Control panel overlay advice

ieure

Well-known member

Donor 2014-2015
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
6,596
Reaction score
986
Location
Portland, Oregon
So I'm new to this kind of work and I'm going to install a new CPO on my Asteroids Deluxe CP. If there's a reasonable guide for this kind of work, or advice, it would be much appreciated. My basic plan is:

- Stick the CP in the oven to make the adhesive more pliable.
- Scrape the old CPO off with a paint scraper.
- Wire disc brush on a drill to get the adhesive off and get it down to metal.
- Prime it with rattle can Rustoleum.
- Do this

Anything I'm missing or should be aware of? I hate sanding with a passion, but maybe I should sand after getting the adhesive off / in between multiple coats of primer? That seems like it would be more important if I was getting the CP screen printed, rather than replacing the overlay.
 
I just did a Asteroids Deluxe and it came out PERFECT. Here's how.

Take your control panel and peel off all the old overlay. Get a good grip and pull off with one quick motion. Once it starts pulling off dont stop unless it rips.

Go to the auto parts store or Lowes or Home Depot and buy the best can of paint stripper they got. Coat the whole panel and let it work. I went to the car wash so after the paint lifts you can blast off the rest. I had to do this twice. Once to get most of the paint off and most of the glue. Do it a second time to get the paint that was hiding under the glue. I used a palm sander with 220 grit and sanded the panel perfectly smooth. Then use a good quality can of black spray and paint the panel then let it dry for a couple days to gas out.

Test fit the piece just to get a good idea and then dont listen to what that site says. The best way is to use a glass table and put a bright light under there pointing up. You can lay the new overlay on the table with the glue facing up and cut off the backing so the top part is past the holes for the buttons. The light will shine through and you can see exactly where it should go. Dont peel off the whole backing, just enough so you can line up the button holes.You can line it up perfect so the arrows for the start buttons are all lined up and ease it down on the overlay. Then use a stiff smooth plastic spreader like on the web site and smooth a little at a time so you can avoid bubbles. If you see a bubble start, peel it back up an inch or so and smooth it back down eliminating the bubble. Just keep peeling off a little more backing and smoothing a little more around the curve and around the bottom. You can then use a sharp hobby blade or a sharp small pocket knife and go around the start holes and the button holes and the thru bolt holes using a shearing motion. The original wrapped around the top where the fold is but it was not going to stick, so I just used the knife and cut that part off just like the holes. It came out better than factory and is lined up perfectly.

So, lay it on a glass table with the glue facing up and a little backing peeled off, lower the control panel onto the overlay, and smooth it outgoing around the panel.

One thing though, I saw here someone else had said their new Asteroids Deluxe overlay was starting to crack a little already and I looked real close and I can see very small cracks in it already also. I got mine from Arcadeshop for $40. We got them from the same place.
 
I got mine from Phoenix Arcade, it has all the holes cut out already. It seems easier to line it up like that site says, rather than laying it down at once. Is there some reason not to do it that way if the button holes are already cut?
 
No just line up the holes and smooth it down a little at a time to avoid bubbles. If you get a bubble, lift it back up a little and start again. Dont think if you have a small bubble that you can press out the bubble or run it over to the edge, you wont be happy.
 
Back
Top Bottom