One of my kids got me an STTNG Mirco playfield to replace the PF in my STTNG machine which is in need of a professional restorer's skill.

So, I plan to swap the playfield as as summer project with him that'll probably take us until Christmas . But I have the space, and would rather take my time and get it right.

I am seeking opinions on prep work before I even start the swap itself. Here are my current questions:

1- is it worth it to seal the wood on the back of the playfield before starting? I've seen this recommended but am no master woodworker and might fear getting finish into the inserts or causing other harm.

2- should I add extra glue to the back of all the inserts? As it's a new playfield, there is no guarantee that the inserts will stay perfectly flat as they are now; but again it seems error prone and possibly overkill.

3- I expect the project to take us a long time, so I wasn't going to give the PF time to cure further. Is there a way to tell the manufacture date on a Mirco PF? If there's a chance we'll be done by September, will I regret not aging it first?

4- Drilling out the holes a bit from the topside to avoid cracks in the clear seems recommended, but inspecting them it looks to me like it's already been done by the manufacturer. Anyone know for sure if this step is needed on a Mirco PF?

5- What questions am I not asking that I should be?

Thanks!
Osric

I assumed that as the vendor they'd be keen to reassure me that it's a quality product, and all this extra prep that pinball enthusiasts insist on is not really necessary. But it can't hurt to contact them, so I might as well!

Thanks. This is in the stickied playfield swap post but I haven't seen it anywhere else and it's nice to know that it's probably unnecessary.

Thanks to everyone for lots of helpful responses!

I was planning to build two rotisseries and bought the parts for the first one tonight ... but it sounds like maybe one is all I'll need.

I will take my time and follow all the links given.

High_End_Pins - I am in awe of your work, Chris, and will watch your posts on STTNG with interest! I have spent hours reading through your restore threads.

Osric