Hi Guys
I'm resurecting MB that I bought at the starburst auction.  I'm starting with the cabinent. I have completely removed all the decals and the glue.. I've filled in the holes from the lockdown bar on the coin door and started to sand cabinent and head. Here is the question I need help with. The cabinent is all white wood and has never been painted. Do I apply the decals to the white wood or should I paint the cabinent on the outside with one coat of black first?  Thanks Andrew.

Check this out:

http://www.robertwinter.com/pinball/restorations/cc/cabinet/index.html

Not that I have tried it, but it seems a very good process to follow.

Jeez... Varathaning the cab before decal application? Seems like overkill to me.... Sure, it gives you a clean smooth surface, but that is a lot of trouble to go through for a similar result as a fresh factory-applied decal. The cab manufacturers applied their decals on bare wood without any problems. The key is a clean wood surface. You can also simply prime the cab and then sand it smooth a bit. It should work just as good. The black paint on the edges worries me though. Paint doesn't adhere well to Varathane...

Thanks Guys,
I will post some pics later on as I go along.

I believe the varathaning in this case is not so much to smooth out the cab (though it will do that), as to form a substrate on which to "float" the decal with liquid for final positioning.