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My Balls are hitting the glass ;)

Started 3 years ago by HK-Steve in forum Technical help.


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My Balls are hitting the glass ;)



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  • Started 3 years ago by HK-Steve
  • Latest reply from tomdotcom

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    3 years ago | # !! © |

    Keep it clean guy's, thought it sounded cool when I wrote this thread, ha ha
    Got your attention though didn't it

    Anyway,
    I have played many pins over the years,
    but not any newer pins for about the last 3 years,

    I bought a NIB IJ 2008, which is great fun.

    A couple of times, the electro magnet shoots the ball down so hard, it pops up over the flipper and hits the top glass.

    Has anyone heard of the top glass breaking from a ball hitting it??

    Cheers
    Steve


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    Pinball machines use tempered glass, so airballs won't be an issue. You REALLY have to hit tempered glass hard straight on for it to break, and it's just not going to happen with a pinball from the inside of a machine.


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    On my Bally Mata Hari, the ball hits the glass multiple times per ball depending on the shot...and that's straight from the flippers to the very top of the playfield dead center above the saucer hole. One of these days...shatter! Probably never but it makes you wonder.


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    On my Meteor, the ball hits the glass almost every time I hit the center target. Nothing has broken yet.

    HK - This won't fix the glass problem, but you might want to put a protective sheet on the playfield where the ball hits to reduce wear. Pinball pal makes some nice removable vinyl sheets for this.


    Brokedad

    Retired Pinside Hero
    3 years ago | # !! © |

    It happens more than you think. I have several that sometimes do the same thing on certain shots if they are hit just right. I've never known one to even chip the glass let alone break it. My other suggestion is to play the machine lower down in front of it and not in your open robe so your balls stay well under the top of it


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    maybe changing out the flipper bushings would help?
    or at the very least rotating them 130*


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    Why would changing or rotating the bushings help? The ball hits the glass after it bounces off the target. Just wondering.


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    I figure if any excessive slop exist between the shaft & bushing perhaps the ball is getting airborne ? I'm sure the design team of a game doesn't want that ball jumping around.
    I'm not sure what else I would try other then change the EOS making the flipper less powerful in combating air balls


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    Appreciate all the replies,
    Brokedad, I am still laughing, very funny.

    As it is a new pin, I would not expect the bearing to be an issue.

    But glad to know, It is not just me this happens to,
    The protective sheet sounds interesting, I will look into this.

    Cheers
    Steve


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    I just put some 'binford' (word I use to describe "the best most powerful" anyone seen Tim the toolman?) flipper coils in my Cyclone and there is a center drop target and if I get a straight on shot on it the ball will jump up and snap the glass. It even jumps the cyclone ramp and snaps the glass sometimes too.
    I have not heard of a case of a pinball jumping up off the playfield from a shot and breaking the glass. The only way that could happen is if the glass is somehow under pressure from the siderails, or when you are installing or removing it you lift or twist it in a odd way to break it. Having your wife or girlfriend on it trying to 'TILT' her might break it also!!


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    The level of this thread is droppping so fast I have to make a serious reply here

    Airballs are often caused by targets that are slightly bend backwards. A well known example for this is the Twilight Zone slot machine target. There are even mods to make sure the slot machine target doesn't bend back so far.

    So maybe you can check to see if there's a way to make your problem target slope down rather than upwards (or at the very least, make sure it's a straight 90 degree target).

    Another common thing causing airballs is a fast ball bouncing upwards from the flipper rubber. This is often caused when your flipper rubbers are placed to low. Make sure the rubbers are high enough. Too high is better than too low.


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    I will check both when I get back from this trip. The target looked to be 90 deg but it probably bends backward when struck. I will try and make it angle forward.


    Brokedad

    Retired Pinside Hero
    3 years ago | # !! © |

    I agree with Robin... you can never be too high

    Actually I never even thought about the placement of the flipper rubbers. As they don't have a specific slot to fit in that is a very good point and tip he makes. Usually the shots I get that hit the glass are the ones that come off the flippers to a certain spot. Most likely they have lofted the ball from hitting the upper edge of the flipper rubber.

    Ok .. I just dropped the thread down another level with that first comment .. my bad.


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    So, I take it then, the best cure is to keep you balls low and your rubber high?


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    That's it, I'm now officially ignoring this thread


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    You Guy's are AWESOME,
    I love to have fun on my Pin, but, I can also have just as much fun here,

    I will look at the position, (hmmmm now this thead could get even worse :lol:)
    of the rubbers, Thanks Robin.
    Would it make any difference I have had the snip or not?????????????????????

    Cheers
    Steve


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    All the times I've played WhiteWater over the years, if that left side ramp never broke the glass with two ball-whacks every time it passed through, you've got nothing to worry about with the glass. You would be surprised how tough tempered glass is.


    3 years ago | # !! © |

    My Skateball also gets alot of "glass smacks" No shattered glass yet, I have the game set pretty steep and the playfield to glass ratio is fairly shallow...



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