I initially thought the hardware exposed on the High Speed would too visible, but in the end it looked fine. The black plastic conduit helps a lot visibly.

Someone had come up with the idea of painting certain sections of a clear ramp...Good idea. Steve Richie thought a roadbed on the High Speed would look good, but my design with curves built into it prevents any application of a decal. However, once could be painted on. This Krylon Fusion for Plastic is some pretty good paint!

Couple items...

Attached are a couple photos. One shows the modified entrance to the upper ramp where I have flattened the entrance slightly for a more positive attachment of the ramp to the playfield...basically, it fits flat to the playfield surface.

I don't actually have the game anymore, so questions come up and I'm reaching out to you. In the second photo of the clear ramp, there are two holes in the bottom of the upper portion of the ramp in the area around the diverters. They are circled in red. What I would like to know is, are these holes there as actual attach points for the ramp? (where the ramp is screwed down) or are they there to allow clearance for posts below? The reason I ask is that these two holes are perilously close to the cutouts for the diverter arms thus creating a weak spot in the ramp. At the very least I will likely add a small bead of cement in this area on the acrylics.

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Think I just figured out the answer on the two holes. Appears this is where the ramp attaches to the diverter assembly...

Update...

A local enthusiast has agree to loan me his SOF so that I can do precise fitting as well as test some ideas I have for strengthening the acrylic colored ramps. I should have the game on Thursday. I will first remove his ramp, then lay the various colored and clear ramps in the game and post photos for those of you unsure about color combinations. I will then install an acrylic colored ramp set with various added structural support, then play the heck out of it to see if I can break the ramps. I'm also anxious to see what can be done with additional lighting.

Hope to post the first in game photos up by next Friday....Mark

While I await the arrival of a friend's SOF, I am experimenting with some reinforcement at the entrance to the acrylic ramps. In the photos below I have adhered some clear 1/8" clear PETG with silicone to the outside of the entrance walls. If this proves too obtrusive or visually ineffective when I test fit, I might try some 1/16" Lexan. I like the PETG simply because in itself is somewhat flexible as is the silicone.. Energy absorbing maybe??

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The best solution would be Cliffy's, but he indicated it may be a while before he gets to them. I left a greater radius on the lower edges. I could rivet spring steel to the insides but if you are correct, that would not make much difference. Any Ideas?

I should have the game tomorrow and can see what else I could do.

Clearly we need a good solution at the entrance at the lower ramp which has taken serious abuse. I hope to post photos of the various colors in the game by tomorrow or Saturday. Once that is done I will see what I can come up with. Just may have to be stainless steel guards attached to the entrance posts.

Maybe. I can give it a try. As soon as I get the game it will be a lot easier for me to visualize what we can do to protect that ramp. Will need to get a perfect fit so may actually have to form the material. I did reach out to Cliffy one last time, but I know he's very busy and really jumped through some hoops to do the Genesis protectors.

BTW... your drawing is very clear.

Good News!

Have been in email exchanges with Cliff Rinear (Cliffy's!) this morning and he has agreed to move the Swords of Fury ramp protectors to the Top of the List. As soon as I get the machine set up I will start providing Cliff with the info he needs to create these. Specifically what I'm thinking is protectors for both sides of the lower ramp and for the right uphill side of the upper ramp. Left side is already protected with the stock metal. In addition I may add a small cemented strip of plastic at the lower radius of the walls. This combination should greatly increase the durability of these ramps.

So... Now have an SOF in the house. Will begin dismantling it today and hope to post various photos, hopefully tomorrow.

I really enjoy the collaboration on these ramp projects. When the game was delivered today we of course spent a good hour talking about the SOF ramps and I even demonstrated a forming of a High Speed for him. One of the reasons I offer these ramps as alternatives to the original ramps is that we can really change the look of a game...especially with the new lighting options that are available. He popped out an interesting idea when he was here (Thanks Lou!). At the Diverters there are three colored lights that protrude up through the Black ABS to indicate which direction the ball will be routed by the diverter. He thought it might be interesting to not put those holes in the plastic and let a light down within the plastic light up the red or blue ramp... Hmmm...that one I am going to have to test!

The machine I was loaned is in generally pretty good shape, however as soon as I started to dismantle it I discovered that it too had damage at the entrance to the upper ramp... Pretty creative repair job here....just move the flap further up the ramp! Note original hold down holes and where the ramp used to reach noted in red...

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OK.... Since the ramps as was given as well as at least the upper ramp in the game I have now were damaged, the first thing I needed to do was figure out just what the entrance should look like. Pretty simple if you actually have the game. Could not have guessed it without it.

So this is just the first teaser... Photo of the existing stock ramp sitting in the game and the PETG painted black underneath sitting in the game without any hardware.

I think for the ultimate photo shoot I will completely install (temp screws and not rivets and probably without entrance flap) each combination into the game. I also think that with anything other than black the desired effect would be better with increased GI under the ramp, so I might add at least a couple light for the tests.

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Also, underneath the upper ramp just above the tunnel entrance is a flash lamp... that should look pretty cool under the colored ramps.

Absolutely not... I want to be different in the Pinball World and never expect prepay! I might try to squeeze the F-14 in soon, but I'll hold off on Space Shuttle until this fall likely. Need to enjoy a little summer!

No problem, I can see it very easily but thanks. Ramps are fitting very well. I do recall that you said there were some differences in the lower edge of the diverter cutouts and I can see that in the two samples I have now. The ramp I modeled after had them cut lower than I would like. The second ramp has a lot more meat at the bottom. Due to the proximity of the two larger holes in the bottom of the ramp by the diverter where the actual hold down screws are, I am going to modify my cut a little higher for more strength. When anyone installs one of these ramps, once installed they should check that the diverter arms clear the ramp openings. As it looks right now the game I have clears them very easily even with the higher cut. Better to leave a little more meat. If any had an issue the lower edge could be very easily sanded down a little. Appreciate you pointing this out.

It's fun to actually see them in the game. Initially I thought the blue wasn't the best choice, but now with the game on it looks great. Also the red is HOT!

I want to take the time to temporarily mount the hardware on each one so all can see very close to the finish product.

OK... I promise I will send a complete set of photos showing the various combinations, but I just can't help myself when I see something I think is exciting.

I set the two red ramps, and trust me, the camera does not do the red justice, and shot a no flash photo with the game in attract mode. For comparison I also shot a photo with the stock black ramps sitting in the game, again, no flash.

The GI under the plastic to the left of the lower ramp is providing most of the light to the reds.

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Here's a side shot of just the lower red ramp...

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I will try to get the complete photo sets tomorrow. I'd like to get the ramp protector detail off to Cliffy, hopefully by Saturday. I want to attach the hardware to each of the upper ramps so we can get a good view of each. I'm also considering at least one more GI light up in the back to illuminate the colored ramps.

Might not be until tomorrow night before I can post the photos...photos are better at night. I'm working on getting models of the protectors to Cliffy for the right side entrance of the upper ramp and both sides of the lower ramps....