how to - remove wire guides from playfield?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I'm sure this has been gone over and over - but I haven't found anything on
the subject. I'm getting ready to transfer everything onto a redone
playfield. How do you safely remove the wire guides from the old and what
holds them to the new field? Would there be any advantage to clearcoating
the field after they're in (just to lock them in place)?

I welcome all thoughts/experience...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Hammers are wonderful if you know how to use one. I reguarly use a
hammer and chizel to reshape bent siderails. Looks perfect if done
right.

 

[JB]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

The ones that look like giant staples? I pull them out by hand, supporting
the corners so they don't bend in the middle.

If your new playfield has never been used, you may have to lightly work the
holes with a countersink bit, just a tiny amount to get the wire guide
started.

I press them back in by hand, or if they are resistant, by pressing on them
with a block of wood.

When they are in all the way, they will be flush with the underside of the
playfield.

Good luck,
-JB

"raptor68_428" <raptor68_428_nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9684F1064203Draptor68428@207.217.125.201...
> I'm sure this has been gone over and over - but I haven't found anything
on
> the subject. I'm getting ready to transfer everything onto a redone
> playfield. How do you safely remove the wire guides from the old and what
> holds them to the new field? Would there be any advantage to clearcoating
> the field after they're in (just to lock them in place)?
>
> I welcome all thoughts/experience...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

raptor68_428 wrote:
>
> I'm sure this has been gone over and over - but I haven't found anything on
> the subject. I'm getting ready to transfer everything onto a redone
> playfield. How do you safely remove the wire guides from the old and what
> holds them to the new field? Would there be any advantage to clearcoating
> the field after they're in (just to lock them in place)?
>
> I welcome all thoughts/experience...

I use my smallest pin-punch, and a little brass hammer I happen to
have. Find the bottom of the wire guide on the bottom side of the
playfield, tap-tap a couple times, then move to the other end, tap-tap,
etc. back and forth so as not to get the guide cocked at an angle in
the holes until it is out. When re-installing, I like to have a
pinball handy, and tap-tap the corners of the wire guide down until the
horizontal portion of the guide is exactly at the mid-point of the
ball. If you have one that is loose in the hole, remove it, lay
the end on an anvil or your vise, and (tap-tap!) flatten the end a
little, just enough to distort the shape so it is an interference fit
in the hole.

Tap-tap...heh...we need more posts with onomatopoeia! And there
ought to be at least a *few* pinball jobs that involve a hammer!

--Bob

=======================================================================
Bob Ellingson bobe@halted.com
Halted Specialties Co., Inc. http://www.halted.com
3500 Ryder St. (408) 732-1573
Santa Clara, Calif. 95051 USA (408) 732-6428 (FAX)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I use rail nippers, otherwise known as flush cut end nippers. They work
especially well on the snubbers that are down to the wood. Do your
clearing BEFORE you put in the wire guides. If they have loose holes
dab a little elmers in the hole first.

Cliffy
A passion forpinball!
www.passionforpinball.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Cliffy, won't the nippers leave marks in the wire? Or is it so low that you
just don't see?

Something nobody has mentioned is that if you're not careful (or even if you
are), the playfield will chip/lift. I pulled up a pretty good chunk of wood
from my old TAF playfield when hammering them out from the bottom using a
small punch.

I'd like to find a solution that involves pressing down on the playfield and
pulling up on the wire at the same time, to sort of hold the playfield
down -- like a clamp working in reverse, if that makes any sense. The
nipper idea is the right general idea, but without a metal plate or
something to hold down the wood surface, I fear you could lift part of the
playfield surface up.

Comments appreciated, 'cause I've got a FH p/f to be thinking about
stripping ;-)

Randy

"Cliffy" <crinear@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1120137276.541631.249980@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I use rail nippers, otherwise known as flush cut end nippers. They work
> especially well on the snubbers that are down to the wood. Do your
> clearing BEFORE you put in the wire guides. If they have loose holes
> dab a little elmers in the hole first.
>
> Cliffy
> A passion forpinball!
> www.passionforpinball.com
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Havent left any marks yet, Randy. And yes, for the taller wires I use a
1/4" thick piece of hardwood under the nippers or whatever else I may
be prying with (claw hammer). I've been pretty good about going back
and forth, end to end to avoid chipping upon pullout but it does happen
sometimes. Usually it's an easy paint touchup at those points though. I
don't like the crimped ones that lock in place. When you pull 'em out
they are almost guaranteed to take a little chunk. Punching from behind
is a little too scary even for me

Cliffy
A passion for pinball!
www.passionforpinball.com

 

[otto]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Put down a thin piece of cardboard or plywoood to protect the Pf and put a
wide bladed screwdriver under the guide with the tip on the protector on the
Pf. Lever the guide at the ends. Don't do it in the middle.

Go slow. Be patient. Less jolting than the hammer method but if you have
weakness in the ply near that post it can still pull up the top lamination.
That should be a minor exception.

Otto

CARGPB11

My web page: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-Ottoslanding

"Randy P." <pinball@REMOVEthepecks.com> wrote in message
news:X7udnSjyoK_kmVnfRVn-gw@giganews.com...
> Comments appreciated, 'cause I've got a FH p/f to be thinking about
> stripping ;-)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

I find tapping from underneath to be less risky than pulling from on top,
pretty much as Bob said. The important thing is tap-tap not bang-bang and
moving from one side to the other, think of it more as nudging them up not
banging them out. Often, you'll find that after you've moved them up a bit
they'll loosen up and come cleanly out on top. The risk on top is they might
have resistance which you pull against, then suddenly it releases which can
take a chunk of pf with it and distorst the wireform too.

GRY

"Otto" <ottondebremove&%$*@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:1RUwe.4231$qm.2448@bignews5.bellsouth.net...
> Put down a thin piece of cardboard or plywoood to protect the Pf and put a
> wide bladed screwdriver under the guide with the tip on the protector on
> the Pf. Lever the guide at the ends. Don't do it in the middle.
>
> Go slow. Be patient. Less jolting than the hammer method but if you have
> weakness in the ply near that post it can still pull up the top
> lamination. That should be a minor exception.
>
> Otto
>
> CARGPB11
>
> My web page: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-Ottoslanding
>
> "Randy P." <pinball@REMOVEthepecks.com> wrote in message
> news:X7udnSjyoK_kmVnfRVn-gw@giganews.com...
>> Comments appreciated, 'cause I've got a FH p/f to be thinking about
>> stripping ;-)
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

Drive them down, dremel the flairs off and push or pull them out. No
way can it chip the PF. Then just press a new flair on the end of the
guide and fill the bottom hole on the PF. Don

raptor68_428 wrote:
> I'm sure this has been gone over and over - but I haven't found anything on
> the subject. I'm getting ready to transfer everything onto a redone
> playfield. How do you safely remove the wire guides from the old and what
> holds them to the new field? Would there be any advantage to clearcoating
> the field after they're in (just to lock them in place)?
>
> I welcome all thoughts/experience...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

raptor68_428 wrote:
> Would there be any advantage to clearcoating
> the field after they're in (just to lock them in place)?
>

You don't want to clear the field with the wire guides in. Two things
happen. First, the guides cause an interference pattern in the spray
that is more prone to orange peel. Second and more important, a bridge
of clear forms between the guide and the playfield. Later vibration of
the guide from ball hits can cause a small circular pucker to occur as
the clear pulls up around the base of the guide due to tension caused
by the clear bridge. This is more prone to happen on guides that are
slightly loose to begin with.

h_h

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

"Randy P." <pinball@REMOVEthepecks.com> wrote in
news:X7udnSjyoK_kmVnfRVn-gw@giganews.com:

> Cliffy, won't the nippers leave marks in the wire? Or is it so low
> that you just don't see?
>
> Something nobody has mentioned is that if you're not careful (or even
> if you are), the playfield will chip/lift. I pulled up a pretty good
> chunk of wood from my old TAF playfield when hammering them out from
> the bottom using a small punch.
>
>
Luckily, the 2 machines I'm restoring - the old playfields aren't that
great anyway. I'm more concerned with damaging the wires.

All good suggestions!