applying decals to a playfied (whirlwind)

tron guy

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I just picked up some of the reproduction decals that are out there on ebay and I wanted to start applying them to my whirlwind.

I already changed the 3 spinning discs several months back.

Today I just got in the mail the compass, and all of the little decals like 2x,3x 4x, 5000, etc.

Do guys peel up the old ones first? Just use your finger nail? Clean or novus before applying the 2nd decal?

love some insight as to what you pin guys do.
 
Unless somebody has applied decals to the game before you, the writing on the inserts isn't decals - it's screened (painted) directly onto the insert at the same time as the rest of the playfield art. So that makes it much harder....

You can gently try to scrape the paint off, but most likely you will end up scratching up the inserts (in which case you will need to sand them smooth). The "proper" way to do it is to remove the insert from the playfield, sand them smooth/clean, then reapply the new decals and reinstall the inserts. If your new decals are printed on the top side, you will then need to apply a clear coat. If the new decals are printed underneath a mylar layer, you can avoid the clear coat - but they'll probably never look good.

As simple as it seems ("I'll put new decals on") it's one of the more time consuming things to do correctly. In my opinion, a poorly installed decal looks worse than a worn original insert, and will probably start giving you problems in a short period of time. That's why these things are typically used during the process of completely restoring a playfield - removing everything, installing the decals, then shooting the entire playfield with a new clear coat to make sure everything is level and protected. As a rule, they really aren't designed to just stick over the top of your existing inserts in a quick fix kind of way. Good luck whatever you decide.
 
Unless somebody has applied decals to the game before you, the writing on the inserts isn't decals - it's screened (painted) directly onto the insert at the same time as the rest of the playfield art. So that makes it much harder....

You can gently try to scrape the paint off, but most likely you will end up scratching up the inserts (in which case you will need to sand them smooth). The "proper" way to do it is to remove the insert from the playfield, sand them smooth/clean, then reapply the new decals and reinstall the inserts. If your new decals are printed on the top side, you will then need to apply a clear coat. If the new decals are printed underneath a mylar layer, you can avoid the clear coat - but they'll probably never look good.

As simple as it seems ("I'll put new decals on") it's one of the more time consuming things to do correctly. In my opinion, a poorly installed decal looks worse than a worn original insert, and will probably start giving you problems in a short period of time. That's why these things are typically used during the process of completely restoring a playfield - removing everything, installing the decals, then shooting the entire playfield with a new clear coat to make sure everything is level and protected. As a rule, they really aren't designed to just stick over the top of your existing inserts in a quick fix kind of way. Good luck whatever you decide.


that's great insight, thanks!

I would hate to do a 30 minute job of laying down stickers if that's a stupid way to do it. I will address this a little further down the road after I do a little research as to what I have and what is currently on there.
 
that's great insight, thanks!

I would hate to do a 30 minute job of laying down stickers if that's a stupid way to do it. I will address this a little further down the road after I do a little research as to what I have and what is currently on there.

Be ready to clear the playfield if you install decals. They just won't line up perfectly and many times the art doesn't match up perfectly. Playfields are screened from the factory so the adjustment of the screen will vary from playfield to playfield, meaning on some playfields it will match and others it won't.

BTW here is a vid I put up not too long ago showing how to remove inserts from a playfield:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4fqyHJOqMU

If the rest of your game is nice I would think about buying CPR's reproduction playfield that will be coming out soon.

http://www.classicplayfields.com/order.html
 
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