/\ This (and mike would know, he's made sacrifices)... if you're truly passionate about something and are completely confident in your project, you shouldn't need a kickstarter. You either do pre-sale (when you have a working table that's far enough along), or you borrow. Also I see what is probably $30-40k easily in pins sitting behind them. I'm guessing those could all be sold for some cash.
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I bought this 9-ply sheet for a prototype board which is actually about a hundred miles from you:
ebay.com link: ws

It's a nice straight piece of wood, though baltic is a softer wood than most playfields. Also technically playfields are an odd 17/32, but 1/2" is close enough.

I'm surprised this thread hasn't been locked by a mod yet. Constructive criticism, sure (I even threw my 2 cents into that ring about funding). Some of these comments are just downright judgmental and mean. I think we can all speculate that this project doesn't scream professionalism, most of what we know is by background checks from web searches (because nobody knows Vonnie D).

I do hope they take this negativity and turn it around to push them into really coming up with something very different. The gremlins concept could be pretty innovative. I mean as flat as scared stiff can be, you have to admit there's something magical about that crate shot (like there really are boogie men in the machine that you're trying to feed).

My only hope is that Vonnie D takes that to the next level, pushing the ball through a maze of subway tunnels and randomly popping it back onto the playfield, doing some cool lighting and sound effects making you feel like there's something really under the playfield messing with the wires.

I'm glad you admitted to hand routing those (they look either under flush, or not tight). hopefully it doesn't affect gameplay for the first prototype.

Sad that potato salad can exceed its goal by 73,000%.. Hell, the potato salad might have enough money to start a pinball company by the time it ends.

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It's like the storyline to superman 3 or something...
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Depends on the size. Even if you're going aluminum mold vs steel, you're still looking at easily $5-$10k even for a typical sized toy (and that's with borrowing a mold base). Of course if you REALLY want to go budget you can build an RTV mold, but it's only good for about 25 shots before it begins to break down. Another cheap option would be to thermoform objects (like ramps), but that would be pretty limiting in what you can build. Really comes down to how many they intend to build I suppose.

Yes.. so shave a few dollars per board, vs cost of removing parts (IE custom board). Unless it's really a matter of an operator pushing a few buttons to delete components, I don't see the sense in it (especially in the grand scheme of things, such as $5 compared to a $6,000 pinball machine).

One company I worked for built a board for the highest output (15 amps), but they needed to create 3 other boards (12A, 10A, 6A). Did we spin 4 separate boards? Nope, it was cheaper to make one board that ran 15A, and reprogram the lower ones to run at lower outputs.

/\ Agreed.. I mean I'm not an investor, so I shouldn't really care what Vonnie D does, but being a product designer by trade I know that if you want to justify cost savings, it better either be high volume, or if it's low volume there better be a good reason to do so (high cost savings, necessary change for design).

Of course this is all hearsay at this point, I'm sure the prototypes will be off-the-shelf parts. It would be dumb to spin boards now before the design is done, then realize later you're out of channels and you either have to scrap boards, or compromise the design.

No updates on kickstarter (other than a thank you). I'll get an email when there is one.

wow, I had no idea they spent another $30 on 6 other puppet videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/vonniedpinball/videos

Maybe they'll bring a whitewood to the gameroom last minute... or maybe they'll just have a simulation of it in visual pinball on a computer with a donation jar sitting on a card table in the hallway

I assumed this project wasn't going anywhere since there hasn't been an update since August and no show at expo. Could Vonnie not make a post what he was up to if Wes was.. not available for comment?

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No, at least no currently. He's got something else cooking up

and yet, still no updates

wow, that's a new low. Can't even pay $5 for work. they had to of made at least that on the kickstarter.

I don't get it. Why would someone want a Vonnie D shirt? You going to make a Skit-b and zidware shirt too?

I still have a BHZA tshirt. I'm hoping zombie yeti makes prints of the backglass.

barry was never even contacted, i asked him in an interview on the pinball podcast. they lied to make themselves look legitimate.

Yes, 5 years in federal prison without parole for his "incense" side business. He's not due for a parole hearing until late 2022
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/columbia-man-pleads-guilty-smuggling-k2-china