DIY Pinball Machine Playfield Protector

Laser-cut playfield protectors are available from several online vendors for certain pinball machines. But if you find yourself with a more obscure pinball machine, you might want to try making one yourself.

This is the situation I found myself in when I picked up and restored a 1957 Gottlieb Universe. The inserts were sunken and I didn’t want to go through a laborious restore and clear coating like I did on my 1961 Gottlieb Egghead pinball machine.

In this post I’ll go through why you might want to make a playfield protector, the tools and supplies needed to make one and the process of making your own playfield protector.

What is a playfield protector and why would you need one?

First off, what is a playfield protector and why might one want such a thing? A playfield protector is a clear piece of thin plastic that goes now on top of a playfield. It serves two main purposes. One it prevents further damage to the playfield art. The second reason on older machines is that it helps level the playfield. If you have sunken inserts, the ball will float right over them instead of getting stuck. This happens a lot on older, slower machines with sunken inserts.

Materials and tools needed to make your own pinball machine playfield protector

You need the plastic (order extra in case you mess up) and ways to cut out the openings. A hollow punch makes professional-looking holes.

Let’s Get To Work!

Basically, you are going to lay out the plastic sheet, mark where you want your cuts, and then start cutting out the shapes. If you want to start with tracing paper and make a template, you could do that also. Get the basic outline shape fit as much as you can first. You will need to remove many of the playfield elements. Starting with a stripped playfield makes the process easier. Also, make yourself a stand out of scrap wood to lift the playfield off the table and protect the inner workings underneath the playfield.