(Topic ID: 24598)

FUN!!! Made a "pin ball" machine with my 5 yr old

By rufessor

11 years ago


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  • 18 posts
  • 12 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 11 years ago by rufessor
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#1 11 years ago

So I just finished restoring a 1977 Gottlieb Super Spin (thread is in technical section if your curious) and I had this big pile of left over parts. Including a ton of plastic faceted posts and all the old rubbers and post screws as well as plastic pieces for the flippers. So we grabbed a cardboard box and flipped it over and just punched the screws through the cardboard and played around and my son was having a blast making his own machine. So.. we got semi serious (like 2.5 hour TOTAL time) and went to the garage.

I had a piece of flex board (basically a VERY fine particle board about 1/4 thick) left over from a cabinetry project and we just started tracing out a head stone shaped piece and adjusted dimensions totally on the fly until it kinda looked like the open part of a play field. I cut it out, my son grabbed all the pieces and started making things and then I cut a few pieces of wood to provide edges and we spray painted the edge pieces white, the play field blue then rapidly cut stencils for fish and a bird (his choices) and sprayed them in colors he wanted and then basically threw some acrylics onto the stenciled areas to make eyes etc... all of this done with rapid bakes of the spray in hot sun. I cleared the whole thing after screwing on the side boards with left over Krylon Triple thick and then we cut a few pieces of survey stakes to back the play field were we were going to screw in posts and anchored the plastic flippers onto playfield posts so they can be moved by hand. Threw a ball on it and my son had a so much fun flipping the ball around. We plan on adding some either finger cymbals mounted on play field posts (if I can find any) or big washers (easy) to get some "sounds" and adding a few more rubber rings between posts to provide yet more bounce... but he loves it.

I will post a pic when I can get one, but if you have left over parts... and a young child. DO THIS! This morning before school he was playing it and ran over telling me he had set the "super score" (high score)... so he is keeping track of the "score" and having a ton of inventive fun! He cannot wait for me to get home so we can go to the store and find some things to put on our play field! I am so happy I kept all the trash!

Do NOT expect anything but a very very quick very crude artwork in the pics... its for a 5 yr old and we did the entire thing in less than 3 hours, every coat of paint, all the cutting, all the mounting etc etc. There are a few big thumb marks in the clear as it was still drying when we mounted everything but he loves it. Would not change any thing- at all! Thumb prints and all its his first real project- he even used a ratchet to screw in 1 post then told me to do it! No, he didn't actually do a lot, but he was "working" along side me the ENTIRE time, using my levels, tape measures and scrap pieces to build all sorts of things and he had a great time! Now he wants to build an airplane! YEAH!

#2 11 years ago

Sounds interesting.

Pictures or it did not happen

#3 11 years ago

Awesome! This is the only way pinball will truly stay alive! Nice job Rufessor!

#4 11 years ago

you know a project I've always thought would be cool? For someone to sell a basic kit (basically a left/right flipper kit from williams), include the bushing, flippers with rubbers, include a power supply that could fire the coils, wiring them up to buttons, maybe like a couple dozen posts, various rubber band sizes, an in-lane for the flippers.

Then u would go to a hardware store and buy a 2'x4' piece of 1/2" thick plywood (the smooth kind) for like $20. Drill holes for the flippers (include a stencil for various spacings apart), and then anyone who's in the hobby that understands pinball a little bit could build the basic flipper section, and have their kid (any age) and just start going nuts throwing bits of wood rails, throwing the posts in various areas, have them decorate the playfield however they want.. Maybe include some round inserts (anyone can drill a hole), and then include a basic flashing LED light kit so there's some eye candy.

#5 11 years ago

Here is a pic...

Its not ever going to be a commercial project, but its a pretty fun thing to get the kids going and interested in.

Kids.jpgKids.jpg

#6 11 years ago

Cool, get them hooked early!

#7 11 years ago

Basically, the ball is just sitting between the flippers in a exit hole bumper to keep the ball on the playfield most of the time. The top part of the play field has about 3/4 inch more thickness in wood under it so its slopes down if you just sit it on the floor. So far, we have added a jingle bell and a few finger cymbals from Michaels Crafts.... its actually surprising how much action you can get in terms of a good 2-3 bounces off the sides and rubbers before it comes back down. Rule set it really really complex, I don't think I will ever quite figure it out but my 5 yr old has it down COLD.

#8 11 years ago

Yeah a DIY minimal pin ball would almost make a cool high school or junior high engineering program. I am not sure I would buy one, but my kids are to young, but man, an interested junior high or high school kid could do some serious damage with a few parts and their time. A kit would be cool.

#9 11 years ago

That's awesome! What a cool idea; might have to try it with my boys sometime.

#10 11 years ago

that is very cool. thank you for sharing it. you never know,your son could be the next great designer.

#11 11 years ago

Cool! Im sure he loved it!! Next time lets get some pics of the build

#12 11 years ago

That is awesome! My godson is 4 now and I bet he would LOVE that. I should do just that get some posts, rubbers, flippers. Then with his dad and him, get wood, cut, paint, install the parts and let him create his own pinball machine

#13 11 years ago

Yes... you should try that! Even if you had NO PARTS... were only talking about maybe, maybe 30 bucks total. And if you were industrious and asked people here with ongoing projects, my guess is the cost would be shipping only! Its really fun, I almost wish we had taken more time, but with a 5 yr old.. things need to MOVE FAST. So... its perfect.

Flippers are just gottlieb 3 inch old school (1977 vintage) plastic parts, they conveniently have two holes in them on the bottom- one of them you can sorta force over the head of a play field post screw- will it fall off... yeah... but who cares, he just puts it back on! COuld not think of a simpler cost effective way to mount them and this works great. They don't really screw on so much as just sit, so they are easy to swing around back and forth. Perfect! They were a little tight at first... but no longer.

#14 11 years ago

Ok, that is just SCHWEET!

Wish I could get my kids to want to help build the machines... only time they're interested in helping is when I'm stripping them down (as they just want to pull it all apart and see what's inside).

This, though, this is awesome!

#15 11 years ago

Great job.
Only hope for the hobby is the children!

#16 11 years ago
Quoted from rufessor:

Yes... you should try that! Even if you had NO PARTS... were only talking about maybe, maybe 30 bucks total. And if you were industrious and asked people here with ongoing projects, my guess is the cost would be shipping only! Its really fun, I almost wish we had taken more time, but with a 5 yr old.. things need to MOVE FAST. So... its perfect.
Flippers are just gottlieb 3 inch old school (1977 vintage) plastic parts, they conveniently have two holes in them on the bottom- one of them you can sorta force over the head of a play field post screw- will it fall off... yeah... but who cares, he just puts it back on! COuld not think of a simpler cost effective way to mount them and this works great. They don't really screw on so much as just sit, so they are easy to swing around back and forth. Perfect! They were a little tight at first... but no longer.

Ya I think I have enough old parts to do this. Flipper bats and rubbers/balls etc. Great way to not toss old stuff. Already sent this idea to his dad so we can have a little group project.

#17 11 years ago

Awesome idea! Might have to try something like this with my Nephew. He loves playing in the garage with his father. This would give him something to show to his friends.

#18 11 years ago

Thanks everyone-

Please steal and improve this idea, post back your invention. Any simple, CHEAP- mods to make it even more fun for the kids will be introduced!

Amazing really- but it plays like a pinball machine- in many ways! The kids are learning about when to hit the ball with the flipper and how springs (rubber rings) work etc etc (and about how a heavy ball dropped from 1 ft onto your foot can hurt- no tears but one of those very surprised looks for sure). Who knows how long the interest will last but its all ready worth it- just the time spent building and a few hours playing makes it worth the effort.

One caution- if your child throws things I would seriously consider topping the hole thing with acrylic plastic cause those pinballs can do some serious damage. Just something to think about.

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