A bit of progress so far... mainly research.
Things have been progressing lately on my largest pinball playfield project to date. Its funny how I started off just wanting to do a quick shop out on this game and now, here I am, ready to repaint the entire playfield! Once I removed the mylar I discovered that my Earthshaker playfield is in horrible shape. When a previous owner installed mylar on top of a dirty and worn playfield it caused nothing but problems. The mylar came off fine and didn't damage anything thank goodness… but after buffing the playfield out it has lost all of its shine and luster.
I know if I were to just clean it up and play it I wouldn't be happy as it would just bother me constantly. In my previous post I showed how I have stripped the playfield down to the wood and have removed all of the inserts from the playfield. Now here is where it gets crazy. I have decided to clear coat the playfield and touch it up repainting the majority of the artwork. In the spirit of adventure and discovery I have gone off the deep end and there is no turning back! Yes this one is going to be a very fun and rewarding experience.
So now that I decided to do the playfield restoration myself I have a few decisions to make. What kind of clearcoat do I want to apply to the playfield? How much of the playfield do I want to repaint? Lets tackle each question here in this post.
Question #1. What kind of clearcoat do I want to apply to the playfield?
This is the most difficult question in my eyes for a few reasons so lets start off with the options.
Option #1: Varathane
Varathane is a water based Urethane clear coat used normally on hardwood floors. It is non-yellowing and it dries nice and clear. It is safe to use indoors (with adequate ventilation). Varathane can be removed relatively easy with paint thinners even after curing completely so you have an escape plan if there is a problem. Varathane is not the hardest clearcoat you can buy though and has a tendancy to crack over time if not prepared properly. It takes a lot more refinishing work (sanding between coats) and more coats are needed for a nice finish.
Option #2: Solvent based Urethane clearcoat (Automotive Clear Coat)
Automotive Urethane clear coats are solvent based and are super durable. They will not crack (unless laid down too thick) and are very clear. It requires fewer coats and can be easier to work with provided your prep is done properly prior to laying down the clear. Auto clear coat has a few disadvantages though. You can't spray it indoors since
Isocyanates are released when the clear and hardener are mixed together. You have to spray auto clear with a respirator, goggles and full body protection, this stuff is not to be messed with!!
So reading my descriptions above you would think the decision would be rather simple right? Not so quick. On one hand I love that Varathane is so user friendly application wise, a standard respirator can be used and is not as volatile as auto clear. Is that enough to steer me in that direction? You would think so but I have decided on going the auto clear route and here is why. Yes it is true that you have to take a lot more safety precautions but the end result is so much better than Varathane. Its the hardest clear you can apply and it will last forever in home use. It looks shinier and plays faster.
Since I decided to go with the auto clear the first order of business is making sure that I am going to be safe, after all no pinball project is worth your life! So what type of protection will I need? I will need to protect my eyes, lungs and my body.
Lung Protection
In order to properly protect my lungs I need a respirator. A respirator will isolate my lungs from the harmful gasses and particulates I will be spraying. Most importantly it will keep the isocyanates out of my lungs. I have purchased a 3M Carbon Cartridge Filter Respirator. They are only good for 30 hours of use max so they have to be replaced regularly. That won't be a problem since I will only need it for 4-5 hours max and then it gets thrown away.
Eye Protection
The problem with isocyanates is they are attracted to anything moist so if you spray clear without eye protection you can develop vision issues. I have not decided on the type of eye protection I will specifically use but it will probably be swim goggles since they stick to your face tightly.
Body Protection
For this I will be buying a Tyvek body suit that covers my arms, legs and chest as well as cover my hair. I will also be wearing gloves to protect my hands as well.
So where will I be spraying this? I can't spray it inside for obvious reasons so where else can I spray? I have decided to do it outside under my deck. There is plenty of space and I can seclude myself outside where there is plenty of ventilation. Its important to note that if you are spraying inside an enclosed area a Carbon Cartridge respirator
WILL NOT PROTECT YOU!! In that environment you must have a fresh air respirator. Carbon cartridge respriators are fine to use for a limited time (less than 30 hours) with tons of ventilation. There are guys out there that spray in their garage but I would consider that an enclosed space even with the garage door open.
So great, I have decided to use Auto Clear and will be spraying it outside with the proper precautions, but what type of clear will I be spraying?
There are many different manufacturers of clearcoat, Dupont, PPG, Omni, etc. I only plan on doing this one playfield so do I want to spent the $100 for a bunch of clear I won't use? That could have been a deal breaker if I didn't find
Spraymax 2K Auto Clear in an Aerosol! It's single use auto clear in a spray can. Each can is $14.50 but two cans will be enough to finish my playfield. 2 cans are needed because I will be laying down an initial layer of clear that I can do my touchups on and then I will need a second can for the finishing coats. This stuff only lasts 24 hours and I know it will take me a while to do all of the touchups I have decided to do.
So what will I do with the extra clear coat from the first can you might ask? Well my Lancer Evolution has a peeling carbon fiber wing like the majority of the 03 models do, so I get to fix that up at the same time
Question #2: How much of the playfield do I want to repaint?
This is pretty much a no brainer seeing how much of my playfield is damaged. I have done my best to remove ball swirls and other dirt but the yellow, red and green areas of the playfield aren't in the best of shape. Plus there are some areas that are down to wood or damaged bad enough that they deserve repainting. So I will be repainting the yellow, green and reds. I decided to jump onto the Airbrushing bandwagon and purchase an Airbrush. I already have a compressor so all I need is an Airbrush and a moisture filter/trap. After extensive research I decided on buying an Iwata Revolution HP-CR.