A friend was over last night for some pin action. I had to remove a play field glass and he shared this trick with me.
Go to the hardware store and get some split foam tubes for insulating hot water that comes from your hot water heater.
Run it across the edge of your glass.
Then sit the glass down on your floor on its nice soft cushion. This is cheap insurance to keep the glass from breaking when you set it down.
Quoted from BorgDog:no pic but I use the same pipe insulation stuck on the top front edge of the backbox when I fold the head down so it rests on the side rails.
Stealing this idea.
Quoted from CanadianPinball:3 x Pool Noodle and you have a roller system to get games in and out of your vehicle.
I use sheets of cardboard.
Quoted from CanadianPinball:3 x Pool Noodle and you have a roller system to get games in and out of your vehicle.
I try to use my son!
Quoted from ForceFlow:I use sheets of cardboard.
I use 2 sheets of 1/4" ply wood. The top piece has a 2 x 4 screwed crosswise. I butt the cab up to the 2 x 4 and push.
Quoted from cottonm4:I use 2 sheets of 1/4" ply wood. The top piece has a 2 x 4 screwed crosswise. I butt the cab up to the 2 x 4 and push.
Working in a hospital, I have managed to get hold of a Patslide (used for helping move bariatric patients in conjunction with a plastic sheet).
It's basically a 6ft x 2ft sheet of plastic. Smooth on one side, with rubber strips on the other. Lay this in the boot with rubber strips down, with an old scrap of carpet (2ft x 1 ft) on top. A machine slides in with minimal effort.
I was trying to think of ways to tighten posts without using pliers. I made a "handle" which is just a piece of scrap steel with a tapped hole. I tighten the handle against the top of a post like a pair of jam nuts. I used a screw, but a screwdriver is unnecessary. Hand tight is plenty. The handle gives me something to hold while I tighten the under playfield nut. It doesn't take much to hold the post. So nothing more than a small handle is needed. After the nut is tight the handle is backed off and removed. I tapped one handle 6-32 and another 8-32.
Part of my original idea was to get into tight corners. Then it occurred to me that a simple wingnut would work well enough for most circumstances. Or for tight corners, a wingnut with a wing cut off. And since wingnuts don't have to be made, a wingnut can easily be fit to each post before flipping up (or over) the playfield.
Quoted from CanadianPinball:3 x Pool Noodle
I use three 1" wooden dowels, or baseball bats if I misplace them.
-mof
Was removing guide rails for orbit on a flash I just picked
up and I made something out of necessity. I've read vids threads on getting side rails off and used that info on my prospector
but was having trouble with these orbit and shooter lane
guides. I got a small thin piece of cherry wood and sanded down
one end like a shim to get behind the metal guide and on the
other end i made a mini cats paw to get those pesky screw nails .
One end for prying to get the head out some and other end
to remove. Worked pretty good without marring anything. Of course when I started on orbit metal guides i was struggling
and cussing and busting my knuckles using a plastic putty
knife and some small nippers. Once I went out to my workshop
and got this made it all went a lot easier.
20200211_203042 (resized).jpg20200211_203243_HDR (resized).jpg20200211_203136 (resized).jpg20200211_203353 (resized).jpgRolf reminded me that I should really have a test lamp setup... again. So I made a multi-channel test lamp set for testing 24 vac circuits. Found 24 V mini bayonet lamps on Amazon, had the sockets, wood, wire, alligator clips (but will upgrade to ez-hooks). Will also upgrade the paper to Cricut dri-erase for notes.
IMG_1785 (resized).jpgQuoted from cottonm4:I'm back with some before/after pics of a couple of silver balls I ran through my polishing contraption I found a lapidary supply house and bought one pound of 1000 grit polishing media.
I ran two balls through the polisher for 25 minutes. They cleaned up nice and came out smooth but the 1000 grit does not make them shine so I had to finish up with about a minute's time on the polishing wheel.
A new ball measured 1 1/16" which is 1.0625 with digital calipers. After smoothing them up and polishing they measured 1.059 for a loss in diameter of .0035, or three and one half thousandths. At that loss rate I could polish a ball five times and the loss would amount to 1/64". I don't think losing 1/64" inch in diameter would hurt game play but I have no way of knowing for sure except for trying this for awhile.
I may be rationalizing but, so far, I am happy with the results. If I can make a ball live for five times that gets the ball cost down to an equivalent of 20 cents.
Here is a pic of the machine, again.
[quoted image]
In this picture, both balls had about the same amount of surfaces scratches when starting out. This pic shows the right hand ball after it went through polishing procedure. The ball on the left has not been worked, yet. I wish I could get you better pics but this is as good as an iPhone 4S will do.
[quoted image]
In these two pics, the left hand ball has now been through the polishing routine. It is nice and shiny and will not tear my play fields up.
I can live with this. I load a ball into the machine, go some other things, come back 20-30 minutes later and repeat the process. For not too much effort I can keep an inventory of silver balls for cheap.
I would prefer to have some different motors to replace the drill motors I am using but motors are not cheap. I think the ideal motors for this would be windshield wiper motors as they are durable, quiet, and continuous duty motors, but the salvage yards around here all want $20.00 per motor, plus you would also need a transducer.
[quoted image] [quoted image]
It has been a couple of years so I thought I would give an update on the ball polishing machine I built a couple of years ago. I made a minor change and the balls clean up much faster. It took me about and hour to work 13 balls but I think I will be able to get that up to 18 on my next run.
I started out with 30 brand new silver balls. They are the cheap balls. Of the 30 that I bought, 10 of those are still unused. The others are on their fourth buff and polish routine.
I got a small electronic scale at the auction. So when I get ready to polish the next batch, I will weigh them and measure the diameters to see how much out of spec they are.
But so far, I do not notice any bad playing action.
I just threw this together to keep the costs down. I would like to make some refinements, but cost issues will probably keep me nursing this one along for awhile.
I like to install the external volume control on the Stern Spike and SAM pins in place of the tournament plug. Always thought the plastic nut was hard to get off most the time, so I 3D printed a socket. Just not much room to get in there and get the nut loose. Haven't tried it yet, but I have an order on the way from Pinball Life, so will try it out soon.
pasted_image (resized).pngFlatcables at the old Williams speechboards are often damaged. I replaced these in the past many times using a bankwrench which was quite a hassle.
The standard IDC crimptool comes with just one adapter to crimp connectors to flatcables; other adapters for the "through hole Flatcable connector" are not available. With the standard adapter you would squeeze the pins so I created an adapter myself with a 3D printer. It is quite a simple piece a plastic but it does the job very well. Happy with it!
Marco
Quoted from Shredso:DIY Tools- Quarantine edition. It turns out a sheet of pinball glass on a music stand makes a decent blueprint table. I have a scrap of masonite for a lip that I need to cut down but probably never will.[quoted image][quoted image]
Love living on the edge?
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:Love living on the edge?
It's surprisingly sturdy. It's a heavy duty professional music stand. This is day 4 with no issues.
Quoted from Shredso:It's surprisingly sturdy. It's a heavy duty professional music stand. This is day 4 with no issues.
I had one of those I used as a platform for klieg light and setting tools on. Quite handy. I needed room so it had to go.
I don't know if I would want to use a piece of glass. Anything could happen and it all comes crashing down. A light weight piece of plywood or a piece of plexiglass would be safer. And now you have me wishing I had more room kept mine.
Here are a few of my many homemade tools:
1st: Just a set of 3 harborfreight bins to sort and store LEDs. I suggest modifying the lids so they open fully, otherwise you'll have LEDs spilling on the foor because the lids wants to tip the bin over.
2nd: A bulb/LED tester. It'll test bulbs, LEDs, and flashers. I made this from a "Really Useful Box" from the craft store, a pair of recycled battery holders, 2 bayonet and 2 wedge sockets. Wired a specific way so that 4.5V (3 of the batteries) go to the 6V side, and 9V (all 6 batteries) go to the 12V side. It wont light them up bright, but if they light at all, the bulb/LED is good.
3rd: A polarity checker for Williams bayonet flashers (Williams often wired them backwards because it didn't matter at the time). Also shown is a polarity checker for standard wedge base sockets. I honestly don't use it much. Simply plug it in to the socket and if the green LED lights, polarity is correct. If the red LED lights, the socket will need the wires swapped.
4th: Hidden in the bins is a short length of airline tubing. Used for removing bulbs from hard-to-reach areas, those pesky spotlight reflectors, and anywhere else my sausages won't reach. Also good for removing broken bulbs.
20200418_124503 (resized).jpg20200418_124549 (resized).jpg20200418_124539 (resized).jpg
I don't know if this qualifies as a tool, but has shown to be VERY handy!
The tip-out wall-mount bins were also purchased from Harbor Freight for $2/each.
I took the time to look up each and every part number that all the manufacturers use for each size and labelled the bins. No more guess-work on what size is supposed to go where. As long as the manual is clear enough to read.
Each bin is also labelled on the side so its easy to put them back in the correct order if several are removed from the wall at once.
The upgrade to this is I plan to order 1 of each size in silicone, but in a different color and put them on a large keyring. Making it much easier to size up an unknown ring.
20200415_093943 (resized).jpg20200418_130406 (resized).jpg20200418_130415 (resized).jpgQuoted from PghPinballRescue:2nd: A bulb/LED tester. It'll test bulbs, LEDs, and flashers. I made this from a "Really Useful Box" from the craft store, a pair of recycled battery holders, 2 bayonet and 2 wedge sockets. Wired a specific way so that 4.5V (3 of the batteries) go to the 6V side, and 9V (all 6 batteries) go to the 12V side. It wont light them up bright, but if they light at all, the bulb/LED is good.
Now THAT is slick! Gonna have to make one...
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:Here are a few of my many homemade tools:
1st: Just a set of 3 harborfreight bins to sort and store LEDs. I suggest modifying the lids so they open fully, otherwise you'll have LEDs spilling on the foor because the lids wants to tip the bin over.
2nd: A bulb/LED tester. It'll test bulbs, LEDs, and flashers. I made this from a "Really Useful Box" from the craft store, a pair of recycled battery holders, 2 bayonet and 2 wedge sockets. Wired a specific way so that 4.5V (3 of the batteries) go to the 6V side, and 9V (all 6 batteries) go to the 12V side. It wont light them up bright, but if they light at all, the bulb/LED is good.
3rd: A polarity checker for Williams bayonet flashers (Williams often wired them backwards because it didn't matter at the time). Also shown is a polarity checker for standard wedge base sockets. I honestly don't use it much. Simply plug it in to the socket and if the green LED lights, polarity is correct. If the red LED lights, the socket will need the wires swapped.
4th: Hidden in the bins is a short length of airline tubing. Used for removing bulbs from hard-to-reach areas, those pesky spotlight reflectors, and anywhere else my sausages won't reach. Also good for removing broken bulbs.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Nice set up.
But what does it feel like to have $1,000.00 worth of LEDs at your fingertips? 
Quoted from LTG:Brass tubing, notched and pinched.
Slide black brake line in until it stops, slice off with a razor blade. Instant post sleeve.
LTG : )[quoted image]
I'm confused. What is this used for?
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:I'm confused. What is this used for?
It's a cutting jig. Each piece of tubing will be cut to near exact lengths with minimal effort.
Quoted from twhtalm:It's a cutting jig. Each piece of tubing will be cut to near exact lengths with minimal effort.
What are you using for the tubing to be cut?
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:What are you using for the tubing to be cut?
It seems like LTG's original post says he is using black rubber automotive brake line.
Quoted from PghPinballRescue:What are you using for the tubing to be cut?
Making my own post sleeves.
LTG : )
Not home made. Just thought it might help.
I use the neoprene sliders on the levelers of my pinball legs to protect my floor. And sometimes they snap on and stay. And sometimes they don't.
On the ones that don't like to stay put. Which is a real pain to crawl under a pin and lift up and put it back. I tried hot glue, silicone, epoxy, pro super glue, gorilla glue, everything I could think of. Nothing worked.
Then I ran into stuff people use on valuables on shelves in areas prone to earthquakes. Goes by many variations of quake putty. I found this at Home Depot. Kind of soft and pliable. I make a small flat round piece of it and stick it on the slider. Push into place. Works 99% of the time. Better than anything else I tried. And it stays sticky and tacky forever.
LTG : )
quake (resized).JPGQuoted from LTG:Not home made. Just thought it might help.
I use the neoprene sliders on the levelers of my pinball legs to protect my floor. And sometimes they snap on and stay. And sometimes they don't.
On the ones that don't like to stay put. Which is a real pain to crawl under a pin and lift up and put it back. I tried hot glue, silicone, epoxy, pro super glue, gorilla glue, everything I could think of. Nothing worked.
Then I ran into stuff people use on valuables on shelves in areas prone to earthquakes. Goes by many variations of quake putty. I found this at Home Depot. Kind of soft and pliable. I make a small flat round piece of it and stick it on the slider. Push into place. Works 99% of the time. Better than anything else I tried. And it stays sticky and tacky forever.
LTG : )[quoted image]
I have some of this stuff and I'm constantly finding uses for it. I like this idea though, I have a few uneven spots in my basement that I lose the sliders. Thanks!
´Quick´n´dirty raised insert leveling tool´ (patent pending)
Yes, there are long reach C-clamps on the market but only found them for $$$ and still not fulfilling the perfect job-so I had an idea:
20200421_190951 (resized).jpg
20200421_190557 (resized).jpg
20200421_113843 (resized).jpg20200421_191747 (resized).jpg20200421_185242 (resized).jpg20200421_185248 (resized).jpg20200421_185235 (resized).jpg20200421_185337 (resized).jpg20200421_185409 (resized).jpg
some more detailed info there: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/139#post-5635204
Quoted from harig:´Quick´n´dirty raised insert leveling tool´ (patent pending)
Yes, there are long reach C-clamps on the market but only found them for $$$ and still not fulfilling the perfect job-so I had an idea:
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
some more detailed info there: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-ultimate-playfield-restoration/page/139#post-5635204
This is what I use, and it reaches the center of MOST playfields: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-deep-throat-c-clamp-45919.html
Your tool definitely will get the job done though, and thats some pretty damn good craftsmanship!
How about a Flipper Mech Rebuild Rack? The FMRR - otherwise known as a scrap of plywood. I prefer to install bushings first. But that makes everything else awkward. So after installing a bushing, I screw the flipper base down to the FMRR. Two screws are enough. The FMRR keeps the flipper base flat and stable and gives me something more substantial to hold while installing the remaining components.
Quoted from JeffZee:How about a Flipper Mech Rebuild Rack? The FMRR - otherwise known as a scrap of plywood. I prefer to install bushings first. But that makes everything else awkward. So after installing a bushing, I screw the flipper base down to the FMRR. Two screws are enough. The FMRR keeps the flipper base flat and stable and gives me something more substantial to hold while installing the remaining components.
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
I like it! I'd add in some notes on the board too. Such as diode orientation, coil orientation, which tabs go to the switch. etc...
Maybe even a holder for the allen wrench. If you're like me, thats the ONLY one even missing from the bunch.
Quoted from cottonm4:I just discovered the perfect tool for dressing up the flipper switch contacts. Go raid your wife's manicure kit. Get that fingernail file that looks like the files surface is made of diamond dust.
This a short length file. Buy the longer one.
[quoted image]
I was always told for cleaning flipper contacts to only use a piece of card pulled between the contacts to remove the dirt. Using something as abrasive as a file or sandpaper, while curing the problem initially, actually helps promote quicker corrosion and leads to more problems down the line?
Quoted from cottonm4:I just discovered the perfect tool for dressing up the flipper switch contacts. Go raid your wife's manicure kit. Get that fingernail file that looks like the files surface is made of diamond dust.
This a short length file. Buy the longer one.
[quoted image]
I would NOT advise using a nail file. as WJxxxx stated, it will temporarily fix your problem but in fact, it will remove the very thin layer of gold/silver/copper on the contacts which will just lead to them oxidizing fast, resulting in the same original issue
you want to use a contact burnisher. a tool made specifically for cleaning contacts. pinball life sells them for $4
contact burnisher (resized).jpg
https://www.pinballlife.com/contact-burnisher.html
Quoted from j_m_:I would NOT advise using a nail file. as wjxxxx stated, it will temporarily fix your problem but in fact, it will remove the very thin layer of gold/silver/copper on the contacts which will just lead to them oxidizing fast, resulting in the same original issue
you want to use a contact burnisher. a tool made specifically for cleaning contacts. pinball life sells them for $4
[quoted image]
https://www.pinballlife.com/contact-burnisher.html
Not using a nail file only applies to low voltage, gold plated contacts. It should work fine for older, high voltage contacts?
Regarding the debate about "filing switches" and what one should use, with the wisdom about not ruining your fragile gold-plated low-voltage contacts in mind, may I present some anecdotal evidence toward a possible DIY solution that might work with discretion:
I was recently finishing a Time Fantasy to take to a show. It has 5 lane-change rollovers. Two of them were flaky, in that they worked about 75% of the time. I'd used all the previous tricks: fiber business cards; crisp dollar bills; the same soaked with alcohol (which I have found really gets the grime off contacts but makes the card/bill self-destruct), etc.... but in all cases the fix only lasted a few dozen plays if that.
With time running out before the show I finally decided to buy new switches, but they were out of stock. ARRRGH! So as a "well crap, what have I got to lose" desperation experiment, I made my own burnishing tool to be more aggressive than a business card, but less than a file.
I used an old flipper bushing gap fork tool, some double-sided tape, and some thin 600grit sandpaper (from a modeling kit). I laminated both sides of the gap tool with the sandpaper. Passed it between the switches (turns out the flipper tool is the perfect length, thickness, and durability for cleaning a properly gapped switch). There was some slight metallic residue on the sandpaper to prove they were "cleaned" but did I actually ruin them? I took some "spare hackable parts" with me to the show just in case.
But my cleaned switches lasted the entire show (and afterward) trouble-free! One was 100% fine, the other acted up about halfway through the show but with another quick pass of my "desperation cleaner" was fine again and has remained so. I've since used it on a few other switches that were inconistent trouble points in other games with similarly good results.
Again, I wouldn't necessarily say this should be the first go-to method for cleaning... but if you're reaching that "line of aggravation", as your last attempt before replacing a switch you can't obtain or replace easily, or for troubleshooting a project to determine what's actually broken or needs to be bought, this method might be valuable.
Quoted from WJxxxx:I was always told for cleaning flipper contacts to only use a piece of card pulled between the contacts to remove the dirt. Using something as abrasive as a file or sandpaper, while curing the problem initially, actually helps promote quicker corrosion and leads to more problems down the line?
Quoted from j_m_:I would NOT advise using a nail file. as wjxxxx stated, it will temporarily fix your problem but in fact, it will remove the very thin layer of gold/silver/copper on the contacts which will just lead to them oxidizing fast, resulting in the same original issue
you want to use a contact burnisher. a tool made specifically for cleaning contacts. pinball life sells them for $4
[quoted image]
https://www.pinballlife.com/contact-burnisher.html
Quoted from zacaj:Not using a nail file only applies to low voltage, gold plated contacts. It should work fine for older, high voltage contacts?
Quoted from goingincirclez:Again, I wouldn't necessarily say this should be the first go-to method for cleaning... but if you're reaching that "line of aggravation", as your last attempt before replacing a switch you can't obtain or replace easily, or for troubleshooting a project to determine what's actually broken or needs to be bought, this method might be valuable.
For pop switches, sling switch et.al I use something like the business card.
Flipper and EOS switches get destroyed with the voltage sparks. That burns and corrodes these two switches. I was taught that filing these is the way to go. And then after you have kept filing away on them and there is not more pitted material to remove, you replace them.
Take a good look at your flipper and EOS switches. Try to get all of that gray stuff from between them with a business card.
http://homepinballrepair.com/index.php/pinball-switches-fixing-adjusting/
Tungsten Contacts
The cabinet flipper switches and those at the flipper switches (EOS or end of stroke) handle higher currents, have tungsten contacts and are designed differently*.
Worn or dirty flipper and EOS switches will lead to weak or non-functioning flippers. They can be filed with a standard metal file, or they may need to be replaced. A flexstone file used on EOS switches will wear out the flexstone.
* Except those on newer solid state or Fliptronics flipper systems. They use gold contacts.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
For details on cleaning, filing and adjusting EOS switches, see the section on Rebuilding Flippers.
http://homepinballrepair.com/index.php/pinball-flipper-rebuilding-how-to-fix-and-replace/
1992 And Newer Flippers
--------------------------
Newer Bally / Williams machines have EOS switches that are normally open, then close when the flipper is activated. These switches process low power and should never be filed. These are either gold or silver plated. Some other EOS switches on newer machines (like Sega/DE/Stern) are normally closed, then open when the flipper is activated. These are also gold or silver plated and should never be filed. The EOS switches can be cleaned by inserting a business card and dragging it across the contacts as they are held closed by your fingers. Or they can be cleaned with Q-tips and a small amount of 91% isopropyl (not rubbing) alcohol (Note: flammable – see cautions).
My dad at a young age said I have a problem dropping everything, then I noticed I was dropping screws trying to put them back in tight locations on pinball machines. I tried to magnetize screws, but some aren't steel. My solution was to put a little piece of black electrical tape over the head of a screw, then jam the 1/4 socket/driver over it. Then I can insert it in hard to reach place without dropping the screw. If tape sticks to screw, grab a long needle nose pliers and grab it/take it off... This process leaves me quite a bit less frustrated.
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