(Topic ID: 33446)

Vid's Guide to Ultimate Playfield Restoration

By vid1900

11 years ago


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There are 8,768 posts in this topic. You are on page 108 of 176.
#5351 6 years ago

If the playfield is done stinking, you can wax it.

I usually use a small Brad Point drill bit, by hand, to cut through the nearby clear before I pound in the wire ball guides.

#5352 6 years ago
Quoted from DropTarget:

I do have a few questions, the first has been answered in the topic, but I've seen conflicting thoughts. When do you suggest waxing? Obviously I want to wax before populating the pf. I've seen some people that say wax after polishing, and others that say wait a few weeks for outgassing. The shop that shot the clear says tells their customers that it's safe to wax almost right away as they use an oven to cure the 2pac.

The simple answer to this is... when you decide to populate the playfield. Waxing a bare playfield takes just minutes... and total time including waiting, buffing, cleaning is probably less than a 45mins... where 20-30 mins of that may just be letting the wax setup while you go do something else.

So really there is no need to rush to do it. The far more critical/risky behavior is when you goto populate the playfield and crank down those posts, drill holes, etc. So decide what guidance you want to follow for that.. and just dedicate the hour before you do that, to wax the PF.

And EMs are so wide open, and waxing the BALL TRAVEL area is the important part.. you can always do more layers afterwards. Waxing the barren playfield is all about making it easier to clean and buff (with a machine)... not about a better wax job really.

That's my advise... decide how long you want to let it to cure before populating... then wax at that time.

#5353 6 years ago

Thanks Vid & Flynnibus,

It stopped stinking. The smell must be me!

Do you glue in the guides or just pound them in?

BTW... I just picked up a variable speed sander/polisher from Harbor Freight, on sale for 39 bucks.

#5354 6 years ago

Thanks Vid! I have almost all Dewalt items.

#5355 6 years ago
Quoted from phototamer:

I use lacquer dry flakes dissolved in 96 percent alcohol, or IPA ( isopropyl alcohol ) (about 1 part flakes to 4 parts alcohol ) and get the desired tone by repeating passes of the mixture on the wood surface .

Vid, all I could find are shellac flakes. Is that the same thing? Do you use waxed or unwaxed flakes?

Thx

#5356 6 years ago

Use de-waxed shellac

#5357 6 years ago
Quoted from DropTarget:

Do you glue in the guides or just pound them in?

No glue needed.

#5358 6 years ago

How long does it take to heat set Createx paint using a hair dryer? Once set is it possible to scrub it off with a wet rag?

#5359 6 years ago
Quoted from DropTarget:

Hi all,
As per Vid's recommendations for polishing an em pf, I just buffed and polished my Mini Pool.
Afterwards, all I could do was stand and stare at it. I think I mumbled some exclamations which shall not be repeated here! I can even almost overlook the mistakes that I made during the process so far, although one of them is really bugging me. It does look great though. Thank you for all of the help and encouragement.
I do have a few questions, the first has been answered in the topic, but I've seen conflicting thoughts. When do you suggest waxing? Obviously I want to wax before populating the pf. I've seen some people that say wax after polishing, and others that say wait a few weeks for outgassing. The shop that shot the clear says tells their customers that it's safe to wax almost right away as they use an oven to cure the 2pac.
Another question is, and I'm sure this has been answered to, and I'm sure that I bookmarked the page, but my computer crashed and I lost a bunch of info, how to reinstall metal ball guides.
Yet one more question......Vid, when do you have time for anything else? You have so many topics on Pinside, and are responsive to all of them. I'm sure I speak for the community when I say thank you.
-W

Nice job start to finish.

#5360 6 years ago
Quoted from DropTarget:

Hi all,
As per Vid's recommendations for polishing an em pf, I just buffed and polished my Mini Pool.
Afterwards, all I could do was stand and stare at it. I think I mumbled some exclamations which shall not be repeated here! I can even almost overlook the mistakes that I made during the process so far, although one of them is really bugging me. It does look great though. Thank you for all of the help and encouragement.
I do have a few questions, the first has been answered in the topic, but I've seen conflicting thoughts. When do you suggest waxing? Obviously I want to wax before populating the pf. I've seen some people that say wax after polishing, and others that say wait a few weeks for outgassing. The shop that shot the clear says tells their customers that it's safe to wax almost right away as they use an oven to cure the 2pac.
Another question is, and I'm sure this has been answered to, and I'm sure that I bookmarked the page, but my computer crashed and I lost a bunch of info, how to reinstall metal ball guides.
Yet one more question......Vid, when do you have time for anything else? You have so many topics on Pinside, and are responsive to all of them. I'm sure I speak for the community when I say thank you.
-W

Hey man, that really came out nice! I am glad that you are happy with the result! I, too, can always find SOMETHING else that I should have done...but at some point, you need to be ok with it as it is.

#5361 6 years ago
Quoted from SteveinTexas:

Nice job start to finish.

Thank you

#5362 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Use de-waxed shellac

Thanks.

#5363 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Use de-waxed shellac

Thanks, Vid. I learned something new.

#5364 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

If the playfield is done stinking, you can wax it.
I usually use a small Brad Point drill bit, by hand, to cut through the nearby clear before I pound in the wire ball guides.

I bought a 1/8" brad bit, not to be confused with a Brad Pitt. It works to remove the clearcoat around the hole, but not large enough to remove the area where the tang on the wire guides will enter the pf. I don't want to crack the clear, is the 1/8" satisfactory, or should I get a larger bit that will allow the tang to enter the pf without going through the clearcoat then just live with that area uncleared?

(was that coherent?)

#5365 6 years ago

and, oh yes......I'm missing parts!!!!! I was so careful to lay everything out and label all the parts, now I can't find some of the under pf hardware. They'll turn up, but so frustrating. There's a moral for everyone else somewhere in that.

Update, I found 2 of the three missing parts, which is weird. They were in a Home Depot bag, all three should be together.....

oh well 2 down, 1 to go.

#5366 6 years ago
Quoted from La_Porta:

Hey man, that really came out nice! I am glad that you are happy with the result! I, too, can always find SOMETHING else that I should have done...but at some point, you need to be ok with it as it is.

It's funny, the part that is bugging me wasn't a mistake It's the little light blue rectangle that's on the pool player's green pants, next to the pool cue. It just doesn't look right to me, I thought that I messed that up, but it's like that on the original art. Still doesn't look right to me though.

#5367 6 years ago
Quoted from Silverstreak02:

How long does it take to heat set Createx paint using a hair dryer? Once set is it possible to scrub it off with a wet rag?

Less than a minute.

Once you heat set, it's not coming off with a rag.

#5368 6 years ago
Quoted from DropTarget:

I bought a 1/8" brad bit, not to be confused with a Brad Pitt. It works to remove the clearcoat around the hole, but not large enough to remove the area where the tang on the wire guides will enter the pf. I don't want to crack the clear, is the 1/8" satisfactory, or should I get a larger bit that will allow the tang to enter the pf without going through the clearcoat then just live with that area uncleared?
(was that coherent?)

If the tang hits the clear, it's going to crack.

You can cut the notches with an Xacto, or just get rid of the tangs with a vise.

#5369 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

If the tang hits the clear, it's going to crack.
You can cut the notches with an Xacto, or just get rid of the tangs with a vise.

Thx

#5370 6 years ago

Vid,
Opinions and thoughts as to how to remove the silver paint which someone thoughtfully masked and painted over the gold. I dont really want to sand and repaint gold and would like to save the original but if needed Ill mask and paint. There's enough paint under the arch that i can try a few chemical/physical methods to remove it.

Thanks,
Jeff

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#5371 6 years ago

Might not be a restoration question, but I thought if anyone know what I should do it would the guys hanging around in here.

On my WCS I got some small cracks, see photos. Not the best, but it was the best I could get. Small cracks in two diffrent areas, both close to each other though.
If I touche them I can feel some texture, but seems like the cracks are under the first layer rather than on the top of the playfield.

So what should I do, if anything? Mylar?

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#5372 6 years ago
Quoted from way2wyrd:

Vid,
Opinions and thoughts as to how to remove the silver paint which someone thoughtfully masked and painted over the gold. I dont really want to sand and repaint gold and would like to save the original but if needed Ill mask and paint. There's enough paint under the arch that i can try a few chemical/physical methods to remove it.
Thanks,
Jeff

try mean green maximum strength. I've had success with it taking paint off of cabinets ,but leaving the original printing in tact.

#5373 6 years ago
Quoted from CaptainNeo:

try mean green maximum strength. I've had success with it taking paint off of cabinets ,but leaving the original printing in tact.

Thanks Neo. Qtips and I'll try a spot

#5374 6 years ago

Should the frisket film be high tack or low tack? I bought high tack and immediately felt uncomfortable. It *worked* but I think I am going to get some low tack now. I removed the high tack stuff with a hairdryer as an assist to loosen it out of fear.

Also I have a couple questions about heat setting and mistakes. Vid, you've mentioned that you can wipe away any paint that hasn't set, but if we're sanding the playfield before airbrushing, doesn't that create a somewhat rough surface on which to paint? Meaning it is porous enough that the wiped-up wet paint is going to stick pretty well to a roughed up surface?

Also, you have mentioned about knocking down edges of airbrushed surfaces to prevent raised edges - what is the best way to do this? What is the best way to clean up the paint dust left on the playfield? Should it just be a dry brush? Air? Naphtha or any other liquid seems kinda scary to use on newly-painted surfaces, even if it is set dry with heat. At the same time I'd be afraid that any method of clean up could potentially drive the sanded paint dust into unpainted surfaces of the playfield.

I know that airbrushing should be locked in with clear, but should it always be done between colors? Can an entre playfield be airbrushed without a clear coat between colors? What about colors that are right next to (or on top of) each other? Can low tack frisket be stuck onto painted surfaces?

Thanks!

#5375 6 years ago

Here's one.....

I'm repopulating my pf. As a result of the clearcoating, the holes for the pop bumpers are snug so the rods are binding a bit. Would you suggest taking a round file to the holes or a different solution?

TIA
-W

#5376 6 years ago
Quoted from DropTarget:

Here's one.....
I'm repopulating my pf. As a result of the clearcoating, the holes for the pop bumpers are snug so the rods are binding a bit. Would you suggest taking a round file to the holes or a different solution?
TIA
-W

i'd take an exacto knife, put it in the hole and ream it out along the edges. Takes about 15 seconds to do all the pop holes.

#5377 6 years ago

So say I am heating an insert to then C clamp it back into position and re-epoxy (this one just came in and I am looking to get it playable... will resto and clear coat later with new inserts at a later date). Everything I read says to 'use a heat gun'... but has anyone noted a good temperature to operate at? My heat gun is variable, and I'd like to set it as exact as possible.

Thanks.

#5378 6 years ago

i've never had success with heat guns and inserts. If they are loose enough to pop out with your finger. Do it, apply glue in the wood part edge of the hole and put the insert back in. Use to flat blocks and C clamp it in. If it's not, go from the back, put glue along the edge, between the bevel and the plastic edge, then clamp down.

#5379 6 years ago
Quoted from Wiggy:

Might not be a restoration question, but I thought if anyone know what I should do it would the guys hanging around in here.
On my WCS I got some small cracks, see photos. Not the best, but it was the best I could get. Small cracks in two diffrent areas, both close to each other though.
If I touche them I can feel some texture, but seems like the cracks are under the first layer rather than on the top of the playfield.
So what should I do, if anything? Mylar?

Personally, what I would do is mix some acrylic that matches where you have cracks and see if I can get it in, then wipe the excess. Then wax and Mylar.

#5380 6 years ago
Quoted from arolden:

Well, I was thrown off because Vid recommended Createx specifically because it did not change colour when dry.
Is Createx still recommended at all for playfield repairs? If it does not dry the same colour, I cannot think of a reason to use it over other good quality water-based paints.

Isn't it a better idea to mask the entire area and paint everything anyway?

#5381 6 years ago
Quoted from CaptainNeo:

i'd take an exacto knife, put it in the hole and ream it out along the edges. Takes about 15 seconds to do all the pop holes.

Thanks, There's only one pop bumper.

#5382 6 years ago
Quoted from alexmogil:

Should the frisket film be high tack or low tack?

Always buy low tack.

#5383 6 years ago
Quoted from alexmogil:

Also I have a couple questions about heat setting and mistakes. Vid, you've mentioned that you can wipe away any paint that hasn't set, but if we're sanding the playfield before airbrushing, doesn't that create a somewhat rough surface on which to paint? Meaning it is porous enough that the wiped-up wet paint is going to stick pretty well to a roughed up surface?

You want a **rough** surface, so the paint has some tooth.

If you spill black paint across your rough white field, you probably won't be just wiping it up with a damp cloth...

Quoted from alexmogil:

Also, you have mentioned about knocking down edges of airbrushed surfaces to prevent raised edges - what is the best way to do this?

Take some old, worn 800 grit scraps and knock the edges off.

Quoted from alexmogil:

What is the best way to clean up the paint dust left on the playfield?

ShopVac.

Quoted from alexmogil:

Naphtha or any other liquid seems kinda scary to use on newly-painted surfaces, even if it is set dry with heat.

Try Naphtha to prove it to yourself, it won't hurt it at all.

Quoted from alexmogil:

I know that airbrushing should be locked in with clear, but should it always be done between colors? Can an entre playfield be airbrushed without a clear coat between colors? What about colors that are right next to (or on top of) each other? Can low tack frisket be stuck onto painted surfaces?

There is no hard and fast rule.

I lock down paint that is going to be frisketed, otherwise it could get lifted.

If you shoot a bunch of white areas, they will get dirty if you don't seal it.

#5384 6 years ago
Quoted from statictrance:

So say I am heating an insert to then C clamp it back into position and re-epoxy (this one just came in and I am looking to get it playable... will resto and clear coat later with new inserts at a later date). Everything I read says to 'use a heat gun'... but has anyone noted a good temperature to operate at? My heat gun is variable, and I'd like to set it as exact as possible.

If you are new to it, just start with a hair dryer.

If it's too hot to touch, you are probably going to melt it.

#5385 6 years ago
Quoted from Wiggy:

Might not be a restoration question, but I thought if anyone know what I should do it would the guys hanging around in here.
On my WCS I got some small cracks, see photos. Not the best, but it was the best I could get. Small cracks in two diffrent areas, both close to each other though.
If I touche them I can feel some texture, but seems like the cracks are under the first layer rather than on the top of the playfield.
So what should I do, if anything? Mylar?

This type of damage seems to be really common in pop bumper areas. I see it all the time on early 2000's Sterns. I have two Stern's from that era with the same damage, both in the pop areas due to mylar never being installed.

#5386 6 years ago

Is Mequires fine-cut cleaner the right product to try and remove the swirls from using Novus2 on this SBM clear? I applied the Novus2 with a single speed buffer using a HF "terry cloth" and found many swirl marks. Should I have used a wool applicator?
I'm trying to find a product I can get from local sources so as not to have to wait for another Amazon two day delivery, I would like to start repolulating this playfield this weekend.
But also don't want to take shortcuts!

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#5387 6 years ago
Quoted from CaptainNeo:

i've never had success with heat guns and inserts. If they are loose enough to pop out with your finger. Do it, apply glue in the wood part edge of the hole and put the insert back in. Use to flat blocks and C clamp it in. If it's not, go from the back, put glue along the edge, between the bevel and the plastic edge, then clamp down.

Neo - Thank you so much for chiming in. So far Alpha through Golf are reseated on this F14 without any issue using the flat oak and C Clamp method. Time will tell if the epoxy will be enough to hold it; but there's an above average chance this one makes it to a full tear down in the 1-3 year future even if it doesn't. Now to moving all the boards around to get the other dozen or so that are raised.

#5388 6 years ago
Quoted from Atari_Daze:

Is Mequires fine-cut cleaner the right product to try and remove the swirls from using Novus2 on this SBM clear? I applied the Novus2 with a single speed buffer using a HF "terry cloth" and found many swirl marks. Should I have used a wool applicator?

Novus2 usually does not leave any swirls.

Did some crap get caught in the terry bonnet? THAT will make some swirls.

Put some Novus2 on a paper towel and try to rub the swirls out of a 2x2" area.

#5389 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Did some crap get caught in the terry bonnet? THAT will make some swirls.

Only if it was on the bonnet from the factory, as I wiped the playfield down with naptha twice before buffing. I'll try your paper towel suggestion and report back, as always, thanks for your support!

#5390 6 years ago

I hate cold weather. I really miss being able to clear coat.

#5391 6 years ago

One additional point, see all the pits in the clearcoat? If this was a $$$$ job, you would go back to sanding, and sand those out - THEN polish.

At least the spot the pits are in, are kinda obscured from the player.

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#5392 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

see all the pits in the clearcoat?

Should I lay down more clear and keep sanding, I didn't want to sand through the clear I had already shot?
I think I have just enough for another coat.

#5393 6 years ago
Quoted from Atari_Daze:

Should I lay down more clear and keep sanding, I didn't want to sand through the clear I had already shot?
I think I have just enough for another coat.

If you are unsure of the thickness of the clear, just gently hand sand to get the pits out.

#5394 6 years ago

Vid,

I'm doing a rollercoaster tycoon that was HUO but never shopped. When stripping the play field I noticed many of the play field metals (especially screws) had white powdery corrosion (no rust) on them that I have previously seen in a Cleopatra that had been improperly stored for 25 years. The game also seemed to have a faint vinigary smell similar to battery corrosion that I was never able to pinpoint. It has since faded during the course of the restore. The game however, had only a very minor amount of battery alkaline corrosion on the board. It was local to the battery holder and was easy to cleanup, neutralize, and repair. No where near enough to account for the faint odor the whole game had before being aired out, or to account for the corrosion on the metals.

Any idea what could have caused the metal corrosion? It should clean up fine in the tumbler but does it sound like anything to be concerned about? I intend to clearcoat the play field and would like to avoid surprises if someone else's experience could warn of future troubles.

#5395 6 years ago

usually games near oceans get this salt air corrosion. I've seen some that were really bad and some that turned all that white to rust.

#5396 6 years ago
Quoted from McSquid:

Any idea what could have caused the metal corrosion?

Like Neo says, the ocean air corrodes everything.

Other things:

Being stored in an unconditioned space (garage, cellar)

Being **cleaned** with caustic chemicals

Being stored near a battery charger

#5397 6 years ago

While this is somewhat outside of play fields, how does one go about restoring brushed metal parts, such as coin doors? To my knowledge, sanding and buffing will just produce a mirror: the brush strokes will disappear. Is there a way to maintain or recreate them?

#5398 6 years ago
Quoted from La_Porta:

While this is somewhat outside of play fields, how does one go about restoring brushed metal parts, such as coin doors? To my knowledge, sanding and buffing will just produce a mirror: the brush strokes will disappear. Is there a way to maintain or recreate them?

We might want to start a metal working restore thread and link to it here. My experiments with this broke down to attempting to get a mirror look and not being quite happy with it. Hammered door dents out, door looked awesome but not enough of a mirror. So I tried various things and settled on 100 grit (sounds rough I know) stroked in very straight lines to get the depth of cut I wanted. Followed that with 600 grit wet (again straight), to knock down the 100 grit texture. Final result was perfect with a slightly finer brush finish than original but much nicer looking. Total 100 and 600 grit time was maybe 10 minutes versus hours of making the mirror finish.

#5399 6 years ago
Quoted from BJM-Maxx:

finer brush finish than original but much nicer looking.

Probably easier to maintain and will hide the imperfections better than a mirror finish.

#5400 6 years ago

There are zillions of brushed metal finishing videos.

Practice on scrap or the backside, before you make a mess on your good parts

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