Im glad you posted this advice Gavin.

I'm still VERY wary about giving advice about PF touchup/restoring.. as the methods i use are VERY different to what most other people use, and i dont consider myself an expert at this at all, to be totally honest. I just like the auto acrylics because i'm used to them, they work well for me, and id hate for some one to ruin a good PF if my tips didnt work for them. (i only replied because i was asked.. as were you).

Dont get me wrong, im always happy to help others out if i can.. i just want to be sure the advice i give is good

Id be very interested in finding out your techniques.There is no 1 right way to touch up a PF. The methods i post are what ive taught myself and learnt over the years..without a lot of experimentation i wouldnt have these. Funny thing is that not many things ive tried have gone wrong or at least cant be reversed if i wasnt happy with the results. So please go ahead and post - im sure there will be something in there that i could pick up on to help refine my own methods.
I only have a couple of very basic rules;

If a PF is painted then touch ups should be done as such - im not a fan of decals unless the original work is such.
Only do what is necessary..gentle steps are better than a jack boot!
Look for simple solutions that are at hand, most things can be rectified with whats available at the local hardware and with excellent results.

Another thing:  There is a tendency to CC everything at the moment. This is OK if you are doing a full PF restore. But ill only CC if its really necessary. CC is NOT your only option, in fact it should be your last!
The P/thane with the additive is closer to what sealed the PF in the first place than CC is. Its a linseed based finish and will yellow slightly over the years as does the original finish. Remember - the original finish has served you well for 25 - 30 years and that included a stint on site where the machine would have been thrashed! Many problems associated with PF faults are the result of poor maintenance and poor storage of the machine - stuck out in direct sunlight making the paint shrink/ expand and crack, flutuations in ambient humidity etc -  cause the timber of the PF to expand and contract, this happens at a faster rate than the paint and leads to lifting etc.

Once a machine is in private hands, it is looked after 100 X better than it ever was when it was in service, so if a PF has lasted 25 years so far...expect that again if its looked after.

The best protector of your machine is a clean PF that is waxed regularly ( grit and dust cause wear) and smooth  shiny balls.

 Keep the last point up and really, you should see no wear at all once its in private hands.


Sorry Pinbologist if this sounds like a sermon - its not meant to be...its just general advice for anyone that is reading and not directed at anyone in particular..

But please mate - post on how you would tackle the wear shown in this thread, im really hoping that there will be something in the post that i can incorporate.....


Gav