www.adafruit.com. All the EL goodies there.....have some stuff ready for when my IM metal rails and hinges back from powder!!!!!!

Umm...I can give you tips on how I've done it....pm, if you'd like....biggest tip: careful how you route the wires from the rails into the cabinet ....a guy I know had a small short on the right rail....EL worked, but would shock the shit out him every time he leaned over rail to work in cab w power on ( didn't kill me but definitely gets your attention)......

Hopefully, the EL tape on the adafruit site will work....you can trigger and supply the 12v w the pig2, but still need the inverters....

Looks like the strips on the site might be long enough, but not very wide.....I'd shoot them an email ...they make all kinds of weird stuff.....

My TRONLE has chrome rails, and the EL looks awesome!!! a very rich, glowing effect, that stands out well. We will see how it does behind the candy apple in my IMVE.....

I've actually got EL under my semi translucent instruction cards...looks pretty cool, but no, you can't run it through a printer ( to my knowledge)....

No groveling needed, just wasn't sure what info you wanted....Ill be happy to post pics once I get my metal works IM rails back from the powder shop on how I do it.....not really complicated, just time consuming to a degree.

Hopefully my rails get back in a week or so, and the documentary shall begin.....

I just do this as a hobby for me, and don't sell anything...apologize if I came off as standoffish....not my intent at all...I've just gotten used to dealing w the stuff from having to dick around w my TRONLE for a couple years now....

As Flank said...DON'T SELL TRON!!!

I've been dealing w Mike for a bit as my PIG2 has definitely developed some weirdness ....Mike's a great guy ( from our emails) and just think there may be a bump in the road....I admire him for helping our hobby, and hope he figures out some of the wonky behavior.....

No way you would want to run the EL ( hot side) through the PIG, regardless.....

You have to use both 12v and 5v for the PIG to work ( 5v for " brain" and 12v for the rest) I modified a PC power supply to drive mine...

Suspect the 12v out would probably work for the inverter, but the output side would fry it....

Yes, black behind EL looks best.....I'll post pics of my TRONLE tonight, but can't show how assembly until I get my IM rails back from powder (not taking my TRON back apart)

btw.....you put the EL paper right to the holes in the rails hinges, then secure w simple, black gaffers tape. The trick is it has to be very thin, and wire has to be routed carefully along inside of the rail (taped) so everything fits nice and wire goes down through a groove at back of cab and backbox. Hinges are pretty easy to do this.

Take your time when you cut the EL paper (clean cut), making sure the power connector is still involved in the shape

The inverters get warm (not hot), but you want to mount (velcro works) inside the bottom of the cab, not physically touching anything else....sometimes they make a high pitched noise, but you won't hear it w machine on.....current draw depends on how big the sheets (or strips) are.....

All of this info is readily available info @ adafruit.com

I found in the past the cheap stuff on ebay dims quicker than their stuff (wasted $100 on ebay for a Moe's sign in my newbie days). And yes...ALL EL eventually dims, but you can get years out of a home use machine before it get's too noticable (my instruction cards are do for a change, but I want to get IM done first)

You got it Buddy!!!!....anxious to get back up to your place later this spring.....(my name is still Mark though).....

Spot on!!! I was actually able to slot my channel and run both my rails and hinges for TRONLE up at the backbox. I think w IM (big sheet down at the flipper area) I'll have to sneak in there......The kit I bought has the bigger inverter (claims it can run two panels w one) so I bought a splitter.....we will see......

oops....secret/ secret!!!!

if someone would only do orange!!!! that color seems to be a bitch all the way around (including led's)....

I can shoot those tonight...will be a bit late.....

Yes....apologize ...I'm in a soccer tournament w m Son this weekend, and will post when I get back tomorrow .....a very subtly, but cool upfit....

No worries Buddy.....you're the man!!! Absolutely nothing like a cool drive inn w pinball!!!

Here's a couple of pics ( grainy, on my iPad):

1st is with the white el paper only
2nd is with translucent photo put on top of it

Effect is subtle, but pretty cool, because they kind of " glow" without interfering w other aspects of lighting....have some new white sheets coming, as these have dulled a bit

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I'm gonna have some extra aqua left over when I'm done w my IM, so I might swap to see if it looks better than white...

Alright...my badass powdered IM rails came in today...I'll post pics and some detail stuff when this bad boy goes together over the next couple of days.....

Mapped it out tonight....hinges will be easy, but the rails are going to be a bitch.....

Here we go.....note...apron not done yet....there will be EL emblem on it, as well......Ill post a few pics w notes, and a couple of " finished" shots.....keep in mind it's Saturday , and already into the Crown Royal....

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First, this applies to IM w pin metal aprons...concept the same, but application will vary a bit....first, pics of the candied armor:

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Hinge first..note EL paper location, and how it was cut and mounted:

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Biggest thing to remember here...wire MUST go behind plastic glass guard or it will pinch and short...you can cut the paper anyway you like provided it is a continuos shape, AND the 2 leads are attached...in this case, I actually folded the leads back, to route properly.

Once you get the wire cleanly behind the plastic, use black gaff tape to attach wire to underside of backbox, so it disappears

Paper around the flipper button was an absolute bitch....take your time...I removed the flipper button, then used a punch to create the hole for the flipper shroud. It's a press fit, so again, easy does it ( you can't drill this stuff easily as it tries to twist)

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Now the wire...I channeled a groove so the wire would be COMPLETELY BELOW the glass channel and potential lockdown bar issues, fit the wire, and epoxied in place....may seem extreme, but if that wire doesn't stay down....big trouble....best news w both these wire ways...no cabinet drilling was required.

Once the epoxy dried, used gaffers tape to keep wire tight in inside corners of machine...turned out real clean and pretty much bulletproof

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The rest is pretty straight ahead...I mounted inverters close to each panel. ( decided to use one for each, but one will drive 2 panels if you have extension cables). Hard wired a separate , switching 12v supply to drive....these things don't use much power, but I have other mods.......

Can take a picture of the inside of cab if needed, but pretty standard, wire way stuff...inverters get warm, so keep them away from other stuff.

On # 4 now...so no more serious stuff...and no way in hell am I selling it now.......Ill post a pic of badass double whiplash el that Hooked custom built for me tomorrow.....guarding the couch right now.....

Oh, if you're wondering, I've got red pulsing bright buttons in the middle of the EL stuff...pic looks like shit ( Flank has documented my crappy picture taking skills), but in person...whoa!!!

Ha....I have them in separate rooms....TRON not sure how to take this, but she's knows it's over there and badass....what's the minimum recommended distance to separate these games?

The pins holding the rails are being candied too, btw, and I'll need to add 2 screws to the big freakin lollipop...going gold w those...

My buddy told me I should put them side by side...had to ask him to leave, as he obviously didn't understand...I've got 10 feet and a door between them....hope it's enough....

Started out as a great machine to start my madness!!!!...