best cleaner for playfield on em

armyaviation

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i have a 1976 bally and i need to clean the playfield. i heard novus 2 is good then carnuba but i also heard it is water based and bad for that playfield. i then heard to use millwax, but after reading about it, it sounds useless. what is the best to use on that playfield
 
Playfield cleaning

If the palyfield is bad, I would use the Novis 2. Once it is clean, I use a good carnuba wax. If you strip everything off the playfield, You can use a buffer with a lambswool pad. It will really bring out the shine. Only do this if you are experienced using one. You can take the paint off of a playfield if you apply too much pressure. I know that many people stay away from Millwax, but i actually like it when used with a buffer. It comes off easily. It may not protect as well, but it does bring out the shine.
 
If the playfield is real dirty use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and 91% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Just do enough to get the dirt up like 2 or 3 times across a small area and then move on. Don't scrub excessively on the same spot because you may remove a small amount of paint. Do an inconspicuous area 1st to see how it works. It will dry to a whitish haze and then use a soft cotton rag to remove haze. Next, apply Novus 2. It also dries to a haze like wax. Again, use cotton rags to buff out. Then, I apply 2 to 3 coats of Mothers Carnuba wax to protect it.

Dave
 
Try posting your question to rec.games.pinball in Google groups. Everyone I know has been using Novus 2 for years with good results. It's used in other hobbies as well - you can buy it at Harley dealers, marine dealers, etc..

Good luck........Dave
 
know a guy who swears on using millwax for cleaning playfields

watched/talked with him as he was cleaning a playfield with it
came back 20 minutes later and boy did that playfield look fantastic
like it was brand new
 
According to the MSDS for Novus 2, it is:

60-70% water by weight
7-13% mineral spirits by weight


Millwax - at least the closest MSDS I can find, says:

75-80% Isoparaffinic hydrocarbon solvent by weight

Here's a little explanation of the above:
Isoparaffinic Solvents
Isoparaffins are oil-like solvents and are derived from a petrochemical base using catalytic synthesis. This class of solvent contains pure hydrocarbons. The products most useful for industrial cleaning contain a mixture of fully saturated, linear and/or branched aliphatic hydrocarbons in the range of around C9 to C13. The flash point of these products is typically in the 57 to 65°C range which equals a boiling point of between 180°C and 220°C. Depending on the product, the boiling range may be as narrow as 10 to 15°C.

Isoparaffinic solvents are virtually free of aromatics compounds, are completely saturated and are practically odorless. They are good for the dissolution and removal of oil residues from metal surfaces. Additionally, they are excellent degreasing agents in numerous applications. However, as the solubility of polar substances in hydrocarbon solvents is extremely low, this may result in incomplete cleaning when the contamination contains polar components such as residues of aqueous emulsion and /or polar additives from high performance cutting fluids. Moreover, hydrocarbon solvents can not be stabilized against acidification. Acids brought in as part of contaminations or produced by decompositions may accumulate in the cleaning system and lead to acidification and corrosion.


Having said that (!).....I use Novus exclusively. It's not as if you are dumping a 6" puddle on your playfield and letting it sit there for an hour or anything. And frankly, to me, a little water and mineral spirits is more comforting than " Isoparaffinic solvents" which "cannot be stabilized against acidification". Whatever you decide, use it with common sense, clean it up and finish with a 100% carnuba wax and you will be fine.
 
Magic Eraser (ME) and a little water. This has been a great combo for me, just remeber that the ME will wear through the playfield finish, GO EASY!
 
I have both Novus 2 and Millwax. I Definately use the N2 more. Millwax can lift mylar edges as it is a solvent. Do not use milllwax as wax. It still needs Carnuba. I use Millwax on the older EM's with great success, but I have doe=ne the same with Novus 2. When I run out of millwax, I will not buy any more.

With regard to magic eraser, I would definitely not use it except for stubborn areas or ball swirls. It is like sanding down your playfield. I would use alcohol when doing this. It is real......I was ver careful, but sanded through paint while using a magic eraser. Again, I would not use one to clean the entire playfield.
 
I use ME to clean the entire playfield, but go way easy on it. Greg's right it's sandpaper.

A really good wax is that meguilars crystal clear stuff, good lord it's really thick and leave a hell of a shine. Any other wax I've used gets caught in the ball swirls and cracks in the playfield, and leaves white cracks everywhere. This stuff drys clear, so it looks great on playfields that aren't perfect.

I've recently heard that if you get that crazy ass wax that they use on the side of boats, THATS the real deal. I'm going to try it one day.
 
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