Removing gunk / adhesive on a metal panel to get it down to shinny silver

[mrclean]

I have my first metal panel and i have since removed the control panel overlay, but beneath it was residue, i scapped it the best I could. Is there any way to get it down to the shinny metal/ smooth again? i remember a while ago seeing somewhere someone did a restore on a panel if any one has the link to that let me know. So do i use chemicals ? or what's the best easiest way to do this while I wait for my parts I have time.

[pinballwizard79]

try spraying "goo gone" on it

heavily

allow it to sit for about 30 minutes

the petroleum distillates break down glue easily   

[mrclean]

outta the goo gone

[pinballwizard79]

Are you saying you sprayed a large amount of goo gone, let it sit for half an hour & ran out?

perhaps abrasion is your last option

If you have a drill go to a hardware store & get one of those wire brush attachments for handheld drills

spin that puppy at a few thousand rpms & the steel will shine!

like this

[mrclean]

yeah that looks like something i need if i want this thing nice and shinny, it's not really required but i think i'm gonna do it.

*Also what material should i purchase to fill a hole that shouldn't be there ? about half the size of a button hole. I noticed after removing the control panel overlay that someone used what looks like an orange gel to fill in various Carriage bolt holes. To me it's not even imperitive that i fill that hole, because i plan on using a plexi overlay so it shouldn't matter.

funny enough the most useful tool to remove most stuff was from a grill brush tool.  something similar to this:

[pinballwizard79]

well that depends

I have had 2 MAME arcades with metal control panels......its nice for trackball mounting for sure since no metal plate or routing will be required.

anyway I bought HVAC sheet metal & used tin snips to make little backplates which I adhered with JB weld epoxy glue. after a day or two of curing I used jb weild putty to fill in the top......then I sanded it smooth, cant lie though....its better to put a little on at a time & do several fill, sand, fill, sand, fill & so on

because if you just plow a bunch on there you will not enjoy sanding it smooth. regardless you will go through the process a few times to get it perfect & smooth, btw I have OCD so you may not need to go through that much trouble

the best pic I have of my old metal CP is from my blackjack so excuse the PQ



also, get that metal cp smooth & shiny so your primer will stick well

sand a few coats of primer & use a hi gloss paint to coat, then your cpo decal will adhere nicely

[mrclean]

I may or may not fill that extra hole in, like i said with a sheet of plexi on top it should be fine. Also the buttons that i drilled with a 1'' 1/8th drill bit seems to fit the leaf buttons I have but for whatever reason the holes that were on the taito cab looks like it has little tiny notches but don't seem to fit my buttons other then buying a dremel how can i trim the inside down? type of sand paper maybe ?? but again its metal

[pinballwizard79]

I have not encountered that before, interesting issue

[daywane]

lay a thin rag over it.
soak it with WD-40
let sit. over night if need be
glue should wash off.
given enough time, WD - 40 will remove almost any glue.

ask some of your friend that work at a factory.
I have worked at a few of them... All have had some sort of sand blaster if you really want to het it new again.

[shmokes]

I have my first metal panel and i have since removed the control panel overlay, but beneath it was residue, i scapped it the best I could. Is there any way to get it down to the shinny metal/ smooth again? i remember a while ago seeing somewhere someone did a restore on a panel if any one has the link to that let me know. So do i use chemicals ? or what's the best easiest way to do this while I wait for my parts I have time.

Isn't your name mrclean?  We should be asking you!

[mrclean]

true, your right and rather ironic. I started with the ideas posted above and making some progress but very slow and tedious. I think I'm going to try the soaking rag trick tonight can't hurt. What about paint thinner ?

[KeithD]

It all depends on what the glue you are removing, , and of course, whether you want to preserve the original finish of the metal.  You can try anything short of acid and it won't hurt the metal unless you use an abrasive to scrub. I usually do what the Corvette and other restoration guys used to call "Least destructive means." That means I would try hand soap, dish soap, 409, paint thinner (mineral spirits), lacquer thinner, nail polish remover and acetone in that order. Sometimes, laying some packing tape over the offensive material and pressing it down the yanking it off can work quite well. If you don't care about the surface finish, or plan on your own surface finish, the sky's the limit. Scotchbrite, steel or bronze wool (brillo pad), brass wire brush, stainless wire brush, sandpaper, sand, rocks, that old paving stone from the sidewalk, whatever.

If you are planning a polished metal finish, scotchbrite works quite well, followed by 600 grit sandpaper, 1000 grit sandpaper and metal polish should give you a nearly mirror finish. Don't forget that people will be putting their sweaty hands all over it, so you may want to paint it with some clear paint after you are done to protect the finish.

Hope that helps

KD

[northerngames]

never tried it but I seen a post where someone said they BBQ theres on a old grill.

dunno if it works for sure though as I never tried.

[CheffoJeffo]

never tried it but I seen a post where someone said they BBQ theres on a old grill.

dunno if it works for sure though as I never tried.

It wasn't my post, but I've done that when the heat gun failed to get the CPO off.

Normally, I use the heatgun to remove the overlay and Super DeGooper to get rid of the residue.

[KeithD]

never tried it but I seen a post where someone said they BBQ theres on a old grill.

dunno if it works for sure though as I never tried.

It wasn't my post, but I've done that when the heat gun failed to get the CPO off.

Normally, I use the heatgun to remove the overlay and Super DeGooper to get rid of the residue.

Right there in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Awesome!

My wife would have my head on a platter...

K

[mrclean]

I have since removed all the gunk from the metal panel, and drilled holes however they need to be slightly bigger for my buttons to fit, What tool should i use to attach to my drill to widen the hole ever so slightly. the original holes that are on the panel are just a bit too small like a hair line.

[CheffoJeffo]

Right there in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Awesome!

My wife would have my head on a platter...

I am the Cheffo -- the kitchen is my domain!!!





Well, that and Mrs. Cheffo wasn't home that night.

 

[KeithD]

I have since removed all the gunk from the metal panel, and drilled holes however they need to be slightly bigger for my buttons to fit, What tool should i use to attach to my drill to widen the hole ever so slightly. the original holes that are on the panel are just a bit too small like a hair line.

Do you have a file? Or you can wrap some sandpaper around a pipe or dowel and get that in there. The backyard method is to stick the drill back in there and kind of work it around while it spins, but that generally leads to either a mistake or an ugly hole. What size is the hole?

K