I suppose this thread is an OK thread to show the play field I am cleaning up. If it is not, I'll ask the Mods to delete it.
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I recently picked up a Gottlieb Snow Derby that had been sitting in a vacant house for 14 years. The OP tag on the upper arch suggests this pin spent its first day in a bar and not leave until it wound up the afore mentioned house. It is, and I assume, has always been non-working when it went to live in the house.
The owner's wife died 14 years ago; He remarried and went to live with his new wife and shut his house down and used it to store crap he most likely bought at auctions. This owner died recently and his family sold everything off.
My girl friend knew this guy and said he was a heavy smoker. There was no play field glass. The pin was open to all of the elements of a smoker's house and also anything a vacant house could throw at it. So, I bought a pin with 50 years worth of nicotine caked on. Everywhere.
I got it in the house today and started working to see if I can clean it up.
I figure this thread is as good of place as any to show the cleanup work in progress.
This is where I did some light cleaning trying out the cleaner I was planning to use. I was told it cleaned nicotine quite well. I had already tried some on the cab and it did a fairly good job but the cab will need repainted.
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From the upper center, I moved down to the left slingshot. The paint looked to be holding up so I started rubbing a little harder. I used a lot of rags.
The contrast between the white and light blue at the sling post position shows how discolored the play field is.
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I continued to work with my cleaning fluid. The white stuff behind the right hand flipper base is ring rubber that has melted into the play field. Again, at the right hand sling post the discoloration is very noticeable.
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At this point when I had a large enough area cleaned of nicotine I started working the area with Novus 2.
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Here is what I used to attack the nicotine. Novus 2 would not touch this nicotine. Neither would Naphtha. I did not try alcohol.
What I used was ZEP Industrial Purple full strength. (it is strong stuff. Use gloves). And even then I had to work the nicotine to get it to lift off.
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It was after I pulled the nicotine with the ZEP that I hit the play field with the Novus 2 with a little different twist. I attached a terrycloth pad to my Black & Decker Sand Storm vibrating sander. I had already tried this sander/polisher with Novus 2 on a practice play flied with good results so I gave it a shot on this play field. So far, I am happy with the results. Once I get the play field stripped I will continue to use the ZEP to attack this nicotine and follow up with Sand Storm/Novus combo. I think I will be able to get at least 95% of the nicotine stains to disappear.
I also used this ZEP to clean up the apron. It cleaned the apron up real nice, but there was some silver cobwebbing painted on at the factory and it could not stand being attacked by the ZEP and washed away.
Another play field may not be able to handle the chemicals I am using to attack this nicotine on this play field, but for this play field I feel confident I can continue with ZEP and Novus 2.
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