Best way to remove metal guide lanes from PF

anubisdeath6

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Ok so I'm stripping a playfield to clean/wax it...but what's the easiest way to remove the metal guides? I'm afraid of bending them and afraid of prying them out (don't wanna hurt the paint). Any suggestions?
 
There's always a gamble to this. I personally use a dremmel with a buffing bit to get into tight spots like that.
If you remove them even pressure on both end is key. But even then (while doubtful) there's no 100% assurance no pf damage might be incurred.
 
So what you're saying pretty much is to leave them in and work around them? I suppose I could possibly live with that, the only other thing are the rusty nails sticking up, I want to replace those, but again, worried about PF damage.
 
I just cleaned and waxed my first pinball and i used pliers and a steady hand to remove mine. Not saying that it was the best solution but i couldn't do it by hand.
 
So what you're saying pretty much is to leave them in and work around them?

I wouldn't. Unless they're REALLY stuck. Which they're probably not. I would use slow even pressure to pull them out. Most of the time they will just come out. Sometimes they will be troublesome but there are always option. Sometimes you might need to work them back and forth a little. It's kind of hard to explain all the nuances of playfield work. Time and experience are the best teachers. I used to try to leave stuff on the playfield but over time I've found it to be a lot easier to just remove everything to achieve the result I want.

Just be careful and don't do anything crazy and you shouldn't have any problems. You could always just leave them in too. Cleaning the wire guides themselves will be more difficult than cleaning the playfield with them in. There are some you just won't be able to clean well enough with them installed. Like the ones below the flippers for example.

I suppose I could possibly live with that, the only other thing are the rusty nails sticking up, I want to replace those, but again, worried about PF damage.

The nails should come out easier than the wire guides.

I use needle nose pliers with 45 degree jaws to pry them out with a rag on the wood to prevent gouging. Again, it's hard to really explain what I'm talking about and again... just be careful.
 
Unless I'm misunderstanding what you are trying to do, I put a block of wood on the playfield and use a flat bladed screwdriver to pry the guides upward. Use the wood block as the fulcrum and pry with the screwdriver, back and forth between each end until it comes loose. Never damaged a playfield or guide this way.
 
So what do I do if I accidently snap one in half? .... fml

Tell me if I'm wrong, but are you talking about guides like this? If so, there's no way you are going to snap it in half doing what I'm describing. Just slap down the block, put the screwdriver under the end of the guide, and pry on the ends and it will slowly pop out. Or are you talking about the ones that are flush against the playfield? Sorry if I'm not understanding.

guideq.jpg
 
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No, that's exactly what I'm talking about. And yes, I did snap one :-\ It snapped at the bend. I used a pair of vice grips to try to pry the little stub out of the hole, and it just snapped so now it's flush with the pf and I have no way to get it out, and no replacement guide. So mad right now.
 
Sorry to hear that. I've removed a few and none were even close to hard enough that I thought they'd snap. Maybe if you could locate it on the underside of the playfield, you could drill right underneath it and push it out?
 
I'd think you could bend one if you can find the right diameter wire. Someone here or on RGP ought to know what size you'd need. I don't know if there is a standard size used, but I've seen a couple different sizes depending on the location.

Don't beat yourself up over this. If it was in so tight that the stub snapped with vise grips, it wasn't going to give. I think you were probably doomed from the start.
 
Hey! Strangbat that's A Jurassic Park!!!!

anubisdeath6: Most of the time the guide wire will go through the playfield, you can try and push it out from the bottom with a small finishing nail.

Finding those wire lane guides are nearly impossible, but there is an easy solution. Find a length of copper wire that bends easily and also will fit in the holes, and then bend it to the shape that you need. Go down to your local Radio Control Hobby shop, they have a great supply of .093" dia (3/32) wire at your local RC hobby shop. They are usually threaded on one end, and come in lengths of 1' to 3', enough to make a lot of wireforms. They call them Push-Rods, and they come in stainless steel. Take it home and clean it and wax it up nice. Carefully bend it to the proper shape, using the copper wire as a guide. Then, when you are satisfied with how it fits, put it in place and use some glue to hold it in place. You will have plenty of wire left over to make any more wireforms that you need.

No, that's exactly what I'm talking about. And yes, I did snap one :-\ It snapped at the bend. I used a pair of vice grips to try to pry the little stub out of the hole, and it just snapped so now it's flush with the pf and I have no way to get it out, and no replacement guide. So mad right now.
 
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Pinball Resource sells piano wire that is the exact diameter.....just for remaking these. You could also get some at a music store. Take your broken one in to size it up. Also, I recently had a Baby Pac-Man in the shop...it already had a broken wire guide. Someone had broken it off flush with the playfield. I looked the part number up in the manual....and low and behold....Pinball Resource had one in stock. I took a small steel punch that was a hair smaller in diameter than the guide.....hammered it from the top.....poped out the bottom.

A side note: Baby Pac-Man wire guides are a pain. They are barbed at the bottom....so pulling out at the top is very difficult without some playfield damage.

Edward
 
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So what do I do if I accidently snap one in half? .... fml

Damn... that SUCKS!! That's what you call bad luck. I've never had that happen pulling hundreds of those things.

I would go with ELutz's suggestion and drive it through the playfield out the bottom. Very carefully.
 
Well...I went to a local instrument repair shop...the guy didn't have any piano wire large enough but when I showed him what I needed, he grabbed something else. He has TONS of sizes of "drilling rod?" that he uses to fix instruments. Just so happens that one of the sizes is literally the exact thickness (and shinyness) of the PF guides. So I asked him what it'd cost for me to buy a piece from him. He said no charge and gave me a couple feet of it. So now I just have to bend it and I'll be back in business! I love how there's still a few good people left in the world.
 
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