I will answer where I can........
1) Did that with a Williams Flash - I cut the mylar very neatly inside the black edge, I heated the insert with a hair dryer until I could push it out from below - I actually heated the insert in an oven an re-flattened it ( yes it is possible to do ) - I then glued it back in level with the PF mylar and re-blacked the edge- worked quite well. Not sure if it is
" the right thing to do" but it can work.
2) Individual choice as far as I see it.
3) I think I know the post you mean , you are talking about this 'tubular' post that sits under the plastic ( yes? ) Its been a LONG time since I did one but I THINK you can VERY carefully pry them out and then flatten the plastic , you kind of have to slowly manouver it around in circular motions and it works its way out of the plastic - then pop them carefully back in later -
more member advice with more recent experience would be suggested to answer this correctly.
4) I used to remove them, flatten plastics and NEVER put them back in - again , personal choice.
5) Pushed in tight , they have extra little bits of steel moulded to thier 'legs' that help them 'grab' the wood. Pry them out SLOWLY or you can end up bending them as one end pops out.
6) I think I know what you mean , its like an old cheap VERY thin veneer. I replaced my entire strips of wood in those old games with brand new pine from the hardware and stained it before installing it. Its cheap and you can get a size VERY close ( within a mm ) of the original timber size in the machine.
Hope this helps a bit.
