Removing insert art/print/remains

[JMP]

So after taking flash photos of my BK2000 playfield yesterday, the insert art appears much worse than I recalled and getting the urge to sort them. Read up a bit last night and appears most remove the inserts and sand down before re-inserting into the playfield and applying new decals. That makes it a BIG job and myself at risk of damaging the inserts themselves...

Anyone ever done this without removing the inserts? Some look like they could be picked off maybe.... Considering cutting a Stanley knife blade to shape so it can be held with fingers but retaining a small flat blade to scrape at them !?

 

[elrikos]

Over on pinside vid1900 has a mammoth post on playfield restoration which I think covers this. Best answer is that you can use a scalpel blade to peel theclearcoat and text off in one go. The issue is the clearcoat has s noticeable thickness and that needs to be filled. He recommends dripping clearcoat in using a syringe to level it up. Looked like a big job whichever way you do it.
Failing that. Apply Mylar then remove quickly. Never fails to lift insert text!!(joke!)

 

[kevlar]

I scraped one off on my upper playfield on BK2K and it took ages, it's quite stubborn. As you have lots to do it probably would be quicker to learn how to remove and refit them.

 

[cooldan]

looks fine to me, i wouldn't bother but then the fixup isn't a major source of fun to me - and the way you define it as a BIG job makes me wonder whether this is something you'd enjoy or not.

to some folk, that restoration part IS the juice, and for them the bigger the project, the better the finish, the greater the pleasure. more power to them, it depends how much it bothers you, and if you can think of something else you'd rather do with the many hours it will take you. i'd rather play BK2K for 6h than spend 6h perfecting those inserts, the scratches add to the charm for me.

 

[Lee ellison]

to me it looks like the inserts are " crazed" , small fatigue cracks in the plastic , so you might end up trying to fix them and having to replace the inserts

 

[JMP]

Thanks all. Considering I've got a Robowar rebuild and Tron strip/modding also planned, think this is going to go on the back-burner after all. Do enjoy a restoration job but not sure to the extent of removing and stripping the playfield entirely, taking out and doing ALL the inserts again etc. etc.

@cooldan, think you summed it up. Countless hours making it a little but better or playing it instead. When it's switched on you never notice them anyway..... Nice gif BTW. Could get hypnotised by that...

 

[Moonraker]

Digital cameras have a knack of picking up tiny details that human eyes don't normally see until it's presented in the photo and you go for a closer look...

 

[DRD]

Coloured LEDs might help "hide" the crazing when the game is in use and the lower heat output could limit further degradation too

 

[JMP]

Digital cameras have a knack of picking up tiny details that human eyes don't normally see until it's presented in the photo and you go for a closer look...

Quite right !

Coloured LEDs might help "hide" the crazing when the game is in use and the lower heat output could limit further degradation too

Never thought of that, will give it a try.