After reading the thread I can see that Frisket is very important.
Where do you buy it?
(Topic ID: 33446)
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I have just tested what ball rail's my game have (First clearcoat project and following this thread).
It seems impossible to remove them without cracking a little around it and loosing a little paint with the wood.
Should I put some bondo in the holes or what should I do?
Billede 10-08-14 16.34.36.jpg
Billede 10-08-14 16.37.52.jpg 3 weeks later
Quoted from vid1900:Magic Eraser + Alcohol works best when the cracks and ball swirl is in the top coat of the playfield AND when the top coat is Alcohol Soluble.
Here we have the usual cracks in the top coat of the playfield. The playfield top coat is Alcohol Soluble ( tested under the apron).
Using ME + 96% Isopropyl Alcohol (don't use the 50-75% Alcohol, or all that water can raise the grain of the wood), we wet the top coat with a light, quick scrub. Wait 30 seconds for the top coat to soften, and return to give the area a gentle scrubbing.CRACKS.jpg 154 KB
I am using ME for removing balltrails and "cracks" but I find it very very hard (In the yellow on image).
It feels like as soon as I am deep enough for reaching the crack i start removing paint.
Am I doing something wrong or are the "cracks" just all the way through the paint? :-/
EDIT: Could the cracks be planking? I did not think it was planking because it was so inconsistent.. But if I have to mask and spray it I guess. Is it no problem to cut the masking when its not straight lines?
Quoted from vid1900:You will develop the skill of cutting "freehand" with the frisket. Stick it down, cut your lines, and "weed" it.
You of course can also use straight edges, milk caps or any other guide to help you cut exactly on the line.
When I started on my Spring Break I wanted to learn how to restore and clear-coat playfields following this thread. But now I don't know if it is possible to fix it.
It have cracks/planking in both purple and orange. It is very big areas and look complicated as there is much art in the color, can it be done? (And by a noob)
There is also white dots in the areas, how can I do that?
I am shocked and sad about this because I just thought I had to do minor airbrushing/fixing for the first time 
Billede 06-09-14 08.13.42.jpgQuoted from vid1900:There are "levels" of restoration.
For instance the orange will be the hardest, so you could:
1. Buy a brand new Playfield for $600 and clear it: http://www.pbresource.com/special.html
2. Repaint the underlying yellow, and then print red halftone dots on clear decal paper and do an overlay. This would give you a very stock looking repair.
3. Forget about the halftone dots, and just spray the entire section sold orange.
4. Wipe orange paint down into the cracks, then wipe away the top paint, leaving just the paint in the cracks.
Any of these could be acceptable on a playfield that is already pretty messed up. You just have to decide how much effort you want to put into it.
I think I will go for option 4 and see how good it looks.
I was trying to match the "yellow" on the PF but damn its hard!!!! (I use Createx) I started with one drop orange and added yellow one drop at the time. It went from something to red to something to bright yellow 
so mission failed...
Do you have any tips or guides you use for matching colors? Because I have had no luck until now.
Quoted from vid1900:Too yellow to match the faded playfield? Add White.
Needs more orange hue? Add Red.
Needs more vibrance? Add fluorescent Yellow.
I would say the yellow are "darker" then the createx yellow that is very bright?
Quoted from vid1900:Add Black and see where you are at.
Adding black seems to make it more "greenish" and not a darker yellow?
Billede 08-09-14 17.19.25.jpg 1 week later
1 week later
Quoted from vid1900:This means that you have to sand between each coat if you want a totally flat playfield.
Read the above sentence again.
I am a little confused about the finish/end process.
So I spray - wait 24 hours to dry - sand it flat and spray again wait 24 hours to dry and repeat this until it is flat and has the desired amount of clear right?
But what about the finish/last step? Should the last step be sanding or clearing? I don't know if you stop by sanding and then polishing it to gloss? Or you spray as the last thing and then polish it?
I have successfully added my first layer of clear so hope you can help me so I can finish it 
Quoted from vid1900:The last step is often just a thin layer of clear that you buff out.
But if any trash fell into the final clear, you will spot sand, then buff out.
And every once in a while, your final clear lays out so well that it needs no sanding or buffing. This does not happen too often (and I've got a pro down-draft finishing booth), but when it does, you end up smiling for the rest of the day.
Thank you very much for the answer.
I have now sanded for the first time and gave it another layer of clear.
Right now it seems like the clear has a little "texture" maybe slight "orange peel" nothing major. I guess this will be better the more times I sand it? But what about the finished layer, should it be flat like a mirror or is it normal to have a little texture in the clear? (When looking from the side)
Quoted from vid1900:The "texture" usually means that you were a little light on your spray.
Usually it "lays out" flat and smooth when you lay down enough clear.
Humidity, air pressure, and many other variables can give that "orange peel" texture, but it's no big deal. Sand it flat and shoot your next coat.
Thank you very much. Super info! I think I am moving my hand to fast, will try and do it a little slower to get more clear on and see if it helps.
Quoted from vid1900:Start spraying, then look back at your work 30 seconds latter and see if it "glossed over" like glass.
If not, hit it with a little more clear.
Everything was going as planned and the new coat was much better.
Then on my final coat, a bug decides to take a bath in my clear! 
What should I do? Should I wait until 24 hours is passed? Do something now while it is "wet" ?
Billede 04-10-14 13.58.14.jpg 1 week later
About the sanding.
How can you tell for how long you can sand the playfield?
I still see scratches on my project but I am in doubt if I should sand them away with wet 2000 or using a more effective polish and polish pad? I think it will be way faster wet sanding it, but I dont know if it is taking to much clear of?
Quoted from vid1900:When you change to finer grades of sandpaper, you need to get ALL the scratches out from the last grade, BEFORE you switch to the next finer grade.
So lets say you leveled out all your hills with 800, and now you are ready to go to 1000.
Mix up 2 liters of water, with about a 1/4 drop of liquid dish soap.
Wet the 1000 grit sandpaper, and get the playfield wet too. Not too much water, don't soak the back of the playfield.
Sand with the 1000 grit until ALL the scratches are gone from the 800 grit.
Check that little islands of clear have not stuck to the face of the sandpaper, keeping the grit from actually touching the playfield. Scrape off any islands using a single edge razor blade at a low angle. Keep the sandpaper wet.
Once the playfield is uniformly sanded to 1000, then it's time to go to 1500 grit.
Sand out ALL of the 1000 grit scratches with the 1500, and then move to 2000 grit.
Finally, switch to liquid polish using a buffing pad.
-
TIPS:
Don't move up grits until EVERY scratch is gone.
If you don't fully finish sanding the 1000 grit, the next finer grit (1500) will not be able to remove the scratches left over from the 800 grit, and you will have to go back and sand using 1000 again.
If you are using a powered sander, make sure it's rated for wet use (so you don't get a shock). Air Sanders are great, since they don't have electric motors.
If you have never used an electric random orbit buffer before, practice under the apron. You have to keep it moving, don't let the pad get warm.
A brand new piece of sandpaper will have 2x the "cut" of an old piece of the same grade (it will be more aggressive because the abrasive particles are new and sharp). "knock down" a new piece of sandpaper on a piece of scrap for a few seconds, if it starts out with too much cut.
Thank you for a awesome answer!
When sanding, are there any "best practices". Should I only do it one direction, circles? Or can I do it just as I want?
Quoted from vid1900:If you are sanding bare wood, you usually want to go in one direction - with the grain.
But if you are sanding a clear coat or paint, you can go in any direction.
I am thinking about sanding clear.
I have found sanding in circles to be very effective but did not know if it was a bad or good idea.
Sorry for keep talking about sanding, but I am starting to get very very frustrated.
I just sanding the whole playfield once again with wet 2000.
After that the are a lot very fine scratches and some minor scratches, they are more visible but they do not catch your nail. The very fine scratches disappears but not the deeper scratches.
I have tried:
- Novus 3
- Treasure Cove 3
- Meguiars Ultimate Compound
I have tested all by:
- Hand
- Dual Action
- Shinemaster Pad (Treasure Cove)
Nothing works! 
The fine scratches will not disappear? Is it the clear that is rock hard? (14 days ago I cleared it) What am I doing wrong? This is driving me crazy...
Quoted from vid1900:You need to back up and use a coarser grit.
Try 1000 grit, just on the scratch, by hand. Then move up to the 1500 on the spot, then 2000.....
Remember, if ALL the scratches are not removed with the current grade of sandpaper, you need to go BACKWARDS to the last coarser grade.
Any scratch still around at 1000 grit, will still be around at 1500, and at 2000.
Just wanted to give a conclusion on the problem if it helps other people.
I was using a Dual Action Polisher and the problem was cheap and bad Pad's for the polisher!
I bought a cheap combo but the pads where worth nothing!
So today I polished with a better Pad and all scratches are gone and the result is great
1 week later
Awesome Vid with the sanding/buffing update!
Would have helped me a lot 3 weeks ago
What tools are you using for cut/buffing? DA?
1 week later
A question on Mylar.
So I remove Mylar from pop bumpers, slingshots etc. when clear coating.
Should I add it again or is it not necessary with the amount of play it gets in home use?
I have asked a local person who has done playfields and he does not add Mylar again because he says that the amount and the quality of clear is so good that it is not necessary.
But Vid what is your recommendation?
Quoted from vid1900:It could just be a little fracture in the finish, or even something that fell into the finish at the factory.
It looks like a fracture in the finish.
Should I just use ME/Sandpaper? Or is it not only affecting the clear and are deep into the paint?
What a sad day.
After completing my first clear-coat project with a great result it was time to clear my next project.
The weather is getting colder and it is raining a little today. I think there is also high humidity.
But I have planned to do it today so thinking about how well it went last. I was sure that this would be the case this time as well.
But damn I was wrong...
I sprayed the first heavy code and sad down and looked at the result, there where lots of small "bubbles"? Can't tell if it looks like air or water?
So:
1. To the people here thinking about rushing your clear before winter or having another reason to try and do it while the conditions for clear coat is not 100%. _DON'T DO IT!__ 
2. Vid, what can I do? Should I wait for it to dry and then sand it down? If How much should I sand it?
I share my stupid mistake so others might not be tempted...
Quoted from vid1900:You have to sand it anyway, so let it cure in a warm place (without poisoning your family), and then sand it normally.
Thank you, I was actually starting to get "haze" in the clear (after maybe 4 min), so I quickly moved everything to a warmer place and the "haze" has now disappeared again. (pfew)
What grid do you think I should use? The playfield has only gotten one thick coat.
Quoted from vid1900:If the sanding opens or removes your bubbles, Fate has smiled upon you.
I really really hope this is the case... 
Quoted from vid1900:Knock it down with 400 or 600.
Try not to make thick coats.
Generally you want one thin coat, fix any problems in the art or holes around inserts that you missed, then topcoat.
Roger that!
I have just looked at the playfield here 6 hours later. Now it looks like hundreds of mini "craters". So I don't think the bobbles are trapped anymore. Does it make sense?
Quoted from vid1900:Good, actually.
Once it is cured, sand the playfield, hand sand the craters with soft used sandpaper, fill craters with clear, put topcoat on playfield.
There is like 1-5 craters pr. 1 cm2, they are about 1mm in width. When you say "fill craters with clear" you don't mean with drops right :-O I hope you mean a light coat? Or am I wrong?
image.jpgQuoted from MinnPin:I don't want to speak for the man, but he has (just a page or so back) assisted me with the very same issue. What you need to do is cut the bubbles open with a sharp XActo blade and with an eye dropper (actually three eye droppers - one for the clear, one for the harder and one for mixing and applying) you fill those bubble craters. You should be doing this same procedure for leveling areas around inserts and whatnot, which are almost never level with the playfield and almost always have dugout areas around them on older machines.
I have them all over the playfield. I was just only able to get few of them on the photo by getting the right angle and light.
So doing it by "hand" would be impossible...
Quoted from MurphyPeoples:Vid is absolutely right! I had a playfield come out much like your picture when I pushed the clear in low temps. Thankfully 95% of them sanded out. You might get just as lucky!
Should I sand until I see nothing or can there still be a small crater? What happened to the last 5% ?
Starting to investigate the air bubble issue. ( https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/31#post-2045280 )
I am now in a warm and nice place. So I was filling up inserts with clear and there where starting to come air-bubbles again! This time it can not be the temperature.
So what is it?
1) The clear is "bad".
2) Applying to much product can course air bubbles? When I got air bubbles the first time my first layer was heavy (Last project I did light coats first) And when filling inserts there are also a lot of product?
3) Something I can't think of?
EDIT:
Or could it be me shaking the product too much?
Quoted from vid1900:Never shake it.
Sorry, sorry should have said it earlier. It is Spraymax 2k. So it is a can and it says shake it for 2 min etc.
Quoted from Curbfeeler:Sound fair?
Thank you, I will continue with my questions there.
Danger with 2PAC.
I know 2PAC is very bad for you and I am using all the protection when spraying. But is it the fumes when spraying? The product? Or? The reason I am asking are if I should be just as careful when sanding and handling the playfield after spraying it? Or if the sanding material is not full of danger?
Quoted from vid1900:The fumes are very bad.
The sanding dust of anything is bad for your lungs.
I suggest you wear your respirator when sanding playfields, cabinets (lead paint), plywood (formaldehyde).
Don't get your shop all full of dust either. Sand outside whenever possible.
Thank you.
So the dust and fumes are bad for your lungs. But it is OK to get the dust on my skin? (I was it off afterwords)
A decal question.
I have used clear decals for inserts on my last project.
This time I have to replace James Bond on my Goldeneye.
I thought white decals where the way to go. But I am having problems with a white "edge" where I cut the decal.
Can I use clear decal paper? I think I would not have the edge problem and it would also be easier to align correctly.
Also what are the guideline for when to use white and transparent decal paper?
(The decal on the the image is only for test)
Quoted from vid1900:Sometimes you use white, sometimes clear.
It just depends on what you are decalling over.
Inserts might need clear, a colorful section with "photo" appearance might only show the correct colors on white.
If white decals let the white edge show, touch up with paint before clear coat.
Would you suggest to use white for my case?
That feeling when you are so close and then...
After trying to get my decal perfect for over a week I was sanding my clear to get it smooth. One stroke to many on the decal and I was too deep
What now? Should I remove the decal? Put another decal on top? Something else? I was so close for my final coat and now it all seems far away...
Quoted from Pinball_Nate:Another question about water-slide decals, it seems the fusers on laser printers often catch this type of paper and melt it! Anyone had this happen to them?
Anyone use the inkjet water slides? How did you like the results?
Thanks again.
I have not had it happen and I have done it on 3 different laser printers. Just remember to set the paper thickness setting on the printer correct.
1 week later
Quoted from PhilGreg:I'm not sure I agree with that statement, or maybe I'm doing something wrong, or maybe some colors dry darker and not others. The bottom two spots are the same mix - left one is dry, right one is wet. This is Createx paint.
Man, color matching is hard.
IMG_20141215_194305750.jpg 26 KB
Are you painting on white painted surface or wood or?
1 month later
Quoted from Lermods:Thx. Don't mean to oversimplify, but is that all that really needs to be done, somehow gluing it back down? What about where there is just a hairline separation or small cracks, like in the 2 and 4 million inserts? Doesn't the black outline need to be repainted?
Repaint it and clear the playfield.
2 weeks later
Quoted from swanng:Vid-
First, the playfield has never been reinstalled in the machine. I wanted to verify long term viability before reinstalling, and when I viewed the playfield prior to my reinstallation attempt this month, I was a bit shocked by what I saw. The playfield has been kept inside the house, temperature no lower than 65 degrees, no higher than 80. Don't know about the humidity. I can PM you with the photos, but would like to keep them out of the public domain so I don't risk exposure of the folks who performed the restoration.
Greg
Would love to see the images. Could you not just post them without telling who did the job?
2 months later
Quoted from Coyote:I'm going to offer an opinin and say 'Yes'.
When a ball hits a post with the rubber on, the rubber absorbs some/most of the impact.
But without the rubber, when the ball hits a post, the momentum/kinetic energy is transferred to the post. Since the post is sitting on the painted wood surface, the paint and wood is taking some of that impact.
This is all in my head, though. I have nothing to back it up.
Funny I had the same thought. Also nothing to back it up but it sounds logical
Quoted from vid1900:I always take the rings off my games for tournament use and have never had a playfield crack.
Many games have metal posts or wire lane guides with no rubber from the factory in that same position (think of super fast games like F-14).
I am no expert at all! I am just thinking, a ball rail is not screwed into the playfield. Could it not be because of it being screwed to strongly down?
My Goldeneye had the same kind of issue when I bought it with same kind of post. So don't know how it happend but it looks like 100% the same kind of damage.
1 week later
Quoted from TopMoose:I guess what I was asking was if I have to clearcoat the playfield now that I've painted, or if I can just give it a protective coat of wax.
No offense but I don't understand why people think that wax gives protection to new paint? Who has ever said/written about that?
I often see people ask that question around the forum.
1 month later
Hi,
I am about to do my third playfield but this is the first time where I will take of all the parts under the playfield. So have some questions about that:
- What is the must effective way to clean the back of inserts? (while still in the playfield)
- When you sand the back of the playfield and want to protect it, can I use the same 2PAC for that or is that a bad idea?
Thank you Vid
Quoted from vid1900:Try canned air first, if black dust still won't budge, use cotton swab (Q-tip).
Any liquid on the Q-tip? It looks like there is some kind of "dirt-coating"?
Quoted from vid1900:Don't use anything that is a spray, because you don't want to coat the back of the inserts.
A paint roller is what I use.
What kind of coat do you recommend? I should look for the kind in an store here in Europe
I am thinking about asking a shop to do my clear coat for my next project. But what should I say/order to be sure I get a good result? (Guess must only do cars)
-How many coats?
-Should I ask about there product?
-Should I ask if they use silicone? Or how do I avoid getting problems when they start spraying?
-?
So in other words, what should I say so I get the best possible result from a person who properly never have done a playfield before?
Quoted from vid1900:It looks like Createx does not even have a "pure orange" available any longer.
You may have to switch to Jacquard
http://www.dickblick.com/products/jacquard-airbrush-paints/
Thank you I will have a look at that. I was hoping you would say. "Mix some of this with this"
Quoted from tezting:Thank you I will have a look at that. I was hoping you would say. "Mix some of this with this"
I am having a very hard time getting Jacquard here in Denmark 
But I can get my hands on:
Createx 5054 - ILLUSTRATION ORANGE 30ML
Createx W004 WICKED ORANGE
Createx W027 WICKED FLUORESCENT ORANGE
Createx Wicked Color W054 - Detail Orange
Createx Fluorescent Orange 5409
Createx Transparent Orange 5119
I have only worked the opaque colors from Createx and dont know the above series, do you think one or more of those would work?
Also I am now in very doubt if it is orange! :-S I asked my GF what color she thought it was and she said "peach" :-O ? I can see DM also uses it. So I hope you have matched it?
I guess it might be more pink then orange.. Maybe I am on the wrong track...
Thank you for helping once again
Quoted from Pinterest:Ok - so have been following the orange conversation - because I have to touch up my T2 also.
So what is wrong with this orange?
ebay.com link » 4oz Createx Orange Transparent 5119 4z Airbrush Paint Color
I think the Wicked Fluorescent Red is closest - and then will probably need to touch it up from there...
I was asking around on the forum and was helped in the right direction:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lets-work-through-this-pile-of-playfields-i-need-to-restore-in-one-thread/page/2#post-1303339
It looks like he has the mixture right
Sorry for all the color questions from me, but hope it will help more than me on restorations.
What colors do you use when painting damaged kickout holes etc. ? (To match the wood color)
1 week later
Hi Vid,
Just reread the start section again but are still in doubt.
This time I will shoot clear before touching up as you recommend.
But how much "work" do you do in this phase:
1) Shoot clear.
2) Make it even by dropping clear on lower points.
3) Sand it flat.
I am in doubt if you do 2 and 3 on the first coat before you touch up? also if you sand (3) is it 400 or?
I know that around some inserts there can be small cracks, should I fill those (2) before touching up?
Quoted from vid1900:There is not a hard and fast rule, so it will vary with different playfields.
But generally, I fill cupped inserts and the gaps around them before I shoot that first thin layer of clear.
Then it's time to start the touchups.
Thank you.
Do you block sand it flat before you start on touch up? I guess it would be strange not to do so and touch up on something that is not flat? On the other hand I am worried if the first coat is to thin and I will sand through?
1 week later
Hi Vid,
What do you suggest for repairing the missing paint around the inserts? (Have still not removed the mylar) I guess it has happened because of raised inserts.
I will be touching up and clear coating the whole playfield. But the insert gfx on the edges look a little complex?
Quoted from vid1900:Be aware that sometimes removing Mylar will lift off the entire insert graphics.
I will be scanning the whole playfield and hope for the best...
Quoted from vid1900:Assuming you get the Mylar off safely:
I often make a black-only waterside decal of all the details. Then I don't have to be too precise in painting the colors.
Paint all the colored sections, and apply the decal on top.
How big would you make the decal in my case? Would you only redo the missing edge or would you redo the whole "area"?
Quoted from vid1900:Fill the paint to the edge of the black keyline, so it does not look patched.
Excellent help as always.
Would you recommend to always make a white base coat when doing touchup ?
Quoted from vid1900:Normally, the ME and 99% alcohol cleans off the topcoat, leaving just the paint behind.
I am a little confused about the alcohol. Is it isopropyl alcohol I should use? It seems like it is the only alcohol I can find that is not for drinking
1 week later
1 week later
Quoted from vid1900:That black dust is powderized metal from all the solenoids.
It usually just blows out with my air compressor.
Don't use the air compressor on old playfields with loose inserts, so the inserts will go flying out into the grass.
Sorry for bringing this up again but in my process taking everything apart I have discovered something new. It seems like there is a thin coat of something I would think is clear? (I am not able to blow it away with the compressor as recommended I tried that on another insert, not the one on the image) But I am not sure? Some places it looks like it is falling/scrapped off. I am able to scrape it off but it will take a lot of time to do so.
I really want my T2 to be done in the correct way so it will end up looking great.
Is this normal? What should I do? Hope it is visible on the images
Quoted from vid1900:Looks like normal oxidation from the heat of the bulbs.
You will probably never see it topside, because the DiamondPlate clearcoat Williams used always turns cloudy anyway.
If it bugs you, a soft nylon brush attachment on your Dremel will probably clean it right up.
Thank you once again so it is oxidation from the insert itself? (Just curios)
1 week later
Quoted from vid1900:You can print on a thin piece of rice paper to cloud up the insert, or just print a normal waterslide decal and be done with it.
I guess it really depends on how much effort you are putting into the rest of the playfield.
If the rest of the playfield is being restored to "perfect" then do the rice. If not, no one will probably ever notice except you, lol.
Thank you for being awesome as always
I was going for perfect but don't know about this one. When you say print the normal decal do you mean the M letter only or should I scrape everything off and print the whole word? I guess that way the insert would be even "clear"?
Quoted from vid1900:Obviously the old clear is not sticking too well.
I think the problem is that the area takes a lot of beating from hitting the target under the skull. Have seen in on other T2.
Will follow your advise and make a new decal
Quoted from CaptainNeo:you will see that spot that's clear, one clearcoat hits it, if you leave it like that. You pretty much have to scrape off the rest of the art (original art is NOT a decal), then clear, then waterslide or decal, then clear again. If you want that foggy effect like the original was, you need to make some transparent whiteish gray and do a very thin light mist to the insert (masked off of course). It's a hard technique to master and if no other inserts of the same color are near it, nobody would probably notice if you didn't do it anyway.
I have been wondering for some time. What is preferred/best. Decals you buy or water slide decals you make? I guess the material is different. I have only worked with water slide decals.
Quoted from vid1900:I'd sand it.
If it does not look good with a few minutes of sanding, then paint.
How can you tell that you should stop sanding so you don't sand to much? I think I have sanded 1 min with 150 when the picture was taken.
Hi Vid,
Today I took the glass of the machine that I did my first clear coat on. To my surprise I could see that the once totally flat playfield was not 100% flat anymore. If I run my nail over the inserts I can fell a small edge. Like the clear has sunken over the inserts?
I am about to do another clear coat job so would like to know if I have done something wrong or if it is normal that the clear is still schrinking for a long time after its done?
The playfield rested for 30 days before I sanded and installed it again.
Quoted from vid1900:The plastic has less expansion and contraction than the wood does.
So in other words it is 100% normal? Are there anything I can do to prevent it? so it still will be flat also after some time?
Quoted from vid1900:You can do your first coats, sand flat, let it cure for 9 months or so for maximum shrinkage/dieback.
Then do another coat on top.
You will still probably get some telegraphing of the insert edges from the wood expanding, but you will know you did the best you could.
You could also seal the back and edges of the playfield to try and stabilize the hygroscopic nature of the wood. I can't say I've ever seen any measurable difference by sealing the edges, but the theory sounds good.
You are the best! Thank you for taking the time to answer.
I was wondering if heat would speed the process ? I could place it close to our heater, I think it is 30 degrees Celsius.
Hi Vid,
I think this is what is called "ground in dirt" ? It is seems to be very deep. I have tried to sand it away but I really have to sand a lot to get it away (some a still there). Are there a better way to remove it? I feel like it is bad to sand so much...
Quoted from vid1900:Yep, all the little scratches and chips on the balls have cut into the clear, and now black coil dust and black rubber dust have become deeply intrenched.
If you are going to put a new clearcoat on it anyway, then sand until you get all that dust out of there.
Thank you, I will keep on sanding. Just wanted to be sure I was not doing anything wrong...
But damn it is deep!
I have to paint areas that I thought was not needed, but the dirt is so deep that it is thru the paint! :-/
I have a small kind of related question:
I don't know how visible it is on the image (where the ball enters the shooter lane). But places where all the clear is worn off and maybe some wood is missing .The wood is turning real dark with naptha (should be the same as the clear right?) What can I do about it, so it blends in with the rest?
Quoted from vid1900:Sometimes it's just quicker to blend in some paint in the dark areas.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/18#post-1730160
Thank you.
Just want to be sure, it is not the shooterlane itself but the "edge" I have tried to mark it.
Painting that with the shooter lane would that not look weird? Would love to see an image of a similar issue fixed.
Hi Vid,
I have glued nearly all my inserts but one on my T2 with epoxy so they hopefully don't move so much in the future when the playfield is clear coated.
One that I got left is the banana insert in the bottom. It seems like there is not "edge" I can glue on? I would like to avoid gluing where it is visible when there is light in the insert. Could you give an advice?
Hi,
I hope you can help me with this one and that it might help others later. I have not seen anything like it in this thread.
So one of my inserts has something that looks like a wide scratch. But you can not feel it or remove it with ME + alcohol. Also if I test with Naptha it has no effect. I looks like a scratch under the clear and not like ghosting.
The image attached is taken with a scanner, it stands much more out when just looking at it, but took the scan because it has greater detail then a photo
Quoted from vid1900:It looks like just a little bit of the clear is not attached to the insert.
You might be able to cut a slit in it and fill with new clear, but something so small I'd leave alone (unless you are clearing the whole playfield).
I am clearing everything
So cutting down the middle of the scratch with an X-Acto knife and test with naptha?
Quoted from Iizi:I removed sunk insert from Champions Pub and sanded it flat.
I am not Vid, but if I read and understand Vid correct I think the correct solution was not to remove the insert and sand it flat but to fill it with clear. By doing that, it would have keept the "hazy" original clear coat underneath. But I guess its to late now, lets hope Vid has a solution for you
Quoted from vid1900:Yep, all the little scratches and chips on the balls have cut into the clear, and now black coil dust and black rubber dust have become deeply intrenched.
If you are going to put a new clearcoat on it anyway, then sand until you get all that dust out of there.
So now I have sanded until must of the dirt is gone. I did not go very deep just under the clear coat. It looked OK until I tested with naptha, damn it looks bad
What can I do?
Why does the wood turn so dark with Naptha compared with the clear coat original used? And what can I do to avoid it?
Quoted from vid1900:Mask off the painted area and sand off the surrounding clearcoat with a detail sander.
All fresh wood will look beautiful without the telltale ring of repair.
I am glad that there is hope! For a second I thought my playfield was "done"...
Is Naptha 100% clear coat darkness, if will the wood not be very dark everywhere? Also compared to new Stern etc. ?
Also, what grid should I use?
Quoted from CaptainNeo:the way clear soaks into the wood is different with freshly open sanded wood. Sometimes using lacquer will keep the wood color the same, let it fully dry, then clear over that. I've had a lot of success having the exposed wood match closely with the unexposed wood with this method.
It might be because english is not my native language. But is clear coat not lacquer? If not I would love to see a link to a product so I can look for something similar here
Because sanding everything down and just clear coating would make all the wood look darker than normal right?
2 weeks later
Quoted from MinnPin:Hi all,
So a question that certainly has been answered before, but here it goes...
I just redid my decal work last week and then yesterday (Saturday) did a new coat of clear. Once again I got little minute bubbles in it everywhere. Maybe when I look at it later they will be gone, but based on previous experience they won't be. I know I have to sand one more time because of some little pits I filled, but I would really like my next coat of clear to be my last.
If I get bubbles again, I am screwed. How do I clear without getting these? My compressor and gun setup is the exact spec of what Vid recommended in this forum. I am using the exact 2pac recommended as well. So why do I keep getting these tiny bubbles everywhere and what can be done to prevent them?
Thanks!
Hi, I get bubbles if my first coats are to heavy. Did you do thin coats on the decals?
Hi Vid,
A small question, what is the maximum grid of sandpaper I can use when using frisket? I ask because I want to sand it flat before doing my touch ups. But I want the frisket to seal so the lines I cut will be clean so paint dont run "under" the frisket because the scratches from the sandpaper is to deep.
I hope it alle makes sense
2 weeks later
1 week later
Hi Vid,
Do you have any experience with Vallejo paint? It is easy to buy here and I am having a hard time mixing correctly with the Createx I got. That said I would not use anything that is not good!
So I am about create a lot of water slide decals for my next project.
I did some tests on my company's new color laser printer on normal paper and compared them to the same image done on my cheap injekt but with some glossy paper I had.
I think there is a big different between them. It's like the injekt is much more "solid"? Is this normal? Am I doing something wrong on the laser printer?
Quoted from sohchx:Vallejo is used and formulated specifically for scale modeling. It is water based and used on plastics. I personally would not attempt to use it on a PF.
I hope you are not right. I have just spend a lot of money on paint (it is not cheap paint!) Don't you think it depends on the type? I bought this line:
http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/model-air/family/17
It says "extreme resistence and durability"
Where I bought it, it said that it also was good for metal and wood surfaces?
Quoted from sohchx:I have been building scale models for 30 years and have been using Vallejo since it's inception so I have thorough experience with it. I agree, it is not cheap, but if you have a Hobby Lobby store near you, you can get it for 40% off. The type that you choose from the line may play a big factor on how it performs but I am not 100% as I have never attempted to use it on a PF. I'd say wing it and try a test spot either in a hidden location on the PF or on a scrap of wood. Use a spot of each Vallejo type and put the clear that you intend to use over the top of each and see what it does. In the end it's all acrylic and Vallejo is good stuff, not junk.
Thank you for sharing. I will test and share the end result.
Hi Vid,
Are Createx wicked colors safe to use? In the description is says that there is a little solvent added for "better flow".
Are there anyway to find out what the original colors where on a playfield?
The reason I ask is that the outlane and inlane on my T2 seems to be brighter red than the rest of the red on the playfield (Slingshot, popbumper etc.) But I am worried that it might just be fade? And looking at images of other T2 playfields make it impossible to see.
So would love to know how situations like this could be solved?
Quoted from vid1900:Sometimes you can remove a rail or something and you get a pretty good idea of the color it used to be.
And if you are out of luck? :-/
Hi Vid,
I am close to be doing a lot of airbrushing (color matching is a pain and time consuming...)
I was thinking about always putting down a white basecoat so I am sure that the color after will have even and good coverage.
But are there any disadvantages by doing it? Will I have trouble with a white line/edge? (Like with white water slide decals)
Sorry for being slow... Might be because English is not my native language
Quoted from vid1900:Some translucent colors like Fluorescent need a white basecoat, so use it if you need it.
Should I understand this like i should only use white base when I really need it or should i understand it like I should at least use it when needed?
Quoted from vid1900:Practice cutting RIGHT on the line.
Could you please explain what you mean be that?
1 month later
Quoted from jimy_speedt:I started to drip clear melange (2
) on inserts with a sringe. This is the mask I am using, it is a JSP Force-8 with 713 cartridges which are the top for this brand (they are made for many things incl solvent painting). I keep the pre-filter on the filters.
I can smell the clear coat and I am wondering if that material is appropiate or or not. Thanksmask.png
If you can smell it something is wrong!
Are you sure it is tight? If so it might be a wrong filter. I have a 3m mask and I can not smell anything.
4 weeks later
Hi vid,
I am mixing paint in small plastic jars. Is it safe to put a small zinc plated nut in the jar for better mixing? (Like the ball in spray paint)
3 weeks later
Quoted from dr_nybble:I am going to use the Createx Auto Air paint line. No heat cure required and it is designed to be taped over. Createx tech support recommended this to me. You can read the Hard Surface Application Guide here: http://www.createxcolors.com/PDFs/2015-Hard-Surface-Guide_150014.pdf
Is it correct that I can only see semi-opaque? I think what makes createx great is the coverage of there opaque colors.
3 weeks later
Quoted from vid1900:Wet sanding is excellent for controlling dust.
Wet sanding a playfield with the first layer of clear is no problem? (Normally wood+water is no good)
Quoted from vid1900:Those are pressed into the playfield at the factory.
It keeps the ball from hanging up in the slots, and keeps the slots from tearing out from ball wear.
My current playfield has some pressed and some that is not. I thought it was wear and would "fix" it. But I guess it is best to leave it alone?
4 weeks later
Quoted from shirkle:I'm no vid, but I'll take a stab at this. I bet when you heat set it, the two surfaces (wood vs plastic) heated at different rates and caused the seam to appear in the paint because it would have cured at slightly different rates.
Again, I'm not expert, but I wonder if several very thin coats getting individually heat set would be the answer.
Sounds possible, do you think I should remove all the paint or just smooth out the edge and paint again? (Frisket is still on)
Quoted from vid1900:Did this happen as soon as you painted it, or after you set it?
It happened when I was heat setting. So lesson learned, dont bake your playfield with the heat gun...
1 week later
Hi Vid,
What is the best way to frisket and paint if you have to paint a lot on a playfield?
Right now I am making frisket for one color then painting and then frisket the next color and so on.
But the problem is that I am afraid to damaging the new paint when doing another frisket and cutting etc.?
So is it more effective to frisket everything (all colors) before painting anything?
3 weeks later
Hi Vid,
I really need your help. I have matched my colors so they are spot on. Last day I reduced two of the colors with Createx performance reducer and painted.
But to my surprise both colors turned out more yellow then they should! I have tested with Naptha and I took a drop from the bottle that was reduced and the none reduced to test again after I painted and that still looked good.
What has happen when I painted with the airbrush? I am only using opaque colors..
I asked my airbrush dealer and he said it could not be the reducer and he had no explanation.
Quoted from vid1900:Let's see a picture, I'm not sure I understand what happened exactly from the description.
The background is painted, I dont know if you can tell but it is yellowish.
The two colors on top of the painted surface is the same paint/mix as the surface. One reduced and one without reducer (They look the same). As you can tell the surface color is very different compared to how it should look (two drops).
How can the color transform this much when going thru a airbrush? (I am using the one you recommend that is cheap)
Quoted from vid1900:It looks like something got mixed into the paint, because you can see small bubbles like it outgassed somehow.
Try never to do spot repairs, because once you clear over them, or once they fade, they look like spot repairs.
Easy fix:
Sand the area with 600 grit.
Frisket off the ENTIRE field of color.
Repaint the entire area all at once.
Re-clear.
Sorry vid I apparently suck at explaining and I will try to explain once again.
So the grey color under the two samples is painted and cleared. The two samples on top is just some quick drops I made with a brush with the exact same paint and added naphtha over it to compare and show how the color should look. I will wipe them off and paint everything again as soon as the mystery is solved.
Does it make any sense now?
Quoted from vid1900:Yes, that makes sense.
So the two drops are the same paint that you painted under the clear? Same batch?
Yes 100% same bottle with mixed paint. Only thing I can think off is that something changed in the airbrush process or that it was not shaken/mixed enough when I painted the first time. But I shake for very long and have a added glass marble in the bottle.
Quoted from vid1900:The paint may have oxidized, or was left in sunlight somehow....?
I dried the paint in sun but not for very long and after the paint was dry to the touch. Could that do it ?
4 weeks later
Quoted from vid1900:Yes, it can be a real problem if you paint over thick clear.
You only want a super thin layer to lock down the existing paint.
Don't do what this well known "restoration" shop did:
Is it "normal" to paint x-colors, then lock with clear and repeat 2-3 times? Or should you only clear once and then paint all colors?
Quoted from vid1900:Depending on how extensive the repairs are, you could certainly have 2-3 thin layers of clear over the course of the restoration.
Okay good. Have to replace nearly all colors and don't want that effect. Because when applying water slide decals. You don't do it directly over new paint do you? Don't you clear between?
2 weeks later
Quoted from vid1900:Usually the top coat clearcoat is 4 mils thick (.004").
Quoted from lb1:More like 50ml.
20" by 42" by 0.004" is 3.3 or so cubic inches and 3.3 * 15 in ml.
Quoted from Fred736:With my HVLP gun set at 30psi, 1.3mm nozzle, I've been putting down very thin coats that are perfect for intermediate coats between each airbrush color. I've been using anywhere between 50ml and 70ml of clear depending on my skill for putting down a coat that day. My coats are not 0.004" thick however because of overspray. When my painting is done, I will likely use more than 70ml for my final coat in order to get that 0.004". I'm guessing 100ml.
I'm no professional paint sprayer by any stretch of the imagination, so your milage may vary.
Thank you all.
When I say ml I mean milliliters.
I use SprayMax (400ml pr. can), and there is no way that 1/4 of a can is enough for a final coat and if I use 1/8 of a can for between it will be uneaven/misty, but is that normal?
1 week later
Quoted from UvulaBob:In spraying all the grey for my Taxi's road, I realized that I'd masked an area of the road I didn't mean to. Now that it's dried, there's a hard line where the masking was. I've tried various methods of smoothing out the straight line between the old coat and the new, but it still shows up.
Do you have any handy tips or tricks for something like this, or I do just need to decide between living with it and re-doing the whole top half of the playfield (since there aren't any hard borders I can run up against)?
I am no Vid, but would love to see image of it?
Quoted from UvulaBob:Should I throw down some clear to get everything as flat as possible before moving on to airbrushing? My gut tells me that's what I should do next. From there, I could proceed knowing that my clearcoat is a strongly bonded to the playfield as possible.
I am not Vid.
But what I have learned the the hard way is that the surface should be flat before you airbrush. I had some uneven surfaces and airbrushed over that. The result was the it was very visible when painted.
So now I make all surfaces that I paint flat_ before masking and airbrushing. I don't know if this is what Vid does, it does not sound like it as he only sprays a coat to lock fibers? and not to make it flat?
2 weeks later
Quoted from Plumonium:Hi Vid,
As discussed, here are the pictures of my Fish Tales playfield. Some planking. Is this fixable so I can touch up and then clear? I noticed the image is not solid color but rather dotted on the blue and orange part, I fear it can't be touched up. Is this playfield always going to be a player's condition? Should I look into a new CPR then if wanted better? If it's salvageable, what should be the process?
Thanks!
Everything is fixable 
Vid explains how to add gradient (dots) in this thread.
3 weeks later
Quoted from dasvis:+1, I would like to have a scan of all sizes for my future projects.
1+ Vid you must have something you could share (Williams)
Quoted from vid1900:I'm overseas right now.
I think the only thing I have on my phone is SBM inserts.
When will you be back? would also donate/pay for it. I am very bad at PS.
2 weeks later
Quoted from jimy_speedt:Hello, I purchased a AF pin in average condition. There was a formerly clear sticker on the playfield, not a mylar. On the orange part of the pic, there are vertical cracks.
Can I get this part neat by wet sanding the surface ? thanks
That looks like planking. If so, wet sanding will not help...
1 month later
Quoted from marspinball:I contacted Stern and they have sent me a small bottle of clear coat and a small sheet of sandpaper (200).
Are you kidding? Can you show a image of the clearcoat/bottle? And it is not the distro but stern that send it?
2 months later
Hi Vid,
Do you have any tips when cutting frisket when it is not straight? I find it very hard to get a good result when cutting around things..
Quoted from vid1900:A "french curve ruler" for $1 at any office supply store will do you well.
Will buy it right away.
Are there any tips when it has to be freehand? I find it hard to make it "smooth"
Quoted from vid1900:Use an Xacto blade (brand new), follow the french curve = smooth as silk.
Will this one do the job?
Quoted from vid1900:Usually they are thin metal and come in a set of 3
Thank you.
I can only find plastic ones
You don't know if eBay etc. has the perfect ones in metal? My search skills are failing me.
6 months later
Quoted from quinntopia:Is it normal for Frisket to leave some glue residue on the playfield after being cut and removed (and after painting?)?
I use the stuff the sell at Hobby Lobby, the first set was fine, but this second set will randomly leave glue residue on the playfield.
Is it possible for it to go bad?
I can clean it off with Naptha, but I don't like doing that right before spraying.
No, that is not the way it should work.
Do you know the brand? For how long has it been on the playfield before removed?
1 month later
Hi vid,
I was in Home Depot today to buy Woodweld. To my surprise they did not have any. I asked in the store and they said they stop having it.
What should I then buy? Or do you know another store that have it for sale?
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Home Depot doesn't do regional buys except for very specific items. They still have it at my store - JB Weld has a lot of inventory space at HD, is it possible you just asked somebody who didn't know what they are talking about?
http://www.homedepot.com/s/kwikwood?NCNI-5
I bought kwikwood. It was in stock.
But woodweld was not. He looked at there internal system/computer and he said they stop stock woodweld.
Quoted from vid1900:ACE hardware stores have it too
Thank you, Ace had it.
They changed it a little since I bought it last to the better.
1 month later
Quoted from Langless28:Any hints for dialing in this teal on my time warp? I seem to miss it with adding white m. It got too light so added more drops of blue back. This is wiped with naphtha FYI too.
I have had really good results with the app “true colors”. I wanted to write a toturial on how I am using it. But has not had the time yet. But I have matched all colors on my t2 including all the greys!
1 week later
Quoted from DropTarget:I know. That's why I was thinking of using the clear that shall not be mentioned, so it can be removed if I screw things up.
But this PF has been bugging me since I got it, over 10 years ago. I've remade the plastics and backglass. The cabinet is in need of paint as well.
No offense. But if it is that rare. Would it not be best to just send it to a professional restorer?
1 year later
Hi Vid,
I don't know if you have talked about this topic before but I need some advice.
I bought a beautiful T2 reproduction playfield. It was dead-flat when I got it but decided to let it cure before installing it.
Now several months later it is not dead-flat anymore.
All inserts are slightly raised. Some more than others. Its very hard to take images of it on less there is direct light above, then you can see the line.
But when you move your hand across the playfield you can fell the raised inserts.
Question:
Are there enough clear so I can just sand it flat and buff it? Or must I re-clear it? I would really like to avoid...
Note:
The humid is low where I live 30-40% guess that is part of the reason?
Billede 25-02-2019 20.52.06 (resized).jpgBillede 25-02-2019 20.52.21 (resized).jpgBillede 25-02-2019 20.52.52 (resized).jpgBillede 25-02-2019 20.53.06 (resized).jpgQuoted from vid1900:No, there is not enough clear to just sand it down.[quoted image]
So what should I do? Give it more clear and then sand flat and buff? Ironically I bought this to save time and stopped my restoration of my original playfield
Quoted from vid1900:So if the inserts keep moving, that gap may become exposed on yours as well.
Damn that look bad, mine don't have that. "Only" slightly raised.
Is that a Micro playfield? Mine is not. (hope that is a good thing)
Quoted from vid1900:If they shrink back, you might glue them down with some epoxy from behind. Maybe that will stop them from bucking.
I dont think that will happen. When looking at the structure of the wood and around the inserts. It looks to me like the wood is simply drying out and schrinking. But is it worse than normal? Or something you could expect?
1 week later
10 months later
Quoted from toasterman04:Im unsure what to do next....
do i sand them?
Do I not sand them?
Does applying clear, ‘clear’ them up again?
Yes. They will be clear again AND the clear has something to stick to.
If you put some naptha on you could see them getting clear.
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