Vinyl Covered Particle Board Cabinets

D_Harris

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
2,518
Reaction score
51
Location
Staten Island, New York
Has anyone has to repair the edges of an Atari cabinet that was made of vinyl covered particle board. The vinyl really does make things a lot more difficult than they would be under normal circumstances.

There are small pieces missing around the edges where the T-Molding goes and I was wondering if the best way to deal with it was to use Bondo and then paint white.

I previously asked about painting over vinyl before, but it seems like no one bothers to try and repair these cabs.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
 

Attachments

  • P.P.II Edge Chip.JPG
    P.P.II Edge Chip.JPG
    44.5 KB · Views: 80
Been discussing this very topic here: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=251225

You can definitely do a passable restore on that if you aren't chasing perfection! That looks like such a small piece (from the pic)...I'd just seal it with sealer, or wood glue, and even it up with some bondo or such. As long as you are somewhat close, a perfect match of the white shouldn't really matter. Unless you are Fizgig. ;)
 
I posted in that thread.

That chip is just an example. There are missing pieces like that all around the edges where the T-Molding goes.

I'm still trying to determine what kind of primer and paint to use on vinyl covered particle board. I'm thinking a thick coating of what i decide on since to different materials(plywood to particle board) were edge joined to repair the cabinet side.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
 
Check any one of my restoration threads in my sig...Paperboy probably has the most detail. It is possible to get them to look perfect, if you put the time into it.
 
Perhaps they used a different adhesive for these Ireland cabinets, because I can't seem to just tear off the original vinyl.

The odd thing is that there is an area where I cut the particle board off that the vinyl is just sitting on the cabinet like it was never glued. (See pic).

The plan is to use a belt sander to lightly go over that seam where the plywood and particle board meet to make sure the seam is even, and then treat with wood filler before prepping the whole cabinet for painting and then artwork.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
 
Does anyone have any idea how to remove the vinyl from these particle board cabinets?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
 
It depends on the game. Some will just peel off by hand. Some you can do that, but I also use a metal spackling/putty knife to help. Other ones you have to use a heat gun and all of the above. 720 was the worst game I've ever had to do. You had to use heat, a putty knife, and you could only go about 1" at a time. Every cab it different.
 
I was thinking heat gun, but was wondering if there was also a chemical I should be using.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
 
who re-produces sideart ?

looking for Rich who does side art copies. there are several riches on members list so i thought to ask to save time. have a two tigers game that i may want to redo.
 
I was thinking heat gun, but was wondering if there was also a chemical I should be using.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Get a cheap heat gun that has the scraper thing that can go on it. I wouldn't dare use chemicals, as they'll just get in the pb, as it's kinda porous. I'm working on a Paperboy now, and have peeled the old vinyl off (just came off in sheets), put dabs of Bondo on the blemishes, with sand flush then apply oil based Kilz primer with a foam roller, wait to dry, then sand slick. I 'think' that will make a good base for the white vinyl.
 
I wouldn't go with Kilz primer rolled if you can avoid it. If you're doing it inside your house, you'll probably have to do something like that. If you can avoid that, using spray automotive primer will be faster, smoother, and be better all around. You'll find that even if you think you've filled in all of your holes, more will become visible once you prime. You'll also find that using Bondo for little tiny holes gets annoying after awhile, and doesn't sand easily. I've found that Bondo for large broken pieces, rebuilding water damages edges, and deep gouges is best, but if you have small pits and pulled particleboard from removing vinyl, those are best filled with glazing putty. It doesn't need to be mixed, with work with wood, painted surfaces, or Bondo, and sands smoothly and easily.
 
I wouldn't go with Kilz primer rolled if you can avoid it. If you're doing it inside your house, you'll probably have to do something like that. If you can avoid that, using spray automotive primer will be faster, smoother, and be better all around. You'll find that even if you think you've filled in all of your holes, more will become visible once you prime. You'll also find that using Bondo for little tiny holes gets annoying after awhile, and doesn't sand easily. I've found that Bondo for large broken pieces, rebuilding water damages edges, and deep gouges is best, but if you have small pits and pulled particleboard from removing vinyl, those are best filled with glazing putty. It doesn't need to be mixed, with work with wood, painted surfaces, or Bondo, and sands smoothly and easily.

The plan is to use wood filler and over the particle board and plywood seam and face, then sand before priming. But I figure Bondo would be better than wood filler for the small nicks and missing pieces along the T-Molding edges.

But I do have other fillers like Evercoat's "Formula 27", which I used in a DK cabinet repair about 10 years ago.

I also have the following: http://www.crestnetsales.com/body.htm

Evercoat "Metal-2-Metal" (2nd product shown in first group).

as well as the Glazing Putty below:

Evercoat "Metal Glaze" (1st product shown in second group).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
 
I wouldn't go with Kilz primer rolled if you can avoid it. If you're doing it inside your house, you'll probably have to do something like that. If you can avoid that, using spray automotive primer will be faster, smoother, and be better all around. You'll find that even if you think you've filled in all of your holes, more will become visible once you prime. You'll also find that using Bondo for little tiny holes gets annoying after awhile, and doesn't sand easily. I've found that Bondo for large broken pieces, rebuilding water damages edges, and deep gouges is best, but if you have small pits and pulled particleboard from removing vinyl, those are best filled with glazing putty. It doesn't need to be mixed, with work with wood, painted surfaces, or Bondo, and sands smoothly and easily.

I totally agree with you spraying primer vs rolling, but... on the Paperboy (and Centipede I have to do) I'd rather not spray due to not wanting overspray to get in the cabinet, or sneak around the cabinet edges to the black vinyl that is staying. Another upside is I can roll a good, wet coat and it acts as a high building/sanding primer. ..and yeah, I can do it in the garage. If I was doing primer on a new cabinet or something wood like a Williams project, I'd definitely spray it.

Downsides - like you said will take me longer and leave a texture. However, I plan to running a sander over all of the primed areas once it's dry, and knocking it down super smooth. This also lets the primer fill the pinholes, voids, the little stuff.
 
Back
Top Bottom