F-14 Tomcat
Williams, 1987My head is dizzy from reading 15 threads on playfield cleaning.... I would just like to know if using Naptha to take the thick crud off my playfield will cause any damage? Can I use naptha to remove Mylar adhesive (Goo Gone's slow action is driving me nuts.)? After I use naptha, should I wipe the playfield down with anything else, like alcohol, to remove any naptha residue?
Thanks. Information overload has clouded my thinking...
EDIT: on second thought just do this: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration#post-547712
Well system 11 mylar removal is pretty dicey, from what I understand. So I will preface anything I say that that.
I used freeze spray, then goo gone, then naptha to remove mylar in the past with good results. However this was on a diamond coat playfield not a sys 11.
Naptha shouldn't leave any residue, I used it to clean finger prints etc. off my playfield before clear coating so I think you could safely use it.
Also it is used to make a 'preview' clearcoat over acrylic paint so, it shouldn't hurt artwork.
I just got finished taking the mylar off of my Earth Shaker (roughly same time frame as Tomcat). I got best results using rubbing alcohol and flour (took from vid's guide). Not sure about the Naptha, I'm planning on using it as the last step before I do my first clear coat.
To clean the playfield I used (from Home Depot) the Zep Citrus cleaner and also bought their blue micro cloths, worked well.
Quoted from boneman91:My head is dizzy from reading 15 threads on playfield cleaning.... I would just like to know if using Naptha to take the thick crud off my playfield will cause any damage? Can I use naptha to remove Mylar adhesive (Goo Gone's slow action is driving me nuts.)? After I use naptha, should I wipe the playfield down with anything else, like alcohol, to remove any naptha residue?
Thanks. Information overload has clouded my thinking...
I used it on my Firepower without issue.
My understanding:
Pure naptha leaves no residue, that's why you use it in 'sloppy' liquid form- it can clean and penetrate grime without damaging the PF then completely evaporate.
Alcohol has some level of water in it, that's why I don't tend to use it unless it's of high concentration, applied in mist or small areas, and it's removed quickly. If any water is left behind it's bad news bears, especially if you are intending to clear afterwards.
If I needed to use alcohol for whatever reason (remove some certain stain or coating or whatever) I would use it first then final clean with naptha, not the other way around.
Note I am referring to a bare or lacquered PF (ie - old PF) not a clearcoated PF. You don't have to worry so much about moisture if there's a decent clearcoat AFAIK.
I removed the mylar using the freeze method for half of it, then noticed that I could just gently peel it up with pressure on the other half. This removed no paint, except around the decals on the plastic inserts. But I'm planning to remove them, level them, and re-decal anyway. The benefit was that the vast majority of the adhesive stayed on the mylar, so much less residue to remove with the goo gone.
I have used a plastic caulking tool to scrape up the residue, and found this works well. Lot easier then repeated rubbing with various towels, and hasn't removed any paint or scratched anything either.
I want to use the Naptha to remove the black residue that has ended up in deep recesses and on non-painted surfaces. So It sounds like I'm good from that angle.
Don't know that I have the guts to do a clear-coat. I've refurbished four pins so far, but never had the nerve to remove the wiring harness. Not sure the snakes-nest under F-14 is the best harness to try as my first!
Quoted from boneman91:Don't know that I have the guts to do a clear-coat. I've refurbished four pins so far, but never had the nerve to remove the wiring harness. Not sure the snakes-nest under F-14 is the best harness to try as my first!
Assuming you can mount the PF properly still for spraying, you don't HAVE to remove the crap on the bottom of the PF. If you take off everything that sticks up thru the PF and plug all the lamp holes you can clear the top of the PF relatively painlessly.
I'm sure the purists wont agree, but it's possible.
Might try that PurpleMonkey. Except......I don't have anything to actually do the clearcoating with. Vid and others have been quite stern that rattlecan clears won't work well. I don't have any spray equipment, so would send it out. In which case, I'll remove the playfield.
But my playfield is pretty trashed. Lots of flaking black paint where it was under plastics with lights. If I can touch it up so the playfield looks decent, might give it a try.
Anybody have any hints on touching up black paint areas?
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