Re: Done with my second playing field replacement (with step-by-step pdf)
A little bit more on the palyfield removal technique MX is describing. This is mostly concerning the Nishijin machines (or those that have water staining) The playfield graphics are basically a piece of wallpaper glued down to the beechwood plywood with the mylar set over it. So treat it as such to get as much of the glue/paper off and you won't have to deal with clogged sandpaper. It usually takes less than 30 minutes to do. One tip- don't get too agressive with the putty knife, just let the water soak a little longer. Try to keep the playing surface as smooth as possible.
Once removed, the woodgrain will be rough due to the water & scraping. Then we sand it with 220 grit to smooth it out, wood putty in any divits, and then coat it with sanding sealer or polyurethane. Usually 1-2 coats with a sanding of 320 grit or finer after each coat. You do not want to have any rough grain showing or the vinyl will pick it up. And don't leave the poly/sealer glossy, the vinyl needs a slighlty rough surface to stick best.
So far this has worked great, total time to new graphic down is about 2-3 hours (Not counting breaks for drying time)
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