I'm starting a new homebrew. I have a good idea what features i want to build in.
Shorter playfield, but more vertical action (lower playfield, upper playfield)
A Screen on the back. i've never done any animations, so that is a goal here. The screen should show if it is night or day and maybe a squirrel that sits on the fence..
very view inserts. because of the lower playfield and also i primarely want to light objects on the playfield and more GI led stripes like you see on new recent pins.

The idea:
3 Kids are in a treehouse. every kid stands for a ball. when a ball drains, a kid leaves the treehouse.
it is day and the kids want to build up braveness for the night.

at some point it will be allowed to transition to the night. that means there will be a passage open to the lower playfield.
the lower playfield has 2 slingshots that can be activated py buttons. no flippers.
hits will let monsters appear on the normal playfield. (in the night the kids mistake objects for monsters)
a drain on the lower playfield will feed the through and shoot it on to the normal playfield again. there is no real draining on the lower playfield.

up on the normal playfield the kids fight the monsters.

Monsters will be:
a Tent with a gost
excavator
squirrel
goose as homage to untitled goose game

on the top i want to build donkey kong country like barrels which shoot the ball over a wireramp. will see.

IMG_20210722_051436 (resized).jpg

Got a lot of parts already, excited to try out the cobrapin.

IMG_20210812_161738.jpg

love that you mention Circus. That is such a unique machine, and i had Circus on mind when i thought up the idea

my slingshots are quite wide at the top, hope the ball doesn't get stuck there, but i felt it to be necessary for the right angle.

sling1 (resized).png

sling2 (resized).png

I began the design already when i was working on my other homebrews.
my favourite tool for that is inkscape. it's vector based, free and for windows and linux available. it's for 2d only, but the svg files can be imported in 3d programs.

Today was sanding day

IMG_20210827_180949.jpg

IMG_20210827_181114.jpg

There is something very satisfying in printing pinball posts.

IMG_20210828_200335.jpg

As usual i try to skip a lot of testing. So i put the graphic on yesterday.
Glued in the window as well. What i didn't foresee was that with 2 layers of transparent foil, it isn't see through at all any more.
so i came to the conclusion to cut out some of the protective layer.
i am a little bit worried about the bumps of the layers, hope that it doesn't create issues.

IMG_20210828_182708.jpg

IMG_20210828_210029.jpg

IMG_20210828_211355.jpg

IMG_20210828_212448.jpg

IMG_20210828_214613.jpg

IMG_20210828_214830.jpg

IMG_20210828_221310.jpg

IMG_20210828_221538.jpg

Thank you both

Built a test cabinet. Have not a full vision how the final cabinet will look like yet.
And printing parts and screwing them on.

IMG_20210829_101649.jpg

IMG_20210831_201417.jpg

IMG_20210902_070225.jpg

thank you

just remembered there is a visual pinball table called Gargamel park from jpsalas. that is similar to Circus.
played that in VR, it's really cool.
https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=11883

Had a nice break today. We were at Austria ComicCon and there was quite a big Pinball section. Played the hell out of Guns Roses, Rick and Morty and The big Lebowski. Damn it i think i need a couple thousands... Those 3 pins are awesome.
IMG_20210904_094022.jpg

IMG_20210904_095324.jpg

IMG_20210904_094346.jpg

Yesterday i had some time to start with the lower playfield.

IMG_20210901_180659.jpg

IMG_20210902_073621.jpg

And made some metal guides for the inlanes

IMG_20210903_140749.jpg

IMG_20210903_140753.jpg

Mini playfield is ready

IMG_20210906_163543.jpg

IMG_20210906_163550.jpg

IMG_20210906_163629.jpg

Back from vacation and time to tackle the scoop which will be the trough.
made a weird construction with a stern scoop i have. Brackets for scoops a really hard to buy. I previously used to buy a full assembly, but since they are used they are all gone now.

Also installed the kickback. I don't know how far out that normally goes. I'll adjust it if necessary after testing.

And made a board for the pc, power supplies and Cobrapin.

IMG_20210920_140403.jpg

IMG_20210920_180738.jpg

IMG_20210920_180744.jpg

IMG_20210920_180929.jpg

IMG_20210920_184427.jpg

IMG_20210920_184432.jpg

thank you

i think the size is similar, i don't know yet how the final cabinet will be like. maybe more like an arcade machine.

thank you very much,
i don't have kids yet, but my sisters 3 kids love to play in our gameroom. i quess that inspired me a little.
for my own kids i have plans too , i have a Asterix and Obelix Pinball on my projectlist for a while now. and got lots of figures for that. so that will be a future kid project

Today i decided it is a good idea to make sidepanels for the playfield. I tried to incorparate the playfield angle in these panels. So the playfield with its sides can go on straight rails in the cabinet. I want the cabinet open from the backside to slide the playfield out.

IMG_20210922_163359.jpg

IMG_20210922_163409.jpg

IMG_20210922_163418.jpg

I always found it difficult to mount the playfield with angle, so thats one problem solved

haha, thats cool that you are so excited about that! Hell yeah i think too that there is so much potential for a asterix and obelix pin. I already had some thoughts about it, i had a head to head pinball in mind. i previously build it before my homebrew pinballs. just out of wood, rubberbands and 3d printed parts without electronics. but it has to be done as a real thing!
i think i'll open up a new thread for that, maybe we can gather all the ideas there

by the way i just orderd a nintendo switch game "Slaps and Beans" check it out if you don't know it. it's a bud spencer and terrence hill game with cool retro grafics.

Finished the scoop and subways. On the top subway that feeds the lower playfield there will be an up down post, still have to figure out how to mount that, but today was very effective.

IMG_20210924_130247.jpg

IMG_20210924_130301.jpg

IMG_20210924_152530.jpg

IMG_20210924_152538.jpg

IMG_20210924_153320.jpg

oh yes how awesome! ordered it right away.

Here is the cabinet. have to think about where to place the flipperbuttons. Now that i stand in front of it i think on the side like its normal for a pinball machine doesn't feel right. There is no armrest at all.
so i think i will try out a plate to the front. Arcade style.

IMG_20210925_110134.jpg

IMG_20210925_110145.jpg

IMG_20210925_110154.jpg

IMG_20210925_110214.jpg

IMG_20210925_110219.jpg

IMG_20210925_110224.jpg

I do like your idea with the extra pieces. I've screwed something on in the mean time.
i like how that came out. I think i could make buttons on the side of this new piece instead of the cabinet side now. I really want to try out the arcade buttons first. I really like that it is so different. And when it doesn't work good i'll make the side buttons.
But there is still the question how to style the hole cabinet. Maybe like i did on deep blue rage to stay in theme

IMG_20210925_183520.jpg

IMG_20210925_183533.jpg

IMG_20210925_183629.jpg

wow that machine is unique

So i think this is what i'll do:
There are 2 white flipper button arcade style and i'll hook 2 black buttons on the side up to the flipper buttons as well, so a player can choose whats best.
Gonna sand everything down so that it is smooth to the hands.

IMG_20210926_080046.jpg

IMG_20210926_080051.jpg

Thanks it's my own design. I'm not a wood worker but i enjoy woodworking a lot.