Nail Cleaning Ins-and-Outs see what I did there

[barnfry]

Okay, so those who have been following closely, (and if not, WHY not?!) are aware that I am preparing to tackle my family’s Sanyo Bussan Model B “Three Spinner” sometime this summer.

I’ve been fretting about the nails.

Originally, I had planned to just leave them tarnished, but I’m starting to feel bad as I see all the beautifully restored machines. I don’t want to replace the cell, so polishing the nails seems like one of the bigger opportunities to put some “wow” back into the presentation.

Because I’m not in the same location as my machine, I spent the last few months misremembering the make; believing it was a Sankyo. From watching Dan’s videos, I learned Sankyo’s can have very brittle playfield veneers, and that pulling the nails in those cases could be severely damaging.

Now, since I got my brother to take some pictures, I have realized I don’t have a Sankyo but and Sanyo, but this trepidation about pulling and replacing the nails has gotten rooted into my consciousness.

All this preamble is to ask a fairly simple question: To polish in place or to pull and replace?

I do have (what seems to be) a fairly robust tumbler, so it seems like the definitively better polish will come from pulling and tumbling them, but I’m questioning if that’s worth it? It seems like the potential pitfalls are greater - causing damage in the pulling or reseating, altering playability by screwing up the angles of the nails, etc. I have no specialized tools for this job, and I’m not in the market for a $250 nail gauge kit.

I’m attaching pics to show the current state of my nails. Any suggestions, reflections, advice much appreciated.
IMG_5225.jpgIMG_8659.jpg


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[Moparformances]

mag polish and a few shoe laces..

polish just the heads..

keep in mind if you pull them keep track where they go.. they are bent so they need to go back in the right place in the right orientation...

[Wayne-Ooo]

The playfield looks like it just needs a good cleaning, (from your picture). I'd probably just leave the nails in and clean/polish them, as Dan shows how in this video.

[Moparformances]

ya know im kidding about the nails having to go back in the same holes.. but they are bent so you will have to readjust them.. also watch your depth when driving them back in..

[barnfry]

I dug back far enough to see the same question from ten years ago, and the wisdom of the elders seems to be consistent: you can get great polishing results by pulling the nails, but it’s only worth it if you’re planning to replace the cel. I guess I’ll just save the tumbler for cleaning my balls.


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[copeina]

keep in mind if you pull them keep track where they go.. they are bent so they need to go back in the right place in the right orientation...

I actually screamed out loud when I read that. That's evil!

/K

[takethecastle57]

I have been dealing with the brass nail polishing problem since 1977 and I have used all types of liquid polish and even that cotton ball stuff (very messy and smelly)

Then in 2003 I found a all natural impregnated polishing cloth that is a no mess solution and has a nice coconut smell to it and you can cut it into thin strips or patches to polish on place (unless the background is badly soiled or cracked )

https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Purpo...5116167&sr=8-5

[Tink]

I say pull them since you have the tumbler anyway. Makes cleaning the background much easier too. Results from a couple days in the tumbler will really make them pop.

[Zinheads]

Hi, I carefully pull the nails, line them up on a paper towel, pour some Brass Cleaner/polish on top of them (about 25 at a time). Let the liquid soak in, ensure the heads down to almost the tip of the nails are coated. Then put the nail in a drill, nail head away from the drill. Put the drill on the highest speed, use a soft cloth or garage towel to clean each nail as the nail spins. This takes some time but the nails come out shiny as new. I’ve done this to my 14 machines.

Let me know how this works!!

Timo


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[jasonlujan]

I 3d printed the nails setting model someone uploaded to this board and it's made resetting cleaned nails very painless.