Pinball Restoration
1 Overview
Pinball restoration spans from what is required to make the machine playable to complete overhaul that makes the machine better than new.
1.1 Cabinet Damage & Repair
Everyone likes to get a machine and do some “fix it up” stuff to make it better. Sometime you get a game that has a few surprises for you that you never saw coming. My Addams Family described below fits into that category. I wanted a TAF and had no luck looking in local outlets. I did find one (tip from a friend) located in a neighboring state. I had the seller’s description and a crappy cell phone picture to work with. I could not tell it had an import coin door which was no biggie (mistake on my part) but the rest of the machine sounded great. We agreed on a price and I hopped in the car to go get it. After a 2 ½ hour drive I arrived. The one thing I thought was “no biggie” was staring me in the face. It was not just your standard sized coin door, someone cut the cabinet to install a HUGE coin door. This thing looked like a bank vault door. The biggest shock was the front of the cabinet was gone so it was not just a simple coin door swap. It needed an entire new cabinet front. Once I got past the door the rest of the game was in very good shape. The playfield had no mansion wear and no magnet burn (yeah !). I paid for it and tossed it in the car. The entire ride home I was thinking about the needed repair. Most import coin doors directly swap with the standard USA coin door (same size). Mine came from origins unknown and the cabinet was cut to make it fit. Man,if I could smack someone.........
Big import door / picture~
Door and cab front removed / picture~
What I envisioned as a standard shop job became my first major cabinet repair. Once unloaded I stripped the game. This repair is all labor because the actual wood is cheap.
I carefully removed the front of the cabinet. There were some brads or finish nails in the corners. I cut the cab front top and bottom and worked both pieces off the cabinet.
Front removed / picture~
Cab front is off / picture~
I went to the store and picket up a new piece of hardwood for the cab front. This was about $8 total. Lucky for me I have a milling machine so milling a new cabinet piece was simple to do. Cut to size with mitered corners and machine new hole for credit button.
New cab front / picture~
Once the new cabinet front was finished it was a simple job to glue it in place. I also used the larger WPC style steel cabinet leg brackets. All that was left to do was to seal the new cabinet wood with poly urethane and apply a new cabinet decal. What would have been an ugly TAF was made decent again by a simple $8 piece of wood and some effort on my behalf. IMHO it was the only way to fix it properly. The rest of the cabinet was in very good original condition so I left it alone. I was tempted to do cabinet decals but I am reluctant to replace original items unless needed. The rest of the game cleaned up incredibly well so in the end it was still a good purchase for me. If I had to pay for the repair it would quickly add to the price that would drive it higher than buying a machine without the damage. You have to evaluate your purchase before you agree to take it.
Had I know the damage involved I likely would have passed on the game but it all worked out in the end.
Front with new decal / picture~
Almost Fixed / picture~
1.2 Cabinet Decals
Cabinet decals can make a beat up old war horse look new again. There is nothing exotic about pinball machine cabinets. Things to look for is was it handled ( scrapes , gouges, chips, splits), cabinet damage (water, insects or vermin, dropped, etc). Sun fade is also another killer of cabinet art. For any of the above reasons cabinet decals are your friend. If decals are available for your machine the application process is the quick and easy part. The surface preparation is time consuming and really dictates how the end result will look.
Bad paint on cab / picture~
Cab damage / picture~
Start by stripping your cabinet down to the wood. A heat gun and scraper will be your friend. Once stripped you should have a naked wood cabinet.
Stripped cab / picture~
Next up I like to sand the cabinet flat and use wood filler. Sand it, remove dust and apply wood filler. I like the acetone based filler for big gouges. I use Elmer’s filler as a thin section filler. Once everything is filled and sanded flat your ready to seal the surface. Some people use paint in multiple coats. I prefer polyurethane. Poly is designed for wood. It penetrates well and is impervious to moisture once cured. I never liked the idea of paint for a substrate. Which ever you use apply is until you have enough of a base to sand flat like glass. If there is ANY imperfection you WILL see in through the decal. When you are finished sanding & sealing your cab and you’re sure its good and dry you are ready to apply your cabinet decals. You have two choices of wet or dry installation. I do cabinet head decals dry because they are easy to handle by myself. Cabinets I do wet using Rapid Tac application fluid. This is made specifically for decal application. In use you spray Rapid Tac on the cabinet surface.
You then remove the decal backing and spray Rapid Tac on the decal adhesive surface. Place the decal on your cabinet. Slide around to align where you want it. Get your squeegee ready and spray Rapid Tac on the decal surface then squeegee from the center out on the cabinet. You can see where you have made passes as the Rapid Tac is wiped off the top of the decal and the under side as you press down and slide the squeegee. The Rapid Tac also helps the squeegee slid across the surface of the decal. If your decal has a mask on it you can squeegee or use a soft towel to wipe from the center out to squeeze out the application fluid. I use a soft towel if the decal has a mask and a squeegee if there is no mask. I let the decal dry over night before messing with it. I give it a day or two then trim the edges. Once trimmer if the decal has a mask I then remove it. Spray it with water or Rapid Tac and it come off easily in a couple minutes. The front cab decal is the hardest IMHO. If you have side artwork that keys with the front cab you will want to do the cab front first and then the sides. If you do the front cabinet decal dry you can make a filler plate for the coin door cut out. I prefer to do it wet to position it easily. If you go the dry route you will have to align your starting edge and clamp it in place. You then strip back a few inched of adhesive backing and roll the decal into place. Once started you simple reverse the direction and alternate between lifting the decal backing and rolling the decal into place with a soft tool to roll out any trapped air bubbles. Some swear by the dry method and others (like me) prefer the wet method. Either way the outcome should be good. I have found NO difference in adhesion wet vs dry. You can use soapy water and other use Windex but for the cost involved and being a one shot deal I would spring for the real application fluid.
New decals / picture~
New decals / picture~
2 Clearcoating the Playfield
Lots of videos on Youtube if you would like to try it yourself. The automotive grade clears are not safe to spray at home and requires special equipment to spray and to keep you safe. The top professionals doing playfields include Playfield Renovations, Bill Davis and HSA Pinball. You may need to check their websites to see if they are taking in new work.
2.1 Mylar on playfield
After having a few games that I shopped I never liked the look of worn Mylar on playfields. There are several “kits” out there to polish the Mylar. These work well if the Mylar in not excessively worn. Other problems with Mylar are it lifting or bubbling around inserts. If the Mylar is in this state no amount of polishing will make it look good. Your option is to remove the Mylar from the playfield. This comes with some risks. I am sure there have been some playfield destroyed from Mylar removal gone badly and at least one documented fire (Eric A aka Mr. Propane). His High Speed was so “Hot” is was in flames (really).
I have remove Mylar from WPC and some system 11 games without any major issues or disasters using freeze spray or canned air. Basically you invert the can and spray the liquid onto the Mylar. I spray it (5~10 seconds) and wait about 10 seconds then spray it again for a few seconds. This freezes the adhesive and you should be able to lift the corner of the Mylar. I use the tip of an exacto knife to lift the Mylar starting out. You are not actually pulling it. If it’s frozen it will release easily with a “snap” sound. You simply support the lifted piece and spray the freeze spray ahead of the section you just lifted until completely removed. Once you’re started it goes pretty quick. Keep in mind once started there is no turning back. I feel the WPC games the Mylar comes off easier than System 11 games IMHO. The WPC games have a factory clearcoat or Diamond Plate finish. The System 11 game you have Mylar over paint unless it was a rare factory clearcoat. High Speed is one game that has a bad reputation for Mylar removal. My game had bubbling Mylar over the inserts so I wanted it off. The Mylar came off easily without any addition paint loss. This is not to say your HS will be the same. When some of these System 11 game were made the factory was cranking out games very quickly. I feel it could be a combination of a not fully cured playfield (paint) and slapping Mylar on top of it. If this was the case once you start removing the Mylar the paint will follow. Be prepared to do touchup work or live with the outcome. Again, no turning back at this point.
The other option for Mylar removal is using a hair dryer (NOT A HEAT GUN). Some prefer to use the hot air method over freeze spray. I tried it and always use freeze spray #1 and the hot air #2. If you using the hot air method it will leave minimal adhesive on the playfield vs. freezing it leaves most if not all of the adhesive on the playfield. Using a hair dryer you heat a section, lift and pull the Mylar. There is less adhesive to remove from the playfield using the hot air method because its on the Mylar you just pulled.
Which ever way you remove the Mylar you will have the adhesive to remove from your playfield. I use Naphtha (lighter fluid). I soak a shop rag with it and lay it on the adhesive area and let sit for about 5 minutes. I then use a plastic scraper (credit card work well) to scrape up the excess adhesive. Repeat using the soaked rag and scraper until most of the adhesive is removed. I then wipe the surface with a clean rag and Naphtha to finish up.
System 11 HS mylar removed with freeze spray / canned air~
High Speed minus mylar / picture~
Under the old mylar with glue / picture~
2.2 Automotive clear
There are several reasons to clear coat a playfield. #1 is for it to look great and play fast. If your playfield is in nice shape clear coating it will preserve it for your lifetime. The other reason to clear is if your game requires some touch up work to repair wear or damage. Clearcoat locks these touchups in place. If you do your touchup work using enamel paint it will hold up pretty well. If your touchup work uses water based paint you will need to protect it with new Mylar or some type of clearcoat. The acrylic paints have a wider range of colors over enamel but need covered / protected after application.
I obtained a Whirlwind that needed some help. The playfield had the typical wear around the spinners and some other minor wear with some planking. I decided to remove the Mylar and try my hand at touchup and clear coating it. I removed the Mylar, did the touch up work and shot auto clear on it. It is not a high end job but it was a 100% improvement for minimal cash outlay and only my time.
Whirlwind spinner wear / picture~
Touch up and clearcoated / picture~
I used the PPG Omni clear MC-181 (Shop line) shot from a cheap Harbor Freight HVLP gun. The clear I purchased from my local auto body supply place. A quart of clear and hardener was around $60 the last time purchased it. I also used the PPG fish eye eliminator. I have never shot clear without adding it so I can not comment if it’s needed but I did not want to re-invent the wheel so to speak. I think the shooting clear process is greatly over blown. Shooting the clear is the easy part. It’s the surface prep and finish work that the real skill is required and will shine (pun intended). I think a drunk chimpanzee could shoot cleat on a flat surface. Having him sand it flat between coats and final buff it is what separates the amateurs from the pros. If your laying on several coats you should be sanding flat between coats to minimize surface build up of clear. Your building up the low spots and sanding the rest off to level the surface. Once you are finished laying the clear down you can buff and finish it to your desire. I used insert decals on my Whirlwind so I had to lay down more clear to level the insert decals. Had I not put insert decals on I would have shot a couple of coats of clear and been done. I mix up 10 ounces of clear at a time. This is enough clear to do a nice mist coat followed by two heavy wet coats. The Harbor Freight gun I am using is the "purple" colored one. I have the flow adjustment screw opened up to
1 1/4 turns (from closed) and the gun PSI is around 40 lbs. In my gun it puts out a nice spray pattern. Make sure your playfield is level before laying down your clearcoat. A "wet coat" looks like you poured water onto the playfield. If your playfiled is not fairly level and you lay down a heavy coat it will run down hill.
Remember catalyzed clearcoat dries chemically. This is on your playfield OR in your lungs.
One added note on catalyzed auto clear. This is NASTY stuff once mixed. Use proper ventilation and protective equipment. At the minimum use a 3M respirator ($18). If you have good ventilation (blowing away from you) with a respirator and some safety glasses you should be good to go. Do it outside away from living objects unless you have a dedicated booth with ventilation. Varathane can be done indoors without the risks of poisoning yourself or others. It’s a nice option if you do not want to shoot auto clear. I have seen some varathane playfields and if done properly they look great. The down side is the longer drying / curing time. Quantity wise with the auto clear I shot about 9oz. of material for a couple heavy wet coats. The first coat I did a very light mist coat. This is to lock in any of your touch up work. Once that flashes over I then hit it with a couple heavy wet coats. One coat applied heavy, let flash then follow with the 2nd coat. Let it set un-molested for the specified drying dime before handling. I let mine sit over night. After that you can do your finish work as buffing & sanding. There has been some debate over how long to let the clear cure before use. I prefer to let it sit for 30 days before playing on it and a week before I start drilling or cleaning out holes to repopulate the playfield with posts or hardware. I would suggest drilling any hole that has clear hardened in it. You can damage your new clear by cranking down parts or screws on it.
2.3 Inserts & decals
When removing Mylar you run some risk of loosing the screened artwork on your inserts. If this happens you will either have to hand paint the art work or use insert decals if available. I have used some from Classic Arcades with good results. They offered two styles of decals: Ink on top or bottom of the decal. The ink on top is a thinner decal and designed for being covered with Mylar or a clearcoat. The ink on bottom decals are laminated and thicker but designed to be applied and used without clearcoat.
Also if you’re going to the trouble of restoring your machine make sure your inserts are all tight and firmly in place. I had some that were cupped and with minor wear so I removed all of them, wet sanded flat and re-glued in the playfield. The inserts are easy to remove using a hair dryer and a wooden or soft dowel to push them out. I used the blow dryer set on high, aim at the insert about 2” from the insert and hold in place for about 3 minutes. Repeat on the opposite side of the insert (top and bottom of playfield) for 3 minutes. When the glue is soft you should be able to press / push the insert out from under the playfield through to the playfield surface. Once removed sand the insert flat and re-glue. I used carpenters glue (slow drying) to put mine back in.
Inserts sanded flat and glued / picture~
Clearcoated and FLAT / picture~
3 Using and Building a Playfield Rotisserie
A playfield rotisserie is a useful tool when restoring a pinball machine. The playfield is removed from the machine and mounted to a rotisserie. The rotisserie allows easier access to all areas of a playfield that may not be possible with the playfield still in the cabinet. A rotisserie also allows the playfield to be rotated for easier access to both the top and bottom.
Rotisseries are commercially available from pinball suppliers but can also be easily built using readily available parts from a home improvement store. Different designs are available but one of the more popular ones is discussed on rec.games.pinball.
4 The Harbor freight $2.99 playfield lift
Having built a rotisserie I found something else I like to use that takes up a lot less space,is cheap,works well and I bet you already have them. Its simply four (or more) standard clamps you can get at harbor freight. They are on sale most of the time and work good for lifting the PF up to a decent height to strip the top and bottom while seated enjoying your favorite cold beverage. Once done working on the playfield you can easily store the clamps,or use them as clamps. I like the clamp idea because its one less thing I have to find space to store over the rotisserie.
4.1 El-cheapo lift
The Lift 1 / picture~
The Lift 2 / picture~
5 Sealing the Backglass
Sealing a backglass refers to treating the backside of the backglass to stabilize any peeling ink. Like most pinball topics, there are diverse opinions on how to seal a backglass as well as when, if ever, it should be done. The goal of this article is to present the facts so you can make an informed decision.
The most common method of sealing a backglass is using Krylon Triple Thick Crystal Clear . The best time to seal a backglass is right before it starts to peel. (Unfortunately, no one knows when that time is.) The condition of a backglass depends on many different factors like where the machine was used and/or stored, the manufacturer, and the year. Inks and glass seem to have varied over time.
The con to sealing a backglass is that no one knows how well Triple Thick (or other clears) will hold up over the next 30 years. A backglass that is in good shape after the last (approximately) 30 years is very likely to continue to hold up well, especially considering that in your home collection the machine will be stored at a fairly stable temperature and humidity. Besides, if you notice problems starting to develop in the future there will still be time to seal it.
The basic process is outlined below:
- Carefully clean the back of the backglass with a small amount of glass cleaner (e.g. Windex), avoiding any areas of loose ink.
- Cut cardboard masking for the score and credit windows.
- Lay the backglass flat on a level surface and weight the cardboard masking down with weights (pennies work well).
- Spray a light mist coat of Triple Thick. This stabilizes any loose ink pieces. Let dry for 30-60 minutes.
- Spray a coat of Triple Thick. If you plan to do touch-up painting keep this coat fairly thin.
- Let dry.
- Touch up painting with acrylic paint can now be done. Since you're painting over the Triple Thick mistakes can be easily wiped off.
NOTE: If the backglass peeling is especially bad, one recommendation is to lay a piece of Glad ClingWrap over the wet Triple Thick in the peeling area and press the pieces down against the glass.
6 Playfield Plastics
6.1 Creating playfield plastics
Except for a some of the more popular machines, the playfield plastics are irreplaceable. There are web sites that describe a process to make your own replacement. Here are the basic steps to create your own playfield plastics.
- Start with a scan of a good part and/or retouch one.
- Print reversed onto clear adhesive vinyl.
- Cut and shape a piece of 1/8” (.060”) lexan.
- Paint the sticker with a light coat of white primer.
- Adhere sticker onto underside of lexan.
As of May 2011, TowerHobbies carried Parma brand lexan here
6.2 Flattening warped plastics
There are many ways to flatten playfield plastics. The safest is to place the plastics between two sheets of playfield glass and let them sit in the sun all day. A write-up describing this process is available here: http://www.team-em.com/FlatteningPlastics/Procedure.htm .
Since this isn't possible for many people and/or many times of the year, the following process has been tested on many plastics. Make sure the plastics are clean before starting.
- Preheat oven and a flat, clean, non-stick cookie sheet to 200 degrees.
- Cover the cookie sheet with parchment paper (clean printer paper works too).
- Put plastic (artwork side down) on the cookie sheet.
- Do not leave the plastics unattended while in the oven. Watch the plastics closely, as some oven temperatures are not 100% accurate.
- Heat for roughly 8-10 minutes.
- Once the plastics have become flattened, remove from oven.
- Once removed, put plastics on a flat smooth surface, and use a flat weight (book) on top while cooling. Make certain not to use any type of textured item for the weight. Otherwise, the texture may become imprinted on the plastic as it cools.
A variation on the above is possible if you have a heat gun. Put the plastic on a smooth, flat surface. Heat up the plastic from the top (non-artwork) side moving the heat gun back and forth to distribute the heat. The plastic will curl up more and then drop flat. Put a flat weight on top when this happens. You can quickly flatten plastics using this method. While it is fast and easy, it does also carry the most risk vs. the other methods.
7 Color Matching
A low-cost way to make your own color guide is using Microsoft PowerPoint. This will give you a range of colors to compare with what you want to touch-up that you can take with you to find a matching paint color.
- Open or create a new PowerPoint chart
- Add autoshape -> Basic Shapes -> Rectange
- Size the rectangle to be about 1" high and 6" wide
- Right click the rectangle and select "Format Autoshape"
- On the "Color:" pull-down, select "Fill Effects..."
- Click the "Two Colors" radio button and the "Vertical" radio button
- On the "Color 1" and "Color 2" pull-downs, select the two colors bounding the color you're trying to match. For example, for orange select red and yellow and color 1 & 2
This will create a box with a color gradient between the two colors. Find the color along the gradient that matches best.
You can also use this matching color to get the corresponding CMYK value. Save the PowerPoint picture as a bitmap and use the color picker tool in a photo editing program to get the RGB value. Converter tools are available on the Internet that convert RGB to CMYK. Search "RGB to CMYK" to find additional coverter options.
8 Restoration Parts Providers
T-Molding.com - Replacement plastic edging used on arcade games. Available in a variety of sizes and colors.
9 Restoration Service Providers
High-End Pins - Full machine restoration to the "absolute highest level"
HSA Pinball - Playfield Restorations and Clear Coating.
Phoebe's Pinball Painting - Backglass and playfield touch-up and clearcoating
"Captain" Neo - Basic playfield repairs/clearcoating.
Ron Kruzman - Playfield Restoration.
Treasure Cove - Restoration service and sale of restored machines.
Keller Pinball - Full game restorations.
Doug Huse - Reproduction cabinets.