Powder coat or chrome?

[Qbass187]

Hey Guys,
I just picked up a Demolition Man and, of course, the handle chrome is in awful shape. I intended on getting them re-chromed... but then I started thinking; what if I powder coated them?
My fear would be the durability, or course.
Has anyone done this in the past? What were results?

Thanks!

ERIC

[Pindoc1]

I have powder coated trim on a couple machines. Fire! CE and RS. Both
turned out great. No problems with wear. But it can be scratch
although not as easily as paint.
It does add some thickness and one problem is when folding down the
head, the hinge brackets can scratch a nice arc in the side rails, even
if they are set out as far out lateral as possible. I had to put some
washers between the cabinet and the brackets and ended up putting some
felt on the inside of the bracket to protect the siderail. I had some
touch up paint made up to cover the scratches.
With all this in mind, I would still recommend powder coating. Just be
careful and ask them to keep the thickness on the siderails not too
thick.
Bruce


--
Pindoc1
This USENET post sent from http://rgparchive.com

[Pindoc1]

Sorry just reread your original post. I don't know about the handles
themselves. Depends on moving parts and clearance between them.

If there is fine detail stamped in the metal of the handles, powder
coating will fill some of that in and make it less noticable.

[Joe Grenuk]

That sounds like a wonderful situation.

[schudel5]

"Qbass187" <epb1...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:30df1835-5089-4afd...@googlegroups.com...

Sounds like a question for the Pinside crowd.

--
Mike S.
Kalamazoo, MI
Gameroom: http://tinyurl.com/yxzavc

[psk445]

I thought the same thing first but the OP is actually taking about
chroming/powder coating a part that actually would require it (as
opposed to gaudy up your side rails and screws with coating.)

Demo Handles are going to wear again if you chrome them; however,
chrome your be a close to factory as possible. Powder coating in my
mind would hold up better, but as already said would thicken them and
take always some of the detail. Function wise I see no problem doing
either.

Personally, I'd chrome them. Powder coating belongs nowhere on a
pinball machine!

On Apr 5, 9:26 am, "schudel5" <schud...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Qbass187" <epb187...@gmail.com> wrote in message

[Joe Jet]

Agreed.. I can see powder coating an apron or other part in the
original solid color but I just dont get powder coating stainless
steel or plated parts.. looks so cheap. Only game I ever saw that
looked decent is Tron in Blue and maybe ACDC in Stern's red just
because thats what we know it as.

[Qbass187]

Yeah,
Looks vs. funtionality was my primary concern. I'd heard of a type of PC that looks like chrome and I assume would hold up better. Just wasn't sure if anyone had done this and how it turned out or held up.

I will most likely just re-chrome them. Does anyone know how to get in contact with Mike Chestnut? I've always heard he's the guy to talk to but up until now I've never had anything I needed to get done. :)

[railbender]

>
> Has anyone done this in the past? What were results?

Mike has done great work for me. I assume you have received plenty of positive comments and ways to contact him by now. If not, email me and I will send you his contact info.

Kenny

[Pindoc1]

"Agreed.. I can see powder coating an apron or other part in the
original solid color but I just dont get powder coating stainless
steel or plated parts.. looks so cheap. Only game I ever saw that
looked decent is Tron in Blue and maybe ACDC in Stern's red just

because thats what we know it as."[/quote]


The original Roadshow design had blue siderails and lockdown bars and
legs and that is what I did.
The Fire! CE had brass/gold plated trim. When I got my machine, the
plating was trashed. I searched for plating and pricing was prohibitive.
This was in the days before I had heard of Mike Chestnut. I went to a
local powder coating company and found a metalic dark red/maroon. Looks
terrific! Think fire engine red, but better.
I have had my IJ ramps and trim brass plated by Mike Chestnut so I am
not a total Powder Coating Shill. =)

Anyway. My point is if it is done with an appropriate color to match the
machine, PC can look great and should not be discounted. Does not look
"cheap". Looks far better than a trashed plate or replate that is
starting to wear. If done well and appropriately, it can look better
than a nice plate.

[Detroitboy]

I would never do chrome or polished brass on a pinball game again if
it is in an area that will be used regularly by human hands. Mike
Chestnut does beautiful work, and it is not his fault that these
polished surfaces do not hold up in areas where your greasy hands are
all the time. I have had 4 of his kits (2 chrome and 2 polished brass)
and 1 factory game (Tron LE) with chrome. Every one of them showed
wear in short amounts of time, whereas my Stern games with their black
wrinklecoat surface all still look like new. Maybe your application
does not get enough use to wear quickly, but siderails and lockdown
bars do not last with plating.

[pinbal...@gmail.com]

Powder coat is a complete joke. Plus it's cheap!! Chrome if done correctly will last for years. I've got SM,IM,AFM,Tron all in chrome and they look great!! Do yourself a big favor and do chrome. If you do powder coat stick with the base colors and don't do stupid colors that makes your game look retarded. Go Chrome!!

[64bsstp]

I've powdercoated a fair number of legs. Yes, there is "chrome"
powdercoat. I would say it's fine for pinball legs but it doesn't
have the "mirror" finish quite like chrome. Biggest issue with
durability is getting the surface down to clean metal. Best method is
to sandblast first. You can clearcoat the powdercoat afterwards (yea,
I know, crazy idea) I did a set of old legs with "Black Chrome" and
had them clearcoated. The Black Chrome powdercoat is black on top but
underneath it's a lighter silver so the sanding prep for the clearcoat
"scratched" the black. The net effect with the powdercoat is pretty
cool. If the finish on those handles doesn't need to be a mirror I
would powdercoat - but mostly because I have the setup.

[Joe Grenuk]

>
> Anyway. My point is if it is done with an APPROPRIATE color to match the

> machine, PC can look great and should not be discounted. Does not look

> "CHEAP". Looks FAR BETTER than a trashed plate or replate that is
> starting to wear. If DONE WELL and APPROPRIATELY, it CAN look better
> than a nice plate.

Here's the problem. You are not making a point; you are expressing a
(very subjective) opinion.

Your view and everybody else's view of what an "appropriate" color is
will vary wildly.

Whether it looks "cheap" is a matter of PERSONAL taste, not fact.

Again, whether something looks "far better" is your call, not mine.

Yes, if something is done well and appropriately, whatever that means,
it can look better, to some people. On the other hand, it CAN look a
hell of a lot worse to me and others than a "nice" plate.

I think you get the point. Bottom line is that pinball games are like
religion. If it works for you, knock yourself out, and you don't have
to defend it here. Just don't come to my front door trying to get me
to like yours.

[hawk007]

Hello ERIC
I powder coated my t2 , sttng and demo man handles and coin doors in
near chrome[ stainless look alike] And they look great and they even
feel better now and they do not leave that metal smell on your hands
after. Easy to clean and do not show finger prints.
The impact strength is very good to excellent compared to paint. Mine
were done years ago and still look new after a ton of plays.. No
change to the finish at all.
ALL PERSONAL opinion on what looks better though. If you do and buy
what you like you will never go wrong. Just thought I would chime in
as I have done this lots.
Good luck with your game/s either way!
H

[Pindoc1]

I totally disagree with you. That is a fact.
I don't know how you can belittle something you have not seen. Yes I am
sure that there are some lousy PC jobs out there. However there is a lot
of terrific work out there in PC. If you have not seen a finished
project, then you have no business labelling it as looking "cheap".
Believe me. I would not waste my time knocking on your door. Apparently
you are one of those people who think that plating is the end all and be
all, even if it looks like shit again in a couple of years.
You have your opinion. I have my opinion. To me (and that is what is
important, to me), I am right. You are wrong.
I would appreciate it if you would not dump on something you have not
seen just because it is not "original".
BTW, your opinion is also "very subjective".

[ann...@aol.com]

What would you use if u just want to touch up a tiny area that silver came off on silver legs? Is there a touch up paint or pen to use?

[schudel5]

On 11/22/2013 10:39 AM, ann...@aol.com wrote:
> What would you use if u just want to touch up a tiny area that silver came off on silver legs? Is there a touch up paint or pen to use?
>

I'd move that leg to the back.

[jgr...@aol.com]

Haven't heard that in a loooong time, Mike. Remember the good old days when there were no repro legs available? All the good legs went in the front, all the shitty ones in the back. And when you sold a game, the good legs NEVER went with it! I honestly don't remember ever buying a game with four good legs. Sometimes I got two, usually zero.

[Frank Furhter]

ann...@aol.com wrote:
> What would you use if u just want to touch up a tiny area that silver came off on silver legs? Is there a touch up paint or pen to use?
>

If just one or two legs, or can be hidden move them to the back.
If all four are fucked up by water exposure (basement placement, sitting
in puddles for a time), then have them blasted and chromed. They will
look WAY nice if done right and of course the rest of the game will need
to be done as well so they don't look out of place.
This puts in motion a very expensive restoration. In all, just leave
them alone and live with the history of the game. If the game is too
nice of a collection, you may just be that guy in infancy that has to
have games nobody can play when done. You decide where you are at, and
what you want to become.

--
The Frankster, a playfield prankster
Once upon my crank her ballpark shrank.
http://PinWiki.com, Prep-H 4 pinballers.
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