Williams Space Mission (Williams, 1976) playfield

[stapler]

Hi hope someone can help, the playfield on the williams space mission I have just aquired has been hand painted and not very well, I need to remove this and restor it can I get it screen printed or can I get new
decals for the playfield cabinet has also been painted so I will need to rub it down and get new decals for that any help and advise would be good, many thanks.

 

[susko]

I have never seen a pinball machine with decals on it. I doubt anyone sells then. You could have them custom made but they wouldn't last on the play field. These things were usually hand painted. Alot of the "unique to the machine" pieces are very hard to find. Sometimes a donor machine is needed if it is in poor shape. Pinball machines really are a piece of artwork.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

AFAIK decals are historically standard on playfields. decals, and perhaps screening. after applying, manufacturers then put coat(s) of clear varnish on top to protect the artwork. painting by hand doesn't make sense to me when you're producing hundreds or thousands of machines.

stripping a PF and applying new decals is an exacting process as i understand it- perhaps spalmer here has experience with that. on the restoration front, this was pretty interesting:
http://www.pinrepair.com/restore/kppf.htm

 

[Shockman]

http://www.classicplayfields.com/

I think a perfect clear coat would be Polyester like you would find on musical instruments. It is the hardest, and resists cracking and checking, while with varnish it IS going to happen at some point in time. You need a permit to get this material though if you were to do it your self. A fine cabinet shop could do it though. And it would take only a couple of days for many coats. The end result is what looks like a sheet of glass on a perfectly smooth medium.

I don't know about the process of printing, applying, painting, or whatever the process usually is for playfield art (I always figured it was layered paint stenciling, at least originally), but you have to make damn sure the clear coat you choose would not curdle that medium.

 

[stapler]

Many thanks for all your interest, and replys, this is going to be a nice project for me, I emailed clasicplayfields and asked them if anyone else is makeing artwork for playfields, my project is not on there list of things to do at the moment once again many thanks, all help and advice is welcome Cheers.

 

[faralos]

I admit the company I used to work for we used to 'doctor' up old pf's
with magic markers at times! they looked rough to be honest
but usually it was a last resort to save an old faded worn out pf!
Pins don't have decals most of the cabs were silkscreened or painted
the only decals I know of would have been on the actual play field
or maybe a mylar overlay to protect the center of the table pf
as for refinishing a pin I would use Future Floor Finish
Future is a liquid Poly seal that is self leveling and hard as nails
when I paint my miniature figurines i dunk 'em into a cup of this stuff
it seals them with a hard plastic coating
it can be brushed or sprayed on