clear after just 2-3 games that hang ups would be an issue. Train Flash Gordon has spinners at the bottom of the ramps that can really kill ball speed on shots that rattle or just don't make the ramp. It's not uncommon for the ball to be stopped by the spinners. When the ball doesn't have speed... It would get hung up on the protector.

The star rollers at the top of the orbit are also a problem. Because again, it's not uncommon for s ball to be moving slow up there.. The ball will get stuck on the protector edge surrounding the star inserts (it's cut to a full circle around the insert).

The hang ups were true deal breakers. I put Mylar over the bottom of the ramp transitions to help and that seems to help but hasn't elimated it fully. Not much can be done about the star inserts except trying to increase ball speed.

As for play... The game certainly isn't screaming... So I would say it certainly doesn't make the game faster. I'm unsure if it's really slower or not.

I'll have to see how bad the hang ups are and if I can sneak any more slope out of the game to help combat it.

I'd be cautious with games where in line drops can cause hangups or difficult ramps because the ball speed might lead to hangups in those games.

I thought about trying... But I fear it would become highly visible. Plus the circles would be killer

no thanks

1) keylines won't match
2) the protector is not cut to the exact size of the inserts - there would still be a ring around the insert
3) my inserts were already glued to not move as they all had to be replaced when I refurb'd the game initially

That won't help. The spinner's contribution here is killing all the ball's energy. A dead hit against the edge, or the spinner's weight slowing down an already slow ball. The issue is anytime the ball doesn't get enough umph coming back down the ramp.. it can happen. It's a problem in the game even before the protector.. the protector just makes it basically unrecoverable w/o tilting. Previously a small nudge could pop it off.

My real solution would be to shim the ramp entrance to raise it a bit, combined with mylar to bridge the gap. I considered it before installing the mylar, but I wanted to see how the mylar would do alone... plus getting the shim thickness right is going to be tough. I might just consider sacraficing some of the other damaged playfield protector I have.

Good point.. that should help. There is still a bit of a gap as its not cut exactly to the drops, but properly adjusted it should be a non-issue. So far even 'factory' the in-lines have been ok (less slow balls in there).

why? Removing the mylar only risks harming the paint and inserts underneth. Leave the sleeping dogs be.

The logic is simple.. removing mylar on an old playfield is going to risk damaging paint and is permanent. Mylar is so thin, it will deflect the deflector so little and any deflection will be "diffused" over an area because the protector has its own stiffness. Small deltas over large areas = insignificant impact

Flaking, bubbled, crispy edged mylar I'd look to clean up anyway. But if you just have flat mylar.. don't make more work for yourself.

You'd likely just make more of a mess of it. Besides trying to get the wax perfectly clear.. you'd probably just take it all off. And wax isn't going to last long. You're probably best to fight scratches by keeping the game clean.

So I finally got around to trying to address my ball hang up issues. Quick recap, on Flash Gordon there are ramps with spinners right at the entrance. The spinners help trap a slow moving ball that failed to climb the ramp. Combined with the new protector edge on the lower playfield, this meant hangups at the ramp entrance were far too frequent.

My first attempt at reducing the edge that was causing the hangups was to add some mylar spanning the edge of the protector to the ramp.. to create some help with the transition. It helped, but hangups were still common.

So my next attempt was to shim the ramps up to make it more aligned with the new level of the protector. The easiest way to do this would be with some piece of the protector itself since its the same thickness we raised the playfield level. Lucky for me, I had a protector that had been chewed up in shipping, so I had some extra material to work with.

Using scissors, I just cut a piece that would match the footprint of the bottom edge of the ramp and the recess the ramp sits in. It's just a simple rectangle, and I trimmed one corner due to the spinner. I put it under the ramp with the protective layers still on it, and marked the screw positions.

IMG_3125 (resized).JPG

I drilled holes matched to the screw size and just slide the piece under the ramp. I kept the mylar I had used originally as there is still a gap between the ramp and where the protector starts and I didn't want hangups in that gap. So here is what it looks like afterwards...

IMG_3127 (resized).JPGIMG_3128 (resized).JPG

Right side..
IMG_3129 (resized).JPG

You can see there is still a small gap between the ramp and the protector (about 1/16") and that's due to its location.

Player's viewIMG_3131 (resized).JPG

Play testing so far.. the improvement is significant and I haven't had a tilt-requiring hangup yet. protectors you may want to consider including some scrap material or cut pieces for games that have these kinds of ramp transitions. It was trivial for me given the spare material I had, and I'm sure there is plenty of this kind of scrap from the cuts you normally have to make. I used pieces about 9/16" x 2 11/16" qty 2.. so if you have pieces that are just about 3" x 2" that would have been plenty.

I have yet to address the star rollovers.. but the ball is usually moving much faster in those areas, so I'm hoping that is less of an issue. I also adjusted my inline drops to be level with the protector as again, slow moving balls could get stuck with the unadjusted height.

Had my flash gordon in a tournament this weekend with the protector on it.

Can't say it was usable.

First, my attempts at fixing the hangups at the ramp entrances were not enough. I had to tweak it two more times before ramp hangups were minimized. But the cutouts around the star inserts were just too much. Too many hangups for the tournament. I ended up pulling the upper playfield protector entirely.

I just can't recomend this anymore on playfields with star rollovers or ramps without flaps.

That was my game Levi. It was on there as an experiment more than not. The game actually has repainted portions and its to protect that (and to generally just form an opinion on the product). I assume on Saturday the lower PF and ramps were no longer an issue? I took the upper piece off entirely when the star rollovers had no more chance. The ramp entrances I tweaked on Friday... and again a second time and I think I fixed it then (so the lower should have played fine on saturday).

For contrast, the Monster Bash had one on it as well... but didn't have the PF elements Flash Gordon did and I don't think it caused any hangups.

Well pardon me.. but popping out my securely glued inserts just to fit a temporary protector is not an option I consider viable... nothing to do with 'knowing what the fuck I am doing'. My inserts are well locked in because they were replaced when I rescued the game. They aren't on a fucking sliding lift.

If you made it yourself, the dimensions would be under your control. Do you have any idea what the actual trim is in these protectors around the inserts?

For instance, on FG the left ramp was experiencing lots of hangups.

Even after initially shimming the ramp, and spanning the edge with mylar.. hangups were happening. First tweak was shimming the ramp even higher.. which worked great for hangups on the left. But somehow the ball was getting hung up on the right side against the spinner. There the problem was the ball could get into a triangle between the spinner, the edge of the protector near the hole in the playfield for the spinner (away from the ramp), and the ramp edge. I trimmed the protector's edge to try to move the edge further away, but could still get hungup. Solution was backing the ramp's screw out a tad bit more to lift the ramp's edge just a fraction higher.

On the upper PF.. I just took the protector off all together. It was pretty marred up. Stuff I'm sure some plastic cleaner may clean up.. but it was pretty gnarly. I'll take some photos when I get around to setting the games back up. This would have been after probably 500-600 plays.

No, the game Levi and I were talking about had the protector installed just a few months ago. It's the newer material / thickness

The issue isn't with the switches... the issue is the big saucer that the cutouts in the protector creates where the ball must travel. It creates hang-ups.. especially if its an area where the ball may move slowly.

I'm not sure with the rollovers in the U turns like they are on RS how they cut them. But its the edges in the field of play that are the concern... not switch activation

upper playfield of Flash Gordon for instance.

I used scissors without any issue. It cuts pretty easy.

The brand new plastic was as fast as it was going to get as then it was perfectly smooth and clean. since the finish wouldn't need any filling... waxing would reduce ball roll... but probably not much else.

Make the game slightly steeper

Usually sits pretty flat... but it’s rigid enough it can’t droop in small areas on its own. I guess make sure it’s not pinched in and bowed?

It’s too soft and thin IMO.

These will start to show wear over time. I’d guesstimate 600-1000 plays based on my experience with it. It’s not a forever solution... but it does help significantly.

they are designed to float - but you want a secure enough fit so it doesn't move (and rub). Putting it under some post or guide at strategic places may help that if you cut it right. I think they normally don't do that to allow for playfield variations.

You want the PF very clean of any debris before installing (and the plastic will be static'y wanting to attract everything) to avoid stuff under it that can rub.

Just trim it. It cuts easily with scissors. It doesn't need to go all the way to the guide.. the ball never travels there anyway.