(Topic ID: 67163)

*FINISHED* The Acrylic Pinball Project - I am "clearly" insane

By Mk1Mod0

10 years ago


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  • 1,343 posts
  • 262 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 year ago by Pinfidel
  • Topic is favorited by 190 Pinsiders

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There are 1,343 posts in this topic. You are on page 10 of 27.
#451 10 years ago

I hope to be able to go to a future TPF to play this and another custom machine. They both look awesome and would be quite the experience.

#452 10 years ago

Wow! What a beautiful piece of art! Nice job! I'd love to play this thing, but TPF is not in the cards this time around.

16
#453 10 years ago

Here's my "invisible pinball machine" image.jpgimage.jpg
Love your project. Kudos.

10
#454 10 years ago

OK. So, the inserts are... well, inserted! Went well for the most part. Had to sand a few of them down. A couple of the arrows were overcut so I made a few various sized shims from the usable scrap pile. The weldment put it all together like glue. Really good, solid glue. It will take a nuclear explosion to get them out again. In pieces. Decals next, wax, then populating. 8 days....

IMG_6803.JPGIMG_6803.JPG IMG_6800.JPGIMG_6800.JPG
#455 10 years ago
Quoted from smokey_789:

Here's my "invisible pinball machine"

Yeah if i owned a Special Force i would be turning it invisible too.

WAY COOL !!! THE HOME STRETCH, I can hardly stand the wait.

#456 10 years ago

Rcvd LED kit today and all it contained was the LED strip. No power supply and such. Reordered and we will see. It is an afterthought anyway but not essential to operation.

#457 10 years ago

Sooooooooooo it seems not all inserts are created equal. All of the white ones are cemented in very solidly. The red ones popped right out! What? Crap! Must obviously be made of the same type of plastic that the little bottle that contains the weldment juice is made of. Plan B is in effect...

#458 10 years ago

Inserts are famous for popping out.

Rough the sides up with sandpaper, apply a layer of 3m plastic primer, and glue it down for good.

#459 10 years ago

By far the most interesting thread on pinside I've seen in a loooooong time, might be the best, thanks again for the play by play.

#460 10 years ago

lovin it !!!

#461 10 years ago

Lookin' good. Can't wait to see and play at TPF. If u need anything just holler.

#462 10 years ago

Long day today, lots wrong, less right. 20y/o Weller up and died. Trip to Ace Hardware #1. Screws for mounting, well, everything are too damn long. Trip #2. Decided the 1/4" braid I bought for my ground rail should have been 1/8". Ace don't carry that so I dug into my bag o' tricks and found a local source of stranded 18ga. (The cloth covered kind strips so much easier than the plastic kind.)

**Bonus for guessing the donor play field.

IMG_6815.JPGIMG_6815.JPG IMG_6816.JPGIMG_6816.JPG
#463 10 years ago

"Jus' needs a lil' Novus, dude!!" (Someone will say it. Might as well be me.) Back in reality, thanks to whoever showed this trick. Several folks I think. Screw a dowel and sand paper. THIS is the way to clean out light sockets with a Dremel.

IMG_6812.JPGIMG_6812.JPG
#464 10 years ago

Regarding mounting the flush GI lights. Staples out, screws in. But I didn't want to spend untold amounts of time drilling the little bastards. Buildy to the rescue again. This is a "Whitney" punch and it is just what the doctor ordered. Just put in the proper sized die and punch away. Gonna save me a ton in time and little drill bits.

IMG_6811.JPGIMG_6811.JPG
#465 10 years ago

Today's progress. Doesn't look like much, but had to do some more learning. (Screwing up, optional, lessons in how not to are mandatory.) All GI and 90% of controlled lights are in and tested. Machinery tomorrow.

IMG_6814.JPGIMG_6814.JPG
#466 10 years ago

You are doing an amazing job and your documenting of it is great. Thanks so much for sharing it. I am not an EM guy at all and i just cant help but to continously check this thread to watch the progress. Your work is being appreciated by more than you realize as many that few it are not saying anything.

Dont know if its even possible, But i figure i might as well ask. Sadly, TPF is one of the shows that i have not been to and dont know if I will ever make it, but is there any chance that you might be able to make a trip up to Pinball Expo in Chicago this October to show off your machine. I know that many would be like myself and willing to danoate a few bucks to make it happen. It wouldnt take much to get a few of us to pitch in to help the cost involved with you making the machine and yourself appear at the show, and if it is planned right, you could maybe even do a small seminar to talk about the process of making a really awesome machine. As I said, im not an EM guy, but i sure would enjoy getting to see this machine in person

Troy

#468 10 years ago

Mk1Mod0,
I've had some success with some plastic epoxy at the glue section at Lowes. It smells worse than regular epoxy; and seems to soften the surface of the plastic enough to bond the epoxy to it.

I used it to mount the Terran empire acrylic to the top of the pop bumper caps and it seems to be very solid.

#469 10 years ago

Watching this thread is like what it was like waiting for the next goddamn episode of Breaking Bad to start each week...

#470 10 years ago

Thanks for sharing... such a great project and a thing of beauty.

#471 10 years ago
Quoted from Atomicboy:

Watching this thread is like what it was like waiting for the next goddamn episode of Breaking Bad to start each week...

It might be a long wait.

#472 10 years ago

Yep. Gonna pretty much break for TPF now. There's no way it is going to be ready in time. Got to slow down, step back and relax again. I'd rather do it right than rushed. Next year for sure. Work continues at a slower pace... The only way this would come to Frisco is as a static display. And nobody wants that.

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#473 10 years ago
Quoted from Mk1Mod0:

Yep. Gonna pretty much break for TPF now. There's no way it is going to be ready in time. Got to slow down, step back and relax again. I'd rather do it right than rushed. Next year for sure. Work continues at a slower pace... The only way this would come to Frisco is as a static display. And nobody wants that.

bring it
Bring it
Bring It

we want to see in person

#474 10 years ago
Quoted from Mk1Mod0:

I'd rather do it right than rushed.

Man I am so glad you said that. I was thinking the same thing no use rushing especially the most important part.

Best to Mellow!

#475 10 years ago

Sorry it won't make it. I was thinking that things were not close enough last night ... but figured you had some plan other than working your ash off.

Star Trek: Mirror Universe will as I just got the Nixie displays working 100% thanks to Oliver in Sweden.

#476 10 years ago

There's always next year. It'll be ready and perfect. Glad to hear you got all your issues straightened out. I would offer help, but it seems most of your problems are WAY over my head. See you at the "Star Trek row."

#477 10 years ago

Take up the offers here to get it to EXPO, its a good show and a great social event...

You will have piles-o-fun !

#478 10 years ago

I'm guessing the judges are relieved to not have to pick between this and the ST: MU this year. Two excellent projects

#479 10 years ago

You have me so damn nervous at this point they had to up my BP medicine. I cannot imagine the tiniest error at this point in the project. Via con Dios.

#480 10 years ago
Quoted from Mk1Mod0:

**Bonus for guessing the donor play field.

Super Star

#481 10 years ago

lovin this project, more pics please

#482 10 years ago

I vote you bring it as a static display!! I want to see this project so badly!

#483 10 years ago
Quoted from KingNine:

I vote you bring it as a static display!! I want to see this project so badly!

+ 1

2 weeks later
#484 9 years ago

Enough resting... We crave updates.

#485 9 years ago

I vote this
THE BEST THREAD EVER
truly Amazing

#486 9 years ago

probably doing some kind of research testing for PF wear with or without mylar that is my guess.

Yes it is amazing! They're coming to take him away! oh me oh my to the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time. I let you finish the song in your head.

#487 9 years ago

Every time I see new posts on this thread I get excited. Eager to see the next step.

#488 9 years ago
Quoted from Craig:

Eager to see the next step.

+1

#489 9 years ago
Quoted from Mk1Mod0:

There's always next year. It'll be ready and perfect. Glad to hear you got all your issues straightened out. I would offer help, but it seems most of your problems are WAY over my head. See you at the "Star Trek row."

I'm glad you're waiting until next year. Would have been a shame to have a Best of Show battle between the two of you - especially if they didn't split it.

#490 9 years ago
Quoted from Craig:

Every time I see new posts on this thread I get excited. Eager to see the next step.

In the midst of all the new machines getting developed, I'm more intrigued by this for some reason.

#491 9 years ago

Mk1Mod0,

This looks spectacular!

#492 9 years ago
Quoted from Zitt:

Enough resting... We crave updates.

Hey, I needed a vacation from my vacation! But then, don't we all? And trust me... no one yells at me louder than these three!
SI12EBD.jpgSI12EBD.jpg

Assemble me! Clean me! Repair me! PLAY ME!!!

#493 9 years ago

Meanwhile, between work, overtime and a plethora of honey-dos, I did manage to take Vid1900s advice to heart and used some recently purchased epoxy to get the red inserts permanently inserted.
IMG_7084.JPGIMG_7084.JPG

Also been researching and testing how to best go about polishing all the horrible scratches that managed to find their way onto the polycarbonate play field piece. While I have become quite proficient at refurbing the acrylic, the poly is another matter. While a much tougher material, the poly actually has a softer surface that is easily scratched and tough to get back to a crystal clear clarity. So with a plan in place, I will be wet sanding up to 2500 grit this weekend. After that, population of the play field will resume.
IMG_7086.JPGIMG_7086.JPG

#494 9 years ago

Also rethinking my plan for labeling the switches and lights on the P/F. I think I will shrink what will fit onto the inserts themselves and that should be making for a much less busy P/F. Minimalist is the watchword of the day here. Will also spend some quality time this weekend, weax permitting, on the back box. Then there's wiring in the rest of the case switches, rebuilding the coin door, mounting the... oh jeez. You guys have GOT to check this out...

#495 9 years ago

This is the kit I'll be running around the base and under the guts. Works as advertised. VERY happy with this purchase. Remote controlled and entirely programmable.

#496 9 years ago

....amazing!

#497 9 years ago
Quoted from Mk1Mod0:

This is the kit I'll be running around the base and under the guts. Works as advertised. VERY happy with this purchase. Remote controlled and entirely programmable.

Is that the kit that has individually addressable LEDs? You can do sweeps and other special effects with them.

-1
#498 9 years ago

I noticed buffer pads today which polished scratches out of glass. I wonder if that's the right option for cleaning the poly?

#499 9 years ago
Quoted from dothedoo:

Is that the kit that has individually addressable LEDs? You can do sweeps and other special effects with them.

Er, no. This one is all or nothing. But it is 15' worth. You can adjust brightness, speed of change, fade, etc. and program your own custom sequences.

Quoted from btw75:

I noticed buffer pads today which polished scratches out of glass. I wonder if that's the right option for cleaning the poly?

Don't know. Glass is pretty hard. I've found that the super high grit paper with water gets it pretty close, then Novus3 with a wool buffing pad does pretty good, followed of course by 2 and 1. Also did some trials with that high end airplane/speed boat wax. Holy carp that stuff is awesome. I will be putting it on my car!

#500 9 years ago

I told ya collinite 885 rules !

There is NOTHING better !

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