(Topic ID: 38065)

To "ME" or not to "ME"...**DONE THANKS!**

By Pafasa

11 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 247 posts
  • 35 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 10 years ago by Rat_Tomago
  • Topic is favorited by 5 Pinsiders

You

Linked Games

Topic poll

“Play it or dig deeper?”

  • It looks great an you do risk screwing it up! Play it!! 38 votes
    75%
  • I think the Magic Eraser will get the dirt out of those cracks. Dig deeper!! 13 votes
    25%

(51 votes)

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You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider rancegt.
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#42 11 years ago
Quoted from MikeO:

Since I'm on a roll, I was wondering if anyone else has noticed one other benefit of ME.
I've noticed on a couple of playfields I've use ME on where the paint was crazed and lifting at the crazed edges ever so slightly the ME appeared to both clean the dirt out of the cracks and cause the ever so slightly lifting edges to lay down.
Pafasa - if I didn't know better I would guess that you are seeing a bit of lifting crazed edges and it looks like they may have laid down some in the area you applied the ME. Am I seeing things?
Mike O.

A good cleaning with ME can remove about 25 microns of lacquer from the playfield (System 11 has about 100 microns total, EMs I don't know yet). My guess is that you're actually knocking down the high spots at the "crazed edges." Even though you're removing a little material, the net effect is probably positive because you're smoothing out the surface, which should reduce wear long term.

Cleaning ball swirls with ME leaves the cracks open, and there's a real potential for the same kind of dirt to fill back in over time. I think waxing will help reduce this, but I also think only clear-coat can prevent it from ever coming back. Using ME lightly across the entire playfield to remove surface dirt, and also smooth out the surface, seems like a reasonable compromise that is likely to minimize future wear.

#53 11 years ago
Quoted from Pafasa:

Don't know why my posts keep showing up double. Only happens when trying to post pics. Here's some more.

When you click "Upload" it also posts. If you're clicking "Upload" and then "Send post" it might post double.

#55 11 years ago

If there's a size limit I haven't run into it. Since my background is technical support I'm required to say, "It sounds like a problem on your end." Have you tried another browser/are you using the most current version of your browser?

#58 11 years ago
Quoted from Pafasa:

Does it matter that I log in with my mac and also with my iphone. Sometimes they are both on at the same time.

Being logged into both shouldn't matter. We should probably just blame Apple and call it a day.

#62 11 years ago
Quoted from Pafasa:

Now you sound like my company's IT department.

I don't work IT, but one of the reasons I got my wife an iPad was to reduce the level of tech support required. Either way, I still know a funny joke when I see one.

You now have the appearance of someone working on a game that he really likes. It's funny how some machines are always grabbing you to do "one more thing" and other machines you do the basics and move on. I've even had this experience on games that aren't mine and so I'm basically donating hours of free labor to the game because I love it. For some games I can't find the time to work on them, and for other games there's never enough time.

1 week later
#127 11 years ago

OK thanks!
One more question:
When you guys say "ME and alcohol", does this mean you dip the ME sponge in alcohol instead of water?

I use one of these wash bottles. Occasionally I can find higher than 91% isopropyl alcohol, but I use 91% with no problems.

http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Tattoo-Cleaning-Plastic-Squeeze/dp/B008ASY406/ref=sr_1_1

31FnN7flakL._SL500_AA300_[1].jpg31FnN7flakL._SL500_AA300_[1].jpg

#130 11 years ago
Quoted from Prmailers:

Pafasa, you can get the crushed walnut media at petco or petsmart. It's in the reptile section.

People polish their reptiles? TIL.

#140 11 years ago
Quoted from Pafasa:

I have heard that walnut with novus2 is good for step one with metal parts and then follow with corncob for high polish. Corncob only for plastic parts. Not really sure about reptiles. I have a few garder snakes in my wood pile......test subjects?

I would use corn cob on wet reptiles and walnut on dry ones and see how that works.

#152 11 years ago
Quoted from Pafasa:

Thanks for all the info. I have equally no access to either store. An hour or more drive to each. I will check petco online. Compare them to harbor freight. Ill get me some flitz too!

As usual, Amazon Prime to the rescue. Free two day delivery. It never matters if I forget something and have to order twice because it's always free two day delivery. I wish Pinball Life would sign up through Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11442-Ground-English-5-Quart/dp/B001OVGPH6/ref=sr_1_1

#156 11 years ago
Quoted from Pafasa:

25 lbs of walnut from Harbor Freight is $19 and change before $6 shipping for the order. I ordered lots of other stuff so shipping is relatively cheap.
Looked at the amazon link and unless you buy the 50Qt bag the price is cheaper by weight. The 50Qt bag doesnt seem to be as much of a value to me. What do you guys think?

Amazon is calling their 25qt bag 30lbs for $18.69. But this isn't about just price. Amazon delivers in TWO DAYS. I don't like to wait for stuff, and I'll pay one or two dollars to have it faster.

#168 11 years ago
Quoted from Skybug:

You have to pay for the Prime membership, though.

This is true, but much of what I buy on Amazon would require a forty minute drive round trip. I think the math works just with saved gas, but the convenience is worth it anyway.

#204 11 years ago
Quoted from Skybug:

Just wondering if I could've done less harm to my playfield if I went with concentrated Simple Green, as opposed to 91% alcohol. I messed up the beach ball pretty good.

One of the things to understand about the Magic Eraser is that you're goal is to make the swirl marks less obvious. You won't be able to eliminate them without adding paint or clearcoat. If you try to remove 100% of the swirl marks you may damage the playfield, as you've already figured out.

As has already been said, it's a good idea to stand in the player's position and ask, "Can I live with this?" before you go too far.

#205 11 years ago
Quoted from Skybug:

Hi,
I used diluted Simple Green, sprayed on a cloth, then wiped on the PF (as that's what I thought it said here to do). Then I used ME with alcohol (step 2). They each got some dirt off, the alcohol more so. I skipped step 3, Novus 2, as I'm nervous about using a product for plastics on something that's not plastic. Then I put carnauba wax on it.
BTW I tried the wax - just for a second - on my flaking paint on my backbox. It took off more flecks of paint. How can I keep the paint from flaking any more, like is there a spray wax or something?
Thank you!

If the paint is flaking off it's already de-laminated from the backbox. If it's clean, you could potentially clearcoat it and lock the paint in place. Sometimes people will use Krylon Triple Thick to lock in flaking paint on a backglass.

If the paint is dirty, anything you do to clean it will flake more paint off and you'll have to touch up the cabinet sooner or later.

#208 11 years ago
Quoted from Skybug:

Thank you. I should have been more clear about my flaking paint; it's not on the backglass, but on the side of the backbox. Do you think triple-thick would work there, for now, until I paint it?

I thought it was clear. I think the Triple Thick would probably lock the paint in place, but I don't know anything about how it would look.

#211 11 years ago
Quoted from stashyboy:

I use a light coat of semi-gloss spray Varathane over my cabinet touch ups (actually several light coats) It looks pretty close to the original sheen of the factory laquer after 30-40 years.

But what if we don't have 30-40 years to see what it looks like?

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