Have 4 pinball machine play fields torn apart at the moment and was thinking of ways to better protect things and to help eliminate "residue" accumulating on the game. Can you clear coat stainless steel ball guides and certain ramps? Will the clear hold up to the beatings the ball gives? Was hoping the layer of clear would keep the metal on metal from happening and eliminating more clean up. Thoughts?
Yes for metal.
Not sure about certain plastics...clear might be too "hot" for the materials used to form ramps.
I wax everything to help offer a layer of protection.
I agree, it would likely soften or melt many plastics. You also dont want to put it on anything that is flexible because it will crack and peel. Clear coat is not indestructible. On a playfield it serves the purpose of acting as a barrier for the artwork. The clear will still wear but the art will be protected, making it much easier to repair the next time.
I wasn't very clear in my description. I don't want to clear any plastics. Just metal. I was primarily looking at all the horizontal stainless ball "guides" on play fields. Also, maybe the "ring" ramp and sword on my LOTR. Was just curious if this was attempted before and what the end result was. Seemed like a good idea for another layer of protection considering our play fields are cleared.
It would be an interesting experiment, but I would be concerned that the clear would start to wear and then flake off where there is a lot of ball contact/impact. Once 2PAC finish is compromised and it starts to flake, it goes from looking amazingly to a complete disaster pretty quickly. A clear powder coat would be more durable and likely to stand up over time on metal ramps IMO.
-Jay
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