cool ideas and I am now going to do a redesign of the spinner so the bracket will come underneath the wire form which will then allow me to move it around a little more so not to visually block the upper right flipper as that is important to me - might try for higher up and would love a full tube wave - more spins the longer the tube ride.

I had intended to use laser cut brackets that the wireform rods will slide into also couple as a mount for a plastic to show addition wave curl to give the player the sensation that the wave is still continuing onto the wireform - so the 2 combined could be cool.

thanks for the idea...

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Thanks Art

Ideally I would of loved to have a left and right hander wave or one that mechancial constantly moved in and out but I chose to go with ramp flow variation which I could be wrong but haven't seen a ramp that allows that - meaning catching the tube via the higher wave as it needs a better flowing and more powerful shot where a weak shot will drop the ball into the impact zone - so yes 2 possible outcomes.

The idea is if it drops down into the wipeout zone it might hit the circle thing or drop to the upper right flipper to give the player a second go at the tube wave as hoping in theory the ball will not have alot of speed.

The ramp is not shootable from the lower flippers as was going for a 80's SS type game down there - and in theory the playfield is a story of the progress of standing on the shore (lower flippers), selecting a earning a particular surfboard and then heading out into the water to catch waves which is the purpose of the upper flippers - so like a story of features using the mechs etc.

A little to the right of the ramp entry is a mini orbit (which is shot from the lower and upper rhs flippers) that will feed the ball back behind the 5 bank drops to the upper rhs flipper or a weak shot will direct the ball to the targets area on the rhs. A shot between the target banks will feed into a vuk (once I design it in) when a gate is opened (under the wave) which will then feed a upper wireform that will rise up and over the wave and this will be the "Party Wave" multiball - in which this will be a physical ball lock that will be stealable if playing more than 1 player. When the vuk gate is open if you shoot the outer orbit on the rhs it will stop dead and roll back down allowing the player to shoot the wave ramp. So hoping for a bit of a strategy on how to play depending on the skill or how you like to play.

Now the circle thing - this will be a feature that the owner can swap out 1 of 3 different mechs, each with a different set of game play rebound effects.
Mech 1 - 2 post spinner with a rubber between them which will be a shark fin horizontal spinner - acts as a game hazard and a point counter.
Mech 2 - 3 post triangle spinner with a rubber between then which will be the submerged rock in the impact zone - acts as a game hazard and a point counter.
Mech 3 - will be the impact zone pop bumper - also acting as a hazard as well as a point counter.

Lastly apart from scores on 80's led pinscore displays there will be another score display somewhere near the rhs wireform that will count the waves caught in a game and in attract mode will flash the highest amount of waves ever caught in a game like a high score.

sorry for the essay

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haven't been 100% happy with the top rhs corner and finally come up with a concept to include 2 controlled drop targets to will stop or allow orbit shots and shots to the "party wave multiple vuk" which will be a wireform over the wave and drop to the current wireform.

just need to work out the:
- wire form mounts
- 2 x spinners / pop bumper designs for the large hole mid rhs
- tweak the slings for the Stern slingshot bracket design
- auto ball launch mounting
- huey kickout mech
- gi holes
and then I should be close to cutting a whitewood

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Thanks for chiming in and the support guys

Good things come to those that wait lol...

Hoping for some cutting action before Christmas

Thanks mate

no worries rufessor, hopefully this makes sense:

- I haven't seen a shooter lane like the design I am using but that's not to say there might be a game with a similar one and interested if any one has (please share)
- when the ball comes down to the flippers it should jump the drain gap and continue to the flippers no problems as the outer ball guide sits about 8mm higher than the guide to the flipper. The drain gap is very similar to Skateball and Fathom.
- there will be an option of 2 horizontal spinners on the playfield - a 2 post and 3 post (impact zone) as well as a option for pop bumper as well - so if a player gets bored they can mix it up a little.
- there will be another vertical spinner on the wireform coming off the wave ramp - effectively a raised traditional spinner of sorts.
- the orbit drop is on the upper rhs side and when down allows for orbit shots or when up blocks left to right orbits and directs the ball to the drop banks or when hit from the right to left it hits the drop and the drop targets drops but more importantly lets the ball drop down so you can hit the ball to the wave ramp - so like a set up shot.
- the party wave drop allows access to the vuk wireform for a locked ball multiball.
- lastly 3 rollover inserts that replace the top inlanes which when collecting all three increase your multiplier but each one in a bit of a rebound / risk shot.

as for sawdust and dirt, I am looking forward to it but I am time poor with a young family and enjoy designing so unlike the Dutch crew I plod along and design and then the playfield will be routed and make a cabinet so it will happen once I am ready but really hoping for a Christmas time timber work session all going well.

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forgot to add, features tally at the moment will be:
4 x flippers
10 x drop targets
2 x regular targets
3 x rollover inserts
1 x vuk ball lock (multiball) wireform
1 x ball collect bonus saucer
optional - 1 x 2 post spinner OR 1 x 3 post spinner OR 1 x pop bumper
1 x wave ramp with 2 outcomes
1 x spinner on the wireform

Tube Time playfield build in cyber space (click on it to open and see better detail)

Tube Time Build.gif

Do you mean the left & right flat corners?

If so these are roughly 200mm (8") in each direction. There will be more features stacked up on to the plastics but there are joins in those areas especially on the rhs so it doesn't have the biggest plastic ever. The image below better shows the plastics in the corners removed.

I have been asked in the past "why don't have the orbit guides closer to the corners?" and now it is easier to show that on the left in the tilt bob buoy and on the rhs is a vuk to a extra wireform "still to come", as there was always plans for a 180 deg ramp or a vuk / wireform.

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didn't get as far as I wanted the last 8 days, but worked out the VUK guide and started on the VUK wireform. Challenge was teaching myself how to draw it. This is still a work in progress but the idea is that this becomes a physical ball lock that can be stolen by the next player if you don't release on your go. Once getting a ball up there it will sit there until you get a ball on the regular wireform to trigger the release of the "Party Wave" multiball.

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yes would love to have 2 rules, one is a "party wave" multiball and the other is a "drop in" death ball that kills your ball play and maybe to get rid of it is to ride the wipeout ball to release the stored "drop in ball" ???? struggling to work out how to integrate this with my current rule approach.

the 4 boards will eventually be 4 different shaped ones and won't be inserts rather just artwork. The reason they are there now is to plan my inserts and 3 x roll over star inserts

cool idea and I get what you are suggesting but will have to have a think about it. I was originally going to have a similar but different 180 turn / loop / embankment in the top right corner as it was going to represent a big move - vertical re-entry or aerial move ramp but opted against it as the vuk shot is a blind shot and to then add a embankment type ramp would need a more precise and accurate shot that I could not give. I also wanted to have a skill shot on launch and this has refreshed me it too possibly incorporating something like this - but want to keep the area clean and not suddenly be the most congested area of the game. let me think about it - definitely very cool

I agree, I am thinking ..........................

actually that second ramp picture just dawned on me as a soft plunge can let the ball return to the flipper and a medium could either drop the ball just high of the upper right flipper for a skill shot to the wave and pickup skill shot points from the spinner on the wireform and then maybe a hard plunge also returns the ball ball to the lower right flipper......... will draw over the next week to see if this is doable, thanks flashinstinct

am thinking maybe that the low, medium and powerful shooter lane shot could be a indicator of the surf size - 4ft, 6ft or 8ft tubes (maxed out) .... maybe

for those interested, tweaked the vuk wireform a little to keep it within the available cabinet space, nicer shape though needs to have a taper designed in to reduce the side when the ball exits the vuk wireform - will do this on manufacturing.

- going to concentrate on the supports for this wireform at the moment
then
- consider the shooter lane idea but the wireforms are my priority as want this area to look cool and not cluttered and still need to complete mounts and a replacement wireform spinner.

The vuk wireform will feed a second ball "party wave" multiball after the first passes the long wave wireform.

the profile line is the mirror blade shape and the cone thing is the huey surf god that went weird for some reason?
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general views
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it might, and I do expect to be mucking around with the wave ramp, as good in theory as a model but do expect to shape and play around when the time comes to testing - more of a visual and planning many of the features at the moment until ready to get cut.

but the wave is still to have a top piece added to it that isn't a priority at the moment that will be the white wave foam effect as a additional visual but also stop the ball from launching - here is a cross section of the wave that shows that it has more of a curl that what can be viewed from a distance shot and then I added a few circles to simulate a foam ball that will hopefully retain the ball. The goal is to randomise the wave shot:
- too soft is like talking off on a wave to late and getting wipeout and going down the short wipeout vuk.
- too hard is like talking off on the wave and riding to high on a wave and getting pitched and wiping out or if lucky making the wave (wave wireform)
- medium timed short is like catching the perfect tube and connecting with the wave wireform and hitting the spinner with speed and getting more points.

I want the wave ramp to represent surfing that not every tube is perfect and this I think is unqiue for a ramp to have various outcomes based on the timed shot....... all theory at the moment

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I am using a full Alltek boardset running on Skateball rules, with the removal of one set of drop (3 bank) with some added features added via using a few servo triggers.

I enjoyed Skateball and wanted a fairly simple rule set type of game with the skill needed in shooting the wave and the other features. This concept might even open the door for others to build a game on existing rules and boards.

Admittedly I have zero experience in programming so heading down this path first and then might switch to proc or fast later as have lots of ideas and features that could be added but that isn't my focus at this point.

sorry , am using solidworks (older version) running on a mac

nice idea and weight controlled is cool.

I will be reworking the wave wireform to complete the tube look I am thinking and maybe the spinner linked to a custom display that 8 spins is a 8 second tube ???????? and gives you 1000 points for every spin.

has been a little while as went away on holidays for a little while, but back and started to tweaked a few things:
- I improved the vuk wireform and wave wireform.
- I also added a gobble hole as a option behind the 3 bank drops under the wave like a wipeout hole - current it will have a rubber in front of it can easily be an optional feature though still needs to create a exit point.
- lastly re-working the launch bend / upper right flipper to add in a skill shot. Some of the guides still need to be redesigned but this is where I am up to at this point. Basically when the ball sits in the shooter lane it will activate a panning gate that will open and close so will be about timing to shot the ball and either goes to the flippers or shoot out through the gap (waves) and launch up the wave and pickup points from the spinner and return to the lower right flipper. So this will be the paddle out from shore or jump off the breakwall start to the game.

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re-designed the shooter lane to have a panning gate that will create a timed skill shot or a lucky shot.

the lucky shot might be a feature that is based on the spinner near the 3 bank of drops and it's 3 indicator inserts:
- left hand light is gate closed
- middle light is gate panning slowly back and forth
- right hand light is gate open for the wave shot
the concept might be during the previous ball ever time the pop bumper sized hole horizontal spinner is hit it spins and lands on a option and when the ball drains you have a chance of a feed to flippers, timed skill shot or lucky shot up the wave and collect bonus points. Completing the gate shot is like jumping off the breakwall avoiding the paddle out and able to catch a wave easier.

gate closed
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gate open
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full playfield showing the alignment to the wave
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haha, I am getting there, currently looking at a bench cnc so I can make the playfield/s , tossing up between a x-carve, stepcraft and a ox cnc. Most probably going to go a ox cnc (picture below) but modded with a x carve controller and add t slots etc and it will fit a playfield on just with 10mm on either side spare. Sent different companies questions and waiting on a few quotes and then bite the bullet.

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when the gate is open the ball is following a path that is roughly a 125 degree bend with a roughly 40mm radius so don't think it will it affect the speed too much. The full tight turn were the ball does a 180 back on itself is only to the flippers so not worried if the speed slows down and probably better if it does.

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I haven't seen that one below but yes a similar concept and I suppose that had to go up to get it to the flipper where mine has the reverse drain lanes which allowed me to do it this way.

thanks for chiming in guys, always nice to have a chat...

added a 3 post spinner (though a rubber still needs to be installed) but fits into the same hole as a Sega style Jet Bumper, so will allow for 3 options to mix up game play if you get bored with a feature:
1 - Sega Jet Bumper
2 - 3 post horizontal Rock Spinner (still needs a molded rock on top)
3 - 2 post horizontal Shark Fin Spinner (plate with a molded shark fin on top)

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at the moment they will be just art but if / when I get a small cnc I probably will try cutting them out

just committed to a bench cnc:

mechanical kit from UK - OX CNC - but in all black
controller kit from Inventables USA - X Carve

process area - 820 x 1275mm perfect for playfields

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don't be envious, it is possible for others as well.

I plan to document the build and running of the cnc in a separate thread so people can learn and potentially dive in as well.

as for the game, I plan to do it in a 90's bally cabinet with at this stage 80's board design but modern Allltek Systems boards so there could be a chance for kits (definitely not promising that but have considered that as one of my dreams to achive). But at this stage no point getting ahead of myself, gotta build this one and see if it is actually a fun shooter / game for the fun of it, but the cnc allows me to do it now alot easier. Still have an incredibly massive hill to climb but been wanting to do this for years.

assemble and then get a table top, fit and get settings right etc etc - so goal 1 at the moment is to keep designing the playfield ready by the end of the year and hopefully cut something by Christmas / New Years through to end of Jan - steep learning curve and time needed so expect to blow that goal (that covers me).