(Topic ID: 220072)

Vids Guide Hardtop Restoration: Comet

By vid1900

5 years ago


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    #138 5 years ago

    Newbie here...looking for some guidance. I'm prepping my Mata Hari playfield for a hardtop install. I've got the inserts and surrounding areas sanded down, but also had to sand an area near/under the apron to get rid of a blemish on the art that the hardtop will replace. That sanded area is a bit whiter than the rest of the wood area. I put some napthia on it, and it looked ok before it evaporated so I sprayed some Krylon clear on it. Look pretty good for a few hours, but overnight it was back to slightly white again. Some of this wood area will be seen thru the hard top, so I want it to look ok.

    How do I remedy this? I'm thinking I'll need to:

    1 - Sand all of the areas of natural wood so it's consistent. What grit do I use on my orbital sander to do this? 220?
    2 - Apply polyurethane. I'm not equipped (equipment or skillz) for 2PAC so I'm hoping I can get away with poly in a rattle can. Which one? Minwax semi-gloss oil based ok?
    3 - I'm assuming the wood will look not white/a bit yellowy after drying, correct?
    4 - After applying poly, do I sand again? What grit?
    5 - Next step then is spraying clear? I'm using Krylon Colormaxx General Purpose Flat Crystal Clear Spray. Would something else be recommended?
    6 - After clear cures, sand again? What grit?

    Thank you....

    IMG_6344-2.jpgIMG_6344-2.jpg
    2 months later
    #146 4 years ago
    Quoted from Jordanloveslegos:

    Hey guys!
    Just bought a new Firepower hardtop and had a quick question. All of the inserts are aligned properly to each other, but I am getting some fairly substantial misalignment on holes in some areas. Mainly the slings and a few areas on light sockets on the upper playfield. Should I email the guys who make the hardtop to see if they have run into this issue before? Also if I were to modify the hardtop back into alignment what would be the best tool to use?

    Hardtops will not align 100%. Best/only thing to do is make absolutely sure that the inserts line up as perfect as possible, and then open up the mis-aligned holes. I used a dremel tool but I know some people have used xacto knives.

    When I did my Mata Hari a few months ago, the inserts lined up perfectly. I had to widen about 12-15 holes for various posts and such, and actually had to create 2 holes in the hardtop that did not exist. It was nerve wracking at first, but after doing the first few holes it was easy. And I couldn't be more pleased with how it came out.

    This is not the hardtop makers fault. With variances on the playfield manufacturing line in the 70's and 80's, not to mention in some cases different manufacturing lines altogether, it's a rare thing for two playfields side by side to have the exact some hole locations.

    #149 4 years ago
    Quoted from Jordanloveslegos:

    Okay thanks for the tip! But with 80% of my holes being out when my inserts are all lined up, would it be easier to epoxy all the old holes and drill new ones where the hardtop says they should go?

    That sounds like A LOT of work...doesn't seem easier to me. How far off are your holes? Some of mine where spot-on, but most were only "close" and I had to use a dremel to open up the hole in the hardtop. There were about 4 that were totally off (the playfield holes that hold the apron bracket). For those, I just used the holes in the hardtop and screwed directly into the playfield. The hardtop artwork covered up the original playfield holes so I didn't bother to fill those in.

    Here are a couple of pictures as I started the dremel work. If you zoom in, you can see lots of examples of the offsetting holes in the apron area.

    After HT Test Fit.JPGAfter HT Test Fit.JPGIMG_6494.jpgIMG_6494.jpg
    1 year later
    #157 2 years ago
    Quoted from dq13:

    Should the holes in the hardtop be drilled out so all posts sit flush with the original playfield wood? Or is it pending which posts sit on wood and some sit on the hardtop. I know it was mentioned that screwing in posts too tight could lift the hardtop; just confirming the correct methodology.

    Based on my experience, I would say no, there's no reason to add that complexity to an install and actually increase the potential for causing cosmetic damage to the hardtop. The mention of screwing in posts too tight causing hardtop lifts was, IMO, just another idea to explain the rash of hardtop failures last year on EBD and other titles. Those instances of hardtop failures were eventually root caused down to a manufacturing issue with the adhesive (OE's ink supplier changed the formula without consulting OE). It took several months to get to the bottom of those failures, but it has been corrected.

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