HOW TO MAKE A PINBALL MACHINE: Playfield Clear Coat

[@pgjuzek]

nice, good tip with the shooter lane, I didn't think of that

[@LesF142]

Good video. I watched it from start to finnish in one sitting.

[@luvthecubs]

Fantastic work, as always! Your level of patience and attention to detail is amazing.

[@PinBallReviewerRepairs]

Oh nice. I use the Mguires stuff too I use #6 for my collection of pinball machines I have. I love it as it is a cleaner and wax in one so only have to do one go instead of 2 with cleaning and then waxing.

[@BAwesomeDesign]

That's a shiny ass playfield, Steve. Congratulations! Have been waiting quite a while for this video :) Can't wait for the next!

[@pgjuzek]

awesome man, looks slick; can't wait to see playfield with all the leds & such. good job

[@Mark-hb5zf]

Perhaps you need to get a rotisserie and spray vertical and immediately rotate horizonal? The rotisserie would also come in handy when populating the PF. Sanding too much on the edge - just place some wood (same height) next to edge to keep the sanding block level. Great video!

[@MRNBricks]

The playfield looks awesome. I’m curious to see what you go with for artwork to team my make it pop. Thanks for sharing your process!

[@ironspider5972]

Welcome to the gun show! :)

[@pyrokid3150]

I love this channel. Keep it up

[@thepinballroom]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@pyrokid3150]

@@thepinballroom it helps out so much because I'm building my own pinball machine.

[@thepinballroom]

@@pyrokid3150 that’s awesome!! Make sure you share some pics in the Facebook group “Strictly Custom Pinball “ if you’re not already, ok?

[@johnbenson7861]

I’ve just napthad my whitewater playfield and am stepping into the paint booth today to clear coat it! Wish me luck! Gonna use the rate can 2PAC same as you. Awesome content it is so appreciated!!!

[@johnbenson7861]

Quick question, how did it go with spraying the clear into the droppers?

[@thepinballroom]

@@johnbenson7861 eye dropper? I spray some into the cap and then sucked it up from there - that worked good - my little syringe thing was more difficult to control than an eye dropper - I'd definitely use an eye dropper so you can control it better - good luck!! Lmk how it goes!

[@johnbenson7861]

Wow! Quick response time! I’ll keep you posted here. I am going to be putting down a “light coat” that I will then be painting on top of (Vid sayeth so). I was thinking of doing what you said: light coat, 10mins, light coat 2x, 10 mins. At that point, do you think I should go for the full half can? Or since I am looking to get a think coat maybe a 1/4 can? Also, how long did it take you roughly to spray a “half can”? 30 seconds? 2 minutes? Thanks so much for the information!!!!

[@johnbenson7861]

since I am looking to get a light* coat

[@thepinballroom]

@@johnbenson7861 yeah if you're going to be painting then I wouldn't do very much. Probably the light spray, 10 minutes, 2 more, 10 minutes and maybe another 2 light sprays and then let it sit over night and do your painting - but I haven't done any painting on top of the initial layers yet myself so just follow your best judgement, good luck!

[@PaulStevensonPinball]

Hey Steve, I've really been looking forward to this video, thanks for sharing. That said... YIKES! I would recommend you reconsider using a dedicated sprayer and 2PAC instead of rattle cans. While your abundant labor is producing very good results at the end, my impression is that my 2PAC results look slightly better, glassy smooth with no scratches, and I did zero sanding. The issues I had with mine were all related to the 40-year-old worn out playfield I was re-clearing, and the 2PAC I used did a remarkable job of filling a lot of flaws. With a pristine brand new playfield, I'm sure the results would be amazing. A dedicated sprayer can also better handle the horizontal spraying without sputtering. I've only used my setup once in the last 7 years, and it was still worth it - a lifetime investment. I'm also worried for you what happens if you accidentally sand too deep after artwork has been applied. I applaud your efforts, but this rattle can approach is causing you so much more work than you realize. That SprayMax 2K clear is also pretty expensive for a small spray can - the sprayer I bought was only $40 (though Amazon has it marked up to $70 now), seems like it would pay for itself after just a few playfields. How did you like using your paintbooth?

[@thepinballroom]

So, the gun is a cost, and then the compressor, not sure if mine is big enough (what capacity do you have?) , and then there’s the moisture filter and regulator- idk seems like that adds up too- but maybe it’s worth the investment cuz if it you’re not needing to sand yours, wow 🤩

[@PaulStevensonPinball]

Sure, happy to share. For reference, I spent about $350 to buy my tools 7 years ago on Amazon, and the same tools now look closer to $500, though perhaps you can find them a better prices than my quick search. I can't post links, so I'll just describe the stuff. For the air compressor, I'm using a California Air Tools 10020C Ultra Quiet Oil-Free model. It has a built-in regulator, which is what I used. This does triple duty in my garage, pumping up tires and running air blast on my CNC in addition the spray gun. I've always had an air compressor in my garage for the past 20 years, and I find them indispensable now, though this California Air Tools compressor was a nice upgrade I bought to be able to spray, and it's very nice and extremely quiet for a compressor. For the spray gun, I used a TCP Global 1.3mm HVLP (G6600-13), along with a Neiko 30252A Water and Oil Separator. I also got some 32 ounce paint mix cups which have the calibrated mixing ratios right on the side, you'll definitely need these to mix the 2PAC. For the 2PAC, I used Omni MC161 automotive urethane. The downside to this was the quantity of clear that I bought, basically a 1-gallon part A and a 1-quart part B - this is enough to do dozens of playfields -if not hundreds! - and it was expensive (I seem to recall around $150). If you can find it in smaller sizes that would be smart, but no idea if it comes smaller or not. The one concern I have with this 2PAC (and I think I mentioned this to you before) is compatibility with UV inks - I simply don't know if it's compatible. But the nice thing about a dedicated spray gun setup, is you have many more 2PAC options at your disposal, versus the limited selection available in rattle cans. I'm assuming you already know if that 2K clear is UV ink safe, but perhaps you glossed over that validation...

[@rickpontificates3406]

I would use an HVLP sprayer on that. But great job cutting the whitewood. Looks nice

[@ExpressoMechanicTV]

Looking great. Will you ultimately add a layer of mylar, when the artwork is on the playfield? Oh, and really looking forward to seeing the light show!

[@thepinballroom]

Thanks! So, I’m going to play test a TON on this white wood without any mylar and see which areas may need it. Then will decide if and where to add some to protect the pf.

[@MRNBricks]

If you get bored, a rundown on how you programmed and cut the shooter lane would be helpful. I can’t remember if you’ve ever done one. 😊

[@thepinballroom]

I'll try to come back to that 👍

[@mathaeis]

I'm not sure of his exact method, but the way I would do it is basically this: Make your playfield in Fusion360 of whatever program you are using, and let's just say it's a rectangular box for simplicity. Near the bottom of the playfield, you can create what's called a "construction plane." Normally, you can use any of the three primary planes, but here we need something at a different angle, right? So you create a plan at whatever the angle is of the deepest point of the cut to the top end (and of course you can adjust this later). Next, create a circle on that plane and extrude it into a cylinder. You might have to play with the positioning of the circle to get the cylinder to line up with your playfield, and also experiment with the radius of the circle as well. But once you have it lined up, you can use a boolean operation to subtract the intersecting portion of the cylinder from the playfield rectangular box. And there you have it! As for cutting, my CNC knowledge has been a little limited in that regard, but hopefully this can get you started!

[@MRNBricks]

@@mathaeis good info. Thanks!!

[@thepinballroom]

@@MRNBricks yes that's pretty much exactly how I did it 🙂

[@MRNBricks]

On the edge sanding issue, I have had that problem a lot on existing playfields, no matter how much I try not to. 🤦‍♂️ I was thinking if I ever get my homebrew going, when you cnc the playfield, could you cut it out and leave like an inch of stock around the outside edges just attached by tabs? It would be like a sacrificial chunk to avoid the edge sanding deal. Then, after the clear and sand process, cut the tabs and remove the “frame”. Not sure it would work, but it was something I’ve been considering.

[@thepinballroom]

Yeah you could totally do that, not a bad idea actually

[@AllThingsCubic]

Hey Steve, awesome work! Are you planning on adding artwork to your play field?

[@thepinballroom]

Yes I am, that's currently a WIP tho and is far from being ready - this is just another whitewood - hopefully the last whitewood 🤞

[@tiboflip]

Hi stevve. you are ready for a remake of 2001 space odysey. I was wondering if it was really necessary to clearcoat the vinyl. indeed one can ask for a "filming" on vinyl. it reinforces like a milar without being visible to the naked eye and with the shine of the topcoat. of course a small light topcoat above the vinyl would saddle the whole. here is my idea for my playfield because I am currently preparing the artwork.. do you think it would work? Thanks for giving to us your expériences.

[@thepinballroom]

Hi! If you don't put a clear coat of some type on top of your artwork and vinyl, then you'll have the ball hitting the edge of the vinyl, your playfield won't be 100% smooth like a professional playfield, and I worry that the edges of the vinyl will get worn away over time. my recommendation would be to apply a clear coat, or at least a polyurethane or something on top of the vinyl in order to get a very smooth surface with no bumps around the edges of your vinyl. Does that answer your question?

[@tiboflip]

@@thepinballroom Yes thank you very much. I'm afraid, however, that a mirror clear coat will speed up the game a lot... but it's already hitting hard. ..

[@thepinballroom]

@@tiboflip yes, it does speed up the game - but I think you'll want something to protect it

[@tiboflip]

tell me if you find it speeds up a lot. thank you very much for the answers. 👍👍👍

[@thepinballroom]

Yes, I will - but, clear coat usually does make a playfield quite a bit faster, yes.

[@MrDirkles]

I prefer the Stern method. You take your wonky piece of plywood with the inkjet quality art and tip a bucket of the cheapest clearcoat money can buy over it. Then you hang it up to dry outside. Job's a goodun!

[@ciscolm]

Do not use your finger to check the surface you will nick it, your fingers will tell you and don't lay on it it is still curing for weeks and it will still give off fumes for a couple of weeks also. I use a paint stick sand paper wrapped around it a few times less chance of gouging it then with that big board your fingers can feel the surface as you sand. Set your work about 45 degree angle use a spray bottle as you sand, easyier on your back and rinses it self as you work and you won't soak the back it laying in the water for so long one more hint put tape along the edges you can hand touch them up last and get a squeeze takes 98 per cent of the water of so you can see in real time how your work is going. Sorry but one more thing get the clear too thick and it will crack easier as it cures later on being on a surface that will shrink and expand differently thru the seasons.

[@psychospence]

Good videos, it would help if you numbered them to make it easier to watch in the right order.

[@thepinballroom]

They should be in order in the Playlist so that all you have to do is play them via my playlist

[@MRNBricks]

Two more suggestions you should probably ignore. First, you should probably wear your respirator while wet sanding. It sands off the fully cured layer and you’ll get into the ones that aren’t quite cured. If you can smell it, that’s not good. Second, a compressor from Lowe’s is like $300 and a gun is like $20. Paint is a wash. You’ll have much better, consistent, and faster results that are easier to do with 2PAC stuff than with a rattle can. You’ve already dropped like 6k on this machine, what’s another $350 that you’ll have forever?

[@thepinballroom]

Yeah I am thinking I'll invest in a compressor and hvlp gun, really not loving the rattle can ☹️ No smell at all while wet sanding tho so I think I was ok there 👍

[@Agent505]

Shiny :)

[@MRNBricks]

Pro tip. Don’t park your car in the garage if you’re painting in the garage. 🤦‍♂️ ask me how I know.

[@thepinballroom]

😂