After previously clearing the playfield of all of the posts, plastics, slingshots, pop bumpers, lane guides, rubber bumpers, and lamps, we set about cleaning about 30-years' worth of grime and dirt off of the playfield. Our previous routine involved using alcohol as a solvent on some Magic Erasers, and that worked pretty well this time, too.
Our last few cleanings using this method weren't without complications; In my zeal to clean off every last bit of dirt, I usually rubbed a little too hard, and ended up removing some of the original paint. I think I'm getting better at it, but there are still one or two places I rubbed one too many times. A little bit of the paint on the right side of Flash's chest was taken up, along with a swath across his abdomen, but for the most part, all of the paint on Flash is still there. The missing areas will need to be touched up using just paint, or a printed decal method, yet to be decided.
Through a process of trial and error, here's how I figured out how to remove the cloudy residue that the Magic Eraser leaves behind: First, make a light wiping of the entire playfield using some alcohol and Magic Eraser. After the alcohol evaporates, use Novus #2 to wet and wipe the entire playfield. Rub the Novus in everywhere, but don't try to remove it yet. Let the Novus dry completely, then remove the dried residue using a microfiber towel. Buff and polish.
It took some real elbow grease, and quite a lot of time, but finally we ended up with a pretty clean surface. The before and after pics of Flash (above) show just how many ball swirls we were able to remove. I'm really happy with the state of the 'art' left behind. Some small touchups, and the playfield will be looking pretty nice.
Our last few cleanings using this method weren't without complications; In my zeal to clean off every last bit of dirt, I usually rubbed a little too hard, and ended up removing some of the original paint. I think I'm getting better at it, but there are still one or two places I rubbed one too many times. A little bit of the paint on the right side of Flash's chest was taken up, along with a swath across his abdomen, but for the most part, all of the paint on Flash is still there. The missing areas will need to be touched up using just paint, or a printed decal method, yet to be decided.
Through a process of trial and error, here's how I figured out how to remove the cloudy residue that the Magic Eraser leaves behind: First, make a light wiping of the entire playfield using some alcohol and Magic Eraser. After the alcohol evaporates, use Novus #2 to wet and wipe the entire playfield. Rub the Novus in everywhere, but don't try to remove it yet. Let the Novus dry completely, then remove the dried residue using a microfiber towel. Buff and polish.
It took some real elbow grease, and quite a lot of time, but finally we ended up with a pretty clean surface. The before and after pics of Flash (above) show just how many ball swirls we were able to remove. I'm really happy with the state of the 'art' left behind. Some small touchups, and the playfield will be looking pretty nice.
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