Saving flaking cabinet artwork

[rotheblog]

Wasn't sure where to post this topic, thought in woodworking might be best.

I have a Ms. Pac-man that has some artwork flaking, and I want to save and possibly seal it so it doesn't get any worse.

Here is my blog post.

http://www.rotheblog.com/1614/preserving-flaking-arcade-game-artwork

Does anyone have any ideas?  Leave a comment, please, if you do.  Not the best at this stuff, so assume I know nothing:)

I did a quick search on this forum as well, and didn't turn up anything under "cabinet flaking", and found mostly stuff about bezels and marquees under "artwork flaking".

[Tahnok]

I'm dealing with something similar on a Moon Patrol cabinet right now, though your damage doesn't look as bad. Someone may have ideas on how to repair the existing paint, but it might come down to creating stencils from what you have and then completely repainting it.

Edit: Just took a closer look at your picture. It looks like most of the artwork is still good. I would definitely try to save it before going through all the hassle of repainting it entirely.

[rotheblog]

Yes, most definitely.  The Ms. Pac-man sideart artwork has great color, and I would like to save it if at all possible.  I wouldn't probably start fresh on this cabinet, anyway, with a set of stencils.  My other cabinet that has chips missing and faded artwork would be the one for a fresh coat.

I have two options for good products to seal the artwork, a varithane product and a krylon product with long names (Check the post for details).  I haven't heard anyone make a comment yet on how to clean it without taking off the paint.

No one has any ideas?

[sstorkel]

If you really want the answer, ask Michael Dresdner. And you should pay him the $20 he asks for when helping people out.

There are a number of potential problems with trying to fix the flaking paint. In no particular order:

1. Some clear coats aren't really clear; they'll add a color cast that may make the paint look different. Oil-based clear coats tend to add a yellow or amber tint. Water-based clear coats, especially the Varathane products I've used, tend to add a bluish tint.

2. The clear coat may contain the solvent for the paint! This is the absolute worst-case scenario: you don't know what is in the paint, you start spraying a clear coat over it, and the whole thing starts to drip and run! This is probably most likely to happen if you spray a lacquer-based clear, but I would suggest testing anything on a small, inconspicuous area before using it on the entire cabinet.

3. Fixing the flaking problem won't fix the rest of the paint job. For your pictures, it looks to me like there are some waves and bubbles in the paint. Spraying a clear coat over those won't fix them; they'll still look damaged. And there's a good chance that, even with a clear coat, they'll eventually flake off.

4. Make sure you use a gloss level that is appropriate for the project. I'm of the opinion that a high-gloss finish is almost never appropriate. The surface must be absolutely perfect if you're going to use a high-gloss product. Even the smallest defect will jump out and slap you in the face if you use a high-gloss finish. In addition, it will be nearly impossible to keep a high-gloss finish clean; fingerprints, in particular, seem to really stand out in the light. A Semi-gloss, eggshell, or matte finish might be better, especially if there are defects in the paint that you want to hide.

If you don't get any better suggestions (e.g. from Dresdner), your best bet is to put down a de-waxed shellac to seal the paint, then clear coat it with whatever you like. I believe that Zinsser's SealCoat is shellac-based, but I'm not sure about the color. Ideally, you want a "blonde" or "ultra-blonde" shellac, so that it doesn't add any color to the underlying paint.

[rotheblog]

sstorkel,

Thanks for the well written, lengthy reply.  This is the sort of wealth of information that every forum needs.

I think I have resolved that I will probably put some sort of coat to preserve the remaining artwork, knowing that the current chipping can't be saved.  But now I know what to watch for in the different types of coats.  It won't fix the bad areas, but hopefully can keep it from spreading.

I am going to try to find something with little to no gloss, I knew that already, but you gave me some great search terms to look with.

I may give Dresdner a call, but I would hate to call him and have him tell me pretty much the same things I have gotten from three forums, so I am going to stew on that for a few days.

Thanks again for the great reply.  It was so helpful.

[shardian]

Regardless of what you do, always test on a small area in an inconspicuous area.