Yeah, it's been there since the beginning. It got half-fixed last Summer so the lid doesn't rapidly open and close, but the sound effect still restarts over and over if you "cancel" with both flippers.

Not basing my decision on anything other than I liked the game when I played it! I just wanted to know what, if any, known issues were out there so I know what to look for or ask. Unfortunately the machine I was looking to get sold so I am looking for one in the Santa Barbara area if anyone has one!!!

Thanks for the post!

Got my lock switches in record time!

API is amazing!

Thanks so much BarryJ and team!

Are any Houdiniphiles attending the Texas Pinball Festival next month? I got tickets today. Never been...

I am thinking of it, trying to coordinate with the Tesla powerwall training I have to do down there. I missed my Caribbean sailing trip this winter and would love to get out of this fricken icebox.

I'm definitely an American Pinball fan.

Time of your life.

I'll be around the CGC games, Pin-Port booth, and JJP games.

LTG : )

Pinballgoddess and I will be there!

It will be awsome to see you there Lloyd.
I also very much look forward to seeing Barry and Oktoberfest, it looks amazing!

We love TPF, its a great way to get out of the cold for a weekend, eat BBQ, play pinball, see old friends and make new ones.

TPF has become the greatest pinball show in the country, a must see in my opinion.

One thing you don't need to worry about is customer support. Barry J and Dhaval V. have been top notch in my book for a couple of hiccups I've had.

About the 8K posts, it's kinda neat going thru some of the early ones, seeing how the pin evolved from early concepts to final product.

Got my Sorbothane today....
Its really weird stuff, but looks like it will work.
Hopefully better than neoprene foam? Who knows. A ball dropped onto a pine block stopped dead in its tracks from 2 feet.

I did find 18" 45 durometer neoprene foam at home depot. Its readily available and might also work.

Im just waiting for my adhesive tape from pinrestore.com to install it.

I see a ball strike line on the right wall and the rear wall of the stage.

Im wondering if I should do the right side and the rear?

Or just the rear.

I ran a bunch of tests last night at elevated flipper powers.
The bounce outs most notably came from the rear.

Any thought on height placement (i.e. center of where ball hits, or maybe slightly high to help with a little deflection downward)?

I haven't noticed this before, but when all seance targets have been hit and seance multiball is waitong to start, I dont hear any bricking sounds when I hit the seance targets. It comes back after activating mutli all. Can anyone confirm this is normal? I have tje latest release.

I was just going to cut a square to fit the back and lean it in.

Then press it down firmly.
If I have to, I can do the same for the left side.

Got the adhesive tape today.

Will probably work on it tomorrow morning.

The goal is to raise flipper power up a bit to make easier ramp shots, while not getting stage rejects and horrible air balls off the standups.

I'm at 23 flipper power now, so 25-27 should make it up the ramp better.

Does anything work to remove black ball tracks on steel rails/ball guides? I tried mineral spirits without success?

Small squares of red scotchbright pads to slowly sand them out.

Take care to not scratch the playfield surface.

Use masking tape on the playfield to protect the area you are scrubbing.

Only go in one direction to re-grain in long straight lines.

Or ignore them until a complete tear down for maintenance.

Ball tracks in flat rails are normal.

Naptha will remove the black but the wear line will remain.

Novus 2 or 3 can also help scrub if you dont want to use the more aggressive scotchbright pads.

Mean Green and gentle use of Scotch-Brite pad

Is it actually black ON the steel guide, or is the the wear line from the ball grinding on it?

Well, if not black, it is at least grimey colored, not a polished wear track

20190210_142226 (resized).jpg

Looks normal.

Just clean it with teflon rated green scrubby or a rough cloth and a little naptha.

Go all over the game and clean off black dust.

Check and clean flippers and coil sleeves they are responsible for pumping in most of the dust.

Change balls every 350-500 plays etc...

Looks like ball wear. Stamped stainless rails have a grain that the ball grinds off where it makes rolling contact with the rail. You can re-grain it, but when it comes time, I usually just polish them out to give the rail a mirror finish, which lasts a lot longer before more ball trails show up. But re-graining or polishing them out is a hassle. Just enjoy the game.

For reference, here's a polished guide from a ToM I did:
polished-guide (resized).jpg

Will do, thanks!

That mirror finish is sweet!

It's much more resistant to ball trails, but polishing all the guides is a pain in the butt. I only do it on machines I do a full teardown on. I don't understand people that sand the guides to put the grain back on it. The grain is only there because it's cheap stainless, and the grain makes ball trails happen much sooner. If you're going to rehab the guides, polish them out with a wheel.

Likely time to replace some balls...these holding up ok? Nice and shinny?

I just bought 100 from this guy.
Great price right now

ebay.com link: 25 1 1 16 Inch Mirror Finish Carbon Steel Replacement Pinball Machine Pinballs

I had used the PBL balls and now have probably 300 plays on them. had them out today and they still look very good. I am ordering some of those ebay balls.

The question is what do you do with old balls?

Defeating stage bounce-out is an interesting experiment. I tried felt on the milkcan shot, but it didnt help much. But I wouldnt want every stage shot to stay in. Part of the fun is when you get the shot just right. In my POTO machine, there is a 4 inch gobble hole, and the ball bounces back off a deflector more often than it goes in, which is part of the game challenge.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1013-kahrus-circuits/01400-pinball-pyramid-bracket

I hand them out as souvenirs at parties to kids.

I have tons, so these days I throw them out mostly, save a few for tests.

I put them in a tabletop gum ball machine. Looks pretty cool when you get a bunch in there. It’s a nice game room piece.

Sorbothane update:

It did not perform as expected.

As with most things it did not live up to the hype...not a huge surprise but disappointing.

Its neat stuff but does not absorb inertia as good as they claim.

In a plus note, I installed a piece of mechanics toolbox liner.

The thick stuff that's kinda fabricky and rubbery.

Its bounce absorbing, so that sockets and small tools dont bounce out of your toolbox.

It's made to work on steel boxes, the stage is a similar material.

Installed with 467mp tape.
I was pleasantly surprised how well the toolbox liner is working.

Stage rejects are reduced 50% or more at flipper power of 22 and 23. Less at flipper power of 24.

At flipper power 23 the ramp is more makeable than at 22.

So the goal right now is to further reduce bounceouts at flipper power 23.

Flipper power 25 with the power supply upgrade, and the extra power it has available, is uncontrollable. Too many extreme airballs off the standups.

So far I'm very happy with the toolbox liner.

It's not perfect but it's much improved.

I'll try some other materials coming up and keep you posted.

I really am interested in the 3DO stuff, I'll try to get some.

One thing that's solved is bounce outs from the pops.

I have them up a little for more action. So far no bounce outs from there. And no bounce outs from the right flipper.

So, it's getting there slowly.

I always thought this was cool

Heck yeah!!...third year in a row...you won't be disappointed. Lots of Pinball, Vendors, and people to meet...outstanding venue.

I'll be there. Be sure to come check out our seminar.

Problem solved indeed! What a cool video.

Some trivia:

Steel balls bounce higher than rubber balls when bounced off of a steel plate.
Glass balls bounce even higher if they dont break.

This has to do with the surface tension of crystalline matrices ie: high carbon steel. If you flex the surface or the whole ball, they bounce back hard!

Just had an impromptu physics class from one of my PhD customers.

I have now been told that one has to consider the overall bounciness of steel balls.

An insulator that not only absorbs energy, but keeps the surface of the ball from flexing, is what is needed, in a thin less than 1/4" thickness.

The more you know...

The hunt is still on.

Definitely. Looking forward to shooting the beer barrel and corkscrew!

So what you are saying is we need rubber balls.

Received my straightjacket and torture cell mods from Hooked on Pinball today. The jacket is very detailed and the colors have a great period look. It is shiny like leather rather than dull like canvas. The cell has maybe 100 rivets, each one raised and painted. It gleams like an expensive jewel case, even without lighting. The only thing it lacks is water, but maybe that would cause problems?

20190211_204739 (resized).jpg20190211_202404 (resized).jpg20190211_203201 (resized).jpg20190211_202719 (resized).jpg20190211_203211 (resized).jpg

Cool. I will wear my Houdini work shirt Friday. Maybe Saturday too.

I received an email that these were back in stock and you could combine the two for a discount? Is that true?
Also....forgive me but, why is the mod couple water tank mod so much cheaper?? Just asking.

double post

Yes they are in stock as of last week, and you save $10 buy getting both. I dont know the details on the mod couple tank, but it shows out of stock.

Someone help me out with a measurement please? Need to know, for transportation purposes, what the height of Houdini is with the backbox down and legs off. Want to see if I buy one if it will fit in my vehicle. Also, if you would, give measurement of the highest point of the main cabinet itself in case I have to take the backbox off. THANKS

All mods including Erics amazing brass signs for Houdini Are in stock from our website store. Thanks

www.TheModCouplePinball.com

I still say you should try the 1/4" foam I suggested earlier. Houdini is not the only game that has needed to stop a ball dead in its tracks and that foam works perfectly and already has adhesive backing. The key is its durometer. It absorbs the impact but does not rebound it. Then it mends its shape back to original. If you'd like to try a piece (no charge) just shoot me a PM and I can send you a piece.

What vehicle do you have?

Sorry to be so inquisitive....is your mod similar to hooked? Your website has very small pictures that are difficult to see

The concept is very similar and we have been making and selling these for close to a year. As a simple lit box hidden in the back of the Playfield that is not interactive we opted to go with a simple more affordable design that would complete the look. Either option will look good depending on your taste for investment. If you view the photo gallery from this thread there are Several photos in large scale for your consideration. Most all Hoidini mods are discounted or grouped from our website store. Thanks.

1/4" might fit!
There is not a lot of room there.
I was thinking 1/8" but due to the nature of this, it may not be possible to go that thin.

It's not like the game needs a ton more kick as far as power, just slightly more to make effective ramp shots.

My game plays wonderfully but I want to bring the ramp into play more often and easier.

But this comes at the expense of stage rejects.

I'll PM you, thank you so much for your kind offer! A 2" square is plenty to make a couple pieces to test out.

I think 40-45 durometer shore A would work.

Without dropping the back box, I figure the height to be 30" without back box it is 25"