Galaga Paint - Gloss or Satin..?

[Hoopstar]

Can someone advise if the cabinet paint on Galaga was originally a high
gloss finish or a semi-gloss (satin) finish? Just trying to get my cabinet
as close to original as possible.

Thanks

Hoops

[Brian Adkins]

The easiest way to achieve an "original" Galaga type finish is to mix a
ratio of 1/2 Sherwin Williams semi-gloss oil base to 1/2 Sherwin Williams
satin oil base. Apply with a spray gun over an absolute smooth surface
that's been prepped with Pro-Mar laquer undercoater. You can't miss.

Brian

"Hoopstar" <hr...@adam.com.au> wrote in message
news:1132811622.8937@teuthos...

[wadel...@hotmail.com]

The original was a high gloss. It almost looks like an automotive
finish.

Wade

[Brian Adkins]

Dude, you have no clue what you're talking about. Please stop spreading
misinformation.

Brian

<wadel...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1132927566....@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

[arcadeguy]

Chasis BLack looks great on my machine.
I dont like the high gloss. Satin is better.

[wadel...@hotmail.com]

Brian,

I can assure you, every original Galaga I've ever seen has a very high
gloss black finish. Which part of this statement don't you agree with?

Wade

[Brian Adkins]

Wade,

I've bought, sold, and traded well over 500 machines and have owned, traded,
and been around over 40 Galaga's in that time. Not a single one of them was
a high gloss black. You've either been around poorly repainted machines or
are a poor judge of true color sheens. All Galaga's are made from a material
called melamine. It's a natural semi-gloss finish. A true high gloss "wet"
look finish on a Galaga is wrong.

Brian

<wadel...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133053320.2...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[Retro-Arcade]

not all, some were painted plywood cabs, and they were closer to gloss
than satin. I've had several.

[wadel...@hotmail.com]

> I've bought, sold, and traded well over 500 machines and have owned, traded,
> and been around over 40 Galaga's in that time. Not a single one of them was
> a high gloss black. You've either been around poorly repainted machines or
> are a poor judge of true color sheens. All Galaga's are made from a material
> called melamine. It's a natural semi-gloss finish. A true high gloss "wet"
> look finish on a Galaga is wrong.
>
> Brian

Brian,

Perhaps you should look more closely at some of those games passing
through your possession. Galaga wasn't made from melamine. Most were
painted MDF. Melamine is a plastic coating on MDF, and yes I agree
melamine is more of a semi-gloss finish. If you don't believe me, take
a rag with some heavy cleaner on it to the side of your Galaga, or chip
the paint.

We may disagree on the terminology of the sheen, and Galaga may not
be a true high gloss "wet" look, but it is pretty darned glossy. I can
see reflections pretty easily in the finish. And it is far glossier
than any satin or semi-gloss finish I've seen.

Galaga is often repainted in a duller sheen, probably because it is
easier.

I will post some pictures in the next day or two, to illustrate how
glossy the finish is, to those who aren't sure what to believe.

Wade

[prOk]

I've seen galagas that were made of both plywood and of MDF. Typically they
are a semi gloss leaning toward gloss if they are original.. They were not
melamine as all melamines are a plasticized coating sprayed and UV cured
onto the substrate and almost all melamines have a minimal texture to them
due to the bonding process. I can't say i've ever seen a glossy or
reflective melamine but it may exist. Original Galagas were built with the
same coated wood process that Nintendo cabs were (the japanese version has a
thicker coating though). These were an epoxy based finish that is typically
sprayed by machine and cured with heat, note that this is only on the
outside of the machine (this is why on occasion when you find a very nice
galaga they have that brown protective paper on top.. because the original
sheets when uncut have that protective layer on them and the factory didn't
remove it, the operator did). Easy way to tell melamine from epoxy coat is
simply to sand it.. as the sanding generates heat, the melamine coating will
get hot and peel as it's just plastic while the epoxy coating will sand and
form dust like paint would.

/b

"Retro-Arcade" <EastIowa...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133061068....@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[MaximRecoil]

"Original Galagas were built with the
same coated wood process that Nintendo cabs were (the japanese version
has a
thicker coating though). These were an epoxy based finish that is
typically
sprayed by machine and cured with heat, note that this is only on the
outside of the machine"

That's interesting. If someone were restoring a Nintendo or Galaga
cabinet, could that process be reasonably duplicated? You can take
metal parts to certain businesses to be chrome plated or powder coated;
are there places that cater to the general public that could apply this
heat-cured epoxy-based finish that you are talking about, to an arcade
cabinet?

I have a Punch-Out cabinet with its original finish and I have been
wondering what it was, as it didn't look like any ordinary paint job
that I've ever seen. There are some areas on the side that have been
haphazardly "touched up" with a can of black spray paint sometime in
the past. Is there a way to remove that without damaging the finish
underneath? I'd rather have scrapes and whatnot in the original finish
showing than that crappy touchup job.

[wadel...@hotmail.com]

Here is a picture of the original Galaga finish (on MDF, not plywood):

http://webpages.charter.net/wadelanham/galagapaint.jpg

The reflection is somewhat distorted, because of some damage to the
wood, but you get the idea. The finish is pretty shiny and reflective.
Maybe not true high gloss, but pretty glossly anyway.

MaximRecoil, I think you could probably remove that spray paint with
some Novus, or possibly something like Goof Off. Just try it on a
small spot first to make sure it doesn't affect the original finish.

Wade