Start the drill in reverse.
Go slow, dont let it grab.

Once thru the clear you should be ok.

You put a mist coat on and wait 15 mins.

Then another slightly thicker mist coat. Wait 20 mins.

Then a light coat. Not heavy at all.

Next day sand with 800, put 3 light coats 10- 15 mins apart. Then Apply a heavier coat.

Next day sand with 800.
Put 2 medium coats 15 mins apart then a heavy finish coat.

Always dropper in inserts or low spots each day.

Day 4 put 3 coats or one complete can.

If it looks like glass, let it dry 8 weeks.

After 8 weeks sand it flat and buff it out.

If its cool in the room, I put the cans in 90 to 100 degree hot water.

Its a graffiti artist trick.

It will go over it, just scuff it up real good and go very light the first couple coats.

perfecly executed.

Dont spray the first coat heavy. Way too many bad things can happen.
Before the first coat, eye dropper over any inserts, cups or irregularities.

First coat: Light mist looks cloudy and matte finish, but completely covered.

Wait 7 mins spray a slightly heavier coat to "wet" up the surface, slightly heavier.

Wait 10 mins, spray a medium coat, not heavy. It doesnt have to be perfect, you are going to sand it all out to flatten it anyways

Wait 24 hrs.

Block sand and Do touch-ups and keylines with matched paint and molotow black marker at this time.

Spray second coat, apply another mist coat to keep the marker from bleeding, wait 12 mins.

Apply more eye dropper over inserts.

Apply 2 medium coats, first one lighter than the second, 7 mins apart, should be somewhat wet looking. wait to dry 24 hours and block sand flat.

3rd coat: more eye dripping over inserts apply a very heavy coat, wait 10 mins apply another heavy coat, use up the whole can.

wait 24 hours and look at it, if any imperfections block sand and do the 3rd coat again.

after 7 days look at it, if its mostly perfect you are ok, if not, apply a 4th coat same as the 3rd.

Wait 10 weeks and look at it again.

Block sand it down and either polish or do the 3rd coat yet again.

After that you should have a near perfect surface.

The near perfect surface is actually too smooth for the ball to roll properly.

At this point block sand with 1200 grit and cascade up to 4000 grit and then polish to mirror glaze.

this will still look way better than it needs to, but the ball will roll properly.

Always apply a lite "mist" coat of clear before any paint.

This keeps the paint from soaking in and keeps the wood fibers down. It also stabilizes the wood from planking etc.

Im using the molotow markers, but any "super high pigment paint markers" will work.

All the pens can bleed unless you put a very fine mist coat over them first before any light or medium coats.

I use my doming/dapping punches to hammer down all those raised areas before the first coat of clear.

If the edges are super loose, I smear a little titebond on them:

https://www.harborfreight.com/25-piece-doming-block-and-punch-set-93539.html

One of the problems with vinyl overlays is poor adhesion of the adhesive.

The general consensus is to sand the playfield flat and remove all of the old artwork.

Then properly apply clearcoat in several coats, sand it flat then polish it.

Wait 12 weeks for the clear to cure completely, it should have no smell at all, no gasses should be present.

Outgassing of the clear will loosen the overlay later on.

Apply the overlay and press it down completely. It sticks best on shiny surfaces.

Apply the clear with mist coats allow to dry and then medium coats. Too much solvent will melt the overlay adhesive.

Its best not to apply the clear too heavy, as it shrinks and dies back, also there's the solvent problem, then a huge amount of tension occurs on the surface.

Hopefully this tension will not lift the overlay and cause it to wrinkle, loosen and shrink.

Done properly and with care they look really good.

The harbor freight disposable automotive paint mask, $16, is sufficient and rated for 40 hours of exposure.

Couple this with eye protection and youre all set.

Wow, ok lol...

The 7 mins max of exposure should be noted.

Sometimes my exposure is only 4 mins. just enough to put on a couple coats.

2.5 to 3 cans, and one more in 10 days for die back (2 heavy coats 12 mins apart, one whole can mostly)

So, 3 or 4 cans, but I think really 3.5 to 4 cans.

is that the overlay in the picture?

It looks like the surface is rough?

Clearcoat cant really be mirror finished for about 10 weeks, its not hard enough.

Also, 10 weeks from now there will be substantial die back and you "might" clear it again to fill in any insert dents or other imperfections.

The clear will lose 50% of its volume in 10 to 12 weeks.

It gets very thin and very hard.

2 of those inserts dont look right. Maybe poor adhesion, ghosting? Its hard to say.

Were they sanded rough (550 to 600 grit) before clearing?

Might just be too soft to get a good shine.

Block Sand it flat between coats in straight lines, one direction. Dont make cross cuts.

Start at 550 grit and end at 800 grit.

The can should be at room temperature before spraying.

If not soak them in hot tap water for 15-20 mins, dry them off and then puncture and shake.

The longer you wait to sand the harder the material gets.

Its best sanded out the next day or 2.

I usually spray. Then sand out and spray again the next day.

I keep the room temp at 62 to 75 degrees with my room heater.

After the 3rd full coat i let it set 10 days.

If there is noticable die back, i sand and put 2 heavy coats while drip filling insert crevices or whatever the problem was (pinholes, bubbles to pop and carve out, dents etc).

Then i wait 10 weeks for final block sand, then machine polish

At this point i reassemble as the clear is soft enough to not crack.

After 6 more months the surface starts becoming hard.

After 1 year its like a diamond.

Super hard but brittle.

Some restorers put a couple fresh coats of clear on older clearcoated NOS playfields to combat dieback and brittleness before thinking about assembly. It can help a bit.

Its not the spraymax thats brittle, its whatever they used on the earlier clearcoat if it has it.

Un-polished, That glass like surface is actually too smooth for pinball, the game plays weird and balls slip instead of rolling.

Almost like a bowling alley.

My experience is that I cant get a mirror finish until the clear dries much harder.

The paint just isnt hard enough to put a mirror on it.

After 8-10 weeks, I sand with 800 and then polish to a mirror finish that lasts.

the surface isnt as perfect, or as glossy, but plays better.

So, in essence the surface can be too smooth, too perfect.

Then wax it with P21S or blitz and buff it off.

The top coat might be shellac.

Wear nitrile gloves dont touch the surface with oily fingers.

Carefully scuff the surface by lightly dragging with a brand new silver/light gray 800 grit sanding sponge from the auto paint store.

Lightly wipe it down with naptha or maybe rapid-prep to chemically clean the surface, Lightly, Dont soak it. Use cheap un-dyed or un-scented paper towels.

I use rapid-prep a lot. It cleans better than naptha but removes touch-ups. Be careful with it, Naptha is safer.

Allow to dry 30 mins, blow it off with air.

Apply a light mist coat and let dry.

You should be ok

The paint hardens in 2 weeks, it wont move. The rest of the time is curing and die back.

The lying flat is to minimize warpage as the paint shrinks down.

Playfields used to be stored stacked up on big flat tables or shelves. Not arms or dowels as is often seen in racks.

These days i guess its different.

But hanging on a wall works pretty good if there is no table or shelf.

Ron kruzeman says to unwrap them so that the wrapping doesnt leave an impression. And to wait 6 months for installation.

This is after 2 months drying time.

After 10 weeks its pretty hard and stable in my opinion.

However you can still mar it with a fingernail.

12 months and its like a rock.

Usually they are hard enough to wet sand after 24 hrs.

I spray some of the left over remains of the can into a plastic cup to see if it dries as a sample.

Its just a habit i picked up.

You might not have got enough catalyst.

Put it in the sun for a couple hours.

See if it firms up.

Even with reduced catalyst it will still dry. Just takes longer.

Regular omni clear and hardener is compatible, or whatever they have now.

A lot of people buy some just for filling inserts.

That way you dont get bubbles or foaming when trying to spray into a jar.

I have some and have used it for this during spraying and it didnt react.

I dont know if you can still get omni clear.

The hardener is expensive for a quart, but it doesnt spoil.

The clear actually sits like jell-o within the clear if you are shooting the whole playfield.

I shoot a light to medium coat then heavily fill, then a wet coat on top.

Often the filled area is still higher than the surrounding clear.

I have never done just the inserts.

I always fill a bit as it go except for the initial mist coats.

Each consecutive coat I heavily fill the inserts.

They get plenty full after 4 coats.

Sometimes i add even more clear to an insert after the secong coat, while its still wet, to make sure its got enough for that process.

That would be surface imperfection.

Wax and silicone etc causing fish eye. It does build up in crevices.

Try to get it covered. I use rapid prep to remove wax and surface imperfections after naptha wipe downs.

So far (crossing fingers) no real fish eye problems that didnt spray out.

If you can get it to cover, you will be all right. It might take several coats.

I have heard that lacquer thinner applied sparingly can also remove wax and silicones.

Wet Block sand it flat.

Apply the finsh coat. Or not.

Wait 8 to 10 weeks.

If you applied the final coat, Block/orbital wet sand with 800.

Cascade up to 3500.

Polish to mirror

It takes a few weeks to get it hard enough to put a mirror glaze on it.

Done.

Ive had great results final sanding and mirror polishing at 10 weeks.

Ball bounce test shows its hard enough for play.

12 months/50 weeks later no more die back but a much harder surface.

All sanding is wet sanding 1/2 tsp dawn to 2 qts of water.

rapid prep and then naptha for cleaning.

I use compressed air after wiping.

Use cheap non ink or perfumed paper towels

Sand with 800 grit light gray pad.
Wipe and chemically clean etc.

Mist coat wait 7 mins
Medium coat wait 7 mins.
Medium coat.

Next day block sand flat with 550 or 600. Then 800

Wipe and chemically clean.

Light coat and drip to fill voids.
Wait 10 mins

Medium coat

Wait 7 mins.

Medium coat.

Next day, 600 grit block sand flat straight lines.

800 grit pad, straight lines.

Wipe and chemically clean.

Drip to fill voids

Wait 7 mins

Medium coat

Wait 7 mins

Medium coat

Wait 7 mins

1 heavy coat

Next day

Block sand flat 800 grit

Chemically clean.

Check and fill voids.

1 heavy coat half a can.

Wait 10 mins

1 heavy coat do not go to the end of the can it will splatter.

Wait 7 days check die back.
If too severe block sand flat and apply 2 heavy coats, filling low areas.

Should be good to go.

Wait 10 weeks

Optional if its not perfect enough:

Wet Block sand with 1000 and cascade up to 4000. Straight lines or orbital machine

Polish to a mirror.

Thats it. Should take 3 or 4 cans.

I had that happen.

Now i store the can in hot tap water in a home depot bucket.

I dry it off with compressed air then puncture and shake.

90 degrees makes the can spray properly.

Im also making a dam with a paper towel and rubber band 3/8" above the upper rim of the can to protect against drips. Not high enough to affect the spray.

Too many times a perfect job was ruined at the last munute with a stupid drip ftom the channel the cap sticks on to.

I change it between coats.

No problem, i hope it helps you to get started.

If its just the clear thats high, block sand it flush and go onto the next coat of clear.

Block sanding and flattening are part of the process.

If the inserts are high thats a whole other discussion.

For the first mist coat 600 grit gives a good bite. I just press moderately on a fresh 800 grit, gray 3m sponge in straight lines.
Its rated at 600 to 800 depending on its use. When the sponges loose their grit I save them for later during finishing.

Chris Hutchens uses 550 grit, carefully.

for the second and successive coats 800 grit for block flattening, and so on.

with the mist coat, plus the first coat then sanding, if all goes well a second finish coat might be ok.

But really after flattening and thinning down the clear, a 3rd coat is what usually happens.

then buffing down the clear, or one more coat for die back, at about 10 weeks.

If I see substantial die back after 10 days, I put a 4th heavy finish coat, then sand down (flatten and thin) and buff out at 10 weeks.

Mist coat then wait 7 mins then light coat. Never put much paint down on the first coat. It doesn't have to wet up.

Next day, flatten with 800 then drip into low areas, put 2 medium coats enough to wet up, 7 mins apart.

Next day flatten then lite coat wait 5 mins then a heavy coat. Nearly one whole can basically.

It really helps to rubber band a shroud of paper towel around the can 1/2" above the edge but below the spray pattern to keep drips from falling off the can edge.

This really screws up an otherwise perfect job as you will have to sand them out later.

I do it on all rattle can jobs that are above the work.

Its especially hateful when you get a big droplet onto a spatter job like a coin door.

Air blow and chemically treat before any painting.

Rapid-prep is better than naptha.

I use both, no fish eyes.

First naptha with a pure paper towel.

Then rapid-prep then air blow.

Rapid prep is the key.
Eastwoods has great info on auto paints.

They say to use cheap paper towels with no ink or dye on them.

Hopefully little lint.

I like the marathon tri fold towels.

The longer you wait the harder the finish is.

During the process I dont wait too long, it gets too hard to sand out by hand and have to use the orbital sander which is very scary but effective.

After the final process then I wait for it to cure, 10 weeks.

Poor surface adhesion. Adhesion promoter can help with stickers as well as rapid prep.

Generally decals and stickers want a shiney surface to adhere well.

water slide are the best as they melt into the clear and become part of the paint.

After putting down a lockdown coat of clear:

Start with a mist coat let to dry over the decals, then a light coat let to dry.

After that they should be set pretty good.

Still the surface tension of clearcoat can cause difficulties.

The same applies to overlays.

Its 10 weeks or more to bounce a steel ball on it.

I buff and wax then start re-assembly at 10 weeks.

It takes me a couple weeks to finish, so an actual test game to flip a ball on it, would be in week 13 or 14.

I always start with the clearcoating of the playfield, then cabinet restoration and then rebuilding the mechs.

Even new playfields have to be cleared to counter the die back problems on new playfields, then wait 10 weeks.

It usually takes me 4 to 6 weeks to have a perfect cabinet and perfect new or rebuilt mechs.

Then a week to sort out wiring and new switches and sockets.

Everything seems to come together at the 10 week mark.

Its all part of a process that takes 4 months (or more) to produce a brand new (or better than new re-manufactured) game

The clearcoat paint is 90% solvent.

As it dries over time the solvent leaves, the paint shrinks.

1mm of pant coating equals 1 10th of a mm after dry. Often even thinner.

I think the clearcoat is mostly stable at about 16 months.

Automobiles left in the hot sun cure in about 3 months.

Ron Kruzman says to hang his freshly restored playfields on the wall for 3-6 months before assembling and playing.
And he waits weeks before he sends it back to you, as he looks at the die back and makes adjustments.

Brand new playfields that were just made look gorgeous!

Wait 12 weeks and you see insert edges appear and wood grain appearing.

I always have to re-clear new playfields to flatten them out.

Its the hardest part for everyone, including games manufactures.

The biggest issue with playfields is improper curing and surface prep.

Big guys rush the games into production and then out to distributors.

People keep complaining about pooling, dents, clearcoat lifting or cracking etc.

All of this is because the factory has a very hard time waiting for the paint to dry, or the time (and expense) it takes to do a good job

Brand new games rarely pass the fingernail test under the apron.

Automotive clear is so incredibly hard when cured, you could never dent it with a fingernail.

Vid uses the nose test.

If you can still smell solvent coming off the paint, its not dry enough to play on.

Possibly ok to assemble, but thats where the pooling comes in...

Rapid remover is fascinating stuff.

You can actually see 30 year old crispy mylar glue absorb the fluid in 60 seconds.

Then just scrape off the globs with a plastic razor blade.

A couple more wipe downs with the remover and all glue is gone.

The remover is wiped off completely with naptha.

It will not promote fish eyes as a lot of cleaners or oils will.

It was specifically developed for automotive mylar that had been in the sun for decades.

And after sticker removal still be paint ready.

Rapid Prep is a final cleanser that chemically cleans and makes inert any wax, oils, silicones or other compounds that would interfere with clearcoat adhesion.

When a painter says its chemically cleaned before painting, they use rapid prep or a similar product. They are not talking about naptha, thats a different process generally after rapid prep.

I like all the rapid products because they are non-toxic, environmentally safe and work exceptionally well.

Yeah it depends on how much thinner is added for spraying too.

So, yeah a lot of shrinkage for sure.

https://www.raj.co.nz/product-group/2243-mipa-2k-clearcoat-aerosol-fast-dry-gloss/category/442-clearcoats

Looks exactly the same as spraymax 2K, its also made in Germany.

I use the molotow paint makers due to the very high pigment solids.

It doesnt bleed during the mist cost and primary lite coat.

You might do a test application to see if the Pebeo is ok. Theroetically if its oil based it should be fine.

Shine a light under the insert to see if they cover well.

I did this with several makers and chose the molotow as it covered really well.

Rapid-prep eats oil based markers and smears them, naptha does not so much.

Be cautious when wiping down before clearing.

Heavy coats over markers might cause a bleed, but Im always careful.

Im using Rapid-Prep for final wipe down, before a naptha wipe down.

Eastwoods recommends it. Its tried and true.

Im not comfortable using something else.

Im very happy with the fish-eye protection that Rapid-Prep does.

This is really good to know.

I use this kit in my drill motor:

https://www.harborfreight.com/engine-brush-kit-20-pc-63732.html

They dont have to fit tight, lots of sizes for the money.

A .22 cal brass bore brush is the most handy for sanding out clearcoat in post holes.

Its best not to drill clear out of post holes due to possible chipping problems.

any left over is scraped off with an exacto knife (front or backside) #11 blade or a scalpel.

I dont use any plugs at all.

Its not really worth the hassle.

Holes that need cleaning clean up quickly during assembly.

After clearing and sanding, i wash out the holes from polishing compounds with naptha and small brushes.

Lol, ive never just done a topside refresh.

Though it can have pretty good results.

I see so much grime and worn parts, i end up with a total tear down on the games that come my way.

These days i dont even bother trying a patch job.

I go right to the total tear down.

I warm the cans in hot tap water if they are cool to the touch.

I just put one in the sink of as hot of tap water i can get before shaking and puncturing, for about 15 mins.

If the can is warm, or at least not cold, it sprays better.

I shake it for the 2 mins while in the booth.

Clean with rapid prep in the spray booth.

Sort out the spray can.

Use naptha and a tack rag immediately before spraying.

I keep pipettes, tweezers, tape, a little table, naptha, paper towels, mixing cups and whatever i might need in the booth as well as a timer.

The timer is crucial for good results.

You can never wipe with the tack rag too much.

Often i wipe down seconds before spraying, just in case lol.

Dont use rapid tac. Its not necessary

Looks really good.

You dont need a lot of equipment to spray a 2 foot square piece of plywood.

Wait 10 days. It will absolutely die back. Absolutely.

At 10 days it will show you where its going.

Sand with 800

Fill the die back with a dropper and put on a super heavy coat:

Mist coat wait 7 mins.

Heavy coat, 1/3 a can or slightly less or more.

Wait 10 mins

Heavy coat, other 1/3 of the can.

Put enough paint to cover any drip fills you did. Puncture any bubbles with a straight pin.

Dont run out the can dry, it will splatter and ruin the finish. Throw away the bottom 1/4 can.

Make sure you tape a dam along the upper edge of the can and frequently dump.out the rim.

This is where those big drips ruin a perfect job.

Wait 10 weeks and you are done.

Essentially you can sand with 1000 cascade up to 4000, and buff, to flatten again and fix any rough spots at this time.

Coleman fuel.

Its all about the die back. And whatever grade of finish you want.

10 weeks from now you will see more die back. Always.

Chris usually applies more clear to flatten it out again after 8 to 10 weeks.

This is how you get a mirror finish.

Oddly in the long run it doesnt matter too much due to ball dimples, scrapes and scratches.

It might lay down too much paint, too quickly in order to get any control out of it.

Looks great!

Adhesion promoter (3m and a variety of manufactures make a specific product depending on the plastic being painted) is used to insure good adhesion of automotive paint and clearcoat to plastics.

If a game has never been cleared, the oily plastic inserts can reject the clear or the clear will fail to bond properly to them.

This is main reason for ghosting and halos.

When balls strike the plastic inserts, the surfaces flex slightly and release the clear due to imperfect bonding.

Adhesion promoter is used in the automotive industry on all of the flexible bumpers and any rubber or plastic then needs to be painted with automotive paint.

If a playfield has already been cleared, and you are refreshing the clearcoat, adhesion promoter will have little effect as the plastics are already covered in clearcoat.

Rapid Prep cleaner, chemically cleans the surface of clearcoat and promotes molecular bonding of subsequent layers of clearcoat. It is also an adhesion promoter.

One of the downsides of some of the adhesion promoters is that they might not be clear, and leave a slight milky surface. Regular opaque paints cover this and you dont see it.

You have to be careful when choosing adhesion promoters under clear coatings. These products can leave residue or impact the clarity of the clearcoat.

I have had great success with rapid prep, but im sure there are other products out there from the automotive industry. I havent used very many.

I agree there is no way to carry over your process, its perfect!

I dont profess to know anything about automotive finishing other than my experience with only playfield clearcoat and opaque colors for when I was restoring vending machines..

Ive used a lot of the spraymax glamour coat recently. It suits my needs and though a little finicky, has a good result.

Automotive finishing a complete mystical world best left to professionals like you!

I was testing SEMS adhesion promoter and didnt like the way it left a haze? residue?

What adhesion promoter would you suggest for non cleared playfields as well as previously cleared? There are tons of them.

Gotcha, makes total sense.

Ill take a look at the Cromax.

Thank you so much for your input!

And thanks for clarifying this up for us.

You're the best Chris!

I ran a test of the SEMS adhesion promoter rattle can on a sample.

It left a haze and i didnt follow thru and clear over it to see if it was tinted or not.

It might be ok, as Chris said, it might just mix in and disappear. Or it will be really bad.

I would have to do further testing.

Unless someone else can chime in on it?

A few specs are ok, as you sand each coat before the next.

So its not critical.

On the final finish pass its a little more critical but not much.

You should still sand out the finish coat to thin the coating and flatten it further.

Then cascade up the grits and rub and buff.

A few specs wont matter at all.

The whole thing.

All of this has been addressed in this thread.

The next day after the first coat:

I block sand it down to start the flattening process and do my touch ups, keylines etc.

Then put on a light coat, then spray the paint into a jar and use a disposable pipette or dropper to fill all the low spots and insert edges.

Next day,block sand, then light coat, slpooge more clear into the low spots with a dropper, 2 meduim "wet" coats.

Next day flatten out the playfield by block sanding quite a bit to check for more low spots.

If its pretty flat, light coat, then a medium coat then 2 heavy "wet" finish coats. Basically a whole can.

If it looks mostly perfect, let it sit 6 to 10 weeks and assemble the playfield later.

If there is substantial die back at 6 weeks, block sand, fill low spots and put a heavy coat or 2 of paint.

Let it dry 4 weeks and then block sand to thin the paint a bit, then buff it out then start assembly.

The whole process is 3 or 4 cans of paint in 3 operations. 3 if all goes well enough.

1: mist coat to seal up loose fibers and give a foundation for touch ups

2: heavier filler coats.

3: finish coats.

very light mist coats for the first pass. Its a good technique to avoid fisheyes and other horrible problems.

The next coats can be much heavier flow-out and filler coats.

You really have to use a dropper.

The spray walls up and wont get in the cracks.

They are in the vids giude for playfield restoration:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration

Dont be lazy, read up on it.

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.

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.

In my opinion, the game plays faster and better.

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 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.

Lol, yup!

Im so sorry that I didnt take pictures of my work.

I will start doing it later on, Im doing a TAF right now.

Clearcoat takes at least 12 weeks to stop smelling/outgassing...

It takes me 3 1/2 cans to do a good job.

And maybe a 4th can if I dont like the die back after 6-10 weeks.

I use the grey 800 scotch brites.

Sometimes under my orbital sander with the interface pad.

Nice work!

Youve waited 3 weeks and now you can see the die back forming. It probably started showing at 10 days.

Time to clean it off sand it with 800, fill the insert crevices and re-spray it.

Wait 10 weeks before waxing and repopulating.

You don't "have" to do anything but,

The dents at the edges of the inserts are pronounced now.

You will find other areas too.

And they will get worse in a few weeks.

Clear coat loses haff or more if its thickness in 12 to 16 weeks.

Things start showing up. Dents appear where there were none.

It doesnt fill very well.

This is why we keep building up problem areas like insert egdes.

It best to address this now and not regret it in 36 weeks.

I do a final sand and buff at 12 weeks to level out the playfield as best as one can.

A lot of the die back has happened by then and can be sanded out mostly.

However, its a pinball game!

It will get torn up anyways if you play it a lot.

So, in the end, it may not matter at all.

I can only go by my experience with spraymax, it shrinks a lot.

but no more than other automotive clears.

Rapid-prep is nearly as good as Naptha, but takes a few minutes to dry. I blow the surface off completely after applying it with compressed air.

Its a very good cleaner for automotive paint use, I use it to control fish eyes.

Its very effective:

https://rapidtac.com/rapid-prep.html

Use it very sparingly as it removes paint marker and might lift createx paint.

I use it over clearcoat, bondo and primer mostly.

For a water based cleaner, its extremely powerful. But its non toxic and you can get it where Napthta is no longer available

I have never had a fish eye since using it.

I started using it for a final wipe down, as I didnt trust that the naptha was pure and clean enough.

You have to go very easy over paint parker or touchups, or avoid those areas completely.

Automotive clear can be simple or annoyingly complex.

Even oddball chemical traces in a paper towel can affect it.

Rapid-prep is awsome to insure no silicones or strange left over chem traces.

After using it my clear flattens down perfectly and I never have trouble.

Playfields are hard to paint with clear as the have many different elements to cover, unlike say a car.

You have plastic inserts, touch up paint, keyline marker or decals, old silkscreen ink, 30 years of wax applied etc.

Its kind of a miricle that it actually adheres.

Rapid-prep seems to make everything clean for the clear to stick without applying a surface primer.

Clear coat sometimes has to be surgically clean.

Wear nitrile gloves at all times other than sanding and rinsing. Never touch the surface before getting ready to clean and spray.

I use fresh blue tack cloths for each session. I suit up to keep hair and crap from falling onto the surface.

I also use kirkland paper towels. They dont appear to have any dyes or perfumes.

I wipe down with rapid prep outside the booth, blow it off with air, then do a final wipe with clean paper towel and naptha inside the booth.

Just before spraying I wipe down with a tack cloth. I dont rub too hard.

I dont clean the booth between sessions. The clear makes everything sticky and deadens the air.

I have simple hepa type filtration for in and out with a cheap box fan.

I think you can sand out and drill out (by spinning a new exacto knife tip) those bubbles.

I use a gray 800 automotive sanding scrub pad with 1/2 teaspoon of dawn and 1qt filtered water. I spray off with rapid prep and dry out with naptha. On prior cleared playfields.

Carefully clean it all up so no white dust remains.

Dropper into the holes and do a light coat then a medium coat.

I think its very salvageable without aggressive sanding thru the paint.

A couple coats and sanding later the pits and bubbles will disappear.

Not too worried as the concentrations from a 3-4 min spray are diluted greatly with fresh air intake.

The airborn paint is already catalyzed and solvents are super low.

Mostly it just protects my garage from overspray.

Isnt urethane reducer extremely flammable?

Im intrigued to say the least.

I would like to see a vid of you doing this on a $1600 playfield

Automotive clear isnt the same as Art Resin or epoxy. Automotive P2K can be sanded in 1 hour if conditions are good.

I have had it "kick" in 10 mins in a hot garage.

Wow, sounds like I want to try it!

Are you using spray max?

It says its an epoxy?

I wonder if epoxy is a durable as urethane.

I think for all the work involved, urethane is a better choice.

https://www.myperfectcolor.com/Epoxy-Paint-or-Urethane-Paint-Which-is-Better/34194.htm#:~:text=Epoxy%20coatings%20can%20also%20be,when%20exposed%20to%20UV%20light.

Urethane has better impact resistance and would be better suited for pinball.

In the link provided above, under the picture on the left, there are a row of pictures.

The 2nd one says epoxy. I dont actually know what that means other than its epoxy?

Warm the cans before using to get more pressure.

I put them in a bucket of hot tap water.

Press the button firmly, slowly releasing pressure as your hand gets tired will cause spatters.

Use regular spray can technique, do not start and stop over the work.
Start before the work, then stop when past the work.

Long even strokes 10" to 12" above the surface.

Flick drainage off of the can before each stroke.

Sand it all flat, you should be ok.

Flipper_McGavin has done some beautiful work!

Did you put the can in hot water to warm it up?

Extra pressure really helps.

It could be a bad spray cap?

Plus you cant pour it onto badly damaged artwork.

Just finished a RARE Stargate playfield:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stargate-woes/page/4#post-7732630