Start with the whitewood. Theme and art can come later.
If you are using the Norris playfield, then you have a massive advantage. If you are starting from scratch, you can use visual pinball designer:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_Pinball

Agreed. It will be like ATC trying to get a non pilot to get the plane on the ground but it can be done.

Avi, please understand what Mbecker wrote. I understand your reluctance to accept gifts, but combined with your labor, this could be a true community event. An international community event if you like, which I think very cool.
Call it the, Contrary Mini-Whale Project.

I have some serious questions here. The workshop, to me, is an issue. Supposedly GWJ is working on the operators machines to earn his keep and space at the shop. I am not so sure this gives GWJ the authority to say here Avi, here is the room for you to build your machine. I have to believe this situation has already caused the level of animosity that the operator has shown towards Avi due to his arcade game. We have all read the posts about it.

I would highly suggest the both GWJ and Avi get this situation completely under control and have an understanding with the "operater" before anything happens.

If nothing else, maybe Iceman could help pay some rent or even fund Avi's build to see which one pans out 1st. The wrong situation arises and both GWJ and Avi could be on the outside looking in and and there will be no more ANYTHING, it ALL dies.......or NOT.

Yes Avi, please make a thread dedicated to your own build. You can still post on here too of course

Avi, all you have to do to succeed is to do the opposite of John:

A) Work hard
B) Actually heed the advice from the community, professionals and parts vendors
C) Have a realistic timeline (6 months for whitewood? Sure. Full game? Never)
D) Parallel planning, be looking for a programmer months before you need one. Study how PROC FAST or. MPF works before the white wood is ready. Use your evenings to get software ready on PC instead of getting drunk.
E) No "busy work procrastination" John could have used that Norris file and gone straight to CNC, instead he's wasted 3 months noodling on a piece of shit wood that he was too lazy to bandsaw into the right size.

But if you do this, have a backup plan in case GWJ gets jealous and kicks you out of shop.

AviRoo , I will be honored to open YOUR new thread.

AviRoo, the apprentice build of the original Norris 3 spinner design.

Thread is now live.

Call it the Pod Project. A pod of whales. A whale family.

As opposed to the captain Ahab JGW who literally risks everything in pursuit of an elusive goal while eroding morale ultimately destroying himself and whatever credibility he had left.

Brutal. but you're absolutely right. John wouldn't kick me out . He's definitely not that type of guy but the operator i'm unsure of at times. I would go the CNC route and have the whole thing done for me but i don't actually know of any place in our city that has a CNC machine. let alone the cost of going that route... Also i was watching your charity stream last night for awhile. It was a good time! I'll be sure to pop by again.

The Operator is a strange cookie but i doubt he'd have an issue with it. so long as i'm in John's area. John will just tell him to pound sand. And if that doesn't work. then i'll just bring it back home and syphon parts from the workshop back to the house (If John is fine with that) but i really don't forsee it turning into a issue at the workshop.

I missed 3000 posts (60 pages) anyone feel generous enough for a recap?

-mof

Well. let's say this. On the assumption that the prototype/whitewood goes smoothly(Which is probably won't but let's say within reason it does). We'll start to look at making an actual playfield. And then i'll start accepting donations with the assumption that there is 0 strings attached. BUT if i do get as far as making an actual playfield. it REALLY should be a community effort at that point. I can't do it all and i expect people to help where i need it. but i will put the work in on it.

The only thing i'll accept donations for towards the whitewood is the computer boards which i actually really need if i'm not to use the bally ones. and any part that i can't produce. John can't produce. Or john doesn't have.

grinch.gif

This is a huge observation here. As we see time and time again JGW says things with authority when there is actually none.

Everything is going according to the plan. Or not.

merry christmas

This thread reminds me of the ten commandments with Moses (Coach) coming down the Mountain to address the Pagans.
When will this happen?

Sounds like a bunch of lazy bums to me.

Any clue why the DMD doesn't work on visual pinball? I hear it but visually it doesn't exist.

Maybe there's a whitewood sitting abandoned in the corner you can "borrow" some parts from...

It wasn't the "Pagans", but the Israelites who had turned against God after being freed out of Egypt. And it didn't end well for some of them....

Just sayin....

Noted. I thought Moses said “your pagan god” ,in the movie version, could be wrong though .

Ah - got ya - I think you're correct.

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Any progress yesterday John?

If your talking about virtual pinball it might be because the image is hidden off screen. I’m far from an expert but with mine there is 3 separate screens but they are all linked and you can drag and drop across all three screens with a mouse. Maybe that helps…

I have no clue. whenever i try editing the file in visual pinball it crashes me out and won't let me reopen it. so then i have to get a fresh copy. It's kind of annoying me.

………….

End recap

Yes the whitewood is moved to a new holiday location for possible work or not. My right hand is hurting bad after the fall, had a hard time lifting the whitewood on to the sawhorses. Amazing since my hands never feel that bad pounding on pinball glass or buses all these years. Beer total Friday was 12, & I just got back to the workshop after xmas eve traditional drinker with some local pinball friends. Shared some fried pepperoni as a app & had the steak & fries for a late lunch. Went to the old school smaller beer or draft glasses to bring back fond memories of getting the bar tender to drop a big tray of beer in the eighties. So beer count today is 3.5 (7 small). My area is my area that I work for & Avi is safe there to work as long as he does not piss off the operator. I will help Avi as much as he wants, & suggested he stay with the original Jon Norris design. Tonight I will have the smoked salmon, likely more beers, & then go home to see my wife. She was not impressed with the lack of sexual performance after 12 beers, maybe I will do better or not xmas eve.

IMG_0357 (resized).JPGIMG_0358 (resized).JPG

Oh your talking about that playfield design software. Then I’m as lost as you…

Avi came up with that using old Bally stuff. I will likely mount my Multimorphic stuff on another board which Avi could use when I do not need it. The parts list is still here from Jon Norris so only non electronic parts are needed. A cnc cut playfield shipped from Ben would not cost much.

This is a quality #greatwhichquote

John

Nice job getting brussel sprouts for lunch - great choice. Your hand is likely swollen or possibly broken. Drinking 12 beers and hitting another round the following day isn't going to help it.

John I am intrigued by your beer count. Probably because I used to do the same back when I was a practicing alcoholic. How do you rate a pint vs. a 12oz can or bottle? And do you take alcohol content into account?

I would start with a baseline 12oz at 4-5%. Therefore a 9% would be 2 beers and 2 beers at 6% would be rounded up to a 3 beer count. Now drinking a bunch of pints things start to get a little fuzzy but that was usually a positive thing. Never drank pitchers so I didn’t need to solve that one.

As you can see the formula can go as deep as you want it to but usually by that time I would be busy solving other problems…

Beer in Canada is usually 5% for standard cans or bottles.

How do you keep track? When I drank too much - it would take effort and lots of guessing to get past 5. You must write them down.

Anyone got some spare Viagra they could send GWJ? His wife would be awfully grateful.

Maybe he keeps his cans, puts a toothpick on the table, or places a straw down for each one.

Not a alcoholic, remember how many I drink in a day, or not (no beer days). My lunch was spent with former sailors recounting the days of quarter drinks on the ship mess, pop machines with beer, & some of the strong pours of liquor. Also talked about when you could openly smoke onboard, & restrictions to upper outside decks later (todays non smoking indoors). Liked how they drank cheap on the ships, then search out cheap drinks at the bars.

I have no problem getting erect, wife does a reasonable job. Still the missing seminar footage from the Pintastic Show, where the lady said I need to stop talking about wood. Merry xmas eve to all!

I don't know John, sounds like the wife isn't very happy with the Yuletide Log.

And yes, Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to everyone here.

That is excellent news!

rd

There is literally no scientific theory or evidence to support your school of thought. Like I tell my kids “Just because you say it, does not make it so.”

That footage is best left unseen lest one sees what “not an alcoholic” you are…

I actually would love to see this footage.

TLI

Enough ball busting. Merry Christmas John! Merry Christmas everyone! Joy to the world of pinball…

I think maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere

Merry Christmas to all.

I’m dreaming of a white wood

GWJ: "Hey sweetheart, you're looking mighty reasonable tonight."

Wife: "Reasonable? Seriously? "

GWJ: "Err, I mean, reasonably pretty. No. I don't mean that. I mean. . .I mean. . .remember that case of beer I brought you last week. . .?"

Wife: "Honey, I think that this job is better suited for you. I leave it in your reasonably capable hands."

Beer count today was 3.5 beers this afternoon, & a can of Guinness tonight. Had my smoked salmon with some sour cream potato chips. The wife is happy fridge stocked with bud cans & a suitcase standing by.

Not to discourage, but Avi, ask yourself if you want to dedicate more than a year of your life to building a machine. Experienced pinball guys take that long or longer. It's a Herculean task, especially if you're new to wiring and pinball architecture. You might want to just help Captain Car Crash try to finish his to get your feet wet.