Awesome!

I think you might just need to keep building up with a dropper till it is flush, then clear over it as a final coat once it is flush. Maybe others on here have a different solution.

The cresents are common on factory playfields as well.

Just emptied a second can of 2K on to Taxi!

rd
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Looking sweet!

Cabinet does too.

Note the brighter yellow - there are a number of different colours on Taxi cabinets. My headbox is brighter than my cabinet for example (really noticeable on the back of the pin) Could well have been made by two different companies at the time.

rd

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how many can did you use for the cab?

I am gearing up to get this done in the spring. I am not sure what mask to buy for spraying clear, and want to make sure I am wearing the right 3M filter for the task.

FYI - Spraymax is great for paint but will attack some decals. I tried a different method on my playfield - a complete sticker on bare wood. The graphic looked beautiful but needed protection obviously. I sprayed 2K on it and it attacked the overlay, causing it to soften and pucker. So if you are trying something new, be sure to test it (I am glad I did!)IMG_5890 (resized).jpg

fyi - I am currently using lacquer - it does not attack the overlay. How hard it ultimately becomes is still a question.IMG_6111 (resized).jpg

Who made your decals?

I need a set.

I prefer the screened type of next gen UV resistant ones, if I can get them.

Stickers on bare wood wont adhere properly.
There should be a clearcoated smooth "near polished" surface in order to get them to adhere.

Even then you have to use many mist coats, drying in between, to keep them from shrinking and puckering.

Still, after doing it perfectly, I have seen thin 3mil overlays pull back.

I agree that it looks like the reducer in the urethane softens the glue.

No cans on the cab.

This was a full rebuild of a water damaged cabinet that had been in storage for years.

Cabinet was stripped down completely, new bottom added, painted in 2k, and cabinet decals applied.

Lots of work! But came up pretty good.

rd

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A local guy makes them for me.

They are computer printed, but on top quality stock and laminated as well.

rd

always wondered how to remove the bottom panel? isn't it proved and inserted on the side of the cab? Really curious if you want to share the process!

It looks like he added material to accept the bottom.

You route the edge back so the bottom is exposed.

Knock out the bottom.

Replace with new bottom.

Glue and staple/screw new bottom in.

Add cover trim to create a new edge and strengthen it.

End cut plywood trim pieces makes it an invisible repair.

An alternative way is to completely slice off the bottom with a skill saw.

Add a new bottom that is not inset.

Glue and staple or screw the new panel on.

Fill the edge seams and screw heads, paint and decal.

If you staple you have a better appearance but a weaker job.

This is faster and works well as the bottom doesnt hold any weight at all.

But lacks the original feel unless you add on trim for looks.

I like screws for cab repair. They are much better than staples or brads and last forever.

Pretty much as per the first method above. ^^

Bottom is glued with PVA and nailed back in. I use my Paslode trim nailer with 40mm nails.

Then I cut up thin plywood strips (from memory 5mm thick) and glue+nail those as well.

Then you use car filler (aka bog) to fill the edges, sand it back till it it’s all level and looks like new.

When painting, mask off the new bottom and she’ll look tickity-boo! As per photo.

rd
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rotordave what is this mm you speak of

thanks gents.

The measurement everyone on the entire planet uses. Except … cough cough

Actually, I’ve seen more and more Americans using metric, especially engineers etc.

rd

rotordave not this engineer

It actually sucks using both. Square root k over m... That is meric but when I'm thinking a measurement... I have no idea what a mm is

It’s funny - I use inches and feet sometimes, NZ changed to metric in 1967 which is well before I was born!

“How long is that thing?”

“Couple inches!!”

rd

There’s people who have been to the moon then there’s people who use the metrics system

“The moon is 20 fathoms away!”

I think the Chinese are there at the moment.

Not in person though. But you never know, they’re a crafty bunch …

rd

Taxi all done!

One can - do touch ups - one can - sand back - another can - sand back and buff up.

Came up pretty good!

rd

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Beautiful work RD!

Yoooo Taxi!!

rd

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I have a question for those that have used this clear coat on EM machine. Does it dramatically effect the intended gameplay?

I have an Aztec I'm working on and need to clear it when completed.

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In my opinion, the game plays faster and better.

My Hearts and Spades is clear coated, plays great!

I recently played a game clearcoated with this stuff. The ball glides as if it was freshly waxed, better than a new NIB Stern, no exaggeration.
Super slick and seems to make a extremely hard surface too.
Very impressed!

I have four EM’s and all four are cleared. Due to cupped inserts and excessive wear there was no way I could be happy with them as is. The ball rolls smoothly and is pretty fast. I doubt I will ever own one without doing a complete repaint and clear.

Agree 100%.

I'm back after being away from the hobby for many years, finally have some free time again. It's the only way to save the old EM's that I can see.

Has anyone ever just polished the final coat without sanding? I am about to reassemble an eight ball playfield and it looks perfect. Would it be too slick? Thanks guys?

My Hearts and Spades came out fine, I never polished the final coat.

I wouldn't think it would be an issue. That's how all CPR playfields are done.

I sand and buff so that its not too slick and gives the wax something to stick to.

Too slick and the balls dont roll, they just shoot straight or fire like on a bowling ally.

The game geometry changes a bit.

But its just what I like, you dont have to do it at all.

I played a game that was done with this stuff and was very slick, it felt like playing on a game a PF protector, same effect. The game plays very fast.
I dont think it changed anything else other than that in my opinion.

I am thinking that if you sand it, you would have to go up to 3000 then polish, so it will be slick anyway. Also playing thousand of times will eventually wear the clear, due to the natural abrasion of the ball.

All that to say, I would not mind if it is super slick at the beginning, in fact, I prefer a 90s game to play as fast as possible as they are still slower than modern games.

If you have access to a buffer, then definitely do it.

It looks good after spraying, but after a careful sand and good buff, it looks like a new playfield.

rd

No sand, no buff.

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If you guys are going to buff, I have seen HEP use a rotary polisher with no issues but that is because he has lots of experience doing it.
I would instead use a D/A with forced rotation, like a flex or anything with force rotation. Much safer, you will never go through the clear and will most likely take 10 times longer overheat.
I have solid experience polishing paint and forced rotation also leaves a much nicer finish, just takes a hair longer than a rotary.

I've used a 6 inch random orbit

polisher from wen. I'm always worried I'm gonna burn through on final polish.
I actually think I started to on my meteor I just finished.

What should I be wary of not to burn through.

Or should I just freaking hand polish.
I just recleared my flash and will be sanding and then polishing.

Thx

You have to be really bad at polishing to burn paint with a D/A.
I used a flex with force rotation to polish high end cars after wet sanding the paint.
Force rotation is the key word here. A random orbital with no force rotation is a dated tool that will produce some result in 10-20x the time forced rotation does.

Hope that helps now back to more clear coating!

I am going to install a vinyl covered overlay on the fully sanded playfields of a Flash Gordon. What should I use for a clearcoat on the bare wood prior to overlay installation? I'd prefer something in a spray can as I do not have a compressor and spray gun equipment. How long should I wait before the overlay can be installed?

Thanks, Alan

I'm in the same boat, with a Baby Pacman. First one and am concerned.

I can tell you what I did with my Led Zeppelin homebrew I made.

You can go back in my posts and see the thread about it.

Firstly, the playfield was sanded back nice and smooth.

Then we sprayed it with car clear (that was before I used 2K in a can. Should be the same). Just a couple of coats.

Left it for a couple of days then put on the overlay sticker. Then cleared over that.

Most important - make your first few coats of clear over the sticker “dust coats”. Just very light.

As you can read in my thread, my painter put on too much, and it wrinkled up the sticker. Not good.

So we printed another sticker, went really light for a few coats, let that dry off and then went heavier.

Most people think it’s a screened playfield.

rd

I don't suppose there is a way to check the thickness of the clearcoat on a playfield? I was going to buy a paint thickness gauge but those only work when the underlying material is metal, not wood. I used 4 cans of Spraymax on a White Water playfield, sanding after 2 cans and sanding again after the additional 2 cans. I have a few low spots around inserts, and I am not sure if I have enough clear coat on the playfield where I can just sand them level with the rest of the playfield. They aren't terribly low.

I use a thin straight edge and shine a flashlight behind so I can see the low areas.

I take a mental note of where to put the clear on heavier on the low spots.

During the medium coating phase I spray a heavy amount on the low areas first.

Then I spray around the edges of the heavy spray area to blend it all in a bit.

Sand it out and do it again.

This has worked well enough for me.

I found my low areas, I just don't know if I sprayed enough clear onto my playfield where I can keep sanding the entire playfield until it is flush with the low spots. I used 4 cans. I prefer not having to buy an additional can and having to restart the entire curing process, it has been curing for a month. But if there is no way to visually see how much clearcoat thickness I have to play with when sanding, I will have to buy another can. I have a 40x loupe, maybe I can see the thickness with that but i doubt it.

A ruler?

Lol, yup!