I've done about seven or eight cabinet paint jobs through the years and the lesson that I've learned is to let the first color fully cure before applying any other over the top of it. I usually give it about two to three weeks. I'm in the process of painting a Gottlieb Spin A Card and the first time using Pinball Pimp stencils. In the past I've relied on tracing and making my own. I've got the base coat and webbing done and now ready for colors. Thank you for all of the helpful instructions.
Great job my friend, this is how we all learn. Comparatively, it probably looks fantastic compared to the way it did before. Enjoy your game! I'm in the middle of a stencil project with these stencils as well on my Gottlieb El Dorado. Orange color is down and I'm waiting several days for it to cure before I add the final color. After speaking with Pinball Pimps owner, He highly recommended the standard Rustoleum spray paint with the plaid logo on the front and not to use the 2X products as they dry too fast. He also said the standard Rustoleum is a much tougher finish than the 2X. I've been using those and I couldn't be happier. After about 10 to 12 minutes I peeled the first stencil layer back and the lines were crisp and sharp. No goopy paint "snap back" and no tearing. The cure time is longer than the 2X, 1-3 days, but it's worth it. Thank you for this great post! Cheers!
Thanks very much for the video, you are a true hero! This was my first time with stencils, and needed someone elses experience. Learning from your mistakes allowed me to get really good results with my Flash Gordon. I was really careful in chosing my paints, and did not over spay my yellow, this made everything pop. One piece of advice I would give, is do each side seperately. it takes a little longer, but allows for better control. (at least the first times)
Thanks for doing your video. It takes a lot of work to shoot all of this and be willing to educate others as well as admit mistakes along the way. I commend you for all the time invested and honesty. Similar to other comments, multiple coats. I shoot a light coat and then 10 minutes later hit it with another while watching the sheen so it isn't streaky looking. Dark colors are easy this way. Lighter colors for me require double the time to shake the can, then 3 coats and sometimes 4. I find yellow to be the worst, thinnist and most runny color no matter where you apply it (house walls, pinball cabinet, playfield touch up). I was surprised at how much pop the yellow gave your cabinet. I shot Krylon gold on mine which looked great, but yours did pop and I think you selected a good shade of yellow for that last layer. So thanks again for taking the time to do the videos. I wanted to see someone else do it first before I embarked on 4 Pimp cabinet re-stencils this summer. You did a fine job!
The "crackle" you mention at 22 minutes is from excess amount of yellow paint being applied ....the yellow has lifted the underlying color(s).... light even coats and overlap 50% then give it a 5 to 10 minute flash and apply another coat ... if it still is not covered then apply another after the proper flash time .... good rule of thumb is to check it with your finger (you should be wearing Rubber gloves) on the masking, if the paint smears or strings when you lightly touch it it is not ready for the next coat. Yellows and whites will take a few more coats to cover over darker colors, and in general. Temperature and humidity will effect the drying time. The paint would have wicked under the masking even if it was lying down as there was a excess amount applied. and it was looking for some place to go.
Great job! You mentioned humidity which may have contributed to your minor paint issues. Some of these paints are just a nightmare to work with. Those car color paints you buy at auto part stores go on super dry, if you could find that brand in your color it would be a piece of cake for something like this. Comparing your before and after, you did an amazing job! Well done and thanks for teaching us noobs!
Thanks for posting these videos. Ive done a couple, but always on cheap games I wasnt overly worried about, and Im currently restoring a playboy for a customer, and just trying to soak in as many tips as I can, to make sure his cab comes out perfect. lol
Thank you for doing this series of Pinball Pimp cabinet stencils. I'll be doing my first cabinet (Bally Black Jack) this summer and it's very helpful to see what I'm going to get myself into. Well done for including the mistakes as well...we're all human and most of us are hobbyists and not professional restorers.
Really appreciate what you said around 23:00. I had some micro-leaks when I did my C37, and although I definitely notice them, it’s a pretty small problem in the grand scheme of things. And it looks 1000% better than when I started.
Thanks for the series. I am about to embark on my first cabinet repaint of a Ringer. I have learned with spray paint and metal to let it dry a day, heat it with a gun, then let dry another day. otherwise spray paint isnt fully cured for 2 weeks. i do that before applying CPO's to arcade. i wonder if streaching out the time would reduce color pull and top coats reacting to lower layers of paint. Im now worried i have a yellow over dark ish blue!!
Well done for posting this warts and all. It is important to show that this can be a difficult and time consuming process. I want to do my Gottlieb Big Brave and Rocky, but I just don’t think I have the time or confidence right now to do them justice. Anyway, I learnt a lot as to what to do and what not to do so at least if I do attempt this, my eyes are open.
Great video... I would say ur biggest mistake with the backbox was painting it standing up... If u paint it flat then the paint wouldn't run down... Gravity
what's up man..new sub here..i picked up an F-14 Tomcat last night for 400 bucks..it needs some work but shouldn't be too hard to restore and improve, do you have any more videos on the work you did to it..i only could find 2..i want to swap out the alphanumeric for a DMD..ever tried that? Great stuff on your channel keep up the awesome!
Congrats on the pickup! F14 is a good pin. I've not owned a F14, so I'm not for sure the videos that you speak. In terms of switching out the alphanumeric, there's not a mod that I know that can install a DMD in one. The only game that did that was Bride of Pinball (with Dutch Pinball). Thanks for the support!
Great videos. I’m restoring a King of Diamonds EM and doing research on cabinet repaint once I get everything else repaired. One question; did you decide to clear coat and if so, did you go with gloss, semi gloss or satin?
Pinball Workshop why did you pass on doing the clear coat? I am thinking about clearing my Stern Dracula. Thanks again for the great video. Sorry the paint got jacked up on you.
You made painting errors for certain. But, I commend you for putting these videos together none the less. You could have just as easily said "This didn't work out so I wont post it". Others will learn from some of your mistakes and will find the information very helpful. I say well done!
Painting is my least favorite part of restoration as well! Too stressful. Everything else is calming and peaceful to me. I just get in this zone and I can spend an entire day populating a playfield or something. Sometimes I intend to do a small task, and then lose track of time and 7 hours go by. I enjoy working on them as much as I like playing them though.
I've done about seven or eight cabinet paint jobs through the years and the lesson that I've learned is to let the first color fully cure before applying any other over the top of it. I usually give it about two to three weeks. I'm in the process of painting a Gottlieb Spin A Card and the first time using Pinball Pimp stencils. In the past I've relied on tracing and making my own. I've got the base coat and webbing done and now ready for colors. Thank you for all of the helpful instructions.
Great job my friend, this is how we all learn. Comparatively, it probably looks fantastic compared to the way it did before. Enjoy your game! I'm in the middle of a stencil project with these stencils as well on my Gottlieb El Dorado. Orange color is down and I'm waiting several days for it to cure before I add the final color. After speaking with Pinball Pimps owner, He highly recommended the standard Rustoleum spray paint with the plaid logo on the front and not to use the 2X products as they dry too fast. He also said the standard Rustoleum is a much tougher finish than the 2X. I've been using those and I couldn't be happier. After about 10 to 12 minutes I peeled the first stencil layer back and the lines were crisp and sharp. No goopy paint "snap back" and no tearing. The cure time is longer than the 2X, 1-3 days, but it's worth it. Thank you for this great post! Cheers!
Thanks very much for the video, you are a true hero! This was my first time with stencils, and needed someone elses experience. Learning from your mistakes allowed me to get really good results with my Flash Gordon. I was really careful in chosing my paints, and did not over spay my yellow, this made everything pop. One piece of advice I would give, is do each side seperately. it takes a little longer, but allows for better control. (at least the first times)
Thanks for doing your video. It takes a lot of work to shoot all of this and be willing to educate others as well as admit mistakes along the way. I commend you for all the time invested and honesty. Similar to other comments, multiple coats. I shoot a light coat and then 10 minutes later hit it with another while watching the sheen so it isn't streaky looking. Dark colors are easy this way. Lighter colors for me require double the time to shake the can, then 3 coats and sometimes 4. I find yellow to be the worst, thinnist and most runny color no matter where you apply it (house walls, pinball cabinet, playfield touch up). I was surprised at how much pop the yellow gave your cabinet. I shot Krylon gold on mine which looked great, but yours did pop and I think you selected a good shade of yellow for that last layer. So thanks again for taking the time to do the videos. I wanted to see someone else do it first before I embarked on 4 Pimp cabinet re-stencils this summer. You did a fine job!
The "crackle" you mention at 22 minutes is from excess amount of yellow paint being applied ....the yellow has lifted the underlying color(s).... light even coats and overlap 50% then give it a 5 to 10 minute flash and apply another coat ... if it still is not covered then apply another after the proper flash time .... good rule of thumb is to check it with your finger (you should be wearing Rubber gloves) on the masking, if the paint smears or strings when you lightly touch it it is not ready for the next coat. Yellows and whites will take a few more coats to cover over darker colors, and in general. Temperature and humidity will effect the drying time. The paint would have wicked under the masking even if it was lying down as there was a excess amount applied. and it was looking for some place to go.
Great job! You mentioned humidity which may have contributed to your minor paint issues. Some of these paints are just a nightmare to work with. Those car color paints you buy at auto part stores go on super dry, if you could find that brand in your color it would be a piece of cake for something like this. Comparing your before and after, you did an amazing job! Well done and thanks for teaching us noobs!
Thanks for posting these videos. Ive done a couple, but always on cheap games I wasnt overly worried about, and Im currently restoring a playboy for a customer, and just trying to soak in as many tips as I can, to make sure his cab comes out perfect. lol
Thank you for doing this series of Pinball Pimp cabinet stencils. I'll be doing my first cabinet (Bally Black Jack) this summer and it's very helpful to see what I'm going to get myself into. Well done for including the mistakes as well...we're all human and most of us are hobbyists and not professional restorers.
Really appreciate what you said around 23:00. I had some micro-leaks when I did my C37, and although I definitely notice them, it’s a pretty small problem in the grand scheme of things. And it looks 1000% better than when I started.
Very nice demonstration. Thanks very much for taking the time to video the process. It looks great!
Thanks for the series. I am about to embark on my first cabinet repaint of a Ringer. I have learned with spray paint and metal to let it dry a day, heat it with a gun, then let dry another day. otherwise spray paint isnt fully cured for 2 weeks. i do that before applying CPO's to arcade. i wonder if streaching out the time would reduce color pull and top coats reacting to lower layers of paint. Im now worried i have a yellow over dark ish blue!!
Well done for posting this warts and all. It is important to show that this can be a difficult and time consuming process.
I want to do my Gottlieb Big Brave and Rocky, but I just don’t think I have the time or confidence right now to do them justice.
Anyway, I learnt a lot as to what to do and what not to do so at least if I do attempt this, my eyes are open.
Great video... I would say ur biggest mistake with the backbox was painting it standing up... If u paint it flat then the paint wouldn't run down... Gravity
maybe try a dremel tool with a very fine sanding tip at low speed to fix the crackle and repaint with brush. thanks for the vids.
what's up man..new sub here..i picked up an F-14 Tomcat last night for 400 bucks..it needs some work but shouldn't be too hard to restore and improve, do you have any more videos on the work you did to it..i only could find 2..i want to swap out the alphanumeric for a DMD..ever tried that? Great stuff on your channel keep up the awesome!
Congrats on the pickup! F14 is a good pin. I've not owned a F14, so I'm not for sure the videos that you speak. In terms of switching out the alphanumeric, there's not a mod that I know that can install a DMD in one. The only game that did that was Bride of Pinball (with Dutch Pinball). Thanks for the support!
Great videos. I’m restoring a King of Diamonds EM and doing research on cabinet repaint once I get everything else repaired. One question; did you decide to clear coat and if so, did you go with gloss, semi gloss or satin?
I decided against it after doing some tests.
Pinball Workshop why did you pass on doing the clear coat? I am thinking about clearing my Stern Dracula. Thanks again for the great video. Sorry the paint got jacked up on you.
I would suggest letting it fully dry before removing the vinyl stickers
Nope. It is advised to NOT do this
You made painting errors for certain. But, I commend you for putting these videos together none the less. You could have just as easily said "This didn't work out so I wont post it". Others will learn from some of your mistakes and will find the information very helpful. I say well done!
That's NOT how to spray paint! Do it gently and even all over instead of one wet spot beside the other!
Painting is my least favorite part of restoration as well! Too stressful. Everything else is calming and peaceful to me. I just get in this zone and I can spend an entire day populating a playfield or something. Sometimes I intend to do a small task, and then lose track of time and 7 hours go by. I enjoy working on them as much as I like playing them though.
Thomas Mickle You and I are a kindred spirit!
Pinball Workshop : next time you are in Alaska, stop by and play some pinball! LMAO!
Thomas Mickle haha, a bit far but if I come, I will I'll look you up!