Let's keep the KISS thread on track :) dimples has been done to death or start another thread.
It is on topic. Members should be able to discuss different aspects of the game in the "KISS Stern" thread :) The impact of the ball out of Gene's mouth on the playfield was a topic of speculation. Now the game is here it's a topic that can be verified one way or the other. Nothing wrong with that - in fact one could say it's the way a healthy forum operates.
Ok fair enough but steel ball pounds wood = dimples :)
This is where the confusion is. It is not the wood that is "dimpled" or has the ball impact "divots".
ANY playfield with these issues can easily be fixed by block sanding the clearcoat and re clearing. The ball does not affect the timber / wood. If it did, the paint would crack in the shape of the divot.
This problem occurs on these Sterns for two reasons ;
1) Clearcoat is too thin
2) Not enough time is allowed to cure (harden)
The thicker the clear, the longer the curing time. During curing time, no parts should be placed on the playfield. From a business point of view, it is BAD to have a cleared playfield sit there for a month to cure. With proper management, it can be done and it should be done. There's no reason why these playfields could have a thicker clear and longer curing time.
They are the facts. ALL Pinball manufacturers made playfields to be installed on games to make money. Bally Williams got it right. As collectors and hobbyists, we are used to seeing fully restored games with proper clearcoats that last hundreds of games before the first dimple or divot. It is EXPECTED now - so hopefully Stern realize this. Stern are aware that most of these games are going into homes and to have a late model Stern with a "standard clear" of 2 years ago is not going to look good next to a restored game made in the 90's with a restored playfield.
That's why I made the comment earlier that the KISS Pro appeared to have a much thicker clear. It WAS NOT as thin as previous releases, unless the photos from the Stern FB site were doctored.
