Freeplay40 Ramps

Quoted from Snux:
The Batman ramps look like green plastic from all the pictures I can see. I found (but never tried) that you can dye PETG.
» YouTube video
http://www.tk560.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=3459
Looks kinda fiddly, but might be worth experimenting on some scrap pieces if you have any.

God knows I have plenty of scraps! I think I'll try it sooner than later to see how it looks as well as how it will hold up. Maybe place one outside in the sun...wait...I live in Seattle so I won't see the sun for a while. Sounds like a good secondary use for my turkey fryer!

#52 8 years ago

NPS

floyd1977

Pinside+ Frequent

Schererville, IN

11y 78,550 1,719 7

OP
Quoted from Freeplay40:
Next up will be Pinbot. Ramp in clear and transparent blue, upper playfield cover in clear and new helmet cover in black or blue or clear.

Could you provide some detail on Pinbot? The original ramp had large decals in the corners, and I don't know that the original decals would survive being transferred, or maybe the idea is that you just wouldn't have decals?

What exactly are you referring to when you say "upper playfield cover"?

Finally, by "new helmet cover", are you referring to the visor that lifts up when the target bank lowers?

Thanks! I bought one of your High Speed ramps and it was fantastic.

#53 8 years ago

LEE

Leeb18509

Pinside member

Farmington, UT

12y 76,550 2,113 5

Also very interested in Pinbot replacements!

#54 8 years ago

PNX

xeneize

Pinside+ Frequent

11y 104K 1,418

+1 for Jokerz, Mark!

#55 8 years ago

tandem2

Pinside member

10y 41,300 255

I'd be in for a couple WhoDunnit center ramps. Great work Mark!

Jody

#56 8 years ago

NDW

boris_37

Inactive member

Calgary, AB

11y 30,400 285

Why are we distracting him from F-14? Guys stop it. We have F-14 repro playfields on the horizon, I want my F-14 ramp first! lol

#57 8 years ago

SMK

Sethman

Pinside+ Frequent

10y 118K 1,449 17 2

but what about Dr. Dude ramps?

#58 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Quoted from floyd1977:
Could you provide some detail on Pinbot? The original ramp had large decals in the corners, and I don't know that the original decals would survive being transferred, or maybe the idea is that you just wouldn't have decals?
What exactly are you referring to when you say "upper playfield cover"?
Finally, by "new helmet cover", are you referring to the visor that lifts up when the target bank lowers?
Thanks! I bought one of your High Speed ramps and it was fantastic.

I'll clarify what I am planning to provide with Pinbot when I dismantle it.

#59 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Quoted from boris_37:
Why are we distracting him from F-14? Guys stop it. We have F-14 repro playfields on the horizon, I want my F-14 ramp first! lol

I'm already working on the mold for F-14!

Quoted from floyd1977:Could you provide some detail on Pinbot? The original ramp had large decals in the corners, and I don't know that the original decals would survive being transferred, or maybe the idea is that you just wouldn't have decals?
What exactly are you referring to when you say "upper playfield cover"?
Finally, by "new helmet cover", are you referring to the visor that lifts up when the target bank lowers?
Thanks! I bought one of your High Speed ramps and it was fantastic.

As far as the decals are concerned, PPS has provided them in the past but currently shows out of stock. I sent him a message asking if he would reproduce and he has not responded yet. The decals are certainly "licensed" material/artwork and we will need Rick to provide those.

#60 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Quoted from volkdrive:
Any chance of Grand Lizard in green or red maybe?

Grand Lizard is definitely on my near term radar...Love to replace those black ramps! We could certainly do them in clear, but I think this one might be a good candidate for transparent green. Would be acrylic, but with ramp protectors I think it would work fine.

#61 8 years ago

PNX

xeneize

Pinside+ Frequent

11y 104K 1,418

Mark, let's talk something a little more challenging...what about a Grand Lizard head sculpt?

There it is...The gauntlet has been thrown down!

#62 8 years ago

PBP

PopBumperPete

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 103K 4,039 8

Pinbot topper would be nice

#63 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Quoted from xeneize:
Mark, let's talk something a little more challenging...what about a Grand Lizard head sculpt?
There it is...The gauntlet has been thrown down!

Haha. An artist I am not. If someone was to sculpt something that I could convert to a mold, who knows... Expect most on here will say...STICK TO RAMPS!

#64 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Quoted from PopBumperPete:
Pinbot topper would be nice

I thought the Pinbot topper was already available out there. If not, when I upgrade my heating source I could do it.

#65 8 years ago

BIL

NinJaBooT

Pinside member

12y 114K 2,777

Freeplay does great work! I know a guy who knows a guy that has a Robocop that desperately needs new ramps.

#66 8 years ago

PNX

xeneize

Pinside+ Frequent

11y 104K 1,418

So, Freeplay - all jokes aside... most of the GL lizard heads are cracked and/or missing the mounting tabs.

Would it be feasible to take a mold of a good original and produce it (obviously sold unpainted)? We have plenty of artists here, who could be commissioned by those who don't feel comfortable painting their own...

No one has ever reproduced THAT part and they'd sell like hotcakes! (OK, that might be a SLIGHT exaggeration, but I know a guy who knows a guy who would definitely be in for one!)

#67 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pinbot-topper-group-buy

I'm afraid there would be licensing issues with that. When I decide to set up for the GL ramps, I will contact PPS to see what we can work out.

#68 8 years ago

MPS

Msch

Inactive member

9y 47,050 1,273 16

Plus one for a rollergames ramp

#69 8 years ago

eh97ac

Pinside member

Toronto, ON

12y 47,800 896 3

Special Force - in Green

#70 8 years ago

MJS

Snux

Pinside member

Maidstone

11y 58,300 703 3

OP
Quoted from Freeplay40:
I thought the Pinbot topper was already available out there.

Someone did make a run of these, but they sold out....

#71 8 years ago

BMH

BMHouze

Pinside+ Frequent

Delhi, ON

10y 72,300 1,423 2 7

Checkpoint
I have been waiting a long time for a good ramp. I realize the size of this one will be challenging but the lack of ramps for so long could really net a decent mark up after you give me a cheap one

#72 8 years ago

PBP

PopBumperPete

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 103K 4,039 8

add this to your long list;
Strange Science
the clear main ram had a small run by pinball inc

but the Atom smasher cover and the blue scoop were not done
I am sure these would sell by the 10's

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19554

#73 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Quoted from Drano:
For something a little more popular, I seem to recall that the left (Ferris Wheel) ramp on Cyclone was impossible to find.

Can you measure the length of that ramp for me?

#74 8 years ago

ADY

Adydar

Pinside member

10y 39,150 171 4 24

Seems to me that pretty much any of the Hook ramps are impossible to find.

#75 8 years ago

AJA

Drano

Pinside member

Mississauga, ON

12y 110K 3,840 14 60

OP
Quoted from Freeplay40:
Can you measure the length of that ramp for me?

I could, but the game is currently stored offsite awaiting a total redo
I'll see what I can do.

#76 8 years ago

BIL

dothedoo

Pinside member

12y 106K 7,265

Quoted from PopBumperPete:
add this to your long list;
Strange Science
the clear main ram had a small run by pinball inc
but the Atom smasher cover and the blue scoop were not done
I am sure these would sell by the 10's
http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19554

I'd be in for the pair.

#77 8 years ago

SRT

TheOnlyest

Pinside member

8y 60,550 1,783 12

My new favorite thread! As we have already discussed... I'm definitely in for a full set of Hurricane ramps, and the Pinbot clear blue ramp.

#78 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Haven't forgotten you. I think that the Hurricane set will likely be the first longs ones I do....as soon as I get to the upgrade on the heat source....But had a lot of orders this week... Planets must be aligned.

#79 8 years ago

JEF

jrockne

Pinside member

18y 70,550 603 10

I'd love to see a whirlpool ramp for my Black Rose. Can't find those things anywhere...

#80 8 years ago

SRT

TheOnlyest

Pinside member

8y 60,550 1,783 12

OP
Quoted from Freeplay40:
Haven't forgotten you. I think that the Hurricane set will likely be the first longs ones I do....as soon as I get to the upgrade on the heat source....But had a lot of orders this week... Planets must be aligned.

No worries my friend, I am waiting patiently.

#81 8 years ago

RJP

Patofnaud

Pinside member

Tilton, NH

11y 67,150 3,621 7

Quoted from Adydar:
Seems to me that pretty much any of the Hook ramps are impossible to find.

Windcoaster!!!

#82 8 years ago

CRD

chad

Game Guy

11y 140K 15,202 9 4

Quoted from spiroagnew:
Transporter the Rescue crossover ramp and/or whirlpool bowl. The ones that are nearly always yellowed and melted from the inset flasher. It's a different material than traditional ramps but any attempt at a repro would be welcome!

Put me down for a couple sets of these!!

#83 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

OK.. The first run of the Heavy Metal Meltdown ramp set shipped yesterday. I'm going to do one more run on these and then likely retire them for a while so that I can focus on new ramps as well as updating my machines for longer stuff. That said, I am going to accept orders for these through Sunday February 14th. I will send an email to the remaining folks that indicated interest.

Thanks!...Mark

#84 8 years ago

MJB

Bazza

Pinside member

Perth

8y 19,550 12 7

I'm definitely in for Batman Forever ramps. I just checked the colour of a broken cross section on my ramp and its green. So they're not painted.

#85 8 years ago

PAB

MustangPaul

LED Leg Light-Ups

Saint Paul, MN

11y 136K 23,313 10

OP
Quoted from Freeplay40:
OK...I'm curious. Can anyone tell if the green ramps in Batman Forever are actually green plastic or are they painted. The reason I ask is that colored PETG is basically no longer available domestically.....unless you order about 2,000# of it from overseas. As far as colors in acrylic, very few are readily available in extruded acrylic. Tons of colors available in Cast acrylic, but cast cannot be vacuum formed. I did ultimately find a source for the transparent dark green but it is a little spendy.
On another note, ramps are either formed over a male or female mold depending on the design of the ramp. When you form over a female mold (imagine the mold and ramp being right side up), the plastic will be the thickest on the top of the ramp and will then get thinner as it pulls and stretches down into the mold. When formed over a male mold (imagine the ramp upside down) the plastic is the thickest on the bottom of the ramp which is better for strength where the ball is. I was just looking at the BF ramps on the IPDB and it appears to me that those would have been formed over a female mold and given the depth of the draws, especially on the left one that the plastic must have thinned significantly. Acrylic would not be a good material choice for these...in my opinion. I would think the only way to reproduce these ramps would be in clear PETG and then see if they could be painted transparent green....certainly something I will need to look into. I'm thinking automotive candy clear with a flexibility additive....if that's even available.
Got to be some professional painters out there... what do 'ya think?

Thanks for checking that out and yes the ramps are green plastic. Did you find out a reason why colored PETG isn't available in small quanity?

#86 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

Quoted from MustangPaul:
Thanks for checking that out and yes the ramps are green plastic. Did you find out a reason why colored PETG isn't available in small quanity?

Colored PETG is just simply not stocked by anyone in the US. It can be ordered from overseas, but the minimum order is about 2,000#. What a shame. I could do the Batman ramps in acrylic, but would not want to commit to that until I could see the game. If the original ramps were actually Green PETG and took that much beating, acrylic would not stand up. Snux posted a video of using dye with PETG. I'm actually going to experiment with that...who knows!?!

#87 8 years ago

PAB

MustangPaul

LED Leg Light-Ups

Saint Paul, MN

11y 136K 23,313 10

Yeah acrylic would not hold up. My ramps have cracks on the sides by the ball entrance. I'll just epoxy the crap out of them.

#88 8 years ago

JAS

Manimal

Pinside member

8y 71,050 2,015 3

Even on clear, there is a lot of things we could do with them...colored led spots, etc. Clear is better than none......lol I would be in.....

#89 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40

I'll consider doing them in clear if there is interest. I'm also planning a trip to the auto paint store to discuss transparent colors since this seems to be the only way to do high stress colored ramps.

#90 8 years ago

???

icust298

Pinside+ Frequent

11y 57,400 752

I'd be in with clear ramps for BF too, I think a lot of people would just like an alternative, even clear.

#91 8 years ago

MWS

Methos

Pinside member

Lodi, WI

12y 103K 7,272 21 10 1

Going to cast a vote for Roadshow. The left one is unattainable, and I doubt we'll ever seen them from Pinball Fantasy.

#92 8 years ago

PIT

Gandalf37j

Inactive member

Weißensberg

9y 25,650 38 9

does some one know if and where to get the Strange Science "Anti Gravity" "ramp" (look more like a case imo).

I would give a vote for this

(ps: SpaceShuttle Ramp blue, look great in my game)

1 week later

#93 8 years ago

MMD

Freeplay40