(Topic ID: 118154)
Linked Games
Fireball
Bally, 1972
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No LED''s on the playfield. Just running standard 44's with colored bulb covers. My wife liked the staggered pattern so we went with red, yellow and orange. She did the design phase, I did the installation phase 
Clarksville, MD
I actually have two Fireballs.
One at my house and one at my office.
I just found some rehab pictures of the reimported game. It’s went out to Norway originally, then came back to the states, early production black spinner and all…
You can pull the playfield out a bit before lifting and that plastic clears the back box. I had mine flattened pretty good, just using a hair dryer. It doesn't seem to want to stay that way.
Nice looking machine embryonjohn.
Got the top portion of the playfield painted and cleared, nice to play it again.
Tried a little experiment with LED's in the backbox, only the Game Over section. They look great, but they flicker whenever the game does anything while in play, so out they came.
The painting didn't come out perfect, some wood imperfections didn't help, but overall, it looks much better than it did, and it is smooth
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The lines aren't perfect, as I would like. When I was painting the cabinet, I came to the realization that outside of a completely new cabinet rebuild, and a complete teardown of the playfield, top and bottom, I was only going to achieve a certain level of improvement. I love working on these things, I've got plenty of enthusiasm for doing it, but I'm 61 and I just want to enjoy (while maintaining) the games we have. What a game like this, and what it's been through in it's long life needs, is beyond the time I am willing to put in at this point. I was 11 years old when this game hit the street for the first time
It looks much better, and it is playing extremely well. Overall, from front to back, top to bottom and inside, it is cleaner now than it has been in a long time. I still have the Odin lane to finish, but I'm taking a break, probably until after the New Year rolls in.
Additionally, I was considering some type of coating for the cabinet, but I am rethinking that. It is an enamel paint, gloss enamel at that, so it has a natural sheen. I also did a little experiment on some junk wood.... the paint blistered. Probably needs a good amount of time to cure. And a better clear than what I was testing with, e.g., Krylon Triple Coat.
I may just skip any protective coat.
btw, I have nothing but praise for the Pinball Pimp stencils. They worked very well. I wish I could cut frisket like that. Oh well, I'll get more practice when I finish the Odin lane.
Hi John,
I highly recommend getting some cheap rubber cement from the local Walmart or drug store. Paint the rubber cement as a frisket edge around what you want to paint. Then just use some paper to cover the areas close by. You can then rub away the rubber cement, leaving a sharp edge to whatever you were painting.
Tom
Does anybody know what is the recommended slope for this game? I'm assuming 6-6.5 degrees at the bottom of the playfield.
Quoted from jlbintn:Does anybody know what is the recommended slope for this game? I'm assuming 6-6.5 degrees at the bottom of the playfield.
EM's are usually flatter, 4-5.
I don't really have a way of measuring the incline. My front leg levelers are all the way in. My 2 inch back levelers are as high as they can go. I'm getting a ton of drains straight down the middle after making the skill shot, so I will probably adjust it some to see if it stops that from happening.
Thank you.
So, I put my phone on the playfield today. I do not know how accurate it is. At the top between the bottom bumper and the top buttons I got 5.9 to 6.0, as I jiggled the phone. This was laying the phone down parallel to the bottom, i.e., long way across. Laying it horizontal to the bottom dropped the reading almost a three-fourths of a percentage. At the bottom I got 4.9 to 5.2, depending upon how I adjusted the phone, and saw a drop of almost a full percentage when I laid the phone horizontally.
Played with the leg settings to get it level, it wasn't far off and then ran into an interesting problem: the playfield glass would not lock down easily. So after messing around for about an hour (and trying hard to not scratch the new paint job), I decided to bring the front legs all the way back to lowest setting, but left the adjustments in place on the back legs. Got the low end to slope at 5.9, and the game is level.
Soooo.... I'll see how it plays and if I have to I'll drop the back legs back down a bit. For the most part I think I have it where it needs to be.
Quoted from DanMarino:I don't really have a way of measuring the incline. My front leg levelers are all the way in. My 2 inch back levelers are as high as they can go. I'm getting a ton of drains straight down the middle after making the skill shot, so I will probably adjust it some to see if it stops that from happening.
I'm using the Clinometer app on my phone. It's free, and will at least get you a rough idea of where it's at, should you be so inclined.
See what I did there?
Quoted from jlbintn:Thank you.
So, I put my phone on the playfield today. I do not know how accurate it is. At the top between the bottom bumper and the top buttons I got 5.9 to 6.0, as I jiggled the phone. This was laying the phone down parallel to the bottom, i.e., long way across. Laying it horizontal to the bottom dropped the reading almost a three-fourths of a percentage. At the bottom I got 4.9 to 5.2, depending upon how I adjusted the phone, and saw a drop of almost a full percentage when I laid the phone horizontally.
Played with the leg settings to get it level, it wasn't far off and then ran into an interesting problem: the playfield glass would not lock down easily. So after messing around for about an hour (and trying hard to not scratch the new paint job), I decided to bring the front legs all the way back to lowest setting, but left the adjustments in place on the back legs. Got the low end to slope at 5.9, and the game is level.
Soooo.... I'll see how it plays and if I have to I'll drop the back legs back down a bit. For the most part I think I have it where it needs to be.
best option, forget the level and inclinometers. take the glass off, release balls manually from the top of the PF. if it goes straight down, your good side to side. If it move to one side raise that side, retest until it goes straight down. do pitch second move both levers evenly, play a game or 50, you like the speed, its good, too fast or slow adjust and retest until happy. Re-verify side to side in case you didn't adjust pitch quite evenly. Play game and enjoy it. Don't overthink it.
Funny story, about my wife's observations of Fireball.
Her: Flippers are weak!
Me: It's not Dungeons & Dragons.
Her: I know that, but it just seems like you can't hit the ball hard enough.
Me: It's not Fireball II, either
Her: I know that, just saying. You asked for feedback, I'm giving it.
Me: I understand honey. Thanks for the feedback.
There are times, especially after I rebuilt the flippers on D&D and Fireball II, where first contact with the ball leaves one the impression that escape velocity has been achieved.
The little zipper flippers will knock the ball up the playfield, but it is most likely never going to produce a launch or an airball.
Btw, back to my paint job on the upper part of the playfield. After I put the clear down, I did the eight inch ball drop to test how well it took. Dimpled up the wood the way you would expect, but no cracks, no ghosting, so it took well
Ok, here be a weird one. This had been happening from time to time before tearing the game down to paint.
From time to time, and only on the fourth player - to this point - when I hit the skill shot instead of scoring 3k points, I get 13k. I have replicated it with a ball trapped in the Wotan hole. It's only on Player 4 when this occurs. It doesn't happen every time.
Oh man, John I have no idea how to help you. Some EM guru will have to assist.
About your wife's comments, it is cool that she enjoys playing pinball with you. I wish my wife played more often with me. She is more likely to play if we have friends over or if the grandsons are here.
I think it's the reel contact on the fourth player rack. It was tighter than the other three. I gapped it a little bit and after a few attempts to replicate the issue, it hasn't re-occurred.
We'll see. It's not a deal breaker, but if it persists, I am always the fourth player in a four player game
Oh hell, that's nothing. You should have seen the scores I racked up troubleshooting my scoring issues. Hell, I turned three players over at least once....
Pinball is easy when you don't have to use the flippers 
All kidding aside, nice game.
And btw, I'm dropping the back legs to flatten the slope back to where it was. Still getting a lot of drains after skill shots, when I'm using the flippers and not trying to reproduce an issue.
Got both scoring issues resolved, btw.
1 week later
Here's a question... I have been going thru this game over the last month and just started noticing when a game finishes, if I locked a ball in Odin or wotan during play, they will not eject and drain after my game is over. Gummed up ball count stepper perhaps?
Quoted from ChristianJS:Here's a question... I have been going thru this game over the last month and just started noticing when a game finishes, if I locked a ball in Odin or wotan during play, they will not eject and drain after my game is over. Gummed up ball count stepper perhaps?
Pretty sure that's normal.
Quoted from ChristianJS:so after game is over, they will stay on the field. gotcha thought it was a glitch
Best part of the game’s rule play, that and stealing locked balls left from opponents when playing (soon to be former) friends.
yeah that makes sense embryonjohn i knew the balls stayed between each player, but didn't know they stayed on new game. Love it!
another issue I'm having is the zipper flippers don't always want to come together after hitting blue target. Should I clean mechanism or the target itself, or both? Is it the power of the hit that could affect it. Seems that when i have glass off and activate target, they work as the should.
Had that issue when I got into fixing and cleaning my game. You can go here - https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fireball-fourth-player-not-working#post-7078320 and go through what I went through to get mine working. Pinsider DanMarino has experienced the same issue, as I am sure others have as well.
It's not a hard issue to resolve, but it may drive you a little crazy getting to resolution
Quoted from ChristianJS:I bought my fireball in really pretty nice original, cared for condition, so I don't have any reason to believe the play counter is inaccurate. Can this be rolled back like an old odometer?
[quoted image]
yes it can be adjusted, and its almost certainly wrong, or rolled over. at 1600 plays there wouldn't be a single blemish under the glass.
pinballizfun Makes sense. I agree, its got to be wrong. The playfield is pretty clean, but not 1600 games clean. I'll probably set it back after the game is all clean and ready to go
1 week later
My Fireball might not win any prizes in a beauty contest, she sure looks hella cool in this slow motion video.
1 week later
1 week later
Quoted from DanMarino:Fireball has been rolled!
[quoted image]
Great feeling and completely nerve wracking during the process.
Congratulations!
Rolling it may never happen again! haha. I am developing a strategy, so I have noticed that my average scores are getting higher. This particular game I benefitted from the left kicker preventing some drains. Somehow I kept locking balls, getting the skill shot, releasing balls, and repeating. Hitting the, "Release Fire Gods!" target with the captive ball and unlocking the Odin and Wotan balls is a fun moment in pinball. I'm very happy to own this machine.
Quoted from DanMarino:Rolling it may never happen again! haha. I am developing a strategy, so I have noticed that my average scores are getting higher. This particular game I benefitted from the left kicker preventing some drains. Somehow I kept locking balls, getting the skill shot, releasing balls, and repeating. Hitting the, "Release Fire Gods!" target with the captive ball and unlocking the Odin and Wotan balls is a fun moment in pinball. I'm very happy to own this machine.
My son rolls mine with some frequency.
He employs a double (locked) flipper shot to the captive ball and hardly misses….
I have my Fireball set up to take quarters, so it was fun having the knocker go off 3 times during the game and advance the credits.
I still can't get the hang of the closed flipper shot using both flippers to the captive ball. I'm doing something wrong. haha.
Quoted from DanMarino:I have my Fireball set up to take quarters, so it was fun having the knocker go off 3 times during the game and advance the credits.
I still can't get the hang of the closed flipper shot using both flippers to the captive ball. I'm doing something wrong. haha.
I still limp wrist that one
There's a technique to it, I just haven't figured it out yet.
Btw, been working on my Fireball II and LOTR lately. Playing them and then playing Fireball.... I feel like I'm playing real slooooooowwww....
Quoted from DanMarino:I know what you mean. I have 3 EMs to go along with a High Speed and Flight 2000. I like variety though. Going straight from Fireball or Card Whiz to High Speed is really different.
EM’s are for morning playing and coffee drinking.
The faster stuff is for later in the day.
Quoted from embryonjohn:EM’s are for morning playing and coffee drinking.
The faster stuff is for later in the day.
Oh hell yeah, I have changed five sockets under the playfield, including two way up top on the left that are above the skill shot exit. I also changed up the color of the lights on the other side of the ramp, above the entrance to the skill shot ramp. I put new red lamp shields in, left the orange condom on the one all the way to the back and upper right. I didn't like the white halos, it just seemed to drown out the red glow, so I halved three red condoms and put them over the opening. It really changed the mood and look of the playfield, for the better.
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Ottawa, ON
A new year and I am still watching for a head from a 1972 Fireball to make the body I bought last year into a viable project.
It does not have to be complete or pretty. Someone out there has a parts machine. PM if you are that person.
Fantastic
3 weeks later
I am still having a great time with Fireball. Some of the multi-balls are extremely short, but it is really fun when I can keep 3 balls in action for a while. My main strategies are these so far.
1. Get the skill shot. (A good skill shot will get me 4,000 points and the ball will roll into the blue mushroom bumper to close the zipper flippers).
2. Lock a ball as quickly as possible.
3. Get the skill shot again.
4. Release the ball as quickly as possible to get a few thousand more points.
5. Lock another ball or two as quickly as possible.
6. Get more skill shot points.
7. Keep the flippers closed as much as possible.
8. Keep shooting the ball to the right saucer and collecting points as the ball drops down and returns back to the flippers.
9. Release the fire gods captive ball target is always fun to nail real hard.
Am I missing any strategies?
I'm not sure I will ever get tired of this machine.
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