Quoted from Plumonium:

About to start CC my playfield tomorrow.
I was suggested to lay a wet coat (half the can), wait an hour and then lay another wet coat (rest of the can). Do I need sanding before those 2 coats? Or the second coat will blend in?
Why an hour? why not 2h or simply 15-20 minutes?

Quoted from jgadzia:

yes, i did wetsand with 1500 then cleaned with naptha and then a microfiber cloth, but i didnt tack cloth it, which is what i think i may have done wrong. i was planning on wetsanding again with 1500, 2000, 3000, then doing mcguires buff.

Quoted from wolffcub:

Fully understand your viewpoint about a 6 month wait but let’s be honest here. Doing multiple clears like one to lock in original paint wait 6 months, one to lock in colours wait 6 months , final clear wait 6 months. That time line is out to lunch. If the 6 month time is a valid thing it has to be applied to each clear level. All vehicles don’t wait in the body lot for 6 months after professional work but granted they are using other products with different specifications.
I think it’s the spray max and how it cures without high booth temps maintained for 48 hours and or no short wave curing used.
I’m tempted to try short wave curing and see how that looks after a few months.

Quoted from harryhoudini:

That's almost exactly what I did, and came out like glass for sure.
Damn... 2 weeks, eh.. I don't really want to sit around with the game apart for that long but I guess it's for the good of the playfield! I figured that stuff cured much quicker, I mean they don't sit around waiting 2 weeks to repair a car.

Quoted from ktownhero:

Can you put an opened can of 2k into the refrigerator to extend its life?

Quoted from mrm_4:

So even though I only did a 4” square with this stuff I can see why everyone loves it. Minus the toxic dangers it’s a pretty affordable way for a common joe to clear a playfield and get some really nice results. It’s making me contemplate touching up the playfield in my Shangri La and giving it a go. That would have to be a spring project though. Pretty sure the temps are locked out of range after today.
What happens if you spray this stuff in the 40s and 50s? I’m just wondering the harm of laying down the coats, letting it set for about and hour and then bringing it in doors like I just did today?

Quoted from wayinla:

Unfortunately these are out of stock everywhere that I’ve looked.

Quoted from wayinla:

Hi all. Hoping someone can help! Bubbles on inserts! I've read the posts and tried what people have suggested but still have the bubbles issue.
The clear looks good when dripped onto the insert but when it dries there are bubbles. I tried letting the clear sit in its container for a few minutes (even for a day, covered) and still get the same results. I've had to dremel out the clear and start over a couple of times.
One thing that I've noticed is that when I put the (plastic) eye dropper into the clear, the clear start to react by almost fizzing. Same with a wooden stick. So I let the clear sit over night in a little covered container and the next day the liquid was bubble free and didn't react to the wooden stick. So I applied it to the insert and still had bubbles when it dried. Temps were just over 70 degrees F.
Is there some kind of chemical reaction? I can't get naphtha in California so I've using alcohol to wipe down the playfield as I sand. Could that be causing it? Would mineral spirits be better? It also seems that tiny drops don't bubble but larger areas (insert size about 1") seems to have the problem.

Quoted from topkat:

Is there a problem doing the painting prior to any clear coat? I’d prefer to do the pf touch ups before starting the clear bc It ill be easier for me logistically. Just want to be sure there are no one has encountered issues proceeding in that order .

Quoted from epeabs:

I have used it several times over waterslide decals. Just a light dusting to lock it down and let dry. Then hit it a bit heavier. No problems whatsoever.

Quoted from koen12344:

I've been following this thread and especially the discussion around the PPE and safety precautions required to safely use the product. I always take a better safe than sorry approach to these kinds of things and would much rather listen to the guy that substantiates why N95 masks will only last 30 minutes when spraying clear, than the one that says "nah don't worry about it, you'll be okay".
It really worries me that this product is sold to unknowing hobbyists without any warnings or with incorrect PPE recommendations by the seller.

Quoted from durgee7:

Interesting. I was seriously thinking of installing the one with the clear vinyl film, then add a playfield protector...but I've read some posts that scare me into using clear. I wouldn't say it's mylar, but it does offer some protection...not mylar tough.

Quoted from durgee7:

Ugh, I see little raised spots or bubbles after waiting 4 days from spraying 2k on my bare playfield. I probably sprayed too close, or had it in the wrong environment. Hope I can wet sand and buff this surface to smooth.
[quoted image]

Quoted from durgee7:

It's about 4 applications over 2 hours, 30 minutes in between applications (layers or passes could be 20+), or 1 can. I already smoothed it out. Probably too many layers for this step.
I went ahead and wet sanded, followed by naptha, novus 2, and naptha again. Feels super smooth now. I'm still having difficulty polishing these 3 green inserts to a nice shine.
[quoted image]

Quoted from pinballinreno:

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?

Quoted from gdonovan:

True for all clearcoat I think.

Quoted from dr_nybble:

SprayMax 2K Glamour on sale at NAPA Canada -- $21.99 CDN
https://www.napacanada.com/en/p/MAX3680061?impressionRank=1&keywordInput=3680061

Quoted from Jappie:

I have a NOS playfield for my Gottlieb Striker that I will clearcoat using Spraymax 2k. I've cleaned the playfield with a magic sponge soaked in naphtha to make sure there aren't any spots that the Spraymax will not stick to. This made the playfield surface quite a bit rougher.
My question: do you guys think I need to sand the playfield before using Spraymax on it? The playfield paint is quite brittle and I'm afraid sanding it will cause damage, especially to the insert lines.
Very curious about your thoughts!

Quoted from pinballinreno:

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.

Quoted from Chrimeg:

Hmmm....What am I looking for in the die back? The playfield has been fully sanded and buffed smooth and ready for repopulation of components. Has been that way for 3 weeks with no change that I can see. Is there something else I'm looking for before waxing? Boy I hope I don't have to clearcoat again and re-level/buff before waxing. Essentially redo everything I just done over the past few months.
Sort of confused here now as I thought processes sanding flat between coats of clear then doing the final steps on the last coat. I could wait and buff and wax.
Does the clear do something with the level surface after 3/4 weeks that I need to do it over again? I don't want to start populating everything only to have to take it apart and redo.
Thanks for the info though as I was getting ready to prep the surface for parts and glad I didn't until I can find out what look for.

Quoted from pinballinreno:

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.