So just for reference if people want to get the washers(rubber and nylon) I used here is the links from Amazon for the products I bought.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FSY1HH8/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079D5RRFH/

Looks very nice! Can you take a picture with a pinball alongside the slings, so I could compare, how high the sling rubber is in comparison to mine?

Yes, the PF protector goes around the posts, I need to add washers as well. I do not have the effects yet, but I have played only ca. 10 games on it. No, the posts just raise a bit with the rubber and clear washer, but as you said, they may be a bit too high up now.

Unless you get lots of hammer escapes I wouldn’t worry. Test it! Also turn down the slings to lowest and if you still have problems, try replacing the titans with perfectplays. I am envious of your playfield with no dimples. Enjoy your pirates, Arrrrrrrrggghhh.

Not sure how you took this personally. I was making fun of ME being to lazy to look for issues. Hence why I even spelled out Not making fun. We all love the game just hate to see people get so tightly wound as if We damaged your game. It’s an amazing game sorry you seem disappointed.

Well, not sure what to say because all I was trying to do was move the i lane post to the other position and upon doing so the lower left third of the hole had a crack which is actually gone now to reveal a chip. Seems like a reasonable thing to try to do and wasn’t some fishing expedition in search of damage as you imply.

Not disappointed one bit in the game, love it, favorite game. I am disappointed in the poor quality control of what is probably the greatest game ever made and just hope it holds up for the long haul but likely won’t. Now thinking I may buy a couple extra pf’s at this point. Then I can play until there is nothing left of the art and swap.

Not to mention the words Playfield cracking are actually in the thread title. Seems like a reasonable place to post about finding cracks on the PF.

Any possibility of a tiny thin rubber washer going over that spot under the post?

I'd not sweat it. Just buy one extra and send it to one of the playfield experts for a proper clear when time is right.

Again no issues implied I think it sucks that such a great game would have so many flaws in the simple basic levels such as a Playfield. I understand your frustration and in no way was I poking that you didn’t have an issue. I simply shake my head at this point since one issue is overcome and sadly a new one arrives. No hate friend or fun just pointing out why I refrain from looking as I suspect there may be more. Best game ever does not meant lacking in frustration.

I applied Mylar for now. The post didn’t cause the issue, it was the hole where post wasn’t installed. I guess the ball just traveling over the exposed post hole wore it down. I may try to move the post anyhow and it may cover it as long as it sits level on PF.

It’s all good. It is what it is at the moment and it really isn’t a new issue, there is just something not right with the clearcoat on many of these games unfortunately. I have games that are 26 years old in great condition and don’t suffer from this and I play them a fair amount.

I sincerely hope that those that aren’t dealing with this at the moment don’t have to down the line.

I noticed mine had a 1/4” washer under that post but your talking about the empty hole. No fix for that comes to mind. Not sure what they were called but it would be great if they installed those little plastic plugs in the unused holes like they did in the TZ pop bumper area.

That would have worked and really not many games come to mind where their is a middle lane with a movable post where there is a hole that the ball would regularly roll over or hit via deflection. Any exposed hole or edge is going to have this risk, thankfully cliffy covers a bunch of them. It’s these oddball ones that may surprise us.

Now if I can successfully move the post into that hole and have it sit stable it would cover the small issue. Ball cant touch the inner hole if lane is closed down. Ball cant really touch the open hole at the right outlane either with its position and rubber on post. Downside is I’m not sure I want to move the pos on the I lane. I don’t like setting games up easier than the designer intended. That is my dilema.

Huh. Have you seen how well those guys play? Lol. Eric could set this game up without flippers and still beat me. I set mine up for my skill level. Overly easy

2 pictures from my ball at the slings after installing the rubber at the posts.

IMG_3272 (resized).JPG

IMG_3273 (resized).JPG

Just reading over the past day of posts in this thread currently.

I think it's more the dismissive tone I feel you often take, present, and then make a point over and over again to chime in on each and every time these issues are presented, as if you haven't stated your lesser level of anxiety and concern over these issues.

It's cool you feel the way you do. Most of us would prefer the option of less anxiety, and more play, but clearly people think and feel differently, and what's the point of constantly telling people that feel worried, not to worry?

This is always a great arena to discuss and share viewpoints, differing and agreeable, and I always welcome contrary perspectives. Just at a point...once those are echoed multiple times, they may do more damage than good.

Just my viewpoint. Neither right nor wrong. And I do appreciate and value your perspectives and what you bring to the threads. You seem a well meaning, informed, and valuable person to have around.

.

Tell my Wife that! lol

Haha!

I've always wondered, is she on the board? And what aspects do each of you do, re regarding mod design and creation?

Have you seen him in person? Face for radio I'm thinking.

Just kidding Dave. You're in my top 2 favorite people in the mod couple household.

PerfectPlays were looking good. THey are wearing well and seem to hold less dirt!

But then I got a sling escape . Back to the drawing board.

Still like em though.

I compressed the rubber under the double star posts to almost paper thin. I am still using the titans. Have not had one hammer escape and a lot less air balls. I have not probably put in as many games as you. But it was a real problem with the singles. My playfield is compressed like anything underneath, but it’s out of sight!

Good luck!

Are your slings on 16?

So washers compressed/made circles underneath them? Not sure if impressions or flakes are worse.

Does it matter if it leaves an impression under the post? If it’s not tight it’s going to be susceptible to movement from the slings. It’s rubber, so there are no hard edges cutting into the clearcoat.

I meant, like an impression the size of a washer, which is significant. Right now I'm just at ripple stage. And we could argue if it's cracked, does it matter if it's under a starpost.

Ideally no impression or cracking > impression > cracking. I'd say.

She's definitely on board. Corny to some but after 25 years of marriage its great to find interests or hobbies you both enjoy together. Pinball happens to be one of those. We try to collaborate on the concept direction but I tend to design/create the collaborative vision. She works the magic with final detail and execution so I can move on to the next crazy idea. Like excavating our house.... At the end of the Long day we still enjoy challenging each other to a few rounds of pinball which is alway great with a bottle of wine.

As usual you are correct Christopher. I try to compensate my lack of looks with hard work lol. I think thats what draws me to the underground hobby of Pinball. Everyone looks decent in a dark basement! I'm Guessing when you say of the 2 in the mod couple household your probably saying my wife and her sidekick Piglet...

IMG_0546 (resized).jpeg

Except Radioactive Flesh Eating Zombies.

cute doggy!!!

This should all be resolved in a reasonable manner when the official kit drops and hopefully this week as promised, maybe even with code 1.0 with lower sling powered options.

Part of me thinks the new star posts could have been designed special by JJP, wide at the base but thin in the middle and also lower to keep the rubber where it was before after washer install and solve the airball issue too.

Has anyone received a direct response from JJP about this?

Yeah - I have talked to them on the phone 5-6 times in the last 2 -3 weeks.

Reasonable is a very subjective term with this situation.

Well, I use it in the objective sense.

It's not objectively reasonable to expect everyone to get populated playfields with new clearcoat over a cosmetic concern in a situation that doesn't materially impact the gameplay. It's just not. For those that do, well, that's quite different.

Do we ALL got ripped off a little in the quality department on this one? You betcha.

But it's a pinball machine, so long as it runs right, it doesn't have to be perfect pretty in the eyes of wider society. And I doubt society at large takes the investment piece of it serious beyond that. It's meant to be a commerical gaming device, after all.

As to us, well, that's a question of brand loyalty and how it impacts repeat business.

To that end, I see JJP doing what they can to mitigate things and if you buy/then send your discounted second playfield for a new clearcoat and swap it in, you got your bulletproofed game. A measure a lot of collectors take on new games anyways.

Actually, if JJP wanted to really rock it out, they'd sell the replacement playfields with the new clearcoat already done the right way...by HSA or something. A true gent gesture.

As a side matter- we all also scored maybe what will go down as the rarest top 5 game of all time. And that's a pretty sweet company to start a permanent collection with, in my case hopefully at least.

Didn’t ask for a populated PF and everyone’s situation regarding damage is a bit different.

JJP claims it’s a handful of people with issues, if that were the case the best thing they could have done was offer the handful of unpopulated PF at zero cost. We all would have went away quietly.
Since they haven’t even considered this yet I’m suspecting this is a wide spread issue.

Washers and posts work for the slings since they are covered but how about people with post chipping elsewhere in plain view?
How about a 1” piece of art missing from in front of the map hole or tortuga?

How about post holes at the lanes that can’t be used to move the post because they aren’t flat and round any more?

I can go on and on, everyone’s situation is unique but these are some of the more common ones and some DO affect gameplay.

If all you have is the sling bubbling consider yourself a lucky owner!

I really don’t know what a suitable remedy is at this point, not all of these issues apply to my game and don’t want to speak for other owners that have damage.

I definitely don't claim to. But for those with cosmetic/ gameplay unaffected issues, that's apples and oranges. And most of the chips I've seen in pics have been sling post art/no affect on play. That's all I'm saying.

I’ve addressed my slings on my own and haven’t had any issues knock on wood! JJPs fix is literally exactly what I did according to the phone call I had with them last week, we will see if there is anything else in the kit. He mentioned a possibility of colored Mylar to blend in any visible chips around the sling post.

Now something I am more concerned with on my machine at the moment and DOES affect gameplay is the chip I have at the unused hole in the I lane.

As it stands now, the chip is plainly visible and I cannot install the post in that hole if I want to close the lane a bit to minimize drains. That sucks to potentially not have that option.

I was just putting the supplied washer on with some Mylar under my post. In removing the posts I saw some of the ripple come away and leave a small chip. Other posts had rippling next to where they had dug into clearcoat. Would it have got any worse? Don’t know, other people had their chips get bigger. So I tightened down star posts with rubber exactly same size. Heaps of games have star posts. When I removed them at least the ripples were flattened out. This clearcoat is soft. It’s going to indent no matter what you use. If you have no problems, don’t change!!

Has anyone found after putting double star posts on that the ball now has trouble rolling into the “A” lane? It seems to get briefly caught between the top right starpost and the other post to the right (the post between the “A” and the “T”). I don’t know if I have to try and move the starpost over a fraction of a millimeter or change the other post. Damn. I was getting fewer air balls and no hammer escapes.

Yep, happened to me. Ball would literally not go down the lane and got trapped against the double post. As the posts also significantly affected the angle of the rubbers and the ruined gameplay for me in the end I've gone gone back to original posts. Couldn't be happier and I'll live with rippling if it means I can play the game as intended.

No, but when I installed it I made sure the posts were as far from the lane as possible for this reason.

You guys have gone on and on with how many hours of back and forth about the 'hammer escapes' due to moving the rubber up.

If keeping the factory post style, just move the rubber back down by shortening the post in question. Put it up against the sander and you'll take material off in no time flat. Figure out how much higher the rubber got with your setup... sand the posts back down to compensate.

Well, apparently the new washers are nylon, and I'm definitely interested to see what the other post option looks like.

For my part, I'm just sitting put, not really playing my game till they're here. To me, I can wait. I love my PoTC, but I got other amusements to tie myself over.

It would just suit my luck that my slings would chip if I got antsy and played it to death in the next week with the polycarbonate washers.

Not that it would be the end of the world, but right now I have the benefit of foresight so I'll just wait.

Don’t think the nylon is going to be the answer because they are hard.

The neoprene from Lowe’s have been working very well for me, couple hundred plays with them and they aren’t digging, sinking or folding at the lip. Clear coat not disturbed in any way so far...knock on wood!

They told me there would be a soft washer, hope that didn’t change because they clearly don’t understand the underlying issue if that’s the case.

I hear ya about waiting since your pf isn’t blemished yet. trying to avoid Murphy’s Law!

We'll see. I think regardless of what comes we can agree the biggest issue isn't hard or soft washers but uneven posts with sharp edges literally digging into and pushing against soft clear at funny angles.

Honestly, I'm not super worried about the gen1 JJP washers I got, but yes Murphy's law is always in effect.

If the washer is hard- on uncracked clear of this sort -my expectation is it might just smush the clear outwards a bit at the edges, at most, like we've seen when the starposts went directly into the clear.

Probably even the ripply clear underneath it would be smoothened out underneath by the pressure rather than chip, since it's perfectly flat. Unsightly, but probably where the issue would end.

The soft washers' indentations just stay beneath, they didn't expand the clear out.

I did fire it up for a few though, to put in a new starmap plastic today, got my kit in from JJP. Darn near lost one of the tiny nylon thead covers doing it. But nearly is so much better than did.

Not sure how but the right side of the plastic was scratched up bad, maybe original amateur owner tried to remove the ship..game starting to finally feel 'like new' which is exciting.

I also had to put down felt on the lockdown wood topside, not just for luxury look and feel but because original owner acted like a dingbat while taking the playfield to service.

Funny I tried to have the posts as close to the sling hammer to stop escapes. Anyway moved it as far to the left as I could. Just a fraction of movement. Also moved the post to the right across as much as I could. Flows freely now.

I have 2 suggestions to fix strong slings:

1. Add stronger strings to sling solenoids
2. Dremmel the rubber groove a bit on the star posts to make them narrower.