1) Soak a magic eraser sponge in rubbing alcohol, scrub the playfield down (gets a lot of dirt off)
2) Follow up with a bit of Novus 1 plastic cleaning
3) Pure Carnuba Wax the playfield twice over, three times if youre not satisfied (not the cleaning wax variety, is a bit abrasive) ... I use an applicator and then a chamois to get the wax off.

you are not supposed to let the carnuba dry on the PF, or a car for that matter. Wipe it on, give it a minute or so and wipe it off. Repeat once.

I just shave her smooth, wax is too painful for her.

Sounds like you just didnt get it all off then. I do the same and let it semi-dry to that haze. Then wipe and wipe and wipe. Nice shine and plays mega fast. I stay away from novus 2 since it is a heavy abrasive for removing scratches on plastics.

1. Simple green like crazy
2. Rubbing alcohol on rag to remove any simple green residue
3. wax - waiot 5-15min, whatrever you want
4. wipe off like mad
5. go over with clean cloth slowly to feel any non smooth areas where i left wax on it

You can let carnauba sit and dry it should not matter. I don't know what happened. I do what you described and get great results. Buff out the wax turning cloth frequently. It should be shiny and have no dull patches. Reflect a light at an angle on of to be sure it's all buffed.

Actually, it does matter. Read the instructions on what you use. Typically, carnuba is wax on wax off, little waiting time and you generally don't want it to haze over, for the exact reason OP has stated.

I use eagle one pure carnauba paste wax. Instructions say apply thin coat of wax. Allow to haze. Buff. I've let it sit 10 min. I've let it sit an hour. Results are the same - good.

I use the liquid form, wax on wax off.
Very nice results !

First 10 games, it frightens me to break the plastics

meguiars-r-gold-class-tm-carnauba-plus-wax.jpg

If you don't let the wax set up wouldn't it all end up on your buffing pad instead of the playfield?
I thought the idea was to make a thin layer of wax on the playfield that gets buffed level and shiny, by filling in imperfections.

Now with the Novus 2 since it is a rubbing compound you want to rub while its wet, then buff away the reside once dry? I also only use Novus 2 in the rare cases when I'm needing to 'cut' something down smooth, or the 1st cleaning job when I get a pin.

?'s because this is how I play it, not that is 'correct'

No! You are sanding off your clear coat. Just a little simple green or novus 2 is all you need for dirt. Use magic eraser only when you are going to re-CC your playfield.

For better results use Microfiber towels. They are soft, but pick up much better.

I've never heard of this issue. I use Meguiar's Gold Carnauba wax, goes on smooth, let completely dry, and wipes off easily. The end result is a wet-glossy look and a ball that travels noticeably faster. My wife always notices after I wax and complains because of the speed

I've never heard this with a car or otherwise. The instructions usually say to let it dry to a haze and wipe off. If it's not dry it's gooey, if it bakes on too quickly in the sun that's a problem too but playfields are always done indoors.

Try using 1/4 of the wax you just used.

Allow to dry 20 minutes or so.

It won't buff off easily if too much wax got applied.

I use P21S, for car and pin, and it's wax on wax off.

Be careful with that brand. It has a lot of additives and other cleaning agents. I returned it to the store and bought Blitz wax from pinball life-100% pure.

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Hey, did you recently work at a Chuck E. Cheese here in Dallas?

what he said, im not a big cotton fan althought it makes nice t shirts, i would never wipe down a peice of serious optics with it- the micro's are softer and seem to grab everything up better. imo

Novus 2 is a fine scratch remover/polish, you can use light circular motion or back and forth, doesn't matter.

I put the carnuba on, even coating, let it dry, then buff it until it shines. Works great.

In auto polishing this circular vs straight back and forth wiping as always debated. Most importantly
when buffing by hand always use the palm of your hand not your finger tips. When buffing by hand with a circular motion, if your towel picks up a foreign particle the circular action may create a circular scratch that will be caused by the foreign particles. The circular scratch will be easier to hide or repair, rather than a long straight scratch.
On a playfield using either method should be fine. For better carnauba wax coverage, when applying in a straight pattern, follow up on the second coat 90 degrees (opposite) from how the first coat was applied.

No joke!

I swear I cringed when a pinball seller/flipper showed me how he cleans his Playfields. A load of Novus 2 and 1000 grit sandpaper. Ouch. Sells a lot of games too. Some very expensive ones.

WHAT the What! 1000% Fail.

I don't wax. all my games are 1992+ with an auto clear on them and never have waxed them.
IMHO it's not needed. when they get dirty, clean scrub them with novus 2 or resolution [from menards] and you're good to go.
they all play consistent and as intended.
perhaps wax is more intended for EMs or solid states??

Cars come with clear coat, but need wax. Try getting bird crap off a non waxed car. Obviously, you won't get bird crap on a pin (I hope), but you get the idea. A layer of wax provides less friction across the PF.

Even though they are clear coated, Steve Ritchie says wax your games!

Always play at full speed.....

Clear coat is paint with out pigment. A good layer of carnauba is the barrier between the ball and your clear coat.

You and dgoett are both right in your own way. With a clear coat game in home use, honestly guys, it will be fine if you never wax it, as long as you keep it clean. I do wax mine because I enjoy it, like the process, the way it looks and plays. But it's not like the pf will all the sudden get damaged if I don't. Keep in mind how anal we all are and how much we baby our games.

I did it to real dirty areas that Novus 2 had a hard time with with one of my pins. I realize that you dont do it to the whole play field in general.

I just use a wet dish cloth to wipe the playfield and cabinet down, rinse and repeat until clean. Follow that up with some Milwax on the playfield and polish with a terry cloth. Perfect.

I'm tempted to switch things up and try some Zaino. It's not a wax, but a polymer. The stuff works incredible on my cars, and it lasts a long time if layered properly. It's really easy and fast to apply. I'm kind of scared of trying it on a pin, though. Anyone out there know about Zaino and ever use it on a pin?

Yuri the dish towel will cause lots of scratches on the clear coat. Millwax is not good. It is kinda misleading because it is not wax it is silicone. Some guys swear by it for EM's but it is not good for Moderns. Also note- it smells up entire home with horrible smell. Use novus with clean micro fiber cloth-cheap at Wal-Mart in automotive section for 10 pack. Then use sponge applicator-(clean) with 100% wax-let stand for 15 minutes wipe off with clean micro towel-good to go.

Mother's Pure Carnuba Wax (not the Cleaner Wax) or Blitz.

breath in breath out dont forget to breath veeeedy impotent! Elbo grease seams to be one of the best tools to use, oh yeah oscilating tools are good too! when the wax gets tacky it helps pick up wax but then it can work against you , flip the rag.

I find that a thin coat of Ridley Scott brand Alien blood really cuts through the dirt.

Yep used it on my Corvette, now just a "Mist n' Shine by Wizards" for a quick detail. Besides Pinball I am a Car guy, you could eat off my Corvette Engine it is so detailed. I am afraid if I start "detailing" my Pin it will never satisfy me. I know with detailing if you stay on top of it, cleaning is a breeze.