stop... collaborate and listen

I'm typically meticulous with things I design, and I would like to put more detail into my assembly.  There's this new homebrewer I started watching.  He has no theme that I can tell yet, but what's interesting is he works for a game company.  He had no experience 3d modeling a few years ago, but now he's modeling in fusion360 like an expert.  He's also acquired a 3d printer, a CNC, he's spinning his own control boards.  But what really intrigues me is how detailed and organized he is with his model library.. which is pretty much all he's done on his first two streams, JUST reverse engineer the mechs he's using:

https://www.twitch.tv/surreal_7

This brings me to my point, libraries.  There obviously exists more 3d parts and assemblies than exists on pinballmakers.com.  Not everyone does the favor of uploading their files there, and I think it has to do with the tediousness of uploading to a wiki.  I don't place any blame on Jeremy Wilson, the fact that he EVEN put that website up (and kicks off spammers) is amazing.  Before then, it was all a bunch of homebrewers all modeling their stuff from scratch, maybe some stuff got shared on forums or slack groups if you asked.  I'd say the better thing to do is simply have an FTP site with folders (like you might have a library of parts for things you design), but then how easily do you give access to others that want to upload files?  How do you even police an FTP site?  What if someone overwrites a file? What if someone uploads a virus?  How do you verify the models that people are uploading are even accurate?  I don't have the answers, but I would think it could be something that could be worked out so the homebrew community could collaborate more (and not redo the same work).  I mean people upload sample YMML files so you don't have to code from scratch, why can't there be a say a standard williams cabinet with a blank starting playfield that has the standard ball trough, standard italian bottom, sling assemblies, flipper assemblies, and you can start modeling from there?  The other problem is which format do you use?  If you upload a solidworks file, great for solidworks users like me.. But fusion360 is free, and although solidworks 2020 seems to import ok, apparently 2021 does not.  So now do you make everyone that uploads solidworks files also save out Step files?  The other game changer recently announced at solidworks world this week is they plan to release a "maker license" mid-year for $99/year or $10/month.  If you haven't shopped around for software that might sound terrible (especially if you're use to using fusion for free), but when you realize that even the most basic solidworks license is $4,000  with a mandatory $1200 service plan (plus tax), PLUS if you want to stay current with the latest release you have to pay another $1000 every year, $99 suddenly looks REALLY appealing.  If you don't have a business, it really seems silly to pay for a professional license, but until this your only 2 options were:

1. Taking a class at a local college to get access to a student email address so you could get the $60/year license

2. Get an experimental aircraft membership for $45/year and get a free seat of solidworks (which isn't advertised, I only discovered it after someone posted in a 3d printing facebook page)

Now that fusion is deleting features (but allowing you to pay a small fee to keep them), solidworks finally looks appealing with this new tiered pricing.  I might be biased, but if you go to any website that has 3d models (Mcmaster Carr being the biggest one), you really only have 2 choices.. Download a dummy STEP/IGES file you can't do any editing on, or download a native solidworks file.  I have seen some websites RARELY support pro-engineer, but that seems to be dying.  The only reason a website would obviously support that is because the engineers designing whatever product they're selling is still using that program.

back to basics - simple flippers

So not only has Scott Danesi posted about using system 11 flipper mechs with EOS switches for doing your layout:

https://www.scottdanesi.com/?p=4173

But also this guy's page:

https://howtobuildapinballmachine.wordpress.com/tag/flippers

Now granted, this does not give you any control over flipper power, you can't have delayed gobble holes, but if you're JUST trying to get your playfield laid out I agree this is really the best way.  You don't have to deal with a computer booting, loading code, it's just direct power from switch to flipper.  I figure this will also eliminate any excuses.  There's no reason I can't wire up 3 flippers to my power supply

So even though I have flipper mechs (which I can use on my next project), I went ahead and bought three of these flipper assemblies, plus an auto plunger mech from pinball life (picking it up this friday).  The auto plunger exists on pinballmakers.com, however I noticed nobody has really modeled up a flipper mech so I'm probably going to do that and upload it.

Progress

 

So I've pixelated out my upper playfield because I'm not ready to reveal it, but I'm pretty happy and excited about it (I'll be even happier when I can flip it).  I had an idea that really ties in with this theme, but at the same time it's a very cool tight double orbit shot (this is going to double as the upper balcony).  I modeled it in visual pinball and it shoots just like I imagined it would.  Also because I have so much more vertical space my upper playfield can be much higher allowing for more to be seen underneath (I may even have a 2nd upper playfield if I come up with an idea).  Now THAT would be absolutely crazy.. Main playfield, 2 upper playfields and a lower playfield.  Hasn't been that many layers since Pinball Circus.

Although plastic ramps are easier to model / fabricate, I've modeled in a wireform ramp.  My copper rods arrive tomorrow, and I really want to see if I can come up with a fixture to form them (even if I have to 3d print a buck).

The reference flipper shot lines are already a huge help in figuring out where I can stick stuff.  I have a list of potential mechs I want to build (some old, some new), but now that I know where they can fit I think laying this out will go much easier now.

back to basics - fan layout

 So rather than just randomly sticking things on a playfield like my first attempt (which only got me painted into a corner), I figured I would do what I believe most pinball designers do which is draw lines from the tips of the flippers to shots where the ball would end up.  In order to optimize space not only have I eliminated the shooter lane, but I'm drawing a fan of what I believe is reasonable shots that shouldn't be overly tight.. and I can work backwards from there.  If I know a ball is projected to go in this direction, I can create whatever I want that shot to be whether it's a ramp, a target, a mech, etc.  I'm likely going to tweak this a bit because I know I'll also want some shots that can only be made by bouncing off something else but this at least gives me a good start.  With this sketch I have an orbit on each side, 6 shots in the middle (most of them likely ramps), and 4 close target shots.

 I'm very likely to have an upper right flipper just like my first layout, which will have it's own fan layout.

Can you make wireforms with a soldering iron? Yes!

 So many years ago (when my project was more active), I attempted to solder wireform ramps I was not very successful.  Between not having a very good jig, and I likely bought brass (which isn't as solderable), and probably didn't sand my surfaces, and probably didn't have a hot enough soldering station.. etc etc.

So on a whim since I have the day off, I grabbed some 12AWG solid copper wire (.080") from my basement that my dad gave me when he retired.  stripped off a couple feet, straightened it out the best I could, and made some smaller chunks to act as braces.

I did not use flux, I did not use a torch (though both of these would likely create a stronger joint).  However, it was way stronger than I would have guessed.  Also although copper is pretty flexible on it's own, as soon as you add those braces it becomes very rigid.  That's not to say I can't purposely push on it and kill the straightness but for prototyping it's just fine.  So of course I started my search for cheap copper rods (so I at least start with a nice straight piece).  Looked at Mcmaster, looked at welding rods (which would either be brass, or if it was copper it was only coated, or if it was solid copper it would have a flat stamp mark on it).  Finally remembered what my backup metal supplier was, surely they would have some and turns out they DO!

https://www.onlinemetals.com/en/buy/copper/0-125-dia-copper-round-bar-110-h04/pid/1606

$2.18 for 1/8" diameter x 36" long (and you can get up to 12 foot lengths).  I threw 12 of those pieces in my cart, $14 shipping (little high, but the pieces are CHEAP).. looked around for a coupon, find a 15% off coupon (which now drops my total another $4).  So $36 for 12 pieces shipped to my door.  Even if you walked into a store that even carries it, I doubt you could find them that cheap.

So one thing I've always struggled with is the transition from playfield to the wireform.  I'm starting to play with 3d printed mounts where all you do is drill 4 holes, cut the tangent to each hold, and drop in a piece that fits like an insert.  I also want to build up a wall underneath the wireform to ensure a ball will never get trapped behind the wireform.

Old cabinet gone

Well it took 2 weeks, but someone finally contacted me to take my old cabinet.  Guy from Milwaukee picked it up.  He plans on making a simple early solid state game (no graphics, just scoring).  His ideal theme is Kraken (assuming that's pirates?).  He's got PROC hardware already and is going to use mission pinball framework.  He's good mechanically, but sucks at programming (like me) but apparently has a friend that's going to take care of that part for him.  He even stipulated "If this cabinet doesn't work out, you ok with me passing it on?" and I'm like "Oh yea of course, I get it.  I'm on my 3rd cabinet now.. I get how projects can change.  I hope you do pass it on so someone else can start a project".

Do pinball enthusiasts even want to start building their own pinball machine?

I did a little cleaning in my basement (we had some purging, plus I wanted it to be clean because someone was buying one of my pins).  Now that I have my modern cabinet there's no reason to keep my old F14 cabinet (it's just taking up space).  So I first threw it out to my local pinball club members (about 10 people).  FREE FREE FREE, a cabinet with all the hardware you would need for a cabinet for either homebrew or a virtual cab (easily worth a few hundred dollars with used parts), no takers.  Ok no problem, I'll stick it in the Chicago sale pinside thread, easily 100+ eyeballs, surely this will go fast.  Lots of thumbs up for my post, not a single message of someone that wanted it (and I posted that like 2 weeks ago).

Now, if I had perhaps included a flipping whitewood (48v/12v power supply hooked up directly to some flippers with an end of stroke switch) I'd be willing to bet this would be a different story.  Even if they never code it, I'm guessing if you were offering a flipping machine someone might find it fun to start throwing some stock playfield parts, maybe even building some cardboard ramps.  So perhaps it's not the cabinet that stops people in their tracks when it comes to starting a homebrew, it's also that they find the electrical portion daunting and don't want to commit to a project.

So I'm at a crossroads.  I don't want to just throw a perfectly good cabinet away, yet I don't want it to take up space if it has no purpose.  Part of me wants to turn it into an interactive homebrew thing I bring to pinball shows.  Have a flipping whitewood running off of a power supply with basic outside walls, then provide a bunch of stock parts and let people play around with it.  My only reservation is you can't exactly have the public drilling holes (and turning a whitewood into swiss-cheese), and I don't know if a hot glue gun is safe enough for the public to be messing with.  I wonder if I could have some sort of metal top half playfield and each component could have a neodymium magnet on the bottom.  That way it's stationary enough to handle a ball knock, but is still moveable.