All that being said, I have turned NOS factory-second playfields into nice ones. If the problem lies with the clearcoat being thin or cheap, that is an easy fix.
Besides... it is my humble opinion that ALL factory clearcoats are cheap and thin. Manufacturers had no interest in making super-smooth playfields, as long as they lasted at least a couple of years, long enough for the distributors to make their money without having huge wear spots. Mind you, 95% of the route pins I have seen out there kind of proved that distributors didn't care....
My criteria for a nice clearcoat on a new surface is to not feel the inserts... THAT makes for a nice playing surface. The least dips and cracks you have, the less chance of dirt collecting in there and causing wear.
I think I have had my post hi-jacked by Wayn-o and ice cream...
Well, to add to what I am doing, or at least planning to do, I will look into making my own cabinet stencils, but not with acetate or paper or vinyl... but out of rigid polyethylene panels, a similar system that the original manufacturers used.
I must admit that 140$US plus on average 30$US shipping for some pieces of cut-up paper is getting hard to swallow, and is rather expensive for the customer. One supplier makes them out of sticky paper, and they work great, but one use only. Ouch. Pinball Pal has great stencils, but a limited selection of machines. I will be looking into having panels CNC'ed so that they can be used over and over, thus lowering my cost, thus lowering the price for you.