How to Clean a Pinball Playfield

If you have a pinball machine with a dirty playfield, you need to clean it to protect your playfield surface. A pinball traveling across a dirty pinball playfield can damage the surface. A damaged playfield will result in a less playable and less valuable pinball machine. Follow the following steps to clean your pinball playfield now.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Novus #1
• Novus #2
• Soft towel
• Carnauba wax

1. Unplug your pinball machine. Your pinball machine can have live voltage in the contacts for the coils at the bumpers and the targets. If you accidentally touch the wrong spot on these you could damage the machine or shock yourself. For electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machines this is even more important.

2. 
    
   remove parts and store in a safe place

   Remove the playfield plastics, metal rails, and other parts that are in the way of you reaching the playfield. Put all the parts in a good location so no parts get lost. I always take photo at different angles so I can remember how things go back together.

3. 
    
   Novus #2 Scratch Remover

   If the playfield is extremely dirty start by using a vacuum to remove the loose dirt. Be careful not to scratch the playfield with the end of the vacuum hose. Then using Novus #2 Fine Scratch Remover and a soft, clean towel, polish the entire playfield. You will reach a mirror-like finish if the playfield still has a decent surface left. It may take a couple of passes to reach this type of result. For playfields with flaking paint you will have to stop. Continuing to polish the playfield will not help.

4. 
    
   Novus # 1 Plastic Clean & Shine

   Using Novus #1 Plastic Clean & Shine and a soft clean towel, polish the playfield plastic pieces. Make sure you do not clean the plastics while they are bolted to the playfield. Place the playfield pieces on a soft flat surface and clean each piece. The playfield plastic graphics are typically screen printed on the bottom, so if you scratch the bottom, the graphics will also be scratched.

5. 
    

   Clean the metal parts next. Using a good quality metal polish and a clean towel (disposable heavy-duty paper towels work well in this step), polish the metal parts until they are like new. Carefully clean off all of the metal polish from each part before reinstalling on the playfield.

6. 
    
   Protect the playfield with carnauba wax.

   Protect the clean playfield with Carnauba Wax. Caruauba wax is Brazilian wax that is safe for pinball playfields.

7. 
    
   A clean pinball playfield

   The playfield is now, hopefully like new. Put everything back together carefully. You will now be ready to play your pinball machine.

Resources

• Novus #1 Plastic Clean & Shine
• Novus #2 Fine Scratch Remover

[sonni57]

on 3/30/2009 Good directions on how to clean a pinball playfield, I didn't know you could do this.

[jfargo]

on 3/28/2009 I wish I had a pinball machine.