Arcade Collecting > Pinball
Trying to restore pinball playfield SUCKS!
pbj:
Light sanding and a layer of clearcoat makes the brush marks disappear.
:cheers:
TopJimmyCooks:
A full proper discussion of playfield restoration is beyond the scope of this forum. you have to clear over all that acrylic or it will not last long. You will eventually run out of time, tools and experience and crash hard. Start with a pf you don't care about for your first one.
here's a thread from a good guy on how to do it properly. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration
here's an easier type of clear finish to do: http://www.pinrepair.com/restore/index3.htm#end
thehammer12:
--- Quote from: TopJimmyCooks on January 21, 2015, 06:56:40 pm ---A full proper discussion of playfield restoration is beyond the scope of this forum. you have to clear over all that acrylic or it will not last long. You will eventually run out of time, tools and experience and crash hard. Start with a pf you don't care about for your first one.
here's a thread from a good guy on how to do it properly. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration
here's an easier type of clear finish to do: http://www.pinrepair.com/restore/index3.htm#end
--- End quote ---
Yeah this should be a convo for pinside, not here. But everyone is happy to help where they can..
Fursphere:
--- Quote from: mimic on January 20, 2015, 11:22:45 pm ---So I'm trying to restore my pinball's playfield and it blows monkey balls! Cheap way by hand with acrylic paints it leaves paint brush strokes like a mother! Air brushing without ever doing it before and buying all the equipment seems like complete nonsense.
--- End quote ---
So I've done three playfield restores, working on a forth - (i'd never done this before the first pin I purchased)
Gottlieb Time Line - MASSIVE repaint by hand. Took months. I thought it looked like crap when I was done, but many people who saw it thought it was factory original and looked great. The key is in the clear coat. clear / sand / repeat. many many times. (I used rattle can Varathane). I actually had to fill in areas where the wood was worn down with primer to build it up to get it flat again.
Gottlieb Stargate. Still a work in progress. Whoever at Gottlieb decided to use metallic silver paint as the PRIMER needs to be kicked and beaten. What a horrible idea that was. I've been working on this one for a long time. (given up a couple of times)
My only advice is to pick an area, and work on it a little each night. If its not coming out perfect the way you want it too, jump to another area and come back later. Its tedious work.
And remember to consider the overall quality of the machine before you try and make it factory original. Putting 500 hours into a playfield that is worth $200 doesn't make any sense. Automotive clear coat is awesome, but expensive and toxic as all hell when applied (it can make you go blind without the proper safety equipment). (hire a professional with a shop who's done it before if you go this route). The law of diminishing returns applies to this kind of work.
What game are you restoring anyway?
mimic:
--- Quote from: Fursphere on January 21, 2015, 07:55:16 pm ---
--- Quote from: mimic on January 20, 2015, 11:22:45 pm ---So I'm trying to restore my pinball's playfield and it blows monkey balls! Cheap way by hand with acrylic paints it leaves paint brush strokes like a mother! Air brushing without ever doing it before and buying all the equipment seems like complete nonsense.
--- End quote ---
So I've done three playfield restores, working on a forth - (i'd never done this before the first pin I purchased)
Gottlieb Time Line - MASSIVE repaint by hand. Took months. I thought it looked like crap when I was done, but many people who saw it thought it was factory original and looked great. The key is in the clear coat. clear / sand / repeat. many many times. (I used rattle can Varathane). I actually had to fill in areas where the wood was worn down with primer to build it up to get it flat again.
Gottlieb Stargate. Still a work in progress. Whoever at Gottlieb decided to use metallic silver paint as the PRIMER needs to be kicked and beaten. What a horrible idea that was. I've been working on this one for a long time. (given up a couple of times)
My only advice is to pick an area, and work on it a little each night. If its not coming out perfect the way you want it too, jump to another area and come back later. Its tedious work.
And remember to consider the overall quality of the machine before you try and make it factory original. Putting 500 hours into a playfield that is worth $200 doesn't make any sense. Automotive clear coat is awesome, but expensive and toxic as all hell when applied (it can make you go blind without the proper safety equipment). (hire a professional with a shop who's done it before if you go this route). The law of diminishing returns applies to this kind of work.
What game are you restoring anyway?
--- End quote ---
THANK YOU! for encouraging words! I don't mind painting by hand at all, I actually have "very easy" Playfield to do (Mr & Mrs Pacman). What I mind is to make it look like ass. It looks decent from a distance, but up close looks like fat clogged up arteries. Brush strokes, gulps of paint on top of paint. I'm scared that it's going to look like that after clear coat and my understanding is after automotive clear coat, that's basically end of the road, no corrections of any type.
--- Quote from: pbj on January 21, 2015, 03:05:33 pm ---Light sanding and a layer of clearcoat makes the brush marks disappear.
:cheers:
--- End quote ---
Light sanding of what, acrylic paint? (that's what I'm tempted to do but I'm thinking it will just create holes)
--- Quote from: yotsuya on January 21, 2015, 01:26:30 pm ---I guess you've never heard about Mylar playfields?
--- End quote ---
yes, I have but I doubt that's the case with my pinball (Mr&Mrs Pacman)
Final thought though. No one is addressing possibility of printing an adhesive vinyl playfield and then sticking it onto sanded playfield, coat it and call it a day? No one tried that kind of approach!?
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