LOTR Projected Eye Palantir Mod

Someone suggested there should be a separate thread for this mod from the animated Palantir thread http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lotr-animated-palantir-mod

The discussion on the projected eye mod should continue here and the animated version in the other thread.

This mod is a complete replacement for the original Palantir and mount that can be dropped into place after attaching the lamp socket extension. It does not require unscrewing the old Palantir like my initial design. This simplifies installation and prevents modification of the old mount. All components are heavy duty typical playfield grade. Cuts were made on a diamond wheel and all bonding and embedding is with epoxy resins. I'm sure it will show some signs of wear after enough airball hits, but it should hold up as well as anything else on a typical playfield.

The projected eye mod is $100 shipped. If anyone wants one please send me a PM. The next batch of 10 will be provided to those who have PMed me in the order in which I received the request. There are 4 slots left on the list.

-Jay

Palantir-Final.JPG Palantir-Final-1.JPG

Here is the link to the video of the mod since the projected/3D effect isn't shown well in pictures:

Thanks for all the positive comments!

The next batch of 10 is spoken for. I also have several people on a waiting list in case someone backs out.

At this point I'll have to take any reservations for a second batch. Considering how long it is taking to make them I have not yet decided if I will actually do a second batch, but if I do it will likely be in about 2-3 weeks.

Hi Judremy. This is not a trivial request due to the way these are built. It isn't like you can just take some double sided sticky tape and pop the projector parts on the back of your ball and have it look like this (or survive on a playfield). You would need to send me your Palantir mount, ball base and ball, assuming they are the right type. It also won't save a whole lot of money because most of the cost is in the other components and all the time it takes to bond everything together properly and have it turn into something that looks nice when you are done with it. I'll send you a message though and we can talk about options.

I did note your request for the video. It doesn't really look much different during a game except that it stays lit when the Palantir is lit and then turns off when it isn't. I think a video during game play would just have a longer period with the eye on and then I would hit the Palantir and you would see it turn off. If you still think this would help though I'm happy to do it once I get the next batch done. Unfortunately, I sent all mine out and I'm playing with a bare post this week

Nice bokeh! Is that a prime?

There are absolutely no playfield or game modifications in the current version.

My initial prototypes had to be screwed to the original Palantir post mount. That meant the original plastic Palantir needed to be unscrewed, the mount needed to be bent slightly for a flat mount and then the replacement Palantir screwed on to the post. It could always be bent back after removal but I prefer mods that require zero changes to original game and can be very easily removed.

The new design is pre-fastened to its own separate mount so the old one comes out completely and then the new one goes in. The eye projector component is powered through a bulb extension that plugs into the original bulb socket for easily installation and removal as well.

Installation, as well as reverting back to the original Palantir, should take less than 5 minutes. I'm looking forward to feedback though to see if everyone else has the same experience.

-Jay

Yes. Considering the level of interest, the 2nd run is definitely happening assuming I can get all the parts. The second run list is full though and there are 5 people on the waiting list.

It looks like a third run, at least with the current design, may be a problem because the supply of the Palantir mounts available has completely dried up. I'm looking into alternative sources, including a custom manufacturing run, but I'm not sure I'll be able to justify buying the quantity that would be necessary to move forward with it.

-Jay

PM sent, thanks.

The second run is spoken for, as is a third run assuming I can get these parts figured out. We are now on a waiting list for the 3rd run... I really appreciate all the support but my inbox is getting flooded so please don't be offended if you don't hear back from me for a few days. I need to focus on actually making these things

I tried a bunch of different attempts at getting video source to work. It looks pretty bad due to the magnification and resulting pixelation. The only way I could get it to look decent was by moving the source of the video several 2-3 inches behind the ball. On LOTR, that is a big problem because there are some critical playfield components a couple inches behind the Palantir.

As for the current batch of these, I'm about 75% done with 8 Palantirs. I was hoping to get all 10 done this weekend but these little guys are each taking more time to make than I had anticipated. I also made a few improvements to the design which is further increasing the build time. I should have some pictures ready tomorrow to show the updates.

-Jay

Below is the video of batch 1. It is during game play as requested. The biggest change for batch 1 is that I was able to make the image of the eye more intense in color. The earlier versions got a bit blown out and showed more orange and yellow colors when the Palantir was lit than the fiery red I wanted to see from Sauron's eye. This version also stays dark enough that you really don't see the eye inside the Palantir until it becomes lit.

Other adjustments that are not as visible include making it easier to adjust the direction the eye is projecting. Based on feedback I'm getting it is clear that different people stand in different positions when playing pinball and this Palantir looks best when you have it pointed towards the players eyes (obviously). It still looks good when it isn't dead on, but if you get too far off you will wind up looking at the edge of the eye. The design now allows for adjustments by grabbing the front of the bracket with a needle nose pliers and tilting it forward or back. Due the properties of light passing through spheres, I don't see a way around this on any design or any machine - so anyone interested in this mod please be aware that you may need to make some final adjustments based on your machine and stance.

Enough talk! Here is the video :

Thanks!

I got a number of PMs about this as well so I just wanted to give everyone an update on the status.

I just finished #16. The remaining US supply of Palantir brackets will be exhausted in the mid 20s, however I have a new design I'm finalizing that will screw on to the original base and hopefully require limited adjustments during the installation.

I'm still taking reservations and am estimating a 4-6 week turnaround based on the current rate of production. This design involves many stages and I haven't come up with a way to do it more quickly without sacrificing quality, so I'm not going to mess with it.

I'll keep everyone posted on any changes.

-Jay