very newb question: wax

Leinhit

New member
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
5,212
Reaction score
7
Location
Michigan
now that I have a pin.. and love it.. (surprisingly how much) Stellar wars

can someone explain why the pf needs wax and any special way to do it? or just like my car but using pinball wax?

thanks for the patience..

OH!

and I've been reading about replacing the bulbs w/ LEDs? is it just a bulb that goes in the same socket.. or a complete replacement of the socket and bulb?

:)

seems my backbox lock is just spinning when trying to unlock the backglass now.. have to figure how out to stop it so I can get the glass out one more time...
 
mother wax balls... golden...

Regan.gif
 
Last edited:
Be sure to clean before waxing, novus 2 works great, so does Mcguires scratch out.

To answer your question, why wax, a metal ball rolling around on a painted playfield = wear. Wax is a protective film to make it last longer.

And while you are looking at you wax balls, I cannot stress enough the importance of new pinballs in your machine. This is the reason playfields get beat up...a simple mark or scratch in the pinball.
 
ok good explanation.. thanks..

any suggestions for suppliers for this stuff? I'm sure I can find one by searching..

I will get a new ball , cleaner and wax..
 
I have been using Wildcat for over 10 years now and love the stuff. It cleans the playfield and leaves a nice protected surface. I haven't had any problems or wear with using it.

As for where to buy, there's a lot of places online. Marco, Happ, Pinball Resource, etc. etc.

Bill
 
ok good explanation.. thanks..

any suggestions for suppliers for this stuff? I'm sure I can find one by searching..

I will get a new ball , cleaner and wax..

Buy your auto wax local.....get the Novus 2 and balls from Pinball Resource. You might want to replace the rubbers while you're at it. Tell Pinball Resource to add a Stellar Wars ring kit too.

Edward
 
Pinballlife.com is another great resource. They sell the 8-oz Novus 1, 2 and 3 for $12. (For all 3!) They also have great service, fast shipping. And great prices on little things like bulbs, etc.

FYI, Novus 2 is a light abrasive polish that is great for cleaning up playfields and discolored plastics, etc. Novus 3 is a more abrasive polish--use for heavy polishing, be careful not to remove paint! Novus 1 is a plastics cleaner, non-abrasive. I use Novus 1 on plastic ramps, and to follow a Novus 2 polishing to remove residue before waxing.

I wouuld avoid Millwax (which is NOT a wax!) and Wildcat, esp. on any pf that has clearcoat. Best bet (even on painted pf's) is a mild polish with Novus 2 and a good carnauba wax (Mothers, Meguire's, etc.)

Be careful not to get the wax into pf openings like rollover switch slots, etc. It's a pain to get out.
 
everybodys got a different method.

Im insane!!! so i use blue magic metal polish(creme)http://www.amazon.com/BlueMagic-400-Metal-Polish-Cream/dp/B000BO8Z9I

cleans, polishes, and leaves a nice silicone shine in one step. Been using over 2 yrs no issues yet. also does a AWESOME job of cleaning polishing and shining plastics, but be careful not to get it on raw wood because itll leave a white haze.

+1 on replacing balls. DO that every couple of years. I use the dude over at pinball life for parts. FOr me hes semi-local. prices are good, and hes a nice guy to boot.
 
Got a newb question I went to wally world and in the can for paste all they had was turtle wax brand polishing compound, now is this the same as paste wax? Or is it too abrasive for the pin table? It's hard to find a can of paste of WAX around these parts seems they all went to the spray bottles. Someone please let me know if I can use this on my pins?
 
NOOOOOOO! That is a cleaner wax and is abrasive. Also cleaner waxes are typically more cleaner than wax. Clean with Novus, then wax with 100% carnuba wax. You need a good wax coating. Probably the most important thing to playfield longevity. Order it from Amazon if you cannot get it locally. But I am sure you have an auto zone, oreilly's, Napa...right?
 
I replace the balls every time I replace the rubber. Any 100% carnouba paste wax is good. Turtle, Macguires, mothers doesn't matter.
 
So whats up with mill wax I used to use it and never had any problems. I have since switched to novus and wax. I never had any luck with the novus 2 but this last em pin I cleaned up I used novus and was amazed how well it cleaned up. First thing I do is order new balls they destroy playfields when they get pitted and nasty
 
Back
Top Bottom