Playfield protector DIY anyone?

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bally-magic-circle-semi-sympathetic-playfield-restoration#post-3444293

I finished one for my Black Jack recently. I tried to design it to fit around all the posts, etc, instead of going underneath them, not sure if that was worth it or not. I used acrylic (same 0.03") so I could draw it in CAD and get it laser cut, but polycarbinate is definitely a better material. The new protectors from the company use a different, stronger and thinner material. If I were to do it again I'd just strip the playfield flat, secure the whole sheet on top, and then mark every hole that needs drilling with a punch and sharpie, then put it on some junk wood and drill all the holes. For the walls and curves you'd probably need to trace the shape and then cut it with scissors, but I doubt it'd be that hard. On the other hand, that's still a lot of work, and probably wouldn't be worth $90 to me if I wasn't not a fan of their designs (I don't like the way their rollovers work, how they cut around some shapes, etc)

#4 7 years ago

CAE

Pesmerga

Pinside member

7y 33,050 273

Yeah that's what I meant, never thought about acrylic I have found policarbonate sheet of 0,03" thickness and was wondering if it was the right spessor. I am not able to use CAD so I need to cut it manually as you suggested..maybe a cutter can be handy? And also, it would have the same brilliant look of the final product that they sell?

I don't have a playfield protector but I believed they were precisely cut all around holes and post (and metal ramps/flaps), and not supposed to be blocked under them! If you can block them this is an easier work than I thought!

#5 7 years ago

GED

Moonbus

Pinside member

London

7y 30,050 174 2

I experimented with the process a few months back, documented here…

#6 7 years ago

ZAC

zacaj

OP
Quoted from Pesmerga:
I don't have a playfield protector but I believed they were precisely cut all around holes and post (and metal ramps/flaps), and not supposed to be blocked under them! If you can block them this is an easier work than I thought!

The ones they sell are designed to go around all the posts, but I think that's mostly for easier installation. Since you've already got to tear your playfield down to make the protector, that's not an issue. I made mine with room around everything because I'd heard (like Moonbus mentioned) that on ems you don't want heat trapped under it, but I haven't noticed any problems either, and think I would have been okay with a full sheet (and Moonbus hasn't mentioned any problems...)

#7 7 years ago

CAE

Pesmerga

Pinside member

7y 33,050 273

Thanks for sharing your experience moonbus! That's a great job! So it wouldn't be a problem using a full sheet drilled/cutted on the holes only if combined with LEDS..I thought it could be possible to cut with a simple cutter or scissor but... :/ your sheet seems to be bigger than 0.3" thickness, am I wrong??

#8 7 years ago

ZAC

zacaj

OP
Quoted from Pesmerga:
Thanks for sharing your experience moonbus! That's a great job! So it wouldn't be a problem using a full sheet drilled/cutted on the holes only if combined with LEDS..I thought it could be possible to cut with a simple cutter or scissor but... :/ your sheet seems to be bigger than 0.3" thickness, am I wrong??

You don't want much thicker or it'll interfere with the rollovers. The newer material the company uses is even thinner. 0.03" poly can be cut with scissors just fine though.

#9 7 years ago

CCR

jesperpark

Pinside member

Edmonton, AB

8y 82,300 909 6 9

Looks like the "New Versions" made are .020 PETG, Which by luck is easier to work with than polycarbonate. PETG can be cut with a laser cutter, which is one of the main reasons I'm guessing they switched. The .020" PETG can be cut with some sharp scissor, or with a knife. If your stripping the play field already, why not try it yourself?

#10 7 years ago

GED

Moonbus

Pinside member

London

7y 30,050 174 2

I had some issues but none that were insurmountable. Moulding the shooter-lane into the protector caused some problems.

The heat from lights in my case was negligible as I only had 14 alternating lights under the playfield, only 7 on at a time and never for long. Additionally I had replaced all the inserts with acrylic discs. The combination of thicker insert material and LEDs meant that in the time the machine is used the temperature of the playfield does not increase. The machine is also an EM so the heat output from the box is tiny.

The material I used was 0.75mm PETG sheet so about 0.029 inches. This can be cut with tin-snips or large scissors easily but I chose to use the method I did as I wanted to remove any chances of messing up like over cutting or slipping.

Wire roll over switches can be easily adjusted and the chances of hangups on mine are the same as on the original playfield as the protector is identical. Star rollovers are a different story and I have not had the joy of dealing with them.
The rollover holes on the pre-made ones seem to be shaped to accommodate playfield variations and expansion.

Reasons for doing this…
In my case I did not have the option to clearcoat and the playfield seemed to be contaminated with something causing random reactions. Most of my playfield was repaired with decals so using a sheet protector was my ideal solution. I also wanted to see if I could do it.

My concerns…
Summer. Is the increased ambient temperature going to cause it to pillow / bow? - This is always going to be a concern on a captive protector.
Humidity. What effect is this going to have ?

I will just have to wait and see.

#11 7 years ago

ZAC

zacaj