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Looking for advice/thoughts on playfield cleaning/repair

HomerRamone

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10 Years
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Mar 20, 2013
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Finally starting to ponder pressing on doing something with my Cosmic Gunfight (rather than playing it - which is all I've really done with it for the last couple of months).
Course ill probably spend another 2 months procrastinating about it all - but that's fine. Until I start stripping it I can still play it :)
I'm going to have to strip the playfield to clean it an replace the rubbers that much is certain. And do something with the blemish mid playfield.
But I'm not sure the best approach. I read a chunk of the guide on cleaning the playfield on pinside but thought I would ask for opinions on here too.
(The strand of Vids guide on pinside is what you use to clean depends on the era of pin etc)

I gather alcohol a "magic eraser" is a popular choice. But I also read this is potentially going to strip the top clear coat from the playfield.
Recoating the playfield with some sort of lacquer/clear coat sounds a little scary.
Also read that naptha and a magic eraser is a less aggressive method. (No idea where you would get naptha over here, but I gather panel wipe does the same job ?)

A fair bit of the wear is around the top where the ball enters the playfield. Or so it looks at first. Once you start looking closer its actually more widespread than that.

So I'm looking for any thoughts/suggestions/tips on
The best way to clean it. My current thought was to use a magic eraser and some panel wipe.

Options regarding fixing the playfield wear. I currently have these down as:
1. Nothing, leave it. Its not perfect but plays just fine.
2. Fix the bit in the centre only. the rest isnt ideal but its not terrible until you start getting up close an personal.
3. something else.

Possibly 1/2 are the best options. Not least since it needs a new back-glass. (Although I have a couple of options there. One expensive, one less so, but not sure how that will pan out.) The cabinet isn't pristine, although it isn't a shed either so...
I gather you can get those stencil deelys if I was bold enough to try and do the whole cabinet. Just not sure if its worth going to that level it if the playfield isnt flawless.
top playfield.jpgmid playfield.jpg
 
Regarding the playfield - Isopropol Alcohol on kitchen towels, Qtips in tight areas. Be careful with Magic Erasers, they're more abrasive than you'd think. Avoid all waxes and silicones right now if you've paint in mind. Varying grades of rubbing compound or Novus on faded areas just go slow and small areas at a time, be wary of planking areas.

I'd go with modelmaking enamels for playfield touch-up's.

The cabinet, I'd probably touch-up. I'd rather have factory printed artwork that's been cleaned and touched-up than re-decaled / re-stencilled for the sake of it, but that's just me.
 
It's difficult to see but if you have dirt embedded in the paint in ball swirl marks then you will need to use a magic eraser type product to have any sort of cleaning effect. As #Dex-Jay said, it is ultimately an abrasive so could take a bit more off than you planned [emoji846]

I don't think you will ever get the black looking right with enamel touch ups. Almost all the black looks like it needs some attention.

Plus, if on any touch up the enamel dries a different colour to when it was applied, you are pretty much fooked.

Acrylic is more forgiving and easier to work with. You could probably do a wash over the entire black area, applying the paint with a small sponge and cleaning any overpaint on pf features with alcohol and Q tips. I have had really good results with this method but you would need a protective coating after painting.[emoji52]

I would probably start with a gentle cleaning progressing to gradually more aggressive until you have the result you are happy with. Then consider paint options.

The problem with touch ups is it's like starting a tube of Pringles. You do one and end up doing the lot[emoji16]



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