"Self-contained Boxed-in Pachinko"

[Kamehany]

What I really want to be able to do is "box in" a pachinko so that the ball lifter is inside with 5,000+++ balls in a box/funnel feeding into the ball lifter slightly below it so that it NEVER runs out of balls. I don't a have a garage, table saw, router or the typical woodworking equipment to have worked it out yet, though. Working on it. Oh, and dove-tail joints would be a nice addition!

For some reason, even without having seen it, I'm against the cyclic usage idea. Not sure why, but I'm a "newbie purist,' I think!

Is anyone even thinking of doing the same or far enough along in the development stage to have laid out their plans for a self-containted "pachinko unit?"

[arbycoffee]

It will not work, you are assuming that each ball played. you will win one.
even on an average of 10,000 balls, it will not work, sorry.
the odds are against you.

[Kamehany]

Thanks, Arby.

I assume this is because the payout is generally above 100% and the parlor makes it's money on the ball exchange?

I guess eventually you'd have to feed your "won" balls back into the machine in this case, but it would at least decrease the number of times you'd have to do so if I understand the issue correctly.

[Kamehany]

I guess I could also bend a few pins and make it more difficult to get into some of the gates. Then you'd never have to refill! I know, about as exciting as watching grass (Kentucky bluegrass) grow.

[JamesM]

I like Kamehany's idea
with the added feature of riging a wire to one of the 15 ball payouts
so if you do lose all 10000 balls, you can goose back 15-30-100 back until your luck/skill changes.

[arbycoffee]

The problem is that you will play more than you win over time, so the bucket for the used ball will be holding a bunch.

[JamesM]

That's ok. You'd have both good and bad days.
You'd just start off each session filling your play trays from the main storage's tap
The main thing is there would be no break in momentum,
and fever payoffs would always dump in totality without needing refilling

[arbycoffee]

That why the ball lifts works so good, it keeps the top tray full

[mr. fixx]

This is an interesting discussion.. I have perhaps worked out a method to make a machine "self contained"... In this case, I modified my Fujiko pachinko so that when the main shooter tray fills up, the rest of the balls go down into the ball lifter (Waste tray or whatever you call it).. This just keeps the ball shooter tray full so the player can just keep playing.. After all, I play to see the lights, the animation, and all those balls flying.. I really dont care how much I "win" after all. Its the thrill of the play, so to speak. Now If I could figure out how to make fujiko give out balls so that the player can start, I think I have it completed..

Fixx