Thank you for clarifying. What you describe makes sense to me now.

For the remaining 4 inserts, I'm guessing I should sand the tops prior to epoxying them in place? To be honest, the only reason I did not sand the tops in the first place was because I didn't want to lose the glossy new shine off of the top of the insert (since I'm not clear coating).

This first one was a definite, "oh crap" moment for me.

Wow. That does look good. Thanks very much!

Hmmmm no sorry, Pinside told me I shouldn't use Novus on plastic.
Yes...I know....

The Novus line of products are primarily designed for plastic repairs and maintenance.

I am reporting back after receiving advice from vid1900 on how to level out my insert. I would just like to say I was skeptical and scared shitless to try this. Running a razor blade across a playfield is usually something reserved for my nightmares.

I used 4 pieces of cello tape around the insert and a brand new razor blade. 90 degree angle. I applied enough pressure that the blade bent slightly as I dragged it across the insert. I paid close attention to the edges of the razor. I figured if any part of the blade was going to dig in by accident it would be the edges.

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I could immediately tell it was helping. Red shavings poured off the insert. I wiped the blade down constantly. As I went, I learned that going in one direction was not going to create flush sides all around. I started to come at the insert clockwise. 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock and so on. This allowed the razor blade to start on a different side of the insert every time. I applied the most pressure to the center of the utility blade, but not too much.

As I saw the razor blade shave off the top layers of cello tape I replaced it. In total, I replaced the tape 4-5 times. The razor blade I replaced 3 times. I also rotated the razor blade so I always had a sharp edge going. Out of the 3 new blades I used, the 2nd one proved to be the sharpest. I actually went back to it from the 3rd blade. It just goes to show you manufacturing quality isn't always equal.

All this to say THANK YOU VID!

It worked! Here is the after photo. I used Novus 1 to shine it up a bit. I didn't want to use Novus 2 fearing it would gunk up the insert. The camera picks up a slight edge, but it is not noticeable when you run your finger over it and the ball is unaffected by it. Only 4 more to go! I've learned my lesson. I will sand the next 4.

THANK YOU!

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I'm doing a playfield swap on a Warlok for a client currently; the original playfield is pretty far gone, but somehow the owner found a NOS factory reject playfield. So, warlok being a pretty scarce title, it was decided that it was worth the effort to fix up the NOS playfield and get this game back up and running.
There have been some white-knuckle moments on this; worst of all the absence of a number of key playfield location dimples, such as the return lanes. I had to make a map on tracing paper (or in my case, my wife's parchment paper for baking) and transfer the locations of the holes. But, that's another story for a different thread.

The main problems with the playfield were a large halftone area which was smeared, and a misalignment problem in the center of the playfield. IMG_5578 (resized).JPG

Doing a gradient in pshop and transforming it to halftone would have been terrific if it had worked. Unfortunately, even though the result looked great on screen, when I printed it out it expressed the gradient in sort of "bars" of dots, rather than an even gradation of halftoning. So, I did what anybody with an obsessive personality would do, went out and purchased a stylus pad for the computer so that I could use a pressure sensitive halftone brush tool to create the effect "by hand".
Those brush tools are touchy and it is pretty hard to get exactly what you're after when you are trying to mimic an existing effect. Much more usable when you just need to add a halftone to an illustration.But, after many MANY attempts, I did manage to get one that is a decent mimic of the original gradient. IMG_5577 (resized).JPG

The only downside is that the brush tool's minimum dot size isn't as fine as the original silkscreen halftone dots, so if you really want to go busting my balls over something, there you have it. But, in this case, there is a gate where my decal ends, as well as a lot of other playfield obstructions to distract the eye. Knowing when to call it is, I am learning, part of the art of doing this sort of work.

One approach to this would be to mask and airbrush over the "swoop" with a yellow base, clear over that, and then do a clear waterslide decal of the halftones. I am trying to minimize the amount of steps required, and so have been working more and more with opaque white decals and full color printing in Illustrator. Most of the work takes place at the computer, then it's just a matter of cutting the decal out and applying it. (though there's never any "just" about it ) IMG_6033 (resized).jpg

If I was being fancy I would have had the vinyl cutter cut out the decal, but for this I just used scissors. For the keylining around the "collect bonus" insert, I just positioned the dry decal, drew a circle with a circle template, and cut it out with an xacto knife. IMG_6041 (resized).JPG

The final result looked better than I imagined it would. IMG_6042 (resized).JPG

Next issue was differently challenging; the center playfield art's misalignment and insert movement made things a bit messy and cried out to be repaired. Honestly, if this kind of defect were located anywhere but *right under the player's nose*, I might have just done a cursory touchup with a Molotow paint pen and been done with it. But no such luck. IMG_6011 (resized).JPG

Again, one approach here would be to mask off and spray a new yellow base, and mask off and spray fresh black, and then clear, and then do a waterslide for the numbers on the yellow field. (the raised insert creates a blemish on the yellow under the "4,000") But that wouldn't address the defects in the colored stripes. I could have made a bunch of masks on the vinyl cutter and laid down a bunch of airbrush paint, but I'm not convinced that would have looked very good. And, again, I'm trying to minimize my steps. IMG_5574 (resized).JPG

So, I used photoshop to touch up the image and isolated each color onto its own layer. That way I could bleed over making sure there were no "voids" in the coverage - I spent some time with the drawing pad and the brush tool. Then I exported the file to Illustrator where I could convert each layer to raster format, making for a smoother image all around, since raster isn't pixel-based. IMG_6043 (resized).JPG IMG_6044 (resized).JPG IMG_6045 (resized).JPG

The fun part comes when you have to color match your scan to your laser printer. Trial and error are pretty much it. I've gotten better at predicting which Pantone value will get me in the ballpark; then it's just a matter of making test prints until you arrive at a color match you don't hate and can live with. (Once those values are established, you can use them anywhere on the playfield, or for making your own repro plastics if you need to - keep the colors consistent, like they were from the silk screener.)

My work was complicated by the fact that my scans of the area didn't include this whole region in one shot - I had to stitch the image together. It didn't occur to me that stitching can mess up to 1 proportion of the scan until I had cut my first "final" decal and applied it. It was slightly too small! So, I had to measure the actual image height with a ruler on the playfield, then adjust the image size in Illustrator manually. That was a drag. Fortunately, it worked and I didn't have to make a new scan and start all over again.

Another complication (and I'd love some advice on this if anybody has some insight) is that I wasn't able to use the vinyl cutter on this. This decal is a perfect application, too, as it has "windows" that need to be cut out for the inserts behind it. But, in order to use the cutter, you have to print from the cutter's software. For whatever reason, despite embedding the color profile when I exported to TIFF, the prints I got using Silhouette's software threw the color way off. So...I got out a fresh xacto knife and put on 2 pairs of reading glasses.

It worked.

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And this is why it's nice to have you back, Vid! (Just wish I'd brought it up earlier )

I did, and will again once it’s done so there’s a version with cleaned up art. Yeah, it’s a rare one. Very cool game, too, I’ll be excited to get it finished up and playing 110%. Best of all, the owner plans to open a pinball arcade eventually, so pinheads will be able to enjoy it on location. That makes doing projects for him a real pleasure.

Fantastic thread for Pro's and Noob's alike! A question on cabinet decals if anyone has the time. I noticed that a cabinet decal i did shrunk by about 1-2mm after about 6 months of being applied (or maybe it was a day and i just didn't notice) but I am wondering if clear coating a freshly decal'ed cabinet would "lock" it in and offer some UV and damage protection or if clear coating decal'ed cabinets has a hidden trap?

Thanks for the advice Vid. I had not even considered ink run from the vinyl, although it seems obvious now you have pointed it out.. and vinyl melting!? would like to avoid that for sure! I will do a test run on the coin door cut away before deciding to go ahead with it. I am only considering it as i sourced some cabinet decals and they are much lighter and thinner than the last supplier i used. Worried they won't take much punishment and wanted to make them handle a bit more wear and tear.

Hi vid1900.
Thanks for being an awesome resource.
How do I go about restoring wood around a kick-out saucer?

Problem: My Grand Slam pinball second base saucer kick-out hole is wearing out around the sides of the circle. When I shoot straight up the middle to hit the roto-target the ball takes a dip in the second base saucer kick-out hole and gets diverted from hitting the roto-target.

Then I guess next question would be best advice for trying to match paint.

Thanks and Happy Holidays Everyone!

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Hoping to wind back the clock on a Twister pinball ramp with some weld on #3 and a syringe.. the damage is well under way but not yet catastrophic. Just hoping the capillary action alone will draw the solvent into the crack. Any advice is welcomed as i have not done this before. I was also planing to flame polish (another first) but logic is telling me this should only be done after the repair to give the glue a better chance of being drawn into the crack..although i am also wondering is #3 may not take kindly heat treatment post repair?

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I have not heard of using weld-on for ramps.
Please report back how well it works

True enough Vid! Don't want to press my luck as it is already looking quite nice after some Novus 2 as is. I will post how the weld-on performs, learnings or failures once its done. I didn't picture them but this ramp has 2 stainless steel protectors.

Will do. There was a 5yo thread somewhere on using this weld on #3 on ramp hairline cracks around a screw fastening point. Looked to work well as long as the solvent is drawn in and you don't flood it/get too much run off to other areas of the ramp. They inserted the screw and applied solvent allowing the screw to help draw it in to the fine cracks before removal and allowing to cure. This is a bit different. Hopefully it works!

You mean vector not raster.

A quick before and after. This stuff has an amazing capillary action. A more experienced repairer may have gotten a better result but i am happy enough as plenty of product made it into the cracks and is definitely stronger as a result. I would recomend a very fine syringe and well lit workbench. Had a hard time seeing and added a little too much in some areas. It also really does go hard in about 2 seconds. If you get it on too thick it will dry milky but within cracks it drys clear.

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WOW!
Nice work!
The cracks are now bonded?

Agreed 100%... owned that game for years, and YES, the hole there is perfectly placed to deflect from a straight shot... perfect design IMO.

Most, not all. With some practice i think it would be possible to get a crack perfectly bonded. I am happy enough that this crack shouldn't run now but in hindsight i would have set up a small jig of some sort to just have a fraction of pressure to keep the crack slightly apart and allow the solvent to draw itself in then remove the jig. The mistake i made is you only get one run at it and i bonded the surface on the larger crack instantly without getting right in there. Also the applicator is very important. The syringe i used has a 45 degree cut on the end. OK to use but may have been easier with a flat clean cut style applicator so you don't have to worry about the angle as you run along the crack.

Thanks for your information.
I tried to repair a plastic from an old chicago coin unit with weld-on. I had no luck.

Having read your note, i realize that the weld-on likely set up before the surfaces were mated. It would seem that in order for it to work there should be almost no space in the crack to be repaired and that it happens very quickly.
I am not sure if weld-on can melt itself but i doubt it, meaning, you only get one shot at it.

I kept trying to bond the pieces until i was worried about ruining the printed area. The weld-on didnt seem to do anything to bond the plastic but it did begin to melt the printing on the back side.

Hi all, Refurbishing a Sega Twister and I have found some delamination on a thinner, routed part of the playfield used house the magnet coil assembly located at the top of the orbit. I have usually used polyester resin to do structural repairs on the cab and found it to be very strong but for a playfield would this be a suitable way to repair this area? Fill, set and re-drill or would bondo be just as effective? I think the damage is a result of the old pin sitting proud of the playfield for years and constantly stressing the surrounding ply with every passing shot. Won't be the case any more with a new pin and adjustment but would like to fix this while she is apart. Thanks. Steve.

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I just picked up a very decent IJ but two of the inserts have art lifting on the top edge. They can be pushed down and do flex. Is there an effective proactive measure I can do to prevent it from chipping? Try to inject super glue and come up with some sort of pressure mechanism to get these thin layers of art and clear to lay flat again? Thinking there’s probably wax or novus residue under these that will prevent them from bonding.

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No it's the original art/playfield. I think the front of the inserts may have sunk a little bit. Thanks for the tip, I think I'll see what I can do to get these to lay down better. I'm concerned polishing the playfield might chip the art as it is. Glad to see Mirco has reproductions but it's going to go way back in the restore queue since the original playfield is otherwise very presentable and I have 2 playfield swaps and 4 or 5 shop jobs in front of it.

I'm looking for advice on whether or not to get a laser printer. I have no experience with waterslides at this point but am planning to restore my Blackout in the future and will need to print some.
Family needs a new printer regardless, but I'm trying to determine if there's a consumer grade laser printer I can buy that works well or if I should just find a local hobby store / print shop when I need decals printed.

Anyone have successful experience with consumer grade laser printers and decals? Recommended models?

-K

For black and white the Brothers printers are great for home use. When I used to go to Kinkos all of them had Brothers printers for their work behind the register. They told me they are work horses. I have three of them for my home business.

That said, I used them for waterslide decals and they were fine but I was having trouble with them having extra “noise” in the background. Maybe it needs a new drum? So I went to my local Staples and had them print on the decal paper I supplied. They came out great and were even blacker than I could get with the Brothers. Cost about 13 cents per sheet.

In the future I might go for a Brothers color laser printer but the cost of toner is high.

Hi Vid,
thank you for this very helpful thread . I'm restoring a TZ. The mini playfield has some planking and with a friend we are trying to save it. He put down 3 coats of 2K clear with sanding between coats. The last one was done more than a month ago. At first it looked like glass but after a while you could see the outlines of the inserts and the pits where the planking was. After a month of waiting I wet sanded it and buffed it to a mirror shine, it looked beautiful. Sadly now they are starting to show again, looks like the wood is still absorbing the clear. Is this normal? How long should I wait before attempting another wet sand and buffing? Here a picture that shows where the clear has sunk inside the planking again. Thank you

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Clearcoat continues to shrink to 3 to 6 months after application.

Its called die-back and its normal.

the solution is to sand it again and apply more coats of clear and wait 12 weeks to see the result.

Paint is not a filler and shrinks to incredibly thin layers.

Spray paint is 90% solvent, as it dries the solvent leaves, the paint thins, it gets harder the thinner it gets.

A more perfect original surface gives you a more perfect end result.

Ok, didn't know what dieback was, thank you . How long would you wait between coats and how long do I need to wait before sanding a new coat?

When I do a playfield I spray and dropper one day, then sand and respray and re-dropper the next day for 4 days.

Then I wait for die-back for 7-10 days.

Then I block sand it down wet, a lot to thin the paint with 600 and 800 grit in one straight direction only (no curves or angular scratches), or use an orbital wet sander (pneumatic air tool palm finishing sander 500-550 grit on up).

Its near impossible to get straight sanding lines by hand, but try your best.

Then I chemically cleanse and apply a light mist coat, then a meduim coat, then 2 heavy coats.

All 6-7 mins apart in one session.

Then I let it cure for 10 weeks before re-assembly.

At 10 weeks, what was a perfect mirror surface, will still show some die-back.

I dont put a mirror surface playfield in a game, its too smooth, the ball wont roll. It instead slides around and plays wierd until the playfield breaks in.

Before assembly I wet sand it out with 1000 up to 3500 grit and re-polish it out to a very shiney, perfect, but not mirror smooth surface.

Wow, lots of work . Thank you for your time and all this precious informations

I plan to start this Around the World playfield. Normally I leave the unpainted wood alone. This time I would like to hide the ugly ball track. The wear isn’t deep, just nasty looking. What can I do to make this look better?

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Thanks Vid. What type or brand stain do you recommend?