# Episode 127 - Cleaning your Cabinet **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2015-07-16 **Duration:** 7m 46s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-127-cleaning-your-cabinet --- ## Analysis Nick Baldridge hosts an episode on cabinet cleaning for electromechanical and bingo pinball machines, covering techniques for textured paint surfaces common on Bally machines from the 1950s-60s. He discusses chemical cleaners like Mean Green, pressure washing, and protective waxing to maintain cabinet condition and prevent rust. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Bally experimented with textured base coats on cabinets, especially in the 1950s-60s, to hide imperfections. — _Nick Baldridge discussing Bally cabinet finishes as context for cleaning advice_ - [HIGH] Mean Green is a relatively gentle chemical solution suitable for cleaning textured paint on cabinets. — _Nick Baldridge citing Robert Madel's experience with the product_ - [MEDIUM] Pressure washers can be used to clean the inside of backboxes and cabinet exteriors. — _Nick Baldridge noting 'some folks I know have documented' using pressure washers_ - [HIGH] Annual waxing of cabinet exteriors and legs provides protection against rust and scratching. — _Nick Baldridge's maintenance recommendation for protective care_ ### Notable Quotes > "Using the textured surface allows for imperfections to be hidden easily." > — **Nick Baldridge**, early in episode > _Explains the design rationale for Bally's textured paint approach and why cleaning method varies_ > "A lot of them were in bars for years and years and years and they're covered in tar and just kinda, kinda gross." > — **Nick Baldridge**, mid-episode > _Contextualizes the need for deep cleaning of vintage machines from commercial environments_ > "You just want to wax the outside of the cabinet... It'll be very attractive when you're done." > — **Nick Baldridge**, late in episode > _Recommends protective finishing step for cabinet preservation_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldridge | person | Host of For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast; provides cabinet cleaning guidance | | Adam | person | Co-host of One and Done Pinball Podcast; called in to compliment Nick on Jay Stafford interview and express interest in acquiring bingo machines | | Robert Madel | person | Recently appeared on Nick's podcast; has acquired several bingo machines and is cleaning those with textured paint; tested Mean Green cleaner on cabinets | | Jay Stafford | person | Subject of recent interview by Nick Baldridge on the podcast | | Taylor V | person | Co-host of One and Done Pinball Podcast; has appeared previously on For Amusement Only podcast | | Matt | person | Friend and co-host of One and Done Pinball Podcast with Adam | | For Amusement Only | organization | EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast hosted by Nick Baldridge | | One and Done Pinball Podcast | organization | Pinball podcast with rotating hosts including Adam and Taylor V; mentioned as recommended listening | | Bally | company | Pinball machine manufacturer that experimented with textured base coats on cabinets in 1950s-60s | | Mean Green | product | Chemical cleaning solution used by Robert Madel for cleaning textured paint on bingo cabinet exteriors; described as relatively gentle on paint | ### Topics - **Primary:** Cabinet cleaning techniques for textured paint surfaces, Chemical cleaners and protective finishing for pinball cabinets, EM and bingo pinball machine restoration and maintenance - **Secondary:** Bally cabinet design history and paint experimentation, Community podcast recommendations and cross-promotion ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.75) — Episode is informative and helpful, with encouraging tone toward newcomers acquiring machines. Positive cross-promotion of other podcasts. No negative sentiment or controversy present. ### Signals - **[restoration_signal]** Detailed guidance on cleaning textured paint cabinets common on vintage Bally machines using chemical cleaners like Mean Green followed by protective waxing (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge's discussion of Robert Madel's cleaning work on recently acquired bingo machines with textured paint surfaces - **[restoration_signal]** Recommendation for annual waxing of cabinet exteriors and legs to prevent rust, scratching, and maintain appearance (confidence: high) — Nick's detailed explanation of waxing procedure and annual maintenance schedule for EM/bingo machines - **[community_signal]** Cross-promotion between For Amusement Only and One and Done Pinball Podcast; indication of collaborative EM/pinball podcast community (confidence: high) — Adam's call-in complimenting Nick's interview work and mutual podcast recommendations; mention of rotating hosts on One and Done - **[historical_signal]** Bally's use of textured base coats in 1950s-60s cabinets as design strategy to hide imperfections, similar to webbing and spatter techniques (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge's explanation of Bally's textured paint experimentation and its functional purpose --- ## Transcript What's that sound? It's For Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to For Amusement Only. This is Nicholas Baldridge. We got another call on the bingo line. Hey Nick. It's Adam. I just started listening to your Jay Stafford interview and I'm only a couple seconds into it, but I just want to commend you on the innovative What makes ride-a-bike is the amazing intensity of hold tunes that the average user will fall deeply in, re'Ment mankind Ende, drive them over thej'thesel' if it, if it, if it was bewezen to an end dive the higher its own weight on a flat stanie od the ball would be on it of a I'm getting to kind of see the, just the majesty and wonder that is bingo and I can't, I've got my eyeballs on a couple of them on Craigslist Radio so hopefully I can get, hopefully I can get one. But all those gears and gizmos definitely intimidate me but we'll see, we'll see. Alright, well, great. Since nobody called into my phone line, I figured I would call into your phone line. Take care, speak to you later, bye. Adam for those who don know is one of the hosts of the One and Done Pinball Podcast and that another pinball podcast that has a rotating host And there a variety of different people who have hosted Taylor V who been on my podcast previously has done a few as has Adam he done quite a few and along with his friend Matt they well worth checking out and I suggest everyone do so if they haven already now for tonight topic how to clean your cabinet and very timely Robert Madel who I was on the podcast recently, suggested that I discuss some ideas about how to clean bingos with textured paint. As you know, he just picked up several bingos and he's working his way through them and is trying to clean the outsides and he's run across some that don't have a flat base coat but instead have a textured base coat. That was something that Bally experimented with especially in the 60s and probably late 50s. In a similar way to webbing and spatter and what they do for a cabinet, using the textured surface allows for imperfections to be hidden easily. So as far as cleaning goes, you can take any of the wood cleaning supplies that you have that clean the playfield surface and use those. You can use something harsher, you know, something more chemical. Robert has been using Mean Green, which is a chemical solution It relatively uh gentle on pain as long as you don rub it like crazy Just about anything will do You do want to test it in an area probably that covered by the leg for example so that in case there some kind of horrible reaction to whatever it is you using it will show up in an area that you can see normally Um, if you're not planning on a cabinet repaint, um, then, you know, you are going to want to clean these machines. Uh, a lot of them were in bars for years and years and years and they're covered in tar and, um, just kinda, kinda gross. So, uh, in order to, uh, get the dirt off of one of those textured surfaces, it requires a, a bit more scrubbing. The pinball show is a show that you are in the middle of a game and you have to really kind of go back behind with a flashlight and make sure that you've gotten every area. There's some folks I know who have documented turning a pressure washer on mainly to clean the inside of the backbox but you could do that on the cabinet as well. You just want What the point of convenientPws variable which provides an interactive area The Artificial Weil You want to wax the outside of the cabinet You also want to wax your legs This provides a topcoat you know it not going to be super thick but it will help prevent some scratching and scrapes that come from bumping games together if you have a tight room or and it provide a nice shine to the cabinet It'll be very attractive when you're done. It'll be nice and clean, and you shouldn't have to do that again for quite some time. But you do want to wax any of the exposed area. So that would be your side rails, be they wood or metal. Of course, metal will shine up very nicely. And then with a protective coat of wax, it'll prevent rust from forming. It'll do all kinds of stuff to protect your game for a long time to come. Just be sure to do that periodically When you pull out the machine for maintenance, say once yearly or so, then that would be a good time to apply a bit more wax to the cabinet, to the legs, buff them up, make them shiny, and that machine will be something you'll be proud of. Well thank you very much for joining me. My name again is Nick Baldrige. You can reach me at You can find me on the Bingos Line, or you can reach me on the Bingos line, which is 724-BINGOS1. That's 724-246-4671. I call it the Bingos line, but you can call if you have any kind of EM problem or question or ideas for the show. Feel free. You can listen to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Cast, via RSS, on Facebook, on Twitter, at Bingopodcast. You can follow me on Instagram at nbaldridge and you can listen to us on our website which is foramusementonly.libsyn.com. Thank you very much for listening and I'll talk to you next time. _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: e44d2d2b-7a02-4ba2-bfd4-a0f32d703749*