Flatten a plastic backflash

Advice and guidance on repair and restoration techniques.
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scottie
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Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by scottie »

This Win-a-Gift top flash was very warped when I took it off the machine.
I put it between a wet piece of cotton towel, then I used a hot iron and pushed down hard and ironed it for a few minutes. I took the still warm top flash, wrapped a paper towel around it, and put ii under the weight of the cabinet of the game. The next morning it was straight and very flat .....worked great.
scottie
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junior
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Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by junior »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

I have a Fireworks. To cover the hammer there is a decorative piece of plastic on the front of the box held by two screws. Over many years of existence the plastic has twisted and cracked so badly the hammer won't work. The only answer I could come up with was to place it on a baking tray in an electric oven on low and heat it up and gradually try to flatten it. It took about 10 minutes in and out and it has eased itself back into a respectable shape, helped by some thumb pressure. So far so good. Hope this helps someone in future. Now you can't learn that from Sainsbury's or Tesco. :D
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badpenny
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by badpenny »

Good tip that.
Although I believe Waitrose covered it in August :lol:

I believe it has/should have a bulb behind it? So perhaps that helped its distortion?
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scottie
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by scottie »

Hi Junior
You could try a hot iron with a damp towel. I did this on a top flash and then after I was finished I put the top flash under a heavy flat surface to cool off and it worked great. I'm sure it would work on the backflash, just being bigger it would take a bit more time.
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liquorbox
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by liquorbox »

A cheap heat gun will give heat only to where you need it.
I use one to make birds out of plastic piping and it works well !!CHEERS!!
junior
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by junior »

Thanks for replies. The plastic is only 3 x 2 inches in size so I wanted to heat the whole of it evenly to get flexibility as it had twisted both ways and had a crack in it. I considered using a heat gun but thought it would be too intense. This piece of plastic has a picture on it and I wasn't sure if it would melt. Done enough, looks OK and hammer works.
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gameswat
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by gameswat »

JR, old plastic that's been bent & re-flattened has a habit of returning, so after years of messing with this (vintage pins especially) I usually now end up covering the restored originals with thin but tough polycarb clear which does wonders in stopping the process. And the added bonus of UV protection.
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Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by greg »

Topic copied, edited and merged from Flatten OW backflash & unidentified tin - Site Admin.

If someone has come up with an innovative new way to flatten the plastic playfield I would love to hear about it. This poor game is unplayable until I find a way to flatten the playfield over the winning holes.
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treefrog
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by treefrog »

Search the site as many have made attempts at flattening these backflashes, from removing backflash and placing between two sheets and gently applying heat from say a hair dryer, to another member who put his in an oven. I have stopped buying Olly Whales machines and sold all mine last year as not such a fan of this flaw.
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Re: Flatten plastic

Post by greg »


DSC01512b.jpg

I have tried flattening a play field with the gentle application of heat from a heat gun with not much luck. I even tried laying a piece of glass over it to distribute the heat evenly. The glass shattered.

The oven scares me. With the heat gun I only screw up one small area at a time. With the oven I can destroy the entire thing in one shot. I'm sure someone has a "Double Secret" way to flatten play fields they have never shared....it's time to share your secret with the world and the world will love you for it!
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by junior »

Glass will not shatter if it’s toughened glass. Same as oven doors. The plastic I tried to flatten was only 75mm x 50mm and thicker than a sheet of clear backflash. It got hot in electric oven all over enough for me to change its shape.
Took about 5 repeated easing into shape but now it’s OK to go back into the machine.
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badpenny
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Re: Flatten plastic

Post by badpenny »

I think gentle persuasion may be the secret to this greg.
Try laying it between two pieces of single ply wood sheeting and then place the largest flat bottomed pan you can find on top and fill it with boiling water.
Keeping the water hot and repositioning the pan in order to give all of the back flash a chance may produce results.
What sort of results you'll get could be a bit of a mystery, but at least you'll be more informed than us.
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coppinpr
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by coppinpr »

You might try looking at methods used to flatten warped 78rpm records. There are several methods, most are on youtube I think. I even saw one once using very hot water. !OMFG!
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Re: Flatten plastic

Post by greg »

Thanks for all the great suggestions on fixing the playfield. Here is what I have tried in the past and also what I did this time.

Try #1. On another Allwin, I completely removed the playfield from the game and tried to evenly heat the entire thing with a heat gun. I thought that if I got the entire thing to the same magic temperature it would just flatten all on its own like a good little play field. It didn't and I wound up melting one corner.

Try #2. I decided it needed some weight on top while I was heating it. I placed a large sheet of glass on top of the play field and some heavy weights on top of the glass. I then heated the glass for a long time with the heat gun. Not enough heat was getting to the playfield and eventually the glass shattered.

This time #1. I decided to try flattening the playfield in the game. I removed the 12 winning hole thingie. Just 4 screws on the back so that was easy. There were 4 tiny nails in the plastic just above the holes. They took a while to get out because I didn't want to crack the plastic were they were driven in. Then I took out my heat gun, set it on low, and heated one small section for about 30 seconds. No change so I touched it to see if it was hot enough. It was and have the burnt finger tip to prove it.

I decided I needed to protect my little paw so I got out the old family asbestos gloves. If you don't have a pair of asbestos gloves sitting around an oven mitten will work. Just don't use the one with old food stuck to it.

This time #2. I applied heat to the playfield, one small section at a time. Then stopped the heat and I rubbed it (with my gloved hand), pressed it flat, held it as it cooled and told it that it was pretty pretty playfield. I kept repeating that over all the bad spots. It only took about 15 minutes and it was flat enough to work again.

I had to trim the plastic a little around the slot where the 12 winning hole thingie goes. I also didn't put the 4 tiny nails back in. They were a big part of the reason the play field buckled.

I don't know how well you can see it in the earlier picture but the playfield was buckled all the way across the top of the winning holes and it was impossible to get the ball in any hole.

The playfield isn't perfect but game plays great now and that is all that really matters.

Thanks again for all your help.
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bryans fan
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Re: What is it?

Post by bryans fan »

Thanks for giving such a detailed account of the various methods you tried. Very interesting. I think it was well worth saving rather than replacing with new. Well done.
!!YIPPEE!! !!THUMBSX2!! **xXx**
I have been dithering over my Pilwin back flash for 10 years!
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yaksplat
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Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by yaksplat »

This topic copied & edited merged from Help with Win a Crunch - Site Admin.

Is there a good way to smooth out the artwork? There is some warping. It's not horrible but would be nice to flatten.
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coppinpr
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by coppinpr »

The backflash can, I believe, be flattened and I think there is a method within the forum somewhere, much the same as correcting warped records with heat I think, but remember you need to remove everything to get at the backflash. You will find it's shrunk and pulled against the pins. Removing it might release a whole new set of problems.
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brigham
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by brigham »

My Whales 'Easy Perm' backflash is the same. I've learned to live with it; they often turn brittle, and start to crack when you handle them.
It had a MBC lamp holder in the top box, even though the artwork was almost opaque. Probably contributed to the warped top flash.
tammy
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by tammy »

I wouldn't try fattening the backflash, as they are back painted and the paint may at the least start falling off. It doesn't look bad at all. I trust you will enjoy the machine.
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yaksplat
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Re: Flatten a plastic backflash

Post by yaksplat »

It looks like I'm going to need to trim the backflash around the exit hole as it has shrunken, covering part of the hole.

I may just take the playfield and create a new one from it, leaving the original backflash attached to the original playfield. I could get a new one printed on vinyl and fit perfectly to the new playfield.

The original colors on the backflash look good.
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