DIY Pinball Update - 9

[parsons1578]

how do you make the wire ball track? like soildering/brazing or welding?

[DALOOMSDOO]

Is this pinball machine finished at this date? I would love to see it ! Thinking about making my own now

[jeriellsworth]

@DALOOMSDOO Not yet. I've had to focus on paying work. Paying bills and keeping the lights turn on can be a real downer. :)

[DALOOMSDOO]

@jeriellsworth I hear that, I really want to build one of these but I am worried I will never be able to do the electrical part of it, where do I even start? I feel that I could do the construction of the physical parts but the wiring looks extremely intimidating! Do you have any kind of step by step guide for this?

[coolapple2]

omg that laser idea is really cool ( i would put some green and red lasers there

[hydrolisk1792]

You should make the ball fall throujgh the toilet and like pop out someplace else, like a secret passage to one of the ramps, and make it worth some points.

[gabetodd200]

hi

game room it's gabetodd200

cool pinball game.XD

[The24Pitman]

i know exactly how to put a fog on the playfield! minimize a fog machine somehow and then use a Peltier device to cool the fog it will lay low. should look just like fog!!!

[jeriellsworth]

@The24Pitman I would worry that the fog oil would stick to things.

[rdmbox95]

@jeriellsworth Good fog fluid is made not to condense and stick to stuff. If you perhaps vent it out the bottom, maybe with a computer fan, it would drain the fog effectively, and prevent the smoke from condensing too early.

[gtq838]

@jeriellsworth agreed, to do a fog effect you would really need a way to seperate the fog from the play field.

[simakuutio]

Is this table design already tested, for example, with Future Pinball? Much easier to find nasty design problems with such pinball simulator.

[jeriellsworth]

@simakuutio I own and work on a lot of pinball machines and I don't find the simulations even close to the real thing.

[hommerhauer]

Why didn't you continue with this project?

It was nice and with great ideas in it (I specially like the TV and the armchair toys)

[jeriellsworth]

@hommerhauer It's still underway. I work in bursts.

[EpiXnyper]

"Shoot here, and here!" lol'd me

[EzelWesik]

The laserpointer was a really cool idea!

But what is it with pinball and toilets? Austin Powers, South Park and Junkyard has one already.

[jeriellsworth]

@EzelWesik Come on! Toilet humor never gets old. Plplplplplplplpl!

[rchmarvista]

Is it done yet???

[HaikuAutomation]

WTF, that is the messiest design room I have ever seen. If you get your shop cleaned up, you won't spend so much time looking for stuff and get some actual design work done :) Neat you are working on doing stuff, but clean it up and your resulting designs will be cleaned up too. I love the wacky dude that does slap chop, maybe a pinball machine with is face on it would be a good seller.

[lexichronicle2]

do a youtube for ball bearing rollercoaster and click the one that looks all coppery. there's some electronics guys who've soldered an amazing one together

[nitturo]

and awesome would be those laser lights with strobe effect! :) and i'm affraid to suggest having the score table using a NOAC-Famiclone?

[sinistermoon]

Love the pachinko balls thing!

[eurogoldexchange]

You are pretty cool..I love smarts..

[eye4glass]

As seen on t.v.? Well then how about something from Ron Popeil, Showtime Rotisserie multi ball? Kind of like fish tales only load the three ( or two) balls into a little Rotisserie,(spins during game play) the sound que when locked should/could be Ron saying "set it and forget it" On release of the balls the audio que could be the Ron's audience going "MMMMMMMMMMM". Just 1 idea I had " good pin theme, lots of options, " I have already thought of like 10 more while writing this long ass post"

[ItagDATA]

ahhh im dying for an update...please update us soon

[NeoSapienist]

hahahah shooooot heaa and heaaa!!!! god you're AWESOME

[ShinmaRyuu]

Since your going with the as seen on tv idea maybe do a parody art piece of some of the famous presenters like Billy Mays etc on a couch all wearing Snuggies like the commercial with the family members.

[British1500]

@ShinmaRyuu Also with RonCo ball saver - if you drain out too quickly. The slap chops are perfect pop bumpers.

[S0MePuNK]

0:46....pepsi from '84... sweet.

love the brew

[RJLeffmann]

Holy cow how many flat screens have you got in there, and what do you use them all for? Something to make a video about.

[poodull76]

Can you show how you made the brass rails? I'm making my own pin and this is a big item on my 'to learn' list.

[frac]

First thing I though when you described the spinning toilet was what is called a "Magnetic Stirrer".

It's a base with a spinning magnet. You put a beaker on it filled with something to stir, and put a plastic coated magnet in the beaker. The base causes the magnet in the beaker to spin, stirring the contents without any direct connection between the stirring rod and the motor.

They've been around since the invention of dirt, so I bet you could find one for essentially free.

[Latrocinium086]

Used to work in vids and pinballs. So my hat's off to ya. Wow, could never talk anyone in the shop into somethin like this.

Bangin idea on the laser target pointer. You could really bring the game up. You could work in levels, skill play, etc. The list goes on. It has so many open doors.

The toilet, what about a funnel and make sure it enters at an angle. Just an idea.

Love the vids.

[linuxpenguin73]

A fog? Your pinball *needs* a smoke machine :D

[blenderuser]

Nice progress, thanks for the updates!

[NardDogz]

What fun.

Have you gotten any comments from any professional pinball designers? I wonder if Steve Ritchie or Pat Lawlor is watching this, chuckling to themselves.

The laser beam "shoot here" effect is a terrific idea!

I think a magnasave-type coil might be useful with the toilet. I wonder if it would have enough pull to hop the ball over the toilet seat into the center...

[bangulo2012]

Wow you're amazing Jeri! What ware you doing in san jose!

[twistedsymphony]

Interesting find on the latching solenoid, is there a way to determine the position? I would think that would be somewhat important.

Also I don't know how but you should have a feature based on The Clapper... maybe integrate an actual clapper since they're cheap enough. If the ball noise is enough it could toggle the thing on and off constantly throughout play.... maybe have it change the position of that latching solenoid to open/close various parts of the play field... just throwing out ideas

[jar155]

Really great stuff. Too bad Billy Mays isn't around anymore to give you some nice sound drops, huh?

[janne808]

Watch out for flyback voltage on that solenoid.

[assemblyassembly]

Best of luck in san jose mate

[CessnaDriver2]

I own Twilight Zone and T2. Making your own pin sounds insane. LOL

It will be interesting to see how the game flow evolves. Thanks for sharing this endeavor.

[jeriellsworth]

@CessnaDriver2 Hehe. I am a little wacky so it's to be expected. :)

[PodeCoet]

Fantastic work!

[seymourshabow]

really cool I like that pop bumper. I'd assume the copper clad rods are conductive - anyway to rig the software up to sense where the ball is on the rail? You'd use the ball to complete the circuit so you'd have to isolate the rails its riding on- not sure if there would be a practical application, but maybe instead of putting a switch on the ramp you use this circuit to sense the ball is there to award loop shot, etc. If you could measure the resistance accurately, you might get ball speed.