not crazy.. it might be worth it however to just locate a local plastic fabricator, for 1-200 bucks you could get it done. make a few of em (the inital set up costs but not replica units as much) then sell a few to even the funds..

unless your looking to just "get into it" cheaper to let the pro's pop it out for you.

Wouldn't you need access to a perfect, non-broken one to make the mold?

http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/6337010/pinrepair.com_Pinball_Machine_Repair_Guides___And_other_misc_Pin

Great instructions here.

no, as long as you have the basic stuff there cracks and "missing chips" are easily corrected.

I keep saying I'm going to build a vacuum former (not hard, just have get the motivation to do so). Then it's a matter of forming the void to form around.

Essentially, imagine your trying to create a bucket. The water filling the bucket would be the void, the bucket would be your part. That means if your trying to recreate a broken ramp, you would have to fill the ramp in with something (plaster of paris perhaps), then mount that to a flat piece. You can see a vacuum form on that new UK pinball company.

If only there was some way to re-purpose one of these ...

Mold-A-Rama.jpg

I can't remember if this is a forum member's photos, but here's a helpful tutorial:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49092976@N02/4752663011/in/set-72157624277035349/

I remeber a zoo I went to as a kid a few times had one like that. You dropped 25 cents-$1 and got a freshly molded plastic zoo animal.

That link is terrific, I've a neighbor who does powercoating in his garage and has a large oven. I could easily get a frame setup so all I'd need to do is heat the plastic and bam! What a great idea!

If you guys need vac forming done I have a vac former. It has a bed size of 21x30 so there is about 18x27in of room to form on it.

LMK

It has been great for proto WOZ parts

There are people who collect those machines and the molds that go in them.

Too small of a mold for most pinball parts, but could probably be adapted.

Injection molds used to be big $$$$$, but now that everyone and their brother has a CNC mill in their garage....

vacuum forming is fun. i don't know how large your ramp is, but if it's not too big, and you can make a mold, it's do-able. instructions here:
http://www.pinrepair.com/vacuum

The ninja has spoken

I work in a plastic injection molding plant only wish we made pinball parts. I really wouldn't wana know how much it would be to get a mold made and then run it. I know it must be expensive by how much I get paid they make good profits.