First attempt at using Spraymax. My first coat was pretty terrible but the second coat+sanding and polishing turned out pretty well I think. I should have done a better job of leveling inserts before spraying but they're not lifting too badly so far. I learned a ton from this attempt and will definitely be using Spraymax again in the future.
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Sand it down and spray it again man, that insert drainage will go away after a few more coats. I'd give it another 3-4 coats at least if you can.

I keep seeing your Craigslist ad. Excellent work!!!! You seem to keep pretty busy. I had to pull my ad due to way to many replies Lol. It's astounding the amount of people that need fields done. What are you paying per can for Spraymax? We're at $21.90 each out here.

Thanks man, I'm happy to have the work people trust me with there jems and I treat them as if they were my own. If I'm too busy at the time just ask to contact me later.

I use this seller on ebay he always ships me the freshest product, has good bundle deals because I use 3 cans per playfield.

ebay.com link: 3 COUNT USC SPRAYMAX 2K GLAMOUR HIGH GLOSS CLEAR SPRAY CAN 3680061 AEROSOL

His price is spot on. The other shops around here want $30 a can. If my local place is out I buy from here..

ebay.com link: USC SprayMax 2K High Gloss Clearcoat Aerosol 3680061

I think you may have just boosted this Ebay seller's business!

I just bought 4 cans off Amazon for around $71 last week. They should be arriving today. I'm going to attempt to clear and touch up a Big Game playfield I have sitting around. Thanks for all the tips in this thread from previous users.

Maybe the answer to this question is in this or another thread, but I didn't find it with my initial search (albeit a very short search).

What are others doing with new CPR repro playfields? Is the clear that comes with these sufficient for general home use play? Or are others recommending a process of sanding and applying more coats with the spraymax 2k product? Keep in mind that I've never done this before and would really not like to make the playfield worse. But I'm assuming now is the time to think about this if I were ever going to do it... because after doing the playfield swap, it will be too late of course.

Just from what I have seen and read a decent amount of people seem to add clear to CPR playfields, either to perfect it or to upgrade it. I have a CPR Fathom playfield installed and nothing was added to it. It has had about 1500 plays over the last 4 months or so, can't tell it has even had a game played on it, still looks amazing without anything extra.

Heads up, bunny suit, outside on calm day/no pollen/kids/dogs/etc around, respirator, eye protection (full wrap), and proper temps. Prep is key, get it done fast as possible and of course the two coat process with a quick flash coat, and then full heavy coat. YMMV. Smooth as butter if done right, remember prep and protection.

My experience is that the clear provided by CPR is plenty good and enough. You may want to do a final buffing with an orbital buffer if you have one handy, but I really do not see any need to add additional clear coat on top.

Keep in mind that if you add clear on top of your already cleared playfield, you are going to need to wet sand (400/800) and to wait a few weeks before doing the final buffing and a few more weeks before putting it together. CPR recommends waiting a few months before re-assembly, but an additional coat will just extend that duration, even more.

Yves

All the CPR pfs I've been given to clear over with SM2K have been rough and they were gold's, HSA has a whole tutorial about how he fixes their clear coats, and he wont do them anymore. CPR has been using some soft urethane clear coat that is highly susceptible to wear and imperfections within the first few years. They should step up their game and adopt the clear ceramic coats that JJP and Micro are doing now, but there not piling that stuff on either not like I'm doing with 12 coats that's for sure. I'd put my clear jobs with SM2K against any of those ceramic clear coats, people are already doing pf swaps on WOZ and recent Stern games like AC/DC.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/why-spraymax2k-is-better-than-other-clear-coat-systems-for-playfields

He piratically sands off the majority of there clear coat check him out he is insane but a serious professional, who knows his product and isn't afraid to stand by his 2 part clear coat and warranty it! Were on easy street here NOBODY out there makes another acrylic/resins clear coat system but SM2K they seemingly hold the patent! And the dangerous 2 part harder they use that contains isocyanates is commonly used in softer urethane clear coat for cars not acrylics. This stuff is some killer shit, I only know that cause I've used pretty much pure acrylic Polycrylic on a pf it's the toughest shit out there.

http://www.hsapinball.com/HSA_PINBALL/Clear_Coating.html

http://www.hsapinball.com/HSA_PINBALL/hsa030318cprhs.html

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HSA is retiring this year and that is why he won't do them anymore. I had HSA clearcoated several of my CPR and Mirco playfields. They have all turned out perfect. All the 'great' playfield guys are leaving the business. Once HSA retires this year, HEP will be the only remaining decent playfield restorer left. HEP mainly does complete games now. The remaining playfields people out there just do not do the quality restorations of what Playfield Renovations, Bill Davis, HSA, or HEP does.

I think I do good pf restorations, I'm a brush and mask guy but have decided to get another airbrush again.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/65730

It is nice to have other options. Do you have a website that people can view your workmanship? I was burned before (Carl in AZ) on a playfield restore years ago. I sent him a playfield and I never got it back. I never got to see his quality first-hand but he got somewhat crazy at the end.

Just my pinside ad there high rez pics you can zoom into them and have some references too you can talk to.

About a year ago I shot this test sample and it's still as flexable as it was the day it dried. It's been baking and freezing in my shed and is a sample that shows about a 3-1 mil difference (6-2 coats). The last pic shows the high side and it's pretty much like a markon pf protector nothing is going to shatter or indent this. I did a fingernail test on it hard and after a few mins it returned back to normal with not even the slightest faint line of the nail test nothing! I cut a strip off the thin side and pulled it apart it snaps like silly putty I doubt I could pull apart a strip off the 3 mil side and cuts just like markon smooth and easy. This is an amazing acrylic clear coat system.

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That's a bit harsh.

I am sure new playfield restorers will show up.

There may not be a need as intense than it was a few years ago, thanks to CPR and other shops re-creating playfields, but there will always be some titles which are never re-produced. Artistic skills are plenty and new players will pop-up.

Yves

FWIW CaptainNeo does great work.

I own, have owned or have friends that I seen in person, playfields from all the main people. I am not trying to be harsh on anyone but if your looking for a high-end restore, I found only Davis, HSA, Playfield Renovations and HEP does (or did) near perfect work. The issues I see with some of the restoration guys are: they total sand-out the shooter lane and change the shape of it (too wide), have poor or no airbrushing skills, rely on decals and stickers too much, clearcoats too thick, clear over dirt without addressing the area first, paint large areas but do not put back in the fine details of the graphics and do crappy repairs in the woodgrain areas.

I sure hope so. I will need high-end playfield work done in the future. HEP only takes in a limited amount of playfield only jobs. The current crop of the other guys do not do the quality of work that I desire.

Sounds like you may need to contact CPR and just buy a new repop pf, I can pick apart the work from the so called pros you've mentioned nobody's perfect and can perform miracles on a used pf. Like for starters you're in a thread that is using a totally different product from what they are using to clear coat playfields altogether, stuff that does not require a repair kit for cracking when populating the clear coated playfields. The level of restoration in my book is always up to the customer.

Shooter lanes, I have never sanded one yet. I just clean the heck out of them as I'm prepping the rest of the playfield, sometimes with just goof-off other times just Napta is necessary. Sanding them or repainting them is just going too far, neither of them look right to me at least in the end.

Saucer holes, gobble holes, kickout holes etc I do about the same thing, I like to just clean them as best as I can with Goof-off or Naptha, sometimes if there really dirty I will use a wood cleaner that has a little bit of bleach in it.

Currently doing two Bally playfields with SM2K. I love that stuff....so easy to use and fantastic results.

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Yves

You first said decent restore.

I believe anyone with enough patience and some skills can pull off a more than decent playfield restoration.

I agree.
Plenty of guys are quietly working in the background restoring old machines.
The spraymax 2k is perfect for this.

Yes, agreed. Just remember that this is an activated clear and you need to use the correct precautions spraying it.

Well giving this a shot. The playfield is rough to begin with so figured may as well try and learn something with it.

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Getting better

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Not a lot of easy airbrush parts on that playfield! You planning on doing a lot of decals, some meticulous frisket work, or just clearing over the rough stuff?

Are you using the spray max? Did you build a tent and stuff?

Using SprayMax. No Tent just kinda winging it outside and hoping for the best.

Got an airbrush to experiment but not counting on doing a ton because of all the tiny details. I offered the game up as it was and no one wanted it so figured may as well try learning on it.

Speaking of tenting.. I have no equipment and no expertise in spraying, so I have been planning to shop out the clearcoating of my playfield. However, I'm not having much luck in finding a person willing to do this, and have some fear about getting it done correctly. (I've read Vid's topic many times). So as a backup I'm thinking of the Spraymax route. This is basically a one time effort, but I will invest in the correct PPE - bunny suit, respirator, etc. Since I live on a small lot in the city, and there's always dust and pollen in the air I will need some sort of spray booth/tent, and I was wondering - what's the smallest size anybody has built for such a task? With filters, etc. how toxic is the outflow from the booth? My neighbors are fairly close, and I don't think it's good form to poison them! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

This guy makes a cheap one, similar to what I am going to do:

Thanks! That's what I was looking for, and something like what I was thinking. Looks like his back yard is much like mine.

I am looking to do this for my BK. I have read 85% of this thread. Once cleared with 2 or 3 cans following the majority of applications techniques described, how long before it is playable? Obviously there is a bunch of work to put this back together, but are we saying a week or two months? Thanks in advance.

I have a few touch ups to do on the playfield. At this point, prior to considering this clear approach, I had primed the small areas with Kilz oil based primer. Should I continue the touch ups with my acrylic paints at this point, or wait until I have a light coat of clear? I will also have to replace one decal over an insert, so again wait until a light coat of clear as I have read?

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Wouldnt a small party tent work as a spray booth?

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I don't see why not, though I am just getting ready to do this myself for the first time.

I like your idea, and I even found a $50 10'x10' party tent on ebay, that is reasonable enough in price for me to grab.

ebay.com link: 10x10 Outdoor Canopy Party Wedding Tent Blue Pavilion w 4 Side Walls

That does look like a good option, thanks!

Get a cheap box fan to tape into the side of that thing to make an exhaust and it should work great.

I spray in my backyard all the time.
No tent.
Late afternoon when it is calm.
Remember your mask and other PPE.

Lighting outside is unbeatable.

Yep no problems so far, I have a bench swing with a canopy, I removed the bench and used that to prevent tree debris from dropping into the clear thus far. Did some more sanding last night then started working on some basic touchups, first time using an airbrush. I enjoyed it.

The more you use it, the more uses you will have for it.
Get a roll of low tack frisket and there wont be much you cannot make better on a playfield.

Will an airbrushed createx touch up stick without clear or do you need to do the whole thing at once?

Here is a link to a small spray tent that I bought through amazon.com. It is big enough to clear a playfield.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011L3DVVO