I think both the replacement target as well as the modified/ replaced OG bash toy are great options and should both be perused. I know id try (buy) both (or more) options and see which ones suited my liking for both ascetic and game play. I really like where all of this is heading.

I looked at that as well and decided it wasn't viable. The Wolverine toy is hollow and thin. You have to cut off the plastic at least the height of a pinball. If you do that there is almost nothing left around the two mounting holes. The toy is failing as it is, cutting it down will weaken it further. I would just suggest removing the Wolverine toy temporarily and put one of those small round stick on felt pads on front of the bash switch. Then play the game to see how it feels with the Beast and Xavier shot wide open. If you like the feel of the game this way (you will) then you can decide whether or not to put back the original Wolverine toy or to proceed with a replacement. My scores and game times have gone up at least a third with big Wolvy out of there.

good idea

is it hard to remove wolverine toy?

Take off the right pop bumper cap (to get better access) and then take out the 2 screws in Wolvies back....off he comes.

Now getting him back on (in a decent position) is not nearly as easy a task.

The more I look at this mod the more I like it. I have a buddy that fabs things for me for work and he has a small (24"x24") CNC router that he uses to cut out metal flashing into detailed shapes for stuff I design. Cheaper than plastic, impervious to ball impacts, and you can design in the mounting bracket by just bending a lip along he bottom (Cliffy-style). I may experiment with that....... in all my spare time.

Hmmm....I think that way is only easier with a Pro. The LE has a light on top of the mounting post that would have to be unsoldered to remove him that way. That's why it never even crossed my mind to unmount him from the bottom.

EDIT: Now that I think about it....I don't even know how you would do that with the Pro? Do you take it loose under the playfield and then tilt him forward so you can get to his back screws easier? If that is the case...you should be able to do that way with either the Pro or LE.

I do it on my LE via this method and haven't had any issues with light, I just undid screw underside of the playfield, pull the assembly through just a little for it can lay down, then handle mounting or unmounting wolvie. Ive done it several times now and it seems to be the least aggravating way to do it for me.

Need to carve out Wolverine so it fits on top.wolviemod.jpg

pic3.jpg

After reading these posts inspired me to see what I could come up with. I took some measurements and on my lunch break at work I knocked out this simple bracket for the target switch and the top plastic piece, it fits very nicely and should hold up quite well. I can make prints and post here if anyone is interested in making there own. It can be modified to suit any way you wish to attach to the playfield.I found this Wolverine figure on Amazon for $14 it is the Titan series I cut off the legs just below the belt line my plan is to install a flasher inside. It is still just a mock up I still need to create a decal for the top plastic and would like to paint some more detail on Wolverine and come up with a good secure way of mounting the figure.The base platform for the Wolverine figure can accommodate a variety of different options for what ever anyone would like on top of it. Hopefully I can get some spare time to finish this off.

pic1.jpg

pic2.jpg

pic4.jpg

pic5.jpg

All these ambitious people...and all with Pro models.

This is how it should of came out of the factory!

R4840 has done it. Nice.

How much? I don't even have XM yet, but am ready to buy this set up for my future one.

I don't want to step on your toes or anybody's else that have been working on this. I am not looking to sell these I do own a business that does manufacturing and engineering but would rather just post the blue prints of these parts and let you or someone else run with it. I am not looking to make a Buck. I am not really sure how many people would be interested in this. If nobody dose take the cause and produce something then I could make a small run I would not charge for them but I would rather let someone else do it because I am overload at work and really don't have any free time. Yes I used #6 screws 2" long I used this size because it give you a little play in the alignment of the target the holes in the playfield can accommodate up to 8-32 . You could always drill out the 6-32 holes bigger if you want to use a different post.

What is left of Wolvie grows some balls

wolvermod.jpg

I'm just saying, I'm 100% cool with Pinsiders making a buck by providing a service and product that makes people's games better, and my guess is those people are happy to pay you. Understood if you don't have time to deal with it, I know all too well how much dealing with orders takes, but no one should feel bad charging for their time and effort.

That is the ultimate right there. I believe Borg's original plan was for a captive ball there(watch the promo video to see it on the whitewood). I have been thinking about doing something similar. Share your process, to same me some time and effort in the trial and error.

I played the pro for the first time ever yesterday and found the Beast shot so much easier. I hope someone can figure out a sellable mod that works for the LE, I was thinking I need to sell the LE since my Beast shot is like 20% accurate but if I could get a target mod like on this thread to open that up, I think the game will be much more enjoyable.

You got that right, I think Stern or Borg might just get his deadline and say good enough. I would have liked this game far more if it had been allowed to be developed more.

Did you have to remove his left arm to get that figure to work? I wouldn't think that would be needed if you removed the appropriate amount from his lower part. What I mean is if you just cut off whatever the height of the mount is...the figure should still be the same height and his head the same distance from the playfield glass and arms the same distance from the playfield.

...and that's on an LE. Impressed. So did you have any trouble getting it angled right for the LE (since the mounting slot is cut pointing away from the magnet)? From that pic it looks like it may still be pulled to the left a bit.

So how does it play? Does the magnet still grab the ball as it normally would? Any issues with the game ball hitting the sides from the pop bumpers or the upper flipper?

How is Wolvie mounted? If you made an LE specific model of this....would it be possible to add a mounting post to what you have there....and that post also have a place to put the original flasher that was there?

I think I would be all in on a good LE solution...especially if I could use the same figure.

wolvie2.jpg

His left arm removed itself as well as his belt on location play. This figure is only one month old! There is a small bracket mounted on his back where the old one was and fastened to the post on the bottom jet bumper cap. His right arm is zip-tied to the post behind the blackbird. Yes the angle is still slightly to the left. Any more to the right and it would open up the left side to direct hits and ruin the kinetics from left flipper shots. So far no issues from side hits. I have adhesive pads on both sides. As far as adding the flasher post that is basically where the captive stand-up target is located so it would really be a tight fit. Magnet still works on direct hits.

Thanks for the pic and the info. That's a pretty heavy duty piece of work. Is that something you made, bought or modified?

I bought an IJ4 captive ball bracket then copied it with an slight bend.
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/515-7680-00
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/535-0152-00

Anybody made any progress on some sort of kit for this?

--Luke

Are you working on an LE? If not will the same target mech fit an LE?

Someone should make these mods for Xmen and sell them, If so I 'm in.

I don't get it, isn't the pro fine? It's the LE that has trouble with the Wolverine placement.

The beast shot is just a butthair more open on the pro. But It's still big and bulky on the pro making the Xavier shot a little more abtrusive too. If I still had my xmen pro, I'd do this mod in a heartbeat.

Part of is it that the wolverine bash toy also breaks and the replacement is a bit pricy... and then will eventually also break.. and so on

a butthair you say? now if you said it was a pube more open, then that's significant. A butt hair? That's pretty close.

It's all relative. Now my butthair...is pretty dam long. My pubes; not so much

Ick!

If you would ever consider making these and selling them please let me know, I would be willing to compensate you for the effort, very well I might add. Not the figure just the parts to duplicate what you've done. Looks great.

I couldn't take the wolverine figure so removed it and modified it a bit for now, need a good replacement or I thought even a plastic picture that I could mount on the metal but it does work like this and is much better for me, I like seeing more of the playfield and the Beast shot and left NCrawler are easier to hit. Any advice to continue is appreciated. I know the light can be wired into the Wolverine flasher. Thanks

DSC00930.JPG
DSC00931.JPG
DSC00932.JPG

Let me know if it works out please, I just had the best game I've ever had without that bulky wolverine figure on there. I know its not that bad for gameplay but man the playfield opens right up and it feels good. I'm surprised a mod hasn't been made by pinball life or pinball refinery yet for this part.

We need Matt. Marvel is probably the 500 LB. gorilla stopping this from happening. Why would Matt spend all the time creating a Wolverine toy, only to receive a cease & desist when he sells the first one?

Any mod would have to be done on the very down low.

Best way to mod it is to drill holes for the captive ball assembly otherwise you have to make a complex bracket like I did to mine.

Well you can see from my pics if someone designed a new wolverine that fits over the existing metal bar but is much less bulky and comes with light holes for the flasher that can be wired in to GI then you would have a nice illuminated figure that allows you to see the playfield and there would be no drilling of holes or changes to the original machine at all. I will say the game looks much better without that huge toy.

I guess I am in the minority in that I don't hate the Wolverine part. Yes, it is large and bulky and gets in the way of shots, but for me that is part of the challenge in hitting Beast and Xavier cleanly.

The breakage thing does concern me though. Mine is still fine for the moment. If I did have to get another one I might consider cutting off the belt area and just put some black rubber rings on the post underneath.

Speaking of mods, the bash toy in my pro on location completely broke off around the mounting bracket so I'm working on a 3D printed replacement. Its basically a gray Greek column (Corinthian style for the historically curious) with a "Weapon X" sign mounted on it. Its being designed to slip over and screw to the existing mounting post. The sign text is a copy of the title on the attached comic cover. The text is yellow on black on red, the weapon text is on top with the X below and looks pretty sweet.

I'm test fitting today and hope to have some pics up soon.

weapon-x1.jpg

I just tried something similar, if you makes these please let me know I would like to buy one. I used a plastic from the extras and for now just a band to hold it on but I think this is the route I would like to go.

DSC00933.JPG

DSC00934.JPG

DSC00936.JPG

DSC00937.JPG

That's funny, I used the same plastic while I was working on a replacement. Did you see my pictures earlier in this thread? I can make up a kit for you exactly the same as mine with the 2D Wolvy and LED eyes.

Here's a 3D rendering of my initial concept. Nothing crazy, just something I could knock out quick so I can get a non-broken bash toy into the machine. There will be an optional flipper rubber around the base for protection if the user wants to add it or he/she can go with a narrower toy with nothing on it (breakage risk) or maybe stick some foam on the front.

WX_1.jpg