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How to Keep a Pinball Backglass From Cracking & Peeling

Vintage pinball games often feature a beautiful painted-on backglass. This pinball art is a major draw for collectors. The glass has been produced using a silkscreen technique. Unfortunately, breathtaking as it can be, the paint can eventually begin to crack and peel after many years of service in one too many smoke-filled bars. Even worse, this is often exacerbated by the high-intensity lights behind the glass. If your pinball backglass is cracking and peeling so much that it's now flaking off in several locations, it's time to take action.

Things You'll Need

Newspapers
Krylon Triple-Thick
Plastic wrap
Straightedge

Instructions

- 1
  Spread some old newspapers onto the floor.
- 2
  Remove the backglass from the game and carefully set it down, painted side up, onto the newspapers.
- 3
  Spray a slow, even coat of Krylon Triple-Thick onto the backglass. Triple-Thick is an aerosol spray product that will create a thick, lacquer-like film over the entire backglass.
- 4
  Immediately cover the wet backglass with a layer of plastic wrap (such as Glad ClingWrap). Smooth out all creases in the plastic wrap.
- 5
  Push down gently on the wrap over the peeling areas of paint. The goal is to get the flaking paint to lay down flat rather than continue to curl up.
- 6
  Let this sit overnight until the Triple-Thick is completely dry. Do not try to remove the plastic wrap prematurely.
- 7
  Peel off the plastic wrap. If there are parts of the wrap that you can't tug loose, trim them off with a straightedge; don't try to force it to peel off.
- 8
  Spray another even coat of Triple-Thick over the first coat. Allow the product to dry for 30 minutes.

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