Should I Remove This Mylar?

[Slash]

One of the jobs on my restoration will be to touching up the playfield.  The main issues to address are predominantly around fixing sunken inserts and touching up the area around them, plus a couple of other relatively (I hope) simply touch up areas.  My issue is the bottom half of the playfield up to just under the bumpers has mylar on it.  It's done a good job of protecting the artwork, although where some of the inserts have worn it's obviously worn through the mylar also.  My question is do I attempt to remove it?

Personally I don't like the way the mylar has been cut, it seems to be very amateurish, you can see in a couple of the pics where it's been arbitrarily cutoff at weird angles. What I wanted to know is if there are any tell tale signs to look for that might suggest how easy (or not) it's likely to come off.  I have seen some peoples removal attempts where it just seems to take more paint off in the process making its removal almost pointless.

I also thought that if I am heating up the inserts to get them out that it might also indirectly heat/affect the mylar around them, again suggesting that maybe I am just better off removing it.






The only other main issue with the playfield is a heap of ball swirl in the top half.

[goodolddays]

If its worn through at the inserts maybe its contact and not mylar ?

Do you know if the game is Australian delivered ? If it is then a very good chance its contact .

If it is contact then it should lift off easily

I haven't tried removing mylar myself so can't make any suggestions on how to do it.

[pinball god]

I have had a lot of success removing Mylar on a non clearcoated funhouse and cc playfields like T2 but I bailed out on my space invaders. Got little dots of paint missing after only removing little Mylar. I will be removing Mylar from my spare playfield but that's way off. I'd be a little hesitant but if you're going for it, use the heat method with maybe shellite to aid. I just used the shellite with ok results but not good enough for the si playfield restore.

I'm slowly touching up my si playfield and its not easy. I thought some areas would be not difficult but i was wrong, I'm still experimenting. Colour matching is major work. Solid colour touch ups are easier but get the colour off and no matter how good a painter you are it sticks out. The up side for me is my game is still playable while I stuff around and try to achieve perfection on the restoring playfield. The down side is my first playfield restore is probably on one of the toughest playfield artworks around. But I'm having major fun

[Slash]

True, the colour matching was the one bit i was concerned with.  I can see that being very fiddly!!!

Regarding whether it was Aussie delivered or not, I'm not sure.  Although there are some really old 20c inserts in the bottom of the cabinet for the coin door which might suggest it was.  Maybe it is only contact then?  Would be good if it is!

I assume you remove that the same way, heat from a hairdryer or heat gun.

[Retropin]

I really dont recommend the heat method as it will soften the paint below also.
The only method i use these days is White Spirit.. its slow but fautless so long as you dont rush it.
Leave the PF in place as it has a downward slope already.. starting at the top carefully lift the edge of the Mylar slightly. Use a rag or even a syringe and apply White Spirit to the join between PF and Mylar, Within seconds, the mylar will just lift off. The downward slope ensures the WS continues down the PF as you go and so slowly she just slides off.
Method works because WS is a brilliant glue dissolver allowing the Mylar to just slide away.. just keep applying WS as you go.
It doesnt soften paint and doesnt react with dried paint.. so long as you allow the WS to dissolve the glue there is no tension as the Mylar lifts away... even the most fragile of PF paints can be saved successfully

[Slash]

Thank you for the tip I wil give that a go. I have searched plenty of threads at various places about people using heat with varied success, or freeze drying with even more variable success, but hadn't come across the white spirit.  I will give that a try over the weekend.

[pinball god]

Don't go freeze at all. Retro is probably right as I might have been too cocky with past successes and went a little too quick. I didn't lose much paint but becausebthe artwork on this game is so complex (for me anyway) I thought to stop. I might consider having another go, dunno????