I picked this playfield up at a show this year to use in a future TZ restoration project. I am call it an ‘odd duck’ well because the playfield is rather odd...
It appears to be a proto playfield, with the whole for the third magnet, and the green lock insert. However I can’t find any date stamped on it anywhere, and the bar code field is blank. The other odd thing is there is little to no clear coat on the playfield.
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I got the playfield from a guy who has connections to Planetary Pinball, so I thing this may have been an aftermarket sample that came out of Rick’s stash.
The playfield is in overall good condition with one exception: just about every insert is slightly raised. All the insert borders are cracked and will have to be repainted. The worst are the arrow inserts. 6DA88694-7E61-4E42-9A6B-B9C303B6915D (resized).jpeg
It also has one scrap across the top, but I may leave this alone as it won’t be visible once installed.
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I’ve worked a few hours on the playfield trying to get all the inserts level, but most are not moving. They are not terribly raised, but most are up just enough to catch your finger nail.
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So here is my plan moving forward: 1. I’m going to put an initial coat of clear on it (omni 2pack) 2. Repaint the cracked borders. 3. Come back with a heavier coat of clear, and try to level the playfield as much as possible without sanding through to the inserts. 4. One last coat of clear to finish it all up.
I’m open to suggestions on this plan if attack. I’ve never had much luck clearing playfields before, but I think I know why now (oil in my air lines). And the addition of a moisture trap at the spray gun seems to have fixed the issue.
Edit: I had no idea this was a prototype playfield. It’s going to a good home and I’m not going to clear coat it.