Filling deep flipper scrape damage

[kev a]

Any suggestions on the best way to tackle this damage caused by a dragging flipper, cosmetically I'm not too bothered, but its a couple of millimetres deep, enough to hold up the ball

Have considered 2-part wood filler protected with mylar or possible filling with a clear epoxy, or even mixing wood glue and sawdust to make a wood-coloured paste, but don't know what would be best?

 

[Ashbo]

Any suggestions on the best way to tackle this damage caused by a dragging flipper, cosmetically I'm not too bothered, but its a couple of millimetres deep, enough to hold up the ball

Have considered 2-part wood filler protected with mylar or possible filling with a clear epoxy, or even mixing wood glue and sawdust to make a wood-coloured paste, but don't know what would be best?View attachment 185738

Ouch, that's a tricky spot as it's on bare wood.

Are you going for seamless or just level.

I'd not expect seamless but if it were mine I'd be tempted to sand off the damaged surface a very small amount and try and match the varnish.

If that worked then level the playfield out and fill with clear epoxy or 2k and give time to cure.

 

[kev a]

Ouch, that's a tricky spot as it's on bare wood.

Are you going for seamless or just level.

I'd not expect seamless but if it were mine I'd be tempted to sand off the damaged surface a very small amount and try and match the varnish.

If that worked then level the playfield out and fill with clear epoxy or 2k and give time to cure.

Not expecting a seamless repair, very much doubt I have the skill for that, but getting it level so the ball doesn't get hung up would be my goal, this was a recent £100 pickup, so not too scared to try new things.

I have some liquid clear epoxy resin for wood (it's designed as a stabiliser to be painted on before filling) that might be suitable?

 

[Ashbo]

Not expecting a seamless repair, very much doubt I have the skill for that, but getting it level so the ball doesn't get hung up would be my goal, this was a recent £100 pickup, so not too scared to try new things.

I have some liquid clear epoxy resin for wood (it's designed as a stabiliser to be painted on before filling) that might be suitable?

In that case there is nothing to lose. You'd want the surface to be rock hard, but not brittle so something like an epoxy with hardener is where you need to go. @M4carp posted about his Taxi inserts recently so may be able shed some light on how well that's held up?

 

[JT.]

I'm not sure what the best solution might be, but wood-glue and sawdust would be rubbish imo - it creates a finish that looks like cheap chip-board, the glue is quite soft, even when fully dried, and it's likely to yellow over time too. It would stick out like a sore thumb in this location.

I've made things from poured resin before, and I think you could get a good finish with it - you'd probably want some advice from someone about how durable that would be with ball swirls, etc, but I think the biggest issue/risk you'd face would be the amount of sanding needed to get it smooth and polished, and the associated risk of damaging the surrounding paintwork in the process.

 

[M4carp]

Not quite the same as I had an insert that was damaged with a hole in it, I levelled the playfield flat then dabbed some clear epoxy resin on the insert that I had put mylar underneath to stop it dripping through and worked out ok but I put an insert decal over it and then fitted a playfield protector.
If you went that route you would need to colour match then mylar over it.

But maybe just clear epoxy resin would be ok? At least the ball will roll smoothly and you will see the wood colour through it.
You could stain the wood a bit darker first so it matches the rest maybe.

Some intricate polishing would probably be needed though as above.

 

[kev a]

Thanks for the advice guys, went ahead and applied some epoxy resin, can see some imperfections by eye but it looks flat enough that the ball will roll smoothly.

May try sanding it tomorow if there are any high spots when its fully cured.

 

[Ashbo]

Thanks for the advice guys, went ahead and applied some epoxy resin, can see some imperfections by eye but it looks flat enough that the ball will roll smoothly.

May try sanding it tomorow if there are any high spots when its fully cured.

View attachment 185748

Nice work!

 

[JT.]

Thanks for the advice guys, went ahead and applied some epoxy resin, can see some imperfections by eye but it looks flat enough that the ball will roll smoothly.

May try sanding it tomorow if there are any high spots when its fully cured.

Looking good

Bear in mind that if you sand it at all, if you want it clear again you will need to do a LOT of polishing steps. Getting resin glass-clear after sanding flat, I had to go through maybe 5-10 different grits of very fine wet and dry, followed by polishing with a mechanical polisher and polishing compound. You can get it perfectly clear, but obviously the risk to the surrounding area would be high - especially on older tables that don't have a clear coat layer.

 

[Balazs]

If I were you I would put light coloured bondo and after paint with wood lasur I did similar repairs

 

[kev a]

Nice, how do you find the bondo holds up over time?

 

[AlanJ]

Nice, how do you find the bondo holds up over time?

the 2 part fillers are harder than wood. some have fibreglass additives so are even harder wearing.