Advice on what paint finish is used on SS pinballs cabinets

[pinoffski]

I want to respray my SS pinballs cabinets  from the 80s
Just asking if they are a gloss finish or a satin finish
Gloss looks great but i am unsure if it is like the original
Just unsure on what to do
The Titles are keepers and i would prefer to have them look like the original
than a bling ed up pinball

any advice would be appreciated very much
 

[pinnies4me]

I just cant remember what they were actually like back then. Gloss seems wrong....games that have survived to now are semi gloss/ satin, but 40 years would have an effect. In the end I have gone with satin, whick just looks right, at least to me.

[Strangeways]

Not one 80's SS Pinball was painted in a Gloss finish. Back in those days, manufacturers used lead based paints. The stencils were brass and held against the machine and a THIN coat of paint was applied against the base. One key aspect to remember was that pinball machines were a commercial product, designed to make money. The finish would have been whatever was in the paint shop at that time. But is was never Gloss. When I match cabinets, I take the cabinet to a professional paint supplier with 30 years of experience. There is no uniform color or finish that is 100% consistent. But one fact remains - the finish is either a satin, or semi gloss (reds on Gottleib EMs as an example). Never a full Gloss.

On occasion I do see SS cabinets repainted with a Clearcoat applied. Not one single SS cabinet was ever clear coated. Not one cabinet was ever made of plastic, which is what a clearcoat on a cabinet looks and FEELS like.

[pinoffski]

Thanks for the help
Will probably take the cabinet to my local paint store