Serious Mylar Removal

Picked up a Bally Eight Ball which at some point in it's life had lots of mylar installed over the ball rack. There is mylar on top of more mylar, some with stars and faces in it. The mess in front of the right sling is actually a design in the mylar I'm thinking, not PF wear. I used of my last can of Radio Shack circuit freeze just to remove one piece. A couple months ago I bought some "Super Freeze" from Amazon which is garbage. I have to wear welding gloves because it leaks so badly where the tube meets the nozzle and it freezes my gloves solid. I've read Vic's guide on PF restorations and he recommends heat for early Bally SS but this stuff was applied later and is really well adhered. Any freeze spray recommendations or other options to remove it?

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#2 5 years ago

???

wdennie

Inactive member

Canandaigua, NY

8y 37,350 1,321 17

Goo be gone

#3 5 years ago

TPD

tomdrum

Tried it on other simple mylar removals and it's weak and messy. Takes forever because it can't get under the mylar to the glue.

#4 5 years ago

IAN

Captain-Flint

Poor Man's Podcast

South Milwaukee, WI

6y 42,650 251 3 16

Did you try just tipping compressed air cans upside down to get the freeze?

#5 5 years ago

TPD

tomdrum

Quoted from Captain-Flint:
Did you try just tipping compressed air cans upside down to get the freeze?

Just tried that with the Super freeze and it just sprays the propellant not the product.

#6 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

The first question I always ask when somebody wants me to remove mylar for them that's not bubbling or peeling:

Q: Why are you removing this Mylar?

#7 5 years ago

PAC

PACMAN

Pinside member

San Diego, CA

11y 96,800 3,827 35

What Mylar?

#8 5 years ago

TPD

tomdrum

Quoted from vid1900:
The first question I always ask when somebody wants me to remove mylar for them that's not bubbling or peeling:
Q: Why are you removing this Mylar?

Because I don't want to look at the star face and other designs in the mylar like the mess in front of the left sling. Plus they covered over wear that needs fixed.

#9 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from tomdrum:
The mess in front of the right sling is actually a design in the mylar I'm thinking, not PF wear.

There is wear under that Mylar.

Whenever someone removes the factory mylar in front of an old Bally slingshot, it takes only a few months to wear through the paint. Same spot on every game.
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#10 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from tomdrum:
Because I don't want to look at the star face and other designs in the mylar like the mess in front of the left sling. Plus they covered over wear that needs fixed.

So what's the plan, remove mylar, repair damage:

1. Clearcoat?

2. Put Mylar back on?

#11 5 years ago

TPD

tomdrum

Quoted from vid1900:
So what's the plan, remove mylar, repair damage:
1. Clearcoat?
2. Put Mylar back on?

I'm doubting wear under the left sling mylar based on the condition of the PF on the right sling. I could certainly be wrong. Goal is to repair the PF and clear coat. I've been wanting to try the air brush / frisket method of restoration in your guide. There are several layers of mylar that overlap each other causing unevenness.

#12 5 years ago

TPD

tomdrum

Quoted from vid1900:
So what's the plan, remove mylar, repair damage:
1. Clearcoat?
2. Put Mylar back on?

Plus I'd rather hone my skills on a common game like this as my 1st PF total touch-up and clear than a title that's less common than this.

#13 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

^ excellent

Strip the playfield topside down, cause things are going to get messy.

Get a can of "Ultra Duster" from Walmart, some baking flour, 97% iso alcohol, and a good hair dryer with different heat settings.

Freeze the left side, heat the right side.

It may not be Mylar at all, who knows what people stick on games......

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#14 5 years ago

TPD

tomdrum

Quoted from vid1900:
^ excellent
Strip the playfield topside down, cause things are going to get messy.
Get a can of "Ultra Duster" from Walmart, some baking flour, 97% iso alcohol, and a good hair dryer with different heat settings.
Freeze the left side, heat the right side.
It may not be Mylar at all, who knows what people stick on games......[quoted image]

Thanks Vid. I'm totally in. What's the purpose of the "Ultra Duster"? Baking flour, check, 97% alcohol, check, hair dryer, double check, GF's life revolves around her $200 unit. However I have a Milwaukee heat gun with adjustable temp I'm very comfortable using. What is the best freeze spray?

#15 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Best freeze spray is Ultra Duster (3 pack is $5.99)

Comes with a long nozzle.

#16 5 years ago

CAD

cottonm4

Pinside+ Addict

Wichita, KS

10y 148K 16,593 10 23

I tried the Ultra Duster but around here it is more like $5 a can. My job took me 3 cans for three pops and two slingshots.

Next time, I am going to get a supply of bagging tape and find a welding shop that sells liquid nitrogen and see if they will sell me a dewar of the stuff. I'll just tape up my dams on the play field in the parking lot and ladle in some LN and watch it boil.

#17 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

If Ultra Duster does not do it in a few squirts, it's time to switch to the hair dryer.

You only want to frost the top of the Mylar, so it lets go of the glue. If you freeze the wood, the paint might all come off with the glue.

Heat is better because the glue usually stays on the Mylar, a lot less clean up.

But remember, if the playfield ever froze in a garage all winter, or the Mylar got put over damaged paint, expect major paint loss.

That's why I tell everyone "don't mess with it unless you are clearcoating the playfield" .

That is also why so many playfield restorers won't touch a sys9 or sys11, they know from experience how often the playfield ends up in the garbage.

#18 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ultra-Duster-Aerosol-with-Trigger-12-oz/16630941?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227010284743&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=74803708248&wl4=pla-104601904368&wl5=9016873&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=16630941&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIioOZlK7s3QIVkLfACh1ezgQsEAQYASABEgLs4PD_BwE

Quoted from cottonm4:
I tried the Ultra Duster but around here it is more like $5 a can.

Even single cans are only $2.38 at wallmart, they are next to the camera stuff.

Remember to turn it all the way upsidedown, do about 2 linear inches at a time.

#19 5 years ago

CAD

cottonm4

Pinside+ Addict

Wichita, KS

10y 148K 16,593 10 23

Quoted from vid1900:
If Ultra Duster does not do it in a few squirts, it's time to switch to the hair dryer.

I used a hair dryer on a Hot Hand I have. Used it pull remove the sling shot half-circles. That worked quite well on all of the colors except black. The black border lines just came right up with the heat. The first one was a surprise. The 2nd side was me trying to not pull up the black but it pulled up anyway.

Quoted from vid1900:
You only want to frost the top of the Mylar, so it lets go of the glue. If you freeze the wood, the paint might all come off with the glue.

I was told several months back that leaving a pin in the shed to freeze will kill your paint. And I thought that explained why the Bally Playboy I had had all of its paint powder off in my hand as the play field turned to whitewood.

On this play field, I froze and pulled one pop bumper ring and pulled some paint with it. Single color area so repair will not be a restore problem. I figured I did not freeze it enough so for ring #2, I blasted it. Then I caught and edge to pull on and blasted it directly as I kept pulling and I got a vey clean removal. Same with ring #3. Froze the hell out of it and got a nice pull. Now, I m hoping that I did not do long term damage to the paint.

Anyway, my experience with my first freeze it off session made me think that some Liquid Nitrogen poured onto a directed area would be the way to riches. I used to work with LN at work and am aware of the hazards but I guess I rethink this and go back to heat for the next unit.

#20 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Generally, if I feel any resistance, I switch to heat.

If a freeze is good, the Mylar just snaps off instantly.

#21 5 years ago

TPD

tomdrum

Thanks Vid! Ironically the $2.38 cans of Ultra Duster at Walmart.com are $5 at the store. A 4 pack is $13 which I bought. Used it tonight with great results. Was able to pull 6 slingshot size pieces of mylar with about half a can. Start at a corner, light application and work the edge with a plastic razor blade. Once it released, move back and it all came off quickly. Awesome, only lost a small amount of paint. Then did the flour method on the glue. Probably used a little too much flour but after rubbing it into the glue for 5 minutes and then adding the alcohol it was quick to remove. Took a bunch of shop rags and I cleaned up the rest with some Orange Power. Total time from mylar nightmare to gone was under an hour. Still have more cleanup but very pleased with the results. And yes you were right, wear on the left sling!

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#22 5 years ago

???

Joydivision

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 69,550 654 11

Quoted from vid1900:
So what's the plan, remove mylar, repair damage:
1. Clearcoat?
2. Put Mylar back on?

I was planning on doing a mylar removal on a Bally ss & was going to add a playfield protector after.

Is this a viable option if the paint appears solid after mylar removal?

#23 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member

Quoted from Joydivision:
I was planning on doing a mylar removal on a Bally ss & was going to add a playfield protector after.

Is this a viable option if the paint appears solid after mylar removal?

Yes.

Even if there is paint damage, a protector will keep it from getting any worse.

An excellent solution.

#24 5 years ago

BOY

vid1900

Pinside member