Quoted from LTG:

Are they using Titan silicone rings ?
https://www.titanpinball.com/
LTG : )

Quoted from pinballinreno:

Tool use is only a matter of experience.
If you can feed yourself with knife and fork, those are tools.
That being said, if you are alive and fed, you can use tools.
Go slow at first and be careful.
Get a set of quick clamps from harbor freight or home depot.
They are very handy.
Get paint stirring sticks for free form a paint store or home depot.
They are also very handy and you can break them up or cut them to size. They work good as shims under furnature etc.
And they are free.

Quoted from pinballinreno:

I have a couple clamped and a couple unclamped.
in a non-routed environment they haven't moved, for what its worth.

Quoted from wesman:

Would this work?
https://m.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps/6-in-quick-release-bar-clamp-62239.html
So does the clamp allow it to be pressed into the wood of the shooter rail more firmly? Does not clamping it allow it to jostle?
And I assume the Cliffy protects from the ball chipping away at the wood over time?

Quoted from PinMonk:

Not much precision required. I use one like this since it's quick on and quick off.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-Ratcheting-Bar-ClampSpreader-62123.html

Quoted from rosh:

The 18.12.12 release is now available for all to enjoy.
https://www.american-pinball.com/support/updates/
A ton of improvements and fixes in this release. If you were on one of the test releases you will want to update to this. Below are the release notes, possible I missed a few items along the way.
18.12.12
New — adjustment for right lock if it is having trouble releasing the ball to the scoop or if two balls are being released. The double release can occur if the machine is set very steep. This adjustment can also be used if you find that sometimes the ball does not feed to the scoop from the subway every time. If you need guidance on adjusting this, contact support.
New — high score will automatically exit after 30 seconds of no activity
Modified — The “Encore bonus”, awarded for performing all stage modes, now requires a shot to the stage, after the last stage mode ends, to collect the bonus. Added lights and sounds to the sequence.
Modified — adding a player now shows a score of 0 vs score being blank
Modified — elephant animations
Modified — pricing schemes
Modified — light show improvements throughout
Modified — pressing start during match sequence will start a new game, assuming credits or free play
Modified — bonus sequence wraps up faster on flipper escape
Modified — hit both flippers in attract will go to last scores screen
Modified — playfield lights turn on quicker after a trunk throw
Modified — various animation tweaks
Modified — Jail escapes will award at least 5K if completed
Modified — Trunk MB will now re-light jackpots once the ball reaches the VUK when super jackpot is lit, vs waiting until the super was awarded
Modified — the timer will no longer pause when the ball is going through catapult sequence if a multiball is active
Modified — Trunk Multiball super jackpot will be awarded even if ball misses both trunk and upper catapult
Modified — sequence of reporting a mission completion, extra ball and Houdini letter being earned when all three occur at the same time
Modified — Houdini letter voice calls
Modified — handling of Houdini letter for stage modes that end by draining
Fixed — In secret missions, behavior of lamps when it would show the next shot, when the previous shot was not fully completed.
Fixed — bug in Master Magician that could result in a reboot
Fixed — bug in master magician where it would both prompt for initials and continue on in game play for the last player, in certain multiplayer scenarios.
Fixed — Bullet catch not properly diverting the ball to trunk in some scenarios
Fixed — issue where the scoop would sometimes fire extra hard when doing things in service mode
Fixed — Elephant mode would score extra points on a ball drain
Fixed — issue with match not firing knocker for each match and in some cases not awarding more than one credit on multiple matches.
Fixed — issues with starting a new game by holding start button for a few seconds while a one player game is in progress. Also a setting added, that must be set to On for this feature to work, defaults to ‘Off’
Fixed — bug where count of multiplayer game in audits was being updated incorrectly, this change will correct existing data, but historical data may still not be 100% accurate
Fixed — after selecting an illusion during magicians choice, the displayed illusion would change if a flipper button was hit, the player would still get the selected illusion.
Fixed — Trunk MB sometimes being a four ball multiball when it should not be
Fixed — a trunk miss on Trunk MB super jackpot shot would put another ball into play
Fixed — bug that would crash system if king of cards timed out and no flipper was hit
Fixed — bug on Haldane where a spinner switch hit before the intro completed would cause a crash
Fixed — film master mystery was not awarding 10,000 points for starting it
Fixed —the ‘you have earned a Houdini letter’ would play more than once
Fixed — stage alley arrow being lit during séance MB for no reason
Fixed — fourth ball being put into play at start of séance if a ball was not ejecting cleanly from the scoop
Fixed — if a multiball was running and séance letters were hit the display would not properly show that, and if the spelling of séance was completed, any letters hit during the MB would not be displayed when the display would show séance multiball as being ready
Fixed — voice calls on ball save won’t repeat if the ball fails to make it to the shooter lane and falls back into the trough
Fixed — issues were master magician would start when other modes or items were still running. The player must finish any modes, escapes or multiballs that are in progress
Fixed — when earning a Houdini letter, sometimes only the letter would be seen, not the whole status screen
Fixed — return from beyond and escape death were allowing magic standup targets to still assist a paused stage or movie mode
Fixed — bug where visit to Escape Death would resume from where any previously failed attempt failed vs properly resetting things.
Fixed — bug where a left orbit shot was not awarding a hurry up when jail escapes set to easy
Fixed — lock 2 insert would not always turning off after MB runs
Fixed — bug where when in séance MB, shooting a ball to the trunk to start trunk MB, while also draining the other ball still in play, could result in the ball ending, not getting the trunk MB and not being able to get that MB for the rest of the game.
Fixed — bug where shots to the magic shop hole, depending on various game states and behavior of the subway switches, would put more than one ball back into play.
Fixed — bug on Master Mystery when using a flipper escape with halt sounds on flipper escape set to off, that could sometimes result in the mode not fully starting.

Quoted from rosh:

The 18.12.12 release is now available for all to enjoy.
https://www.american-pinball.com/support/updates/
A ton of improvements and fixes in this release. If you were on one of the test releases you will want to update to this. ...

Quoted from Osro:

1/4" is too small, 5/16" is too big,

Quoted from rosh:

The 18.12.12 release is now available for all to enjoy.
https://www.american-pinball.com/support/updates/
A ton of improvements and fixes in this release. If you were on one of the test releases you will want to update to this. Below are the release notes, possible I missed a few items along the way.
18.12.12
New — adjustment for right lock if it is having trouble releasing the ball to the scoop or if two balls are being released. The double release can occur if the machine is set very steep. This adjustment can also be used if you find that sometimes the ball does not feed to the scoop from the subway every time. If you need guidance on adjusting this, contact support.
New — high score will automatically exit after 30 seconds of no activity
Modified — The “Encore bonus”, awarded for performing all stage modes, now requires a shot to the stage, after the last stage mode ends, to collect the bonus. Added lights and sounds to the sequence.
Modified — adding a player now shows a score of 0 vs score being blank
Modified — elephant animations
Modified — pricing schemes
Modified — light show improvements throughout
Modified — pressing start during match sequence will start a new game, assuming credits or free play
Modified — bonus sequence wraps up faster on flipper escape
Modified — hit both flippers in attract will go to last scores screen
Modified — playfield lights turn on quicker after a trunk throw
Modified — various animation tweaks
Modified — Jail escapes will award at least 5K if completed
Modified — Trunk MB will now re-light jackpots once the ball reaches the VUK when super jackpot is lit, vs waiting until the super was awarded
Modified — the timer will no longer pause when the ball is going through catapult sequence if a multiball is active
Modified — Trunk Multiball super jackpot will be awarded even if ball misses both trunk and upper catapult
Modified — sequence of reporting a mission completion, extra ball and Houdini letter being earned when all three occur at the same time
Modified — Houdini letter voice calls
Modified — handling of Houdini letter for stage modes that end by draining
Fixed — In secret missions, behavior of lamps when it would show the next shot, when the previous shot was not fully completed.
Fixed — bug in Master Magician that could result in a reboot
Fixed — bug in master magician where it would both prompt for initials and continue on in game play for the last player, in certain multiplayer scenarios.
Fixed — Bullet catch not properly diverting the ball to trunk in some scenarios
Fixed — issue where the scoop would sometimes fire extra hard when doing things in service mode
Fixed — Elephant mode would score extra points on a ball drain
Fixed — issue with match not firing knocker for each match and in some cases not awarding more than one credit on multiple matches.
Fixed — issues with starting a new game by holding start button for a few seconds while a one player game is in progress. Also a setting added, that must be set to On for this feature to work, defaults to ‘Off’
Fixed — bug where count of multiplayer game in audits was being updated incorrectly, this change will correct existing data, but historical data may still not be 100% accurate
Fixed — after selecting an illusion during magicians choice, the displayed illusion would change if a flipper button was hit, the player would still get the selected illusion.
Fixed — Trunk MB sometimes being a four ball multiball when it should not be
Fixed — a trunk miss on Trunk MB super jackpot shot would put another ball into play
Fixed — bug that would crash system if king of cards timed out and no flipper was hit
Fixed — bug on Haldane where a spinner switch hit before the intro completed would cause a crash
Fixed — film master mystery was not awarding 10,000 points for starting it
Fixed —the ‘you have earned a Houdini letter’ would play more than once
Fixed — stage alley arrow being lit during séance MB for no reason
Fixed — fourth ball being put into play at start of séance if a ball was not ejecting cleanly from the scoop
Fixed — if a multiball was running and séance letters were hit the display would not properly show that, and if the spelling of séance was completed, any letters hit during the MB would not be displayed when the display would show séance multiball as being ready
Fixed — voice calls on ball save won’t repeat if the ball fails to make it to the shooter lane and falls back into the trough
Fixed — issues were master magician would start when other modes or items were still running. The player must finish any modes, escapes or multiballs that are in progress
Fixed — when earning a Houdini letter, sometimes only the letter would be seen, not the whole status screen
Fixed — return from beyond and escape death were allowing magic standup targets to still assist a paused stage or movie mode
Fixed — bug where visit to Escape Death would resume from where any previously failed attempt failed vs properly resetting things.
Fixed — bug where a left orbit shot was not awarding a hurry up when jail escapes set to easy
Fixed — lock 2 insert would not always turning off after MB runs
Fixed — bug where when in séance MB, shooting a ball to the trunk to start trunk MB, while also draining the other ball still in play, could result in the ball ending, not getting the trunk MB and not being able to get that MB for the rest of the game.
Fixed — bug where shots to the magic shop hole, depending on various game states and behavior of the subway switches, would put more than one ball back into play.
Fixed — bug on Master Mystery when using a flipper escape with halt sounds on flipper escape set to off, that could sometimes result in the mode not fully starting.

Quoted from LTG:

I'd try a 9/32nds nut driver.
LTG : )

Quoted from John_I:

I like that the old settings including the coil strengths are saved and still there.

Quoted from wesman:

Would you need one of these for installing plastic protectors, I'm guessing?

Quoted from LTG:

I'm sorry, I don't have a game to check.
I suggested the 9/32nds nut driver because it is between a 1/4 that the poster said was too small and the 5/16ths that the poster said was too large.
Locknuts you usually run into are 5/16ths ( smaller ) or 11/32nds ( larger like on a lot of later Williams pins ).
I don't know if the poster is correct, if American Pinball used that size, or if an odd locknut got mixed into what American Pinball normally uses.
LTG : )

Quoted from mbwalker:

A sidebar question about the plastic:

Quoted from zahner:

My idea of a cool feature for a home use pinball is a game save feature - like in a PS2 video game. Say you are on ball 2 and you get the fourth call to dinner but this is now an epic game - you are this close to the best game ever. So rather than having to pick either finishing the game or getting a divorce, it would be great to be able to activate [maybe hold the left flipper and the start button or something] a feature that when ball two finally drains, the game stops and your epic game is saved as an option when you return. On your return you are given the option of the saved game or a new game. If you chose the saved game, your score and achievements are retrieved and you start on ball 3 and finish the game. Well...? Been done? If not, a new pinball innovation for American Pinball Inc? No one can say it's sick - we spent $7K on a pinball machine, that's pretty sick to begin with.

Quoted from LTG:

I'm sorry, I don't have a game to check.
I suggested the 9/32nds nut driver because it is between a 1/4 that the poster said was too small and the 5/16ths that the poster said was too large.
Locknuts you usually run into are 5/16ths ( smaller ) or 11/32nds ( larger like on a lot of later Williams pins ).
I don't know if the poster is correct, if American Pinball used that size, or if an odd locknut got mixed into what American Pinball normally uses.
LTG : )

Quoted from PinMonk:

Had a ball get stuck UNDER the upper catapult (resting on the coil below) again tonight. Not sure how it's happening, but that's twice now. It's rare, but irritating when it happens.

Quoted from Osro:

What are y'all using to remove the nuts that hold down the play field pieces? 1/4" is too small, 5/16" is too big, 8mm is too small and 9mm would probably do it, but it feels loose. I checked with my digital caliper and they come out to 1/3" or 8.5mm. Is there some standardized pinball nut driver that I'm not aware of? I'm trying to install my cliffy set and am getting stumped at what I thought would be the easiest part...
p.s. I'm sure this has been covered, but I searching came up with nothing, so my apologies for the duplication.
[quoted image]

Quoted from LTG:

I'm sorry, I don't have a game to check.
I suggested the 9/32nds nut driver because it is between a 1/4 that the poster said was too small and the 5/16ths that the poster said was too large.
Locknuts you usually run into are 5/16ths ( smaller ) or 11/32nds ( larger like on a lot of later Williams pins ).
I don't know if the poster is correct, if American Pinball used that size, or if an odd locknut got mixed into what American Pinball normally uses.
LTG : )

Quoted from Osro:

What are y'all using to remove the nuts that hold down the play field pieces? 1/4" is too small, 5/16" is too big, 8mm is too small and 9mm would probably do it, but it feels loose. I checked with my digital caliper and they come out to 1/3" or 8.5mm. Is there some standardized pinball nut driver that I'm not aware of? I'm trying to install my cliffy set and am getting stumped at what I thought would be the easiest part...
p.s. I'm sure this has been covered, but I searching came up with nothing, so my apologies for the duplication.
[quoted image]

Quoted from Osro:

What are y'all using to remove the nuts that hold down the play field pieces?

Quoted from Jgaltr56:

Flipper topper

Quoted from wesman:

Would this work?
https://m.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps/6-in-quick-release-bar-clamp-62239.html
So does the clamp allow it to be pressed into the wood of the shooter rail more firmly? Does not clamping it allow it to jostle?
And I assume the Cliffy protects from the ball chipping away at the wood over time?

Quoted from CUJO:

I've been noticing the ball hopping in front of the left sling the last few games.
On close inspection of that playfield area, I found this tiny plastic piece adhered to the playfield just to the right of the left sling (by the playfield lock graphic).
It was stuck there by some type of glue on the backside and needed to be pulled off the playfield with care.
I've looked in the high impact areas and haven't found where this broke off from yet.
Any ideas?
[quoted image]

Quoted from Jgaltr56:

Flipper topper

Quoted from pinballinreno:

I read a couple posts back that I can backup my settings and restore them.
This is great!
How exactly is this done?

Quoted from rosh:

Go to settings, and navigate to the settings mini-icon and hit the start button or enter. This where you can install pre-sets, but you will see options in the second column (I believe) to save and import settings. When saving the copy of the settings it is stored locally on the hard drive. So, save it, change things for your event or whatever, then go back and import them.
Settings can also be exported off the machine and re-imported. In theory an operator could set up the settings they want and then apply it to multiple machines at different locations. Anytime you pull logs, it also pulls a copy of your current settings. These can then be re-installed by changing the name of the desired file to settings.yaml, and then pulling logs again, but in this case, it will then replace any saved settings with these settings (so you can only have one saved set on the system at a time). You can then go back to the settings page and import those. HOWEVER, messing up the settings file and re-importing it, can hose up your machine big time, so, not something you should be doing unless you have a real need to do so.

Quoted from PhantomO:

I bought a set as a backup, though mine haven't broken in 300 games.

Quoted from Ockeyhead:

What does FAT32 mean

Quoted from Ockeyhead:

am I able to install successfully w/ a 16GB USB?

Quoted from Ockeyhead:

What does FAT32 mean

Quoted from rosh:

When I first heard that most games lose settings, including pricing, when updating I didn't believe it. What I have heard, is that some operators don't update code on their machines, since they don't want to set back up pricing, etc. I guess it is possible that we could have some update that would for some reason require that, but we already have support for saving settings to a usb stick and then re-importing them, so hopefully that would minimize the pain.
As a side note, you can also just save your settings on the machine and then restore them back. So for example if you decided to change a bunch of settings, for a party or league event, you could first save your current settings, switch over for the event, and then load your original settings back.

Quoted from angus:

Seems to me like the release notes and website where it tells you how to install an update should include instructions on how to save and restore your settings. I think that would go a long way towards making people comfortable to doing the update. Since it isn't mentioned in those notes that it is even possible you aren't making people aware that they could do it. I know with our software, new features don't get used very quickly unless we pop up windows to tout them. Just having them documented isn't enough. I know I would like to see the notes revised with the proper steps included in them so I don't have to hunt for them every time I do an update.

Quoted from angus:

Seems to me like the release notes and website where it tells you how to install an update should include instructions on how to save and restore your settings.

Quoted from pinballinreno:

It would be way cool if settings backup and restore was a built in, easy to use application, that one would just follow the prompts and be done with it.

Quoted from kdecgp:

Is the scorewheel scrolling animation new or did I just not notice it before.

Quoted from bobukcat:

I played a Houdini on location last night and it was horrible, the flippers had to have been set to maximum so any missed shot turned into an airborne missile that was uncontrollable. This is in a place with really well maintained games but it was way too busy to be able to tell anyone about it. I can see people saying the game sucks or is too hard (no problems making the ramp if on target though!) if this is their only experience with the game. I've no idea how long its been on route but there is also considerable wear to the wood on the scoop eject.

Quoted from rosh:

Maybe I am mis-understanding, but since settings don't get touched on an update, there is little need to do this, and would just add more steps/confusion to the update process. It would make sense to re-inforce that settings will not be changed during the update as part of the instructions.
The actual process to do the save and restore is quite simple to do, you can check out by just going to service menu ->settings->settings and trying the save and install options.
Main benefit at this point, is being able to save them before changing for an event, party, guests, etc. and then being able to go back to how you had them.

Not sure which part of it you are referring to (the flipping numbers or the status stuff at the bottom or the commas or the . . .), but nothing has changed on the main score screen for a long, long time.

Quoted from bobukcat:

I played a Houdini on location last night and it was horrible, the flippers had to have been set to maximum so any missed shot turned into an airborne missile that was uncontrollable. This is in a place with really well maintained games but it was way too busy to be able to tell anyone about it. I can see people saying the game sucks or is too hard (no problems making the ramp if on target though!) if this is their only experience with the game. I've no idea how long its been on route but there is also considerable wear to the wood on the scoop eject.

Quoted from JimFNB:

On the topic of Houdini on route, I’ll give a huge shout out to Mom’s Organic Market in College Park MD. Imamaculately maintained with great flippers, dialed in overall just right — even the trunk launch never failed in the many games I put on it.
Loved it, more than their late model Sterns, TNA, and DI. Made me go and buy my own Houdini for home.