Best way to clean pins?

ReWrite

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Just picked up two machines, both fairly dirty. What's the best thing I can do for the playfield? Plastics? We're talking dirty dirty.
 
Go to the drug store and get a big bottle of 91% Isopropyl Rubbing alcohol.

Get a bunch of clean soft cotton rags or shop towels.

Dampen the rag with Isopropyl and clean everything. There will be dirt everywhere, so a lot of disassembly is required to do it right. The Iso is generally safe for cleaning the playfield, plastics, and ramps.

Several passes may be required.

Don't forget to remove and clean any plastic subways under the playfield.

While you are doing this, replacing burnt out bulbs and cracked, dried out rubber is strongly recommended. I use white rubber for almost everything - bouncy and fresh.

Then, use Novus 2 plastic polish on the playfield to make it shine and get rid of the last of the dirt.

Then use a pure carnauba car paste wax of the playfield just like you'd wax a car.

Throw the old pinballs away and put in brand new ones.

RussMyers
 
Go to the drug store and get a big bottle of 91% Isopropyl Rubbing alcohol.

Get a bunch of clean soft cotton rags or shop towels.

Dampen the rag with Isopropyl and clean everything. There will be dirt everywhere, so a lot of disassembly is required to do it right. The Iso is generally safe for cleaning the playfield, plastics, and ramps.

Several passes may be required.

Don't forget to remove and clean any plastic subways under the playfield.

While you are doing this, replacing burnt out bulbs and cracked, dried out rubber is strongly recommended. I use white rubber for almost everything - bouncy and fresh.

Then, use Novus 2 plastic polish on the playfield to make it shine and get rid of the last of the dirt.

Then use a pure carnauba car paste wax of the playfield just like you'd wax a car.

Throw the old pinballs away and put in brand new ones.

RussMyers

Well, I can certainly do the first part today then! No bulbs, no rubber, no wax or Novus on hand, so that all waits. Thanks for the advice and at least I can do *something* to start today :).
 
Well, I can certainly do the first part today then! No bulbs, no rubber, no wax or Novus on hand, so that all waits. Thanks for the advice and at least I can do *something* to start today :).

Taking pics before a during dis assembly is also recomended
 
+1 on the isoprop!

I usually just throw the plastics and ramps right into the dishwasher on a gentle cycle.

You can clean metal with super fine steel wool and mineral oil. Also gets the legs ultra shiny. Even nasty rusty legs.

Don't use spray waxes or cleaner waxes; they have polymers and silicone that ultimately attract dust and make cleaning even harder down the road. As an FYI, there is no 100% carnauba wax so don't go nuts trying to find some (carnauba wax in pure form is hard as a rock) but any carnauba paste will work fine. Many here use mothers, I have used 'kitts' carnauba paste for years with good luck.

Oh, and a small flexible screwdriver and a telescoping magnetic wand are lifesavers.

Oh and write down the order you take things off and the. Put everything back in reverse order!!

Have fun and give yourself about 5x the amount of time you think you need!
 
I usually just throw the plastics and ramps right into the dishwasher on a gentle cycle.

You can clean metal with super fine steel wool and mineral oil. Also gets the legs ultra shiny. Even nasty rusty legs.

Don't use spray waxes or cleaner waxes; they have polymers and silicone that ultimately attract dust and make cleaning even harder down the road. As an FYI, there is no 100% carnauba wax so don't go nuts trying to find some (carnauba wax in pure form is hard as a rock) but any carnauba paste will work fine. Many here use mothers, I have used 'kitts' carnauba paste for years with good luck.

Oh, and a small flexible screwdriver and a telescoping magnetic wand are lifesavers.

Oh and write down the order you take things off and the. Put everything back in reverse order!!

Have fun and give yourself about 5x the amount of time you think you need!

More great advice!! :D I have to ask, for the dishwasher, hot or cold water? Detergent or no? I figure it'll take a few sittings to get it nice and perfect.
 
Taking pics before a during dis assembly is also recomended

Dear gawd man YES +1 on this. If you need to start disassembling stuff to clean, take as many pictures as possible. Some games seem simple at first glance, but wind up interlocking like a giant 3D puzzle.
 
Dear gawd man YES +1 on this. If you need to start disassembling stuff to clean, take as many pictures as possible. Some games seem simple at first glance, but wind up interlocking like a giant 3D puzzle.

I know that much, but unfortunately I wasn't able to take good pics when I took off the backbox as it was late night and raining :(. I posted another thread to hopefully get someone else's pics of their backbox insides. But I will be sure to take super detailed pictures and document my entire breakdown of the playfield when I get to that hopefully this week.
 
I know that much, but unfortunately I wasn't able to take good pics when I took off the backbox as it was late night and raining :(. I posted another thread to hopefully get someone else's pics of their backbox insides. But I will be sure to take super detailed pictures and document my entire breakdown of the playfield when I get to that hopefully this week.

You took off the back box??? Why??

As for the dishwasher, soap yes, hot dry no. I put it on delicate cycle or short wash with no hot dry. They come out great. Be careful with stuff other than plastics though. I've gotten over zealous in the past and have out toys in only to have them come out completely stripped out paint.
 
You took off the back box??? Why??

As for the dishwasher, soap yes, hot dry no. I put it on delicate cycle or short wash with no hot dry. They come out great. Be careful with stuff other than plastics though. I've gotten over zealous in the past and have out toys in only to have them come out completely stripped out paint.

The backbox had to go. Two guys with a combined weight of 250 trying to get Dredd up to the third story apartment was hard enough, but the pin wouldn't make a 90 degree turn partway up the stairwell with it on.
 
I also use the Novus 2 on the playfield flat plastics - and even the metal pieces for that matter; shines both up nicely, and you can get dirt off the metal pieces that you wouldn't think would come off.

If you've got a tumbler for the metal pieces, that of course works well for the smaller stuff as well.

Oh, and if you think you've taken enough pictures - take some more, from multiple angles. I also take stuff off in batches - put it in a numbered bag. Makes it easier to get the re-assembly done in the correct order, and easier to remember which posts/parts go with each portion of the take apart.
 
I always do a complete tear down on the playfields.

Here's my approach:

Disassemble entire playfield carefully laying everything out on a long cafeteria style table that's covered with a moving blanket (keeps things from rolling around). I lay everything out in the same place it would be located on the playfield. Much easier than digging through bags or piles of parts this way as every part is located in relation to the other parts on the table.

Take lots of photos during various stages of disassembly.

Detail clean of playfield and 2 coats of wax. Use CP-100 to clean. I prefer Mill Wax.

Replace all lamps.

Polish all metal pieces using http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/NRD as I put them back on.

Polish all plastic pieces with Novus.

Replace anything that remotely needs replacing.

Replace all rubbers.

Replace Pinballs.

Replace batteries.

Often replace leg bolts at the same time if they show any signs of being cross-threaded.
 
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