Pinball newbie looking for pinball cleaner/starter kit

arcadegarage

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Pinball newbie looking for pinball cleaner/starter kit

Hi everyone, I recently picked up my first pin, back to the future. I'm a huge fan of the movie and the game is pretty awesome...I love it. I'm trying to learn about how to clean it and keep it maintained. The game works great...all lights, bumpers, etc work. There are a few small wear spots by the bottom where the flippers can't help you...they're worn down to the wood. Otherwise, the playfield is in good shape...maybe a few minor scratches but nothing big. There is a little dirt, pet hair, etc on the playfield. I used a paper towel once and then realized that was a horrible idea.

I believe this playfield may have a protective coating...Mylar I heard? Not sure what that is.

Looking for a way to clean, polish, etc. Can anyone recommend a good kit and how to apply it? Should I buy some new pinballs as well since they've been rolling around in an unclean surface. Not looking to go crazy but want to keep a nice machine.

Thanks!
 
You need to replace the balls if there are any knicks, many people replace them once a year. You should clean the playfield with some Novus 2 and a few clean rags at the very least. Personally, I remove the playfield components and clean the playfield. Wax it with some carnuba wax, then reassemble with new balls.

There is a thread on the first page of the pinball section that lists sources for virtually all of the parts/consumables you will need. Here is the best place to look for repair and maintenance tips:

http://www.marvin3m.com/fix.htm
 
This will be the main ingredient you'll need:

Vintage+Sister+Elbow+Grease+6.jpg


I would just buy some Novus #2 and hard automotive wax. Clean with Novus then wax. All by hand. Plenty of info on this forum is just a search away.
 
http://www.classicplayfields.com/perfection.html
Expensive but you'll most likely never need to buy anything ever again.

That's really intended for polishing clear coated playfields before they're assembled. I can't imagine trying to clean a playfield with those huge buffing pads. I have a 4" buffer but it's really only usable on playields that are completely stripped and even then it's far from an all-in-1 solution.

If you want something that's machine assisted I would go with the treasure cove kit. The pads are a lot smaller:
http://www.treasure-cove.net/BuyPolish.htm
 
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