backing up (not an update, but an undate?)

So I really had confidence the layout in solidworks was going to just work, then there's that funny thing called gravity that changes the ball's trajectory.  I felt like I was getting nowhere with trial and error, so rather than fight myself I did what any good designer would do, go back to basics of the flipper shots first instead of constantly failing.

I've learned many things during this first try:
1. I really fabricated things backwards, I made the dippingramp first (which dictates where the ball can go on the first level), and it limited it so much so that shots just didn't work no matter how I laid out the walls.  It's time to go back and draw lines from the flippers to where it can shoot (about 5-10 degrees from the tip).  Also the shooter lane is entirely spring force driven, there is no control.  That means transitioning from the shooter lane, over to the left has to be fairly precise, and lots of tolerance for error.  Looking at a williams flash, I see that I may need a tighter radius to direct the ball better.  I may also need to commit to a steel shooter lane wall so I can lock in my angle (cardboard just isn't cutting it).

2. Hot glue sticks, REALLY good, so don't glue directly onto the playfield unless you want a mess to clean up when you have to start moving walls.  A spackle tool will get most of it off, but you're still left with residue.  My suggestion, lay down a layer of masking tape first.  This will stick good to the wood, but not so good it won't come off.  Then glue to your heart's desire.  If you need to move a wall, just pull the tape off.
3. Cardboard works ok for ramps, but the kinks really slow the ball down.  It shows on my waterslide ramp (barely makes the journey), and it shows on my loop-da-loop ramp (mostly because it's no longer stiff after moving it dozens of times).  I need to attempt to make these out of thin aluminum.  If I need side walls, this can still be cardboard, but the ball surfaces really need to be smooth.

layout video

Quick video showing the layout, and a quick play.  Excuse the horrible ball getting stuck on the layers of tape (hey at least the upper playfield shoots good and the waterfall ramp works).  This is why we build whitewoods, to make sure the shots work.