PLAYFIELD RESTORATION (Before / After Pictures)

Here is a 1993 Williams Indy Jones playfield.   This was a restoration that was started by someone else.   At first we thought it looked like a decent core playfield for restoration but looks can be deceiving.   It was like opening up a can of worms.  We could not believe the quantity of stickers that the other restoration guy used.  Most of the time damaged inserts can be fixed by injecting clear in them and painting the missing artwork but the previous guy (whom I will not name but the Pinside group considers him one of the best) removed all the original insert artwork and just used stickers everywhere.  This restoration was not easy and I would not have taken it in if I knew about all the stickers (15 overlays/stickers).

Please note:  There are ‘other’ playfield restoration guys who can restore your playfield.  Here is what to look for when considering someone to restore your playfield.  Look at how they restore key areas of the playfield, shooter lanes, outholes and how their wood repairs look.  They should not be clear coating over the dirt.  Do they remove the bulb burn (or flipper burn) in the woodgrain areas?  Also look at their airbrushing skills, if they have any.   Some of these playfield guys rely too much on brush painting without using an airbrush.  Do they use stickers/overlays in their restorations, especially when fixing inserts?  A picture is worth 1000 words so . . . do they have a website with any before and after pictures so you can see the quality of their restoration work?  Will they only take in the easy playfield jobs (like clear coating only)?  Here is what I found when comparing some of the ‘other’ playfield guys:   Comparison examples . . .