On my way to New Brunswick to deliver a Bally Frontier with one of the team members. He is bringing home a Bally Eight Ball. Things are moving along & the whitewood will be flipping before xmas. Beer count last night was 6.

All your summaries should be set as key posts. They are some of the most important of the entire thread.

I don't think John needs to make one of his "deadlines" for a reason/occasion to go drinking.

No insight

Explains everything.

Working flippers by Christmas. Can someone pls let me know a post # showing what there will be to shoot at? Went back three pages, didn’t see anything.

The plan is to have a shooting whitewood by Christmas. Then the entire package (pf, mechs, wiring, art, rule set, programing, etc) will be completed in 90 days and showcased at the Texas show.

There it will be showcased to go into production with a manufacturer for a larger run - well maybe - maybe not.

There's a photo of the "final" layout here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/moby-dick-let-s-talk-whales-and-whale-watching/page/189#post-7272155

Long story short: GWJ took the best parts of Jon Norris's layout and tossed them under a car like scraps of gray ham.

Minor correction. It wont be showcased so much at TPF, as it will be showcased his brothers driveway, which is in the same city as TPF. I hope to god they pull a blanket off at presentation.

Well no. but it adds another reason.

Ok — that’s exactly 2 weeks from now. Let’s get er done! You got a pc, And the cables pins and housings you need already? Can set up mpf now even

Only if Santa brings one to him is that going to happen.

Surely you jest. “Flipping whitewood” is an aspirational goal, not one John is likely to achieve in the specified timeframe. It will be Mr Programmer who might have a shot and I highly doubt he is going to do any rushing around here for some 2 week deadline John has set for himself. If Mr Programmer has been following any of this thread at all, he knows what the demonstrated work effort is and it ain’t 2 weeks.

How long should a playfield's clearcoat cure before installing mechs?

Rested my drink on the whitewood. Taking the night off. As soon as the clearcoat is hard, stuff can be installed.

When are you scheduled to apply clear? How long give the clear to harden?

the “schedule” is rather fluid to say the least. I’d say sometime in 2026…..maybe.

Playfield is 2023 to be finished for February. Getting ready to hit up the local bar for happy hour. Maybe play some nickel bets.

IMG_0317 (1) (resized).JPG

This needs to make the next monthly summary. In its entirety.

that and this double entendre worthy of Elvira herself: Got my supper coking & relaxing to some classic VHS porn

Avi - I told GWJ before, but he didn’t seem to pick it up.

To make a “shooting whitewood” you only need the flippers to work. And on your design, I’d do the pops too.

Just direct wire them to a power supply … ideally use older SYS11 or Bally mechs or put in the old type EOS. Wire up some simple flipper switches (easier in a cabinet … which you still don’t have yet .. but anyway). Pops - wire up the switches to low voltage, then to the coil. Ideally use some old style switches from EMs etc. New switches will work but won’t last long.

Then turn it on.

Flippers work. Pops work. Shoot the ball around and see what works.

That is a “flipping whitewood”

There’s absolutely no need to wire up anything else at this stage.

If you do it this way, two hours work and you can have the thing flipping today.

rd

The best I could do is suggest it to John on Monday when I go back, if not Tuesday. I get what you mean though. Ultimately it’s John’s project though

Had 9 beers today. Get the wiring ready for the boards this coming week.

You’d need the scoops wired too, with this design. Otherwise the ball would just get stuck in them. Ideally, would not direct wire flippers to power for safety since this is likely still going to be sitting on the sawhorses with some kind of buttons jury rigged somewhere.

I also decided this would be a good project to learn VP on. John's modifications will be step 2. The long orbit is the best part of the design in my opinion.
Trailer Trash ss resize (resized).png

In the shop by myself.

IMG_0318 (1) (resized).JPG

I don't think it's John's "project", it's Johns "job" to build it. Ultimately it's Ice's project, as he is the person financing it.

We need a TV running classic porn in the background.

At the end of the day. Whoever's project. job. build. etc it is. John is the person that took the money and said he'd build it.. I don't mind soldering wires onto whatever. and suggesting things but that's all i really can do. If i were to stray on my own path off the suggestions of people on this forum without John's approval. he wouldn't necessarily be mad because it's a test whitewood. but he would be like "what the fuck"... I already had that one episode with the operator and i gotta tell ya i dearly respect our friendship. I don't care or want to start a pilot teaser for a sequel.

but I'll wholeheartedly say your suggestion is probably the quickest/best way to go. And i'm not jumping on the 'John is fucking up' bandwagon. but that would sincerely save a bunch of time and allow for everyone to suggest and for us to tweak it.

My show for the coach. I will follow my own path and not blame Avi or anyone else. You can suggest what ever you want here, does not mean I will do it.

I suggest meeting your deadlines.

Or just stop making them.

Hey John

What's your plan for the cabinet? You going to build one, buy a kit, restore an old one?

Not part of the plan.

That is being contracted out. I’m sure it’s right on schedule according to the plan.

I know it feels like a lifetime now but at Pintastic last spring he was supposed to be showcasing vintage cabinet kits. Although I don’t remember seeing any at the time. I’d wager this is/was the guy cued up to produce it. Or not…

Slap two of these on the center ends and make a tilting playfield.. duh

pasted_image (resized).png

Home from my 9 beer tour of Hugo & Triangle bars. Cabinet will be custom built locally. Not a priority at this time. Avi is his own man. The locals would like to see him puffing or drinking, but he is his own man.

So what is a priority right now?

Flipping whitewood before xmas. I do know how to do contacts & connectors contrary to what people think.

Anything special planned with the Misses for Christmas?

I had no idea that there are people who live almost exclusively off of grocery store premade pseudo- meals. I always thought those were reserved for road trips and BBQs when you're behind schedule. Learn something new from GWJ every day.

If someone else is building the cab, what’s the point of putting it off? Just that it’s taking up space?

This was my thought also. Cabinet makers (team members) can have life interruptions and delays are likely to happen. (The cabinet could be stored by the tradesman or a friend short term)

My observation is that John is very linear in his work and organization. Judging from this project, I see little evidence of multitasking from him. So if one team member is delayed, it would cause a log jam.
Nothing wrong with being linear for many jobs, but being a team leader and building a pinball machine can't be one of them.

Spot on. We saw this with the pf debacle.