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Is the a knack to using mill wax?

DRD

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Oct 26, 2014
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I don't wax my games as often as I should

When I do, I tend to get lots of flakes of dry residue messing up the playfield, that then need to be removed

Is there a good way to use this wax pls ? Do you use a damp cloth to collect the small dust/ residue at the end. Do you vacuum it out ? Do you steer clear of the edges so you avoid the risk of catching rubbers, plastics.

Is there a better wax that is easier to use ?

Any ideas gratefully received. I am too lazy to do this job 100 per cent, so a practical 80-20 solution is what I am after.

Thanks
 
Expect a lot of ' do not use millwax ' comments. I however don't mind it. You may have to give it another little wipe over the day after though as the stuff you missed seems to dry into a powder.
 
I am happy to give another brand/ way a go. I just have mates coming over soon so wanted to give my games a quick spruce up.

After messing with vector and shadow tuning them, will be great to get the playfields nice and fast too. Treating my other two to a wax too

I would love a cheat. Aerosol type thing that an idiot can use. If that is an option. As the mill wax residue is a pain in the @rse
 
I've tried Millwax in the past, and various 100% Carnuba guitar waxes, and always had lots of horrible residue and white bits all over the palyfield and so on.

Recently I bought this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IHW4QDK

and it's been brilliant. Really good fast shiny finish and no bits all over the playfield. So all I can say is that not all Carnuba waxes are the same, and some leave more residue and crap on the playfield than others. This one works for me....
 
You don't need to wax games too often :) When you're shopping them out get a few coats of a good carnuba wax of the playfield and then maybe look to reapply every 6 months to a year depending on how much play they get. For routine sprucing up, a wipe down with Pledge or Mr Sheen (I'm a Pledge man myself) does the job and brings a nice shine back to your waxed playfield :thumbs:
 
Doesnt the pledge remove all of the Carnuba though??

Don't think so, or at least not that I've noticed :) The carnuba dries hard and I'm not rubbing too hard with the Pledge and cloth :thumbs:
 
@PeteB posted on his RFM thread about his 5-step process for polishing playfields. Whilst the products and tools he uses are probably a bit hardcore for most folks he then swears by Pledge for all following aftercare.
 
Haha! That photo is the very reason I don't recommend wax. It gets everywhere. Even if you're really, really careful with non-powdery wax (such as Meguiars, Turtlewax Green, Autoglym etc) you will still spread it in places and on to things where it cannot be wiped off - unless your playfield is fully stripped that is. So you just end up with a cloudy mess on all the detailing.

Pledge is amazing. Gives a super shine, slippery play surface, doesn't dry or rot plastics, you can spray it everywhere and when you can't reach with your microfibre towel to buff, just take a dry paintbrush to tickle it. Pledge is old school, fast, and hassle free. I even stopped using glass cleaner on the pf & backglass. Just pledge it for an amazing finish. Use it on the side rails, use it on the coin door, use it on the legs, the cabinet artwork, everything. Pledge, pledge, pledge!

I shudder at the thought of anyone using Millwax. At the very least please take yourself along to Halfords and buy the cheapest brand of car wax they sell, but why bother when Pledge is even cheaper, easier to use and gives better results?
 
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I've got some Millwax (noobs first purchase etc) and I found it was pretty good at cleaning up a really dirty playfield, like just before a major restoration of bad project. But then I discovered Magic Eraser and Isopropyl Alcohol! Ten times faster and much cleaner.
 
Thanks for the advice. Pledge it is.

My mill waxed tables of yesterday are already shedding dusty residue. No matter how carefully you apply it, or how thoroughly you remove it, mill wax is crap. I avoided everything but flat playfield and ramps, yet it still sheds. This is why I have always been so loathed to use it. I got mine years ago as it is marketed as the wax for the job.

I think that the balls actually rip up the dust with the heat/ pressure they exert. My tables looked spotless until I played a few games

Pledge sounds supremely more sensible. And will get up all this bloody mill wax dust
 
Haha! That photo is the very reason I don't recommend wax. It gets everywhere. Even if you're really, really careful with non-powdery wax (such as Meguiars, Turtlewax Green, Autoglym etc) you will still spread it in places and on to things where it cannot be wiped off - unless your playfield is fully stripped that is. So you just end up with a cloudy mess on all the detailing.

Pledge is amazing. Gives a super shine, slippery play surface, doesn't dry or rot plastics, you can spray it everywhere and when you can't reach with your microfibre towel to buff, just take a dry paintbrush to tickle it. Pledge is old school, fast, and hassle free. I even stopped using glass cleaner on the pf & backglass. Just pledge it for an amazing finish. Use it on the side rails, use it on the coin door, use it on the legs, the cabinet artwork, everything. Pledge, pledge, pledge!

I shudder at the thought of anyone using Millwax. At the very least please take yourself along to Halfords and buy the cheapest brand of car wax they sell, but why bother when Pledge is even cheaper, easier to use and gives better results?
Do you have shares in Pledge ?
 
But which, of the many Pledge products, are we talking about here?

http://www.pledge.com/en-US/Products/Pages/default.aspx

My playfield strip will be done soon and I figured whilst it's all clear I might as well give it a good polish and shine up. Be handy to know the best way to go about it for best results.

Good question, browsing previous threads on similar I found this - is this literally the one @PeteB ? The guys are out there as I write hitting Asda.

1st - Pledge (for serious pro's only and ongoing maintenence):
www.onestopcleaningsupplies.co.uk_images_uploads_HK213.jpg
 
Pledge has been bought. Not only does it clean up the mill wax residue, it also gives an immediate boost to speed. And takes seconds

Brilliant suggestion. Thanks chaps
 
There are a few varieties but I don't think it matters too much. I've used a few. This is the one I'm currently using, it's just the general multi surface type:

IMG_2783.JPG
 
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