Twilight Zone Touchup and Clearcoat Work

That sounds like more than it is, this was strictly junior stuff!

I stripped my TZ, and pulled the the full mylar from the playfield. This exposed a little surface chipping in the Diamond Plate on the bottom door panel inserts. So I worried a bit. I didn't want to put the machine back together with that going on, because of more chips. I could put a mylar panel back on, but I had just taken one off. So I got brave and decided to do a spot clearcoat. Cliffy said I should so the whole thing, but I am not that brave.

I masked the door panel with tape. Then I scuffed the door panel area with 600 grit, which of course makes it murky. Then, I covered the rest of the playfield with brown paper. The next step was to shoot four coats of Polycrylic - two thin, and two thick. Let it dry for a couple of hours, then pull the masking and paper and put a cover over it to cure.

<travel on business for a month...>

Eventually, it is hard enough that it won't ding easily with a fingernail. I lightly sanded the high edges, and then buffed the whole area with a TC kit. I am very happy with the result. I have a fine line left that you have to look for, the surface is clear and bright, and the insert edges can barely be felt.

This insert had some visible chipping, all hidden now - which is why I know it was the Diamond Plate.	Here you can just see the edge of the insert; the edge of my clearcoat; and the ghost of an old flipper mylar. For some reason, the mylar leaves an outline in the Diamond Plate.
The whole thing. The camera sees better than I do.	I also worked over the rocket kicker. There was a big divot in the bottom edge, and the black line was missing pieces. I filled the divots and patched the hole with tube epoxy woodpatch. Then I masked and airbrushed the black line. Finally, Polycrylic again and a polish and buff. For small areas like this, I fill the airbrush cup from the aerosol can.
	And I found a before on the rocket kicker.