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Best method for cleaning plastic ramps? apart from buying new :)

Bayaz

Bayaz

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Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
44
Just a quick question about cleaning old smoky looking plastics on my TAF. What is the best method for making them look good - no cracks on the plastic so I'm reluctant to buy new ones. Also seeing as its spring cleaning time, what's the best 'process' for cleaning a diamond coat PF like TAF?

Remember I'm new to all of this, before you sigh :rolleyes:

Cheers

Noel
 
I just cleaned a smokey Atlantis ramp which I thought was supposed to be that colour :D. It's now clear. Just used Novus 2. The ramps on my i500 which has now moved on were absolutely sparkling, I think the previous owner put them in the dishwasher.
 
Buy yourself the following from Pinball Mania or Pinball Heaven (if you don't have it already):
  • Novus 2
  • Novus 3
  • Foaming spray cleaner
  • Carnuba wax (I recommend Gerlitz No1 guitar wax from Amazon)
  • Magic Eraser (Tesco, Asda etc)
  • Isopropyl Alcohol (Maplins)
  • Plenty of micro fibre cloths (Tesco, Asda etc)
Cleaning the ramp
  • Spray on the foaming cleaner and leave for a min to do it's thing
  • Wipe off the major gunk with paper towels
  • If the ramp is heavily scratched with ingrained dirt use Novus 3 and work it into the bad areas using a cloth (this will probably only be needed on the ball track if at all)
  • Let it dry to a haze and then buff off with a different cloth
  • With another cloth, work Novus 2 all over the ramp and let it dry to a haze
  • Buff off with yet another cloth :)
You should end up with a decent looking ramp after this. You can take it one step further and do some flame polishing but I'd advise leaving this well alone until you've practised on a scrap ramp.

Cleaning the playfield

Very similar to cleaning the ramp:
  • Hoover the pf if needed
  • Foaming cleaner to get the major gunk off (if needed)
  • If the pf is really bad with ball swirls and ingrained dirt use the Magic Eraser with some alcohol. Go slow and gentle and be super careful as this will go through the Diamond Plate and start taking paint off if you go too hard.
  • Clean with Novus 2 and then buff off as above (shouldn't need to use Novus 3 on the pf)
  • Apply the carnuba wax and let dry to a haze
  • Buff off the wax to have a clean and shiny pf
 
I realised there was three types of ramps on TAF. Clear, smokey and filthy. I had filthy, then just smokey and then bought a clear one.
 
Thanks for the great replies... I'll keep you all updated with my progress! Love this site... It's a shame it wasn't around 20 years ago :)
 
Even without the drying cycle a dishwasher can still damage a ramp, they wash at a very high temperature.
Just ask John Haliwell about his Creature swirl ramp melting disaster. :eek::eek:
 
I'm sure the missus will love me Washing my ramps with the dirty dishes... Might just do this by hand :)
 
+1 for putting ramps in the dishwasher on a cool cycle. Sometimes takes a bit of puzzling to fit the bigger ones in but never had a problem.
 
Good ol' Novus 2. I only ever seem to buy that one, never the others for some reason.....

Thing about Novus 2 that's not great, is sometimes you miss buffing some of it off and you won't see it till you get everything back together and settle down for your first game. Leaving that sh*t on the underside of your Tron ramps after installing the ramp light mod kit is like watching your knob drop off.
 
Careful with the diswasher method, I will never forget a Creature swirl ramp that didnt make it out the same way it went in.
 
I hear you. For the record I put it on a 33 degrees cycle which lasts about 30 minutes only, and checked on it every 5 minutes. As soon as it stopped doing washingy stuff and seemed to be on the drying part of the cycle I turned it off, so the ramps never got very warm.

Decals all stayed on fine. Most of the dirt was off but some was just loosened and needed wiping off.

The ramps had a couple of cracks and replacements are available, so I figured I would try washing them before thinking about getting new ones.
 
replicas said:
Even without the drying cycle a dishwasher can still damage a ramp, they wash at a very high temperature.
Just ask John Haliwell about his Creature swirl ramp melting disaster. :eek::eek:
Click to expand...



most modern ones have choice of lower temp cycles,but like Stan I remove before dry cycle.Mind you Gottlieb ramos are frequently metal so easy clean
 
Poibug said:
i won some once, still have it, what do I do with it?
Click to expand...

I run a hotish bath and pour that stuff in. Washed all the plastics, ramps etc on my GI by letting it soak and then rinse off. Works wonders and comes out sparkling.

I never fogret Mel sending me some as a surprise with some shaker motors, the lid had come off in transit and his white power poured out from the pacel when I opened it. I thought someone had sent me a parcel of coke by mistake lol
 
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