Slow going this last week, but getting very close to hardtop install.
Polished the inserts using the method described by AUKraut & it worked beautifully. They are nice & reflective now, although most the inserts on MH are opaque, so I don’t think it will be that noticeable after the hardtop goes on.
I also countersunk the pop bumper nails with a drill bit, which chipped away at some of the upper veneer. Again this should be fine & hidden after the hardtop is put down. It was more important to me to countersink the nail heads & have a completely flat surface.
Speaking of the hardtop, I did a test fitting. Many of the inserts & switch cutouts are misaligned, which was more than I expected. These old playfields vary greatly. I had to cut an 1/8 inch strip off the bottom of the hardtop just to give me some leeway to adjust the position while on the rotisserie.
With it positioned as best as I could, I could still see wood edges in some of the inserts. So I decided to paint with Createx black around the edges. In hindsight, I should have used a paint pen. I would have had much more control & precision. Is what it is. It will all be covered by the hardtop anyway.
Started applying the wipe on poly. Coat & then lightly sand with 220g, then the next coat. Just progressing through this step over the next few days. The hardtop should be ready to apply this weekend.
And regarding that scoop: debated this endlessly after seeing others horror story fixes. The wood was slightly chipping & breaking down at the back of the scoop. I experimented with various wood filler products on wood scraps that I could mold & sand down, but nothing matched the playfield wood color. So if I used them, I was going to have to paint the scoop & clear it, which has problems of its own. I ultimately decided to just sand down the scoop gently & get chipped areas as smooth as possible, without altering the size & grade of the scoop too much. It will be protected with the wipe on poly. I just did not want to clear it & then see it crack under the hardtop with no way to repair it. If this method does not hold up, at least the scoop can be sanded & polyed carefully again.
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