Is Mylar a good or bad thing?

[braddo]

Been wanting to ask this for a while now.

I see machines here and there that have been mylared, and it always makes me think twice. My Galaxy has also been done, i found that out after i bought it, but the playfield has zero wear.

Sure it keeps to playfield from wear, but, does it become a problem in the future or over time, does it start to lift or wear, or is it unpredictable? No way i'd attempt to remove it (unless of course i had to).

So is it a good or bad thing?

[MrMaloo]

I think you summed it up nicely Brad ... If it's down nice and not lifting etc. then it's a good thing as there's no way the PF artwork can get wear  .... BUT ... if it lifts ,bubbles etc. then it can be bad .. VERY BAD ..  .

I agree with you in that I would only ever attempt to remove mylar unless it was absolutely necessary ( just the thought of trying to get it off scares the shit outa me .  )

[braddo]

If it's down nice and not lifting

Well the thing is does it stay that way?? And if it does not, what causes it to move/lift? Is it a gamble, or does it depend on it being put on properly?

And yeah Scott would be very scary times trying to remove it.

[Strangeways]

Mylar (80s 90s pinball) or Contact (70's 80s Pinball) were laughed at in the old days. My old man was laying contact on playfields in 1977. What was left was used on our school books ! People thought he was CRAZY removing NIB KISS, Paragon etc etc and laying the contact.

I removed the contact on the Paragon in 2004-5. PRISTINE playfield underneath. As far as preservation is concerned - Contact was king. I don't know how many machines I've removed contact from, but I know I only caused an issue with my Playboy - too much paint lift due to a lack of patience.

The cause of it to lift is usually the ball traveling along a crease - where the contact is trimmed. Sometimes it is the heat from a playfield globe or an accident while cleaning the game en route. Contact was not designed to protect a playfield, and the cheaper stuff shrunk with time. If it is put on properly, and trimmed around the posts prior to installing the posts, then it will not move.

If you are happy with your machine and the condition of the mylar - leave it - it is not a job for the faint of heart.

hope that helps 

[Retropin]

The problem with Mylar is that the glue used on it adheres to the paint BETTER than the paint to playfield timber in many cases. If the Pf has been in the sun on location ( shop widow etc) then it bakes on and tears up Pf artwork when you try to remove it.
If it hasnt been down that long, or machine has been looked after out of sun and damp etc then it comes up easily with care and leaves a nice unworn PF.

So is it good or bad?? Well its neither.. i always look upon it this way... how much wear would there be if the Mylar was not in place? yes it gets tatty after a while but chances are it gave another 5 - 10 years life out of the PF.
Dont get me wrong - I HATE THE STUFF!!! Mainly cos its my job top remove it - LOL!!!

If you are thinking of Mylaring a PF.. do yourself a favour and use contact instead.. it holds up really well and is removed a whole lot easier.. the glue on Mylar is far too heavy duty for our use.

I do believe though that i have found a way to remove it with ZERO to minimal paint loss and next time i do this tedious job, ill document it for everyone to see

[braddo]

GREAT info. Answers a heap of questions . I still don't know if it's mylar or contact on the Galaxy, but all in good shape and i aint gonna touch it to find out cause the playfield is in really good shape hope it stays that way, then again it isn't at the fisho' around the corner, if it lasted this long already, should be fine, we'll wait and see anyway.

But, Galaxy aside, I mainly asked this question for future purchases, i see machines with a cut line of mylar or contact around playfields, and think of the worst thing that could happen, kind of throws me off.

 Hope others got something out of this as well.