Out of curiosity, how much to the old, unrestored playfields normally sell for?

For that price, buy 2.

I can say, with a bit of pride, that I managed two Monster Multiballs in a single night a few months back. It was epic.
Of course, this was after more than a month of a dry spell, so there is that.

Three ball, stock rules. I've never played a 5 ball version.
It's still the most pain of any game, draining at the top of a stiff o meter.

So much anguish

Does anyone happen to have some broken ramps or skull pile sitting around? I need some for a project.

Well, I think that those guys could probably handle that task.

I use a thin scraper under the rail right next to the nail to lift it slightly. Then, I use a pair of vice grips with a sharp set of teeth at the very end, and work them under the lip of the nail. The vice grips I use are Irwin brand. They look something like this: http://www.irwin.com/tools/locking-tools/fast-release-long-nose-locking-pliers-with-wire-cutter

I looked through everything they had at Lowes to find a set where the teeth are exactly at the end of the jaw. Worked like a charm.

More info
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/removing-side-rails-vids-guide

For a rail, I am not sure why. I've pulled a few, and they were only held on by the nails. I'd be curious to see if there was a difference.

Yeah, being very careful to not damage the decal and paint. I generally have one very thin metal blade for the initial work, then I use a slightly thicker one once I've gotten one part of the rail a little loosened.
I would be careful with the rails, too. If nothing else, you could snag a couple of bucks for them if they don't get too scratched up or bent.

Interesting. Granted, I've only done a few, but I've never run across any that were taped. In light of that, I withdraw my previous comments about heat.

Good to know. Kinda a PITA, but something to keep in mind. Thanks!

Quick question:
How many people would be interested in purchasing a new replacement crate door? Kerry from Mantis Amusements is considering doing a run of them if he can get enough interest.

EDIT: I completely messed up with a phone auto-correct. This is a question about the door.

Metal. In case you aren't familiar with his work: https://mantispinball.com/product-category/scared-stiff/

Ok, I have two interested parties already.

Between $20-30.
I was looking for one, and they seem to be out of stock everywhere. If someone happens top have one, let me know. He would need a sample anyway.

Quick question: is it possible to set the Stiff-o-meter to start at 5 tales? I ask because I was playing on location last night, and, in addition to a lot of the "easy" rules being active(extra balls easier to get), I started the Stiff-o-meter after the coffin mb but before I finished crate. I've never seen it behave that way before, so I was curious if this was a bug or if I missed something in the manual.

Yeah, I'm thinking it had to be a weird bug. I've had that same machine start a stiff-o-meter immediately upon breaking into the crate(so, no multi-ball, just stiff-o-meter), so I suspect this might be related.

I don't hit it often on purpose(read: ever). It's an occasional happy accident.

I was looking for a set, but I'm also looking at a more interactive version.

This is an early version, with a lot of noise and tearing in the signal(it's clean now, but I don't have a newer video), but I have pinmame running on a Raspberry Pi and drawing to a physical DMD:

I'm playing with a custom SS build, and I'm using the Pi to run the ROMs.

Also, does anyone have a source for the actual spider in the backglass?

I'm recreating a physical game(with some changes) via the Pi. I got a nice playfield from a pinsider(too nice to consign to wall art; many thanks to DefDumBlindKid), some ramps and other bits and a free cabinet from a friend. I decided to see if I could drive a physical DMD and playfield from the Pi, and so far, so good. We'll see how far I get. I am planning on some hardware and toy enhancements, so my friends and I are calling it SS V2 right now. My other project(a retheme/custom build) takes priority, but I am designing many of the controller components to be interchangeable, so even that work is making progress on this project.

She's very lovely, but I don't think that that is Elvira. The eyes, nose and cheeks all look wrong. Maybe it's just a weird angle, but that looks like April Wahlin.

This is who I thought it was. But it's a fine idea, regardless. I think I'll be doing something similar!

elvira-april1 (resized).jpg

I figured y'all might like this:
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/06/25/monte-michael-moore-elias-chatzoudis-buzz-cover-elvira-1/

Elvira2018-01-01121-ExcluMGAMoore (resized).jpg

Is there a source for the spider in the backbox? I know that there is a NOS spider on ebay, but this is for an art project, so I don't need it to be a perfect replacement. I have a spare translite that is a little beat up, and I was going to make it into an interactive art piece for the house, with a spider that randomly spins.

That looks nice! After I got outbid on the NOS spider, I found this: ebay.com link: Hard Plastic Tan Spiders Halloween Decor Lot 2 4 x 6 NWT

They look pretty close, so I decided to grab some. I'll throw them on an indicator and see how it looks.

This. Also, check your voltages while you have the multimeter out. That could be another source of failure.

A follow up to my post about the spider I found. It fits well and looks right to me. My super custom version continues to grow...

20181002_213623 (resized).jpg

EBay. There are a few variations of them. These were the tan ones. It was from a Halloween decoration brand called "Eerie Alley."
I think that the skeletonized spiders they sell in various places this time of year might also look good, especially if you painted them to match the bony beast.

Anyone have a spare crate door? I got outbid at the last minute on the one on eBay.

Looks like it. It's all through hole if I recall. Should be fairly easy.

There are voltage differences. The older ones are high voltage. The newer Stern models are low voltage. I drive mine(a newer one) from a PC power supply.

http://techniek.flipperwinkel.nl/wpc/index2.htm

It should be the same I/O interface, just different voltages. If you have an Arduino, you could write a quick test(or I could dig up my old code). I have also written a test for the Raspberry Pi, prior to hacking Pinmame to drive it directly.
But, I would imagine that you could find a spare Stern DMD for a cheap test, especially if it's one with a bad pixel. Ask around locally to see if someone has swapped one out. One of my friends had one that I borrowed when figuring out the timing for my code.

Right. It uses the same ribbon cable(the I/O logic) but feeds from a lower voltage source afterwards. That's why you could use a Stern DMD to replace a WPC DMD if the high voltage circuit is shot.

Does anyone have some spare pop bumper caps and centers?

I'd even take clear ones that I could mod with blue LEDs.

The last time I saw a machine doing this, it was the door stop plunger. Check to see of anything in that assembly is broken.

A link to a copy of the manual: https://www.ipdb.org/files/3915/Bally_1996_Scared_Stiff_Manual_High_Quality_Scan_.pdf

PM sent.

Someone was making some pretty nice repos a while back. I don't have the link off the top of my head, but it was recent.
I'm building one from parts, and I have something a little different in store for my slings(and my skull pile, for that matter).

EDIT: Found it: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/scared-stiff-sling-plastics-repro#post-4597867
Not as recent as I thought.

Does anyone have a spare diverter blade, by any chance?

I've got a spare coffin weldment that I'm looking to trade for other SS parts. I'd consider selling it, but I'm in need of various bits and pieces. If you need one, let me know. I'm looking for lots of the various playfield pieces, so if you have some left over from a restoration or something, I'd also be willing to buy.

20190209_155230 (resized).jpg

As far as I can tell after talking to vendors like Marco, there is no one making this shade of cap. I thought about trying my hand at it if I am not happy with my transparent lighted tests. I haven't found any thermo-form options that look right, so I suspect that an injection mold is likely the route. If someone does have a source, please share.

Nice! I'm doing the same thing.

That would be brilliant! I had a bunch of questions about how you sourced certain parts. I'll ping you offline. Thanks!

At about 2:15 or so, the camera turns a little, and a Scared Stiff is revealed.

My hack for pinmame to let it drive a DMD from a Raspberry Pi is proceeding well. Here is the Scared Stiff ROM running in attract mode:

I'm still working on a couple of bugs, but it's 90% there at this point.

Since my SS build is not bound to the original hardware, I've been thinking about doing away with the jumping action and instead lighting their eyes when they are hit. I'm also contemplating the addition of the original Saved By The Spell kickback mech. Working around the ROM will require some controller hackery, but I have the design worked out already.

I like it. I'm also working on a custom piece for that(with no intention of making it for others). In my case, I bought some little halloween skulls with moveable jaws, and I'm using them to make a vacuum molded toy that has flashing eye lights and moves the jaws with little servo motors.

Anyone have a spare set of the backbox plastics? I just noticed that PP is out when I went to grab the blue caps.
Also, I have a spare coffin mech, if someone is interested in a trade or buy.

Did anyone else get the repo backbox plastics and think that they were too dark? On the set I'm seeing, a lot of the features are just blacked out, like the slats in the bed post.

If I posted this before, I apologize. Does anyone have a coffin diverter or plastic trough they might put up for sale?

Pinballlife.com
You can get them preassembled.

29s.

I am very interested. If you happen to have the time and inclination, is there a chance that you could sketch the contour of the plastic coffin trough on a piece of paper, scan it and share it? It's one piece that I can't seem to get measurements for, and they never seem to come up for sale.

Through Hole Red 700nm 15mcd T-3mm Water Clear
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/5671-09019-00

Red seems to go well with the theme(scary red eyes in the darkness) for me, but green might be interesting. Not sure about blue. I have thought about recreating the board with multicolor LEDs....

On the underside of the playfield is a clear plastic trough that runs between the coffin diverter under the boney beast ramp and connects it to the coffin mechanism. I can't find any dimensions for it.
Screen Shot 2020-04-30 at 9.21.43 AM (resized).jpg

If I found one for sale, I would. As it is, there are a few options:
1) Design and 3d print one. Doesn't have to be pretty.
2) 3d print a form and vacuum mold one. This is my likely option.
3) Cut down another ramp to fit. Several people have done this, and I have a few possible donor ramp parts.

I could mock something up that generally fits the profile, but I would prefer to get it as close as possible to the original.
Thanks!

Oh, that was more detail than I was hoping for! Thanks!

In case someone wanted to know what a freshly cut set of Scared Stiff guides looks like...

20200502_140803 (resized).jpg

20200504_132939 (resized).jpg

Listing on pinside or ebay?

Danke, sir!

I don't think so. If I recall, the controlled GI is via relay, so they get constant voltage otherwise. As such, it shouldn't require non-ghosting. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I couldn't find one, so I had to make a coffin diverter. You can have the blades cut from a dwg file that is floating around the "WPC from scratch" groups. I had some of the shafts made. This is a basically unobtainable part, so if you want one of the left over shafts, pm me quick. Only two available at this moment. $25 shipped in the US.

20201016_163117 (resized).jpg

20201016_195005 (resized).jpg

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I'm doing something similar, but I'm doing a silicone mold to make thicker epoxy slings for myself. It will be my project once my new SS comes home.

I got into pinball 20+ years ago, when my wife decided that she was tired of bowling and wanted to play some pinball in the arcade of the student union. Scared Stiff was the beast that got our quarters, and I was hooked. Took a small hit on my GPA.
Fast forward to last night. I've had other games, but the grail pin had evaded me. I was busy building one from scratch when this one showed up on the radar. Now, I have most of a SS, and a full game. The BSD was just icing on the cake.
So, while I've been floating around here forever, I'm officially in the club now! I'll post some more pics once I get my projects out of the way and get her set up.

20201105_195747 (resized).jpg

In the lineup. Lots of stuff to clean and replace. Contemplating a playfield swap.

20201106_174302 (resized).jpg

My SS is currently running rom v1.2. Is it worth going to 1.5? On a WPC, is this just a single chip swap, or do I need to do anything else?

Right. Is it just a ROM swap?

Looks great! Nice work!

I had a completely non functional spider. I replaced the board today, and it worked. Yay! Then, it was off, pointing at the wrong things. I tightened down the spider some more, and it seemed to work again. Yay! So, I was testing it with the glass off, and after about 4 or 5, it quit working and started to use the moving lights. I tried to spin it by hand, and it worked. I ran the test, and it would spin as long as I wanted. But, in a game, it consistently only gives me a few spider spins before failing.
My thoughts are:
1) I replaced this board with a spare I had from a Jokerz. It could have problems, as well.
2) The motor could be bad.

Thoughts? Does one sound more likely than the other.

Used to be on ebay a lot, I think. Haven't noticed one in a while. Too bad, since I need one myself. Maybe I'll have an artist come up with something cool.

So, I guess if you aren't hammering the spider while testing, it never messes up.

I know it's a long shot, but did anyone sock away a wiring harness that they might want to sell?

I may have one(I'll have to dig around for a while to find out), but it looks like a pretty simple one to recreate with this method:

Since there are so few completely visible plastics on SS, I've contemplated creating a new set with more exciting artwork than just the electrical arcing. I'll have to play with it some to decide if it's a good idea.

EDIT: Wrong thread

*sigh* Yup, I did. It's been that kind of morning.

What color is the marker you used?

I adjusted the shooter rod on a SS. I don't think I had to play with the auto plunger in that case. I just loosened up the mount screws and centered it. I don't recall doing anything else, but it's been a while.

As far as I can tell, that is normal. On every game I've ever played with a working spider, you time it a little less than 2 items ahead, mine included.

Now, mine will occasionally hang, kill the current spider spin without an award and switch to the lights. It comes back online if you just shut down the machine for a bit. I suspect the stepper motor is gunked up and needs to be replaced or disassembled. It could also be a cold joint on the connector. I'll deal with that when I do the cab and playfield swap.

Does it award you the right thing when it stops? For example, if you manage to stop it on the crate, does it award the crate?

I would pull the spider arrow off of the stepper and look at the diverter. Is it broken and not blocking the optos? If it is, are the optos working? Could you have a flaky opto board or connector? Check the solder job and see if you have a cold joint. There is an aftermarket board and stepper available.

Ok, so the next question: is it consistent? Does it award the same wrong award when stopping at the same place, or is the spider arrow drifting?
If not, then I would look at the opto blocker, and then the opto board. If the lip is broken, it could be activating early or late.
If that looks good, look at the board. Specifically the opto. Finally, if the stepper is messed up, it could be dragging or something. But I would expect to see the arrow drifting in comparison to what is actually awarded if it was a stepper issue.
I suppose that someone could have replaced the stepper with a motor with the wrong step angle, but I would expect the board to error out after a spin or two, since the opto blocking point would change in relationship to the expected number of steps.

Ah! The crucial bit of missing data! Glad to hear it is working!

If it only happens when "cold," i would look at the solder points on the opto boards of the trough assembly first. If you can, swap them out for a while.

What version of the ROM are you running?

Hmm. The only thing I can think is that the crate switch is registering a lot of hits and then kicking off a multiball. But it would need at least two switches to be going nuts, right? The magnetic one in front of the crate and the one inside the crate?

Interesting coincidence. I replaced the batteries this morning, and reset everything. When I played a test game, on one spider spin, it went backwards and stopped on the wrong place(though, I suspect if I counted the steps, it would have been correct for the clockwise number of steps). Never seen this behavior, and it seemed to be fine before and after this spin.

I've seen it spin backwards on a power up test once, too.
I ended up turning it off for now.

Use acrylic glue, not super glue. It welds the pieces back together. Seems to work great.

OK, this should be easy, but it's not. When I got my SS, it had no coffin door. I bought a door, the door cover, a hinge and the spring. Put it together like I think it would go. But that thing is too tight to move.
So, what is the proper orientation of the spring? Is there any trick to getting it out together and be loose on the hinge?

20210423_212452 (resized).jpg

Also, while I'm at it, is the cover usually screwed in or riveted in to the metal backing?

An update. I smoothed out the tabs on the coffin mech with a file, then bent them in slightly. Works like a charm now.

Is it the shaft from this piece?
https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/04-10419.1

There's a dude with a project SS that keeps popping up in NY for 2.5k. I finally emailed. No mechs, no boards. Not worth the shipping for me, but maybe someone local wants to put one together.

Well, it's definitely a 25v cap, but as to where it came from...? I don't think that there is a cap on the skull. Did someone perhaps unsolder this from something a while back and it fell into the playfield and was wedged until today? Do you have any mods?

I'm still searching for a Scared Stiff wiring harness. Missed one on ebay last year and I've spent the time since kicking myself.

A friend gave me this.

20220214_175750 (resized).jpg

The friend in question is on pinside, so maybe he'll chime in

I'm looking at swapping my existing playfield with some wear with this one. I'll be adding cliffys and some touch ups around the holes.

20220208_120845 (resized).jpg

I'd love to try it, too.

My spider is also hit or miss. The problem is, when it fails, it fails during a spider spin, and instead of flipping to the lit inserts automatically, it ends the spider spin and kicks the ball out. So, a player will immediately lose one spider spin, which can be a PITA if you have a tight game going. So, I turned it off until I have time to rebuild the whole machine. Then, I'll work on debugging it.
Just about to start working on the cabinet. I have a spare Creature cab and head that will get sanded down for new SS decals. Then, I'll work on the playfield swap.

Yeah, I've seen this bug and reported it to Soren as a possible fix. I think it's a race condition that can happen when the last tale is a multiball. I've seen it happen with crate on mine.

Anyone happen to have a spare of this plastic that they would let go?

20230615_101324 (resized).jpg

Playfield swap is almost done.

20230624_211955 (resized).jpg

I know that animation exists for some of the extra deadheads. Did they record callouts for those by any chance?