Flame Polishing Ramps
By Mike Muglia, Kevin L'Heureux
***Caution*** Operating a high temperature, open flame device should be treated with extreme caution. If you do not feel comfortable with these tools please refer to someone else who has experience using them. This page is for reference only. Any action taken is strictly your responsibility.
Somewhat of a "black art", the process of flame polishing vacuum formed pinball ramps is a task that many people would rather leave to another person who has experience under their belt. Yes it can be daunting and yes you can completely ruin a ramp if you're not careful but with some instruction, patience and a few practice rounds you will be confident enough to take a 4,000º torch to your irreplaceable ramp without a second thought.
To begin, If you have not done this before, I would recommend starting out on an old/broken ramp as we will show here. I have had great success following this process, and others that have seen my games with flame polished ramps and playfield plastics were always in awe.
Somewhat of a "black art", the process of flame polishing vacuum formed pinball ramps is a task that many people would rather leave to another person who has experience under their belt. Yes it can be daunting and yes you can completely ruin a ramp if you're not careful but with some instruction, patience and a few practice rounds you will be confident enough to take a 4,000º torch to your irreplaceable ramp without a second thought.
To begin, If you have not done this before, I would recommend starting out on an old/broken ramp as we will show here. I have had great success following this process, and others that have seen my games with flame polished ramps and playfield plastics were always in awe.
We will use an old Theater of Magic ramp for demonstration purposes. This is the perfect type of ramp to practice on since it is broken and unusable.
Have your supplies ready
Anyways, this is the process I follow:
CLEANING AND PREP
1. Remove the ramp
We will assume that you have removed the ramp completely from the game. If not, do so. It is also highly recommended that you remove all wire harnesses, metal brackets, switches, plastic spacers, flash lamp housings and anything else that may be attached for the best results and to insure that those items do not get burned or melted. Items such as coated wire, flasher sockets and bumper cars do not react well to the torch and you will quickly ruin them if the get too much heat.
2. Clean the ramp thoroughly with dish soap and water.
If the ramp is stubbornly dirty you may use Wesley's Bleach White to saturate the ramp for approximately 3-5 minutes followed by a thorough rinse and clean again with soap and water to remove any residue. Be sure to wear your gloves.
CLEANING AND PREP
1. Remove the ramp
We will assume that you have removed the ramp completely from the game. If not, do so. It is also highly recommended that you remove all wire harnesses, metal brackets, switches, plastic spacers, flash lamp housings and anything else that may be attached for the best results and to insure that those items do not get burned or melted. Items such as coated wire, flasher sockets and bumper cars do not react well to the torch and you will quickly ruin them if the get too much heat.
2. Clean the ramp thoroughly with dish soap and water.
If the ramp is stubbornly dirty you may use Wesley's Bleach White to saturate the ramp for approximately 3-5 minutes followed by a thorough rinse and clean again with soap and water to remove any residue. Be sure to wear your gloves.
Already looking better when it's wet and somewhat clean
3. Dry off the ramp with a lint free microfiber towel
4. Hold the ramp up to a light to make sure it is clean and look for the damage you will need to repair.
4. Hold the ramp up to a light to make sure it is clean and look for the damage you will need to repair.
At this point, holding the towel in the ramp will allow you to really see the dirt that the ramp has imbedded.
4.1 It is a good idea to apply Novus 2 and work it into the ramp which will help remove most of the leftover surface dirt not removed by the soap and water/cleaner. If you have very deep ground in dirt you also have the option of using an automotive Clay Bar to remove any remaining ground in dirt. Wash, rinse and repeat before continuing.
5. If the ramp is not that bad to begin with (minimal ball lines and very light surface scratches) proceed to Flame Polishing. If the ramp is in rough shape, proceed to step 6.
6. I'm not sure how many people do this step, but if the ramp is very cloudy and has deep ball lines in it, I will lightly clean/scuff the ramp with a scotchbrite pad. This helps to smooth things over a little so less flame polishing is needed.
6. I'm not sure how many people do this step, but if the ramp is very cloudy and has deep ball lines in it, I will lightly clean/scuff the ramp with a scotchbrite pad. This helps to smooth things over a little so less flame polishing is needed.
7. Repeat steps 2-4, then proceed to Flame Polishing
FLAME POLISHING
CAUTION: If the ramp is not perfectly clean before you flame polish it, the dirt will melt into the plastic during flame polishing and it will be there forever!
CAUTION: Never leave the flame in one spot when flame polishing. Always keep the flame moving across the ramp. Leaving the flame in one spot will create bubbles in the plastic or completely destroy the ramp. If you start to see small bubbles appear, stop immediately and allow the ramp to cool.
CAUTION: Excessive heat can warp the ramp and make it difficult to re-install.
NOTE: I always flame polish the top of the ramp first. The underside normally only needs minimal polishing. See also TIP 2
NOTE: I use a BernzOmatic propane fuel and Heat Shrinking Torch Head (model #: 1791545) that can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot for $39.99.
TIP 1: Lay a piece off clean glass on your workbench to place your ramp onto for flame polishing. The glass will resist the heat so you do not burn your work surface as well as help to extract the heat from your ramp.
FLAME POLISHING
CAUTION: If the ramp is not perfectly clean before you flame polish it, the dirt will melt into the plastic during flame polishing and it will be there forever!
CAUTION: Never leave the flame in one spot when flame polishing. Always keep the flame moving across the ramp. Leaving the flame in one spot will create bubbles in the plastic or completely destroy the ramp. If you start to see small bubbles appear, stop immediately and allow the ramp to cool.
CAUTION: Excessive heat can warp the ramp and make it difficult to re-install.
NOTE: I always flame polish the top of the ramp first. The underside normally only needs minimal polishing. See also TIP 2
NOTE: I use a BernzOmatic propane fuel and Heat Shrinking Torch Head (model #: 1791545) that can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot for $39.99.
TIP 1: Lay a piece off clean glass on your workbench to place your ramp onto for flame polishing. The glass will resist the heat so you do not burn your work surface as well as help to extract the heat from your ramp.
Note: The torch head shown here is different than the one referred to in this article.
1. While holding the ramp up to a light so you can see all the scratches, position the torch head approximately 6-7 inches from the ramp and begin moving back and forth across the ramp surface. You will see a "heat haze" in front of the flame that is like a wave of hot plastic heating up and reforming. The scratches will disappear before your eyes...like magic. Be patient, rarely will you remove all of the scratches on the first pass.
2. When the top side is done, hold it up to a light and look for any small areas that may need to be flamed again. Allow the ramp to cool for a few minutes then repeat step 1 on those areas.
3. Once the entire top side of the ramp is polished, allow the ramp to cool for about 5 minutes.
4. Repeat step 1 for the underside of the ramp. If your ramp has decals, go around them. After doing the top of the ramp you will learn how quickly the flame polishing process goes, and how much area gets covered by the flame. Keep your distance from the decals and you should be fine.
2. When the top side is done, hold it up to a light and look for any small areas that may need to be flamed again. Allow the ramp to cool for a few minutes then repeat step 1 on those areas.
3. Once the entire top side of the ramp is polished, allow the ramp to cool for about 5 minutes.
4. Repeat step 1 for the underside of the ramp. If your ramp has decals, go around them. After doing the top of the ramp you will learn how quickly the flame polishing process goes, and how much area gets covered by the flame. Keep your distance from the decals and you should be fine.
5. Allow ramp to cool for about 5 minutes
6. Now that both sides of the ramp are flame polished, hold the ramp up to the light and see if any areas need to be lightly flamed again. Flame polish again as needed.
7. You will notice a slight roughness on the ramp when you are done. Spray some Novus 1 liberally onto the ramp and wipe down with your lint free cloth. Afterward your ramp will feel considerably smoother.
TIP 2: If the ramp is very scratched up on the underside you may want to torch the underside of the ramp first. Even though the bottom of the ramp usually gets a minimal amount of scratches and wear it is a good idea to flame polish that area first, avoiding any decals. The reason for this is that sometimes you might find yourself chasing imperfections on the top side of the ramp that are actually on the bottom side. This can lead to overheating and possible damage. It is generally quick and easy to get rid of imperfections on the bottom side and will make your goals for the top side that much clearer.
TIP 3: if you have taken your time and followed the steps you will end up with an amazing transformation but be aware that often times it is not possible to remove EVERY scratch from the ramp so be cognizant of when to stop and put the torch down. Practice and experience will be your guide.
6. Now that both sides of the ramp are flame polished, hold the ramp up to the light and see if any areas need to be lightly flamed again. Flame polish again as needed.
7. You will notice a slight roughness on the ramp when you are done. Spray some Novus 1 liberally onto the ramp and wipe down with your lint free cloth. Afterward your ramp will feel considerably smoother.
TIP 2: If the ramp is very scratched up on the underside you may want to torch the underside of the ramp first. Even though the bottom of the ramp usually gets a minimal amount of scratches and wear it is a good idea to flame polish that area first, avoiding any decals. The reason for this is that sometimes you might find yourself chasing imperfections on the top side of the ramp that are actually on the bottom side. This can lead to overheating and possible damage. It is generally quick and easy to get rid of imperfections on the bottom side and will make your goals for the top side that much clearer.
TIP 3: if you have taken your time and followed the steps you will end up with an amazing transformation but be aware that often times it is not possible to remove EVERY scratch from the ramp so be cognizant of when to stop and put the torch down. Practice and experience will be your guide.
You will know if this process was successful because you will have a hard time removing the smile from your face. I think I stood there and looked at my WH2O for about an hour after I installed the flame polished ramps. I could not stop smiling because they looked that good. The ramps really do look better than new ramps once they are polished. Once I had this technique down pat, I started flame polishing everything. I just finished flame polishing the playfield plastics on my 1978 World Cup. The shine like a clean piece of glass!
Good luck, and remember, keep the flame moving.
***Caution*** Operating a high temperature, open flame device should be treated with extreme caution. If you do not feel comfortable with these tools please refer to someone else who has experience using them. This page is for reference only. Any action taken is strictly your responsibility.
Good luck, and remember, keep the flame moving.
***Caution*** Operating a high temperature, open flame device should be treated with extreme caution. If you do not feel comfortable with these tools please refer to someone else who has experience using them. This page is for reference only. Any action taken is strictly your responsibility.
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