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Best clear coat for playfield & heart transplant?


Willie Wolf

Question

I'm a newbie to this forum but it looks great. I am in the last stages of restoring a Gottlieb Class of 1812. Cabinet, mechanicals etc done. 100%. Starting on playfield which needs some repainting. I use an air brush mainly, with acrylic paint. I would appreciate some advice on the best clear coating to preserve the surface. The center is mylar and I intend leaving that alone except for a polish. Looking for tips and tricks. Scarey business, mucking around with the play field. Those who know 1812 would know the beating heart. The rubber heart has perished like most of them...any ideas for a replacement. I'm use a glow in the dark ghouls mask at the moment which looks OK but would rather a heart transplant. Any suggestions?? Can't find a substitue. Thanking you in advance.
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I did mine - Indiana Jones with Two Pack Clear from a spray gun...

1st thing I did was carefully remove the mylar. Then a light sand down with 1500 grit paper. Then 2-3 coats of clear. Let it dry for a week, then sanded this with 1200 grip and did my repairs (mostly touch ups, fixed 2 holes) and then 3 good coats of clear. Light rub down and a cut n Polish....

 

Automotive finish, ultra shinny and hard finish...

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I did mine - Indiana Jones with Two Pack Clear from a spray gun...

1st thing I did was carefully remove the mylar. Then a light sand down with 1500 grit paper. Then 2-3 coats of clear. Let it dry for a week, then sanded this with 1200 grip and did my repairs (mostly touch ups, fixed 2 holes) and then 3 good coats of clear. Light rub down and a cut n Polish....

 

Automotive finish, ultra shinny and hard finish...

 

WHOA! That sounds like a nice finish.

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i have just finished the painting part of a WMS restoration and am going to try using a Cabots water based urethane - will do a test before trying on the playfield - will try to document results

 

I had a house with a timber once and the previous owner had used that stuff on the floor. The floor had a milky finish and I refuse to use it on anything.

 

I did an EM with auto acrylic and the finish is stunning. Total of 8 coats, sanded between every coat after the second.

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i have heard the problems with off the shelf acrylics

 

however the auto stuff is just way too dangerous for an amateur like me

 

I will see how i go with the test piece and me up my mind

 

confused but determined

 

Ric

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i have heard the problems with off the shelf acrylics

 

however the auto stuff is just way too dangerous for an amateur like me

 

I will see how i go with the test piece and me up my mind

 

confused but determined

 

Ric

 

No for a starting place the acrylic is a good bet. It's not dangerous and is acually easy to apply with a spray gun, it even comes out OK with an air less gun. Obviously 2pak is best but I'd say acrylic is the next best so long as it's auto paint.

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I used a Solver brand clear coat acrylic that did not contain linseed. Linseed will yellow over time.

 

I'll check the exact name in the shed tomorrow when I find the tin.

 

http://www.users.on.net/~bradandpam/pinball/eldorado.html

 

If I do it again I will ensure more drying time between coats, about 3-4 days. I'll also try to use fewer coats if I can. It is a long process as compared to an auto 2pac but much safer.

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All Paint are dangerous without the right safety equipment, inhaling the fumes wether it be from painting it on via roller / brush or spray mist, but yep 2 pack is a lot more harmful,,,, but the finish is outstanding, pity your not in Brissy, small cost I would have done it for you...
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i agree that all paint is dangerous and I have bought breathing gear etc (specifally says do not use with isocyante paint - scared me more)

 

I would have taken you up on the offer savage except in sydney - bummer - the playfield looks great now and I do not want to stuff it up on the clearcoat phase.

 

Brad - if you can get me the name of the acrylic you use I will give that a go too or if anyone knows of a another good one besides the cabots I will give that a go too.

 

The reason I looked at the cabots was that no-one else really had a urethane or acrylic that did not contain linseed or some other oil that will yellow the fiinish over time

 

Cheers

 

Ric

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Clearcoat I used is Solver Brand, in their "classic timber finishes" range:

 

Polyaqua Interior Gloss Clear

 

 

If you do use it, get the guy at the counter to ring their help desk to make sure the formula has not changed and they have added anything that may make it yellow.

 

 

When I coated mine I now think I applied it too thick and did not give it enough cure time between coats. Reason being was that after a few months I was polishing it again, I left the bottle of Novus 2 sitting on the playfield for about 10 minutes, when I lifted it off there was a very fine indent in the shape of the bottom of the Novus bottle on the playfield. Took about 10 minutes sanding with 2000 grit and a polish up to get rid of it. It would suggest the layers were not fully cured or too thick. Seems rock hard now and have not had the same problem again.

 

Has now been coated for about 12 months, no yellowing, looks great!

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Here's some more info on automotive clears:

 

http://www.marvin3m.com/clear/index.htm (I should put this site in my sig!)

 

As for the fake heart, something like this would be good:

http://www.halloweenonly.com/website/store/product_detail.asp?UID=&item_no=25609&keyword=&cat_keyword=&search_page_no=&page_no=&ltype=feat

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Great...Just applied about 5 coats of wax to my freshly cleaned playfield and now the discussion about clearcoating comes up..:x

I was seriously contemplating clearcoat and would love to to do it but decided against it because I was just not comfortable with the risk but it seems like you guys do it all the time.

Does it change the gameplay ie quicker?

 

 

Someone needs to do a good guide on this process cause I want to know more..

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i have just finished the painting part of a WMS restoration and am going to try using a Cabots water based urethane - will do a test before trying on the playfield - will try to document results

 

I had a house with a timber once and the previous owner had used that stuff on the floor. The floor had a milky finish and I refuse to use it on anything.

 

I did an EM with auto acrylic and the finish is stunning. Total of 8 coats, sanded between every coat after the second.

 

I've used the Cabots water based urethane myself, to finish off my redgum bartop and after 3 coats it looked magic. In fact it still does! I've heard it can go milky if you don't let the undercoat(s) dry sufficiently but I didn't have that problem as it was summer when I did it......

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I've used the Cabots water based urethane myself, to finish off my redgum bartop and after 3 coats it looked magic. In fact it still does! I've heard it can go milky if you don't let the undercoat(s) dry sufficiently but I didn't have that problem as it was summer when I did it......

 

If your bartop is covered did you consider Danish oil? Just feeds the timber a bit oily but shines like butter plus when it wears you just lightly clean with some low grade steel wool feed more Danish oil into it and its better than new. Saves all that removing of urethane

 

Imagine the resto's of the future " Damn 21'st century people covered all this wood in plastic polyurethane " see them trying to lift the urethane instead of mylar..

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not sure why mlyar isnt popular anymore :cry

its straight forward to apply, lasts for years and years and can be replaced without damaging playfield (if removed correctly) and return game back to factory original :cool:

ive mylared all my keeper pinballs and have remylared some and had no long term problems

i only use the german mylar though as the aussie made stuff has the wrong kind of glue and when applied wet, if you lift up mylar to flatten out a bubble on the german stuff its no problem, on the aussie stuff the glue separates from mylar and stays behind (and makes quite a mess):x

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not sure why mlyar isnt popular anymore :cry

its straight forward to apply, lasts for years and years and can be replaced without damaging playfield (if removed correctly) and return game back to factory original :cool:

ive mylared all my keeper pinballs and have remylared some and had no long term problems

i only use the german mylar though as the aussie made stuff has the wrong kind of glue and when applied wet, if you lift up mylar to flatten out a bubble on the german stuff its no problem, on the aussie stuff the glue separates from mylar and stays behind (and makes quite a mess):x

 

 

Here here...plastic was applied for a reason...I have lifted mylar on Ausie playfields and the pristine bumper mylar is intact plus more...Oi..Oi..Oi..

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Until you see a Playfield that's been cleared you'll understand why this is [referred (Well to me), brings out heaps more depth to the playfield, mega shine to it, it very easy to maintain...

 

Those of you that use an acrylic based clear, I'd wait for at least a couple of weeks (month preferable) before lightly sanding and buffing up. THis way it gives all the solvents time to dissipate / evaporate from the clear and allowing it ti set harder... I remember too many time when we used Arcylic on cars, letting them rest a day, buffing them, looks nice but a week - 2 weeks down the track they 'flash' off and the appearance dulls.

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Then 2-3 coats of clear. Let it dry for a week, then sanded this with 1200 grip and did my repairs (mostly touch ups, fixed 2 holes) and then 3 good coats of clear.

 

*bump*

 

When do you guys do your touchups? After applying a layer of clearcoat (like Savage above) or before any clearcoating?

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