Best method for cleaning yellowed plastic posts?
Nick
Hearts since I couldn't find replacements (they are the older non
fasceted type). The colored ones cleaned up fairly well with novus 2,
but the white ones are yellowed and don't seem to clean up at all.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I don't need them to be "ultra
bright" white, but I would like to whiten them as much as possible.
Thanks,
Nick
David Gersic
> I am trying to clean up the original posts from my Gottleib Sweet
> Hearts since I couldn't find replacements
Call Pinball Resource. If Steve doesn't have them, you're going to
have to live with yellow. Once the plastic discolours, there's not
much you're going to be able to do to reverse the process.
--
| David Gersic http://www.zaccaria-pinball.com |
| Compile, run, curse. Recompile, rerun, recurse. |
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Nick
pinball.com> wrote:
Pinball resource was my first thought. Steve doesn't have them. I
was wondering if they yellow all the way through, or if it is possible
to use a very fine emery cloth (or something similar) and take off a
very thin layer? Also, has anyone tried any of the newer plastic
paints, or will it just chip off? The ball technically doesn't hit
the post, so I wonder if it would hold up.
Nick
homebrood
This may sound dangerous but I have used it on yellowed rubbers that
were still not dried out.
Put them in a cup with bleach for about an hour then rinse then crap
out of them.
I'm thinking it will either work great or you'll come back to a cup of
melted plastic!
I would be tempted to try it on one of the ones you can hide in back
if you have to and see what happens though...
seymour-shabow
I was thinking that too, the fusion paint works great, it made my space
shuttle look brand new. Worth a try, anyway.
-scott CARGPB#29
Nick
>
> - Show quoted text -
Scott,
Did you use it on the posts? If so, is it holding up well? I am
thinking of trying it on one post and playing the game for a while to
see how it holds up.
seymour-shabow
>
> Did you use it on the posts? If so, is it holding up well? I am
> thinking of trying it on one post and playing the game for a while to
> see how it holds up.
No, I used it on the space shuttle toy - it seems very durable, but that
is a different type of plastic vs. the posts.
Try it on one and see how it works. Isn't the yellowing a chemical
change over time..... I don't think it could be 'cleaned'.
-scott CARGPB#29
Mike W. from NJ
they were all colored/marbled-look. They came out great. On 70's
Gottliebs, the plastic is not quite as hard/solid so best to just
replace. But I was thinking that since the early posts are so damn
hard that maybe it could stand up to some Novus 3 or even some super
high grit sandpaper, (maybe wet) then Novus 2?
If you have even 1 extra post or can get your hands on one, it may be
worth a try. These things are as solid and hard as the late 70's/
early 80's Williams posts so should be able to take the abrasive
cleanup rather well. Not sure about getting a good shine again
afterwards though.
In either case, let this thread know how it turns out for the r.g.p.
archives. Sweethearts is on my list also and all of those midfield
white posts are right there in your line of sight so they must look
good.
-Mike W. from NJ
www.emwhite.org
Nick
The colored posts are definately not as much of an issue - they seem
to clean up well with some good plastic polish. The white ones seem
to be the real challenge. I did a test last night with some very fine
wet/dry sandpaper and a white post. I didn't want to ruin a post, so
I just did some light sanding. It seemed to clean it up OK, but it
didn't really make it much whiter. It does take away the shine, but a
quick cleanup with some plastic polish aftwards seemed to start
brining the shine back.
I spoke with someone yesterday who said they would be willing to
sacrifice one or two spare posts from that era to see if I can come up
with a good method for restoring them. I am going to take them up on
their offer and try a few things. I will keep everyone posted. I'm
sure we can come up with something.
Nick
GOCATGO
>
> - Show quoted text -
I have NOT found one product that will clean/brighten/restore white
posts that have 'yellowed', and have tried many-MANY different
products and techniques.
IMMHO,(or my .02 cents) I think painting the posts may be the only
method to get them white again...and hopefully it will hold. I have
used the Krylon Fusion Paint for plastics on bowling pins for a Bally
All Star Deluxe Bowler, and it's held up very well. Good luck.
Russ
www.Team-EM.com
NJ Add-A-Ball
The polymer has undergone a reaction, likely UV light induced, that
produced chromophores throughout the plastic giving it a yellow hue.
It is irreversible.
The new faceted ones look great and no one will notice (except you, of
course) they are not the smooth type.
Mike
Nick
>
> - Show quoted text -
Another vote for painting. Russ, I'm not familiar with the bowlers.
Does the ball actually hit the pins, or is it really hitting a
rollover switch that raises the pins? I think I am going to paint a
single post, put it in a game in a high traffic area and play the heck
out of it and see how it holds up.
GOCATGO
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Another vote for painting. Russ, I'm not familiar with the bowlers.
> Does the ball actually hit the pins, or is it really hitting a
> rollover switch that raises the pins? I think I am going to paint a
> single post, put it in a game in a high traffic area and play the heck
>
> - Show quoted text -
Howdy Nick-Ball hits the pins. (3" ball is shot from a turret type
mech. at the pins. Heres a link of the game(not my actual game) if
you want to check it out http://marvin3m.com/bowl/balstar.htm )
It just may be a slightly tedious task painting those posts, but also
may be the only solution and well worth your efforts if it comes out
nicely AND works! The tricky part may be not 'loading up' too much
paint in the indentation on the post where the rings sit on the
posts. I looked at a pic on IPD of the game, and the posts look like
they have quite a shine, so you may have to clear them too. I think
it's worth a try....just try one first and see what you get. Hope it
all works out for you. If you have any other questions you can
contact me directly if you'd like. Best of luck to you in your
efforts.
Russ
www.Team-EM.com
homebrood
>
> - Show quoted text -
I think you are right, when this type of plastic yellows, it pretty
much yellows through deep into the plastic not just on the surface.
Mike W. from NJ
real life !! (AND he plays one on TV)
Fusion is the plastic paint? Sounds like a plan.
Interestingly, Gottlieb used two types of "white" plastics in the 70's
into 80's. I had to buy a few rollover guides for my Black Hole, in
White, and Steve Young told me that the original plastics for that
game were actually slightly off white and that one of the single sided
parts was only available in bright white which meant that I had to
'cut' part of the side off if I wanted a match.
What was it that Dustin Hoffman was told (Career advice) by Mr.
McGuire in The Graduate?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSxihhBzCjk
dangerwil
buttons. I did my Robotron joysticks with the red and have yet to see any
wear.
>
> I spoke with someone yesterday who said they would be willing to
> sacrifice one or two spare posts from that era to see if I can come up
> with a good method for restoring them. I am going to take them up on
> their offer and try a few things. I will keep everyone posted. I'm
> sure we can come up with something.
>
> Nick
--
Bill
Who's favorite game is Carnevil, where else can you shoot termites and kill
the operator at the end?
David Gersic
> I was thinking that too, the fusion paint works great, it made my space
> shuttle look brand new. Worth a try, anyway.
I've used Krylon Fusion paint to touch up drop targets, which do get
direct ball hits, and it seems to be holding up well there. Haven't
tried it on posts, but it might work. I don't recall if it comes in
white, though.
--
| David Gersic http://www.zaccaria-pinball.com |
| Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink. |
David Gersic
> I spoke with someone yesterday who said they would be willing to
> sacrifice one or two spare posts from that era to see if I can come up
> with a good method for restoring them.
It'd be a huge pain to do if you need more than a couple of these, but
I've been making my own plastic parts (flipper bodies, caps, rollover
guides) here to replace stuff that is no longer available for Zaccaria
games. The problem is that the rate is too low for something as numerous
and common as posts. You could make a few in each mold, but you're
still going to be stuck with only one mold/pour/cure/cleanup cycle every
two days.
To do it right, you need a proper injection mold ($1000) setup, and a
large run (2000+) of parts. With some research, you could get this
done, and maybe sell off the ones you don't need via Pinball Resource,
For Amusement Only, Bay Area, Marco, etc.. If each vendor would buy
1000 or so of these from you, you could probably run enough to get a
company to do them.
--
| David Gersic http://www.zaccaria-pinball.com |
| <Sigh> You can lead a user to Docs but you can't make 'em read. |
seymour-shabow
> On Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:14:35 -0400, seymour-shabow <seymour...@excite.com> wrote:
>> I was thinking that too, the fusion paint works great, it made my space
>> shuttle look brand new. Worth a try, anyway.
>
> I've used Krylon Fusion paint to touch up drop targets, which do get
> direct ball hits, and it seems to be holding up well there. Haven't
> tried it on posts, but it might work. I don't recall if it comes in
> white, though.
>
It sure does - that's what I painted the space shuttle model with. Took
a yellowed piece of crap and made it fresh again.
Good to know on the drop targets too, since they can get really yellowed
too. In fact I'll have to see if fusion comes in red as I need red for
my dragonfist and they're not available anywhere.
-scott CARGPB#29
Woz
> Interestingly, Gottlieb used two types of "white" plastics in the 70's
> into 80's. I had to buy a few rollover guides for my Black Hole, in
> White, and Steve Young told me that the original plastics for that
> game were actually slightly off white and that one of the single sided
> parts was only available in bright white which meant that I had to
> 'cut' part of the side off if I wanted a match.
>
> www.emwhite.org
I just receieved some Gottlieb white faceted plastic posts from PBR
and they are very bright white. They do not match the off-white of
bumper bodies and flipper bats. I asked them about this and they said
that was the only white they had.
Woz