DIANA pachinko has arrived!

[pachiwall]

Attachment 56794 Another long distance unusual catch. Has its good points and bad. First the good!It was very well packed by the seller!Diana 001.JPGDiana 005.JPG He removed the ball hopper!Diana 006.JPG Diana 007.JPG Carefully cut and taped blocks. AND THE GLASS IS GOOD!Diana 008.JPG I was afraid I was gonna break it sliding it out of the frame!Diana 010.JPGThe cell is in good condition. Faded with no water stains. The feeder door still gets me...Diana 012.JPG So many holes don't line up, and crooked. I thought that piece would be loose, move and line up a hole...NOPE! It is rigid! The back has some minor issues, but shouldn't be a problem. The problem is a broken part in the feeder tray. The stainless steel seesaw that regulates ball flow to the shooter is not attached to anything.

[mxfaiman]

Looks like you got lucky. They packed it pretty decently. Very similar to what I do. (they just did it on the cheap.) Well I'm sure we all look forward to more pics and see it all functioning properly.

[pachiwall]

Haven't had time to clean or inspect it yet. Have work on a rental house I need to finish. Here are some more pics until I get started.Diana 023.JPG This was the 1st pic above...I wasn't able to load any more pics because server was busy. So I just clicked "submit reply". It took forever to send, no server busy message, and finally posted what you see above. I guess time to compose, plus time to send equaled 1 hr and the 1st pic got lost? Diana 011.JPG This is the closed position from above. I thought this was a tulip before I got it, from the front view.Diana 010.JPG Not the same pic from the Bay...but you can just see the orange tips. I don't know how to class this: DIANA pachinko machine. . . OR: DIANA tulip ? Been looking at the thread about Diana tulips.Diana pocket repair I had hoped this was a 1 - 2 hit tulip! NOT! Just a very pretty 1ball opens, 1ball closes tulip. Therefore to avoid any further This will be "DIANA, front overflow" What an odd front tray this thing has. Sorry all pics I took yesterday were CLOSE UP!Diana 013.JPG This is the ball feeder tray, missing screws, and when I was testing Ball drain...some balls stayed to the right side of the tray. Tray is not sloped right until that screw is in place. I'm gonna take it apart and find out what else is out of place. Diana 015.JPG Missing the original window! I can make one from Plexiglass...but it's not the same! Door looks like aluminum, might polish up good!Diana 016.JPG Loose balls INSIDE the door latch.Diana 017.JPGThis is what I found inside. The stainless steel ball regulating seesaw is resting on the ledge. Small corner is broken off of the plastic, right about where the seesaw would pivot. But there has got to be more support! I am sure there are some missing parts. Diana 020.JPGAnyone with a similar inner door ball feeder mechanisms, please send pics so I can get a better idea of position of parts before I start pouring the epoxy! Diana 024.JPG A nail was missing from here...fixed. After clearing the ball jam, caused by bent tulip fingers on the lower tulip...not fixed. Tested jackpot. It wants to work, but needs just a touch of help. If I can fix the feeder mechanism, then this one will play nicely!

[DrDark]

That's one dirty girl but I bet she cleans up real good.

[pachiwall]

I can't get the lower tray off because of these 2 screws!DIANA I 012.JPG I wanted to take the door off...but no conventional release.DIANA I 008.JPG Have to remove the whole frame. Of course, there will be more problem screws! So for now...frame stays on, so does door. I want the door off so I can study the ball feeder system! DIANA I 007.JPG It is nothing out of the ordinary...just how the broken parts line up with the holes. The door is a sheet of aluminum. Could this be a prototype... It looks to be professionally shaped, just like the chrome steel ones. Does not look homemade at all. Plus the back, where it looks like there are missing parts for the blocked off lower tray:Diana 026.JPG No dirt outlines from parts, nor screw or staple holes. As you can see the blockoff plate is also original. DIANA I 002.JPG I'm gonna drill those 1st 2 screws out so I can clean the tray, and fix this.DIANA I 014.JPGDIANA I 015.JPG Weak hits fall through here.DIANA I 010.JPG

[mxfaiman]

Sounds like you need to get a pair of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Engineer-PZ-58...removal+pliers

I have a pair myself. (all the way from japan too) They work great for twisting out those screws with rounded out heads. They seem expensive up front but once you get them and start using them you will soon learn they are money well spent.

[pachiwall]

Cut off the 2 screws that held the front tray on. Still haven't removed full frame, sooo...I did a light polish by hand while installed.Diana II 011.JPGDiana II 012.JPGDiana II 013.JPG I wasn't sure which glare becomes her... so I included all three!Diana II 008.JPG I believe this is the correct position for the regulator. I have an idea that I'll share when I've worked out the bugs...But I'd loke to hear your ideas!

[pachiwall]

The pivot point for the seesaw is broken off.Diana II 001.JPG lower right corner.Diana II 002.JPG Just below the D shaped hole. It may, at one time, only been supported by the 1 spot of plastic. That is why it broke. Or there was support on each side of seesaw.Diana II 006.JPG Not much shaft left over on this side to support. Diana 022.JPG Not a great shot of the shaft, but you can see the e-clip, and just a nub after it. This shot also shows the relationship of the broken corner to shooter. I think it needs to be supported on both sides. Tell me how you would fix it if it were yours?

[pachiwall]

So here is what I had in mind.Diana III 001.JPG I have built up the corner with epoxy, and cut a piece of Plexi to make a support for the other side of the pivot. Here are some pics with flash.Diana III 004.JPGDiana III 006.JPGDiana III 009.JPGThe last one shows the regulator seesaw in its presumed location. I haven't glued anything yet. I'm thinking of a way to make the cover removable. This way if I drill the pilot hole in the wrong place, I can remove the cover and try again. Here is a test fit in the machine. In the 1st shot the flipper is at rest, and the hook in the little round door is down.Diana III 010.JPGDiana III 011.JPGIn the 2nd shot the flipper is pulled down, and the hook in the little round door is up. A stiff wire attached to the flipper pushes up at an angle, lifting the hook to allow 1 ball. I don't know how it regulates 1 ball yet, I've never made it work yet. This thing is dirty! But I can't see wasting time cleaning it if it is broken.

[pachiwall]

Made a masking tape mold and added to the corner, hoping more mass = more strength.Diana IV 002.JPG Added plexiglass "shelf supports" to make my outer support removable.Diana IV 008.JPGDiana IV 009.JPGDiana IV 025.JPG Now I can use a long nut and bolt to hold the cover on. If I have to open it I can. Epoxying it would look better, but only until something requires servicing, which may never require...still undecided! Speahing of looks! I put the front cover pieces on just to see how it looks.Diana IV 011.JPGOOPS! No flash.Diana IV 013.JPG Holes all line up and parts are on straight! However if you look at the window...my repair shows at 1/2 way part!Diana IV 015.JPG Gonna have to think about that. This is not acceptable at all! And I believe the lower tulip has been replaced.Diana IV 018.JPG Is it me???or is this tulip crooked? It also overlaps the ball drain chrome.Diana IV 017.JPG

[pachiwall]

Warning! CASTROL SUPER CLEAN will remove chrome from plastic!Diana V 011.JPG The window hat I guessed was a JP reserve, IS plastic...and WAS chrome. CASTROL SUPER CLEAN removed the chrome in seconds! The window does NOT show balls That are waiting for the seesaw to be reset...it shows the operation of the JP seesaw from the front! Another myth debunked...the lower tulip may not be original...I removed it to see.Diana V 009.JPG There are 4 dimples. where screws were never installed, along with 4 screw holes that appear to be the only ones. You can see how badly the cell has faded...and the colors do not reveal a different tulip shape, unless it was a very long time ago. The tulip does need work though.Diana V 015.JPG The brass fingers are too close together. This created a large ball jam before I got it. There also appears to be missing brace that appears to have been cut out.Diana V 016.JPG Still looking for a pivot for the regulator seesaw. Can't drill a hole for it without a suitable replacement. Have cleaned a little.Diana V 002.JPG Chrome frame is bad...might look at frame from melted Side Tross...It was in real good shape, if same size.

[pachiwall]

Drilled hole foe seesaw, tested by holding pivot by hand. Passed. Taped top test cover, drilled hole, tested. Passed. Since this cover only spans 1/2 of the door window...Diana IV 024.JPG I made a larger cover. Cutting the rough shape with a hacksaw is the worst part. Final shaping done with a grinding wheel on a bench grinder. It basically melts it away in hot wet plastic blobs, but leaves a reasonably smooth line. For small notches, a bit that looks like a baby endmill for a Bridgeport, used in a Dremel tool works great. The new piece fills the whole window, and eliminates the need to make a separate window for the door. If this machine is actually a prototype, as I suspect, then a flat window would be appropriate. They wouldn't make a special shaped bubble window for test purposes. Reasons for my prototype theory... Almost all the plastic feels different, softer, more flexible, thinner and flimsy feeling. Stuff that don't seem like it would stand up in a commercial environment. The plastic ball feeder cartridge is an exception...it appears to be an off the shelf production part, with the exception of weak support on one side of seesaw. Even the ball feeder tray does not have the stainless steel strip where the balls line up single file. A small groove has started to form. WOW, just searched my pics, and I don't have any pics of the top of the tray, I'll snap one later. Plus, the aluminum front door. Seems like the overflow to lower tray got worked out before production! All of this looks like cost controlling steps for a test model, things that work go into production...things that don't, get cast aside.
OOPS, got sidetracked again. I could have had this installed last night, but wanted to sand and polish. #220, #400, #800, followed by #1000 grit sandpaper; then plastic polish. Necessary, since these parts are viewable through the window.Diana VI 003.JPG This pic shows how much material was added, the attached thumbnails are reject shots because of focus (or lack thereof). Camera skills fall sharply when drinking beer! Diana VI 005.JPG I thought I took a pic with the new and improved cover, Blame it on the beer! Today, I'm going to tape it together and test it. If it's good, then I'll epoxy the cover on. A tricky job, I get 1 chance to make it pretty and strong. If I use too much glue. it will squeeze out on the inside...where not easily removed. Even if easily removed, need to use a knife to carefully lift ALL excess without smearing! Plus once glued...it must work! That is why the tape test comes 1st.
The pivot is going to be a 7/64" drill bit. Gonna cut it off to the correct length and grind a point on it. Once feeder cartridge is screwed in place, a smaller drill bit drills a pilot hole, then I insert the pivot pin through the new cover, then seesaw, and feeder cartridge, finally nailing it into the predrilled hole. This will allow the cartridge to be removed from the machine, seesaw will fall out the bottom, and pivot will stay on machine. Pics and success story later!

[pachiwall]

No success pics yet! Passed hand test.Passed tape test.Buy when I epoxied the cover on...it binds up! I haven't modified the cover, or cut it off yet. Sooo...here are the pics.Diana VII 003.JPG Seesaw down...Diana VII 002.JPG Seesaw up. The bigger cover fills the whole window.Diana VII 004.JPG All except a small slice at the top.Diana VII 005.JPG Giving the feeder tray a break...lest frustration lead to bad decisions. Gonna work on front overflow dump slide.DIANA I 014.JPG I drilled a hole for a #10-32 screw. Cut off and roughly rounded the end. Then inserted it as a handle.Diana VII 015.JPG Looks a little industrial...gonna smear JB Weld on the threads and sand it smooth, see how it looks.Diana VII 016.JPGDiana VII 017.JPG

[pachiwall]

Finally decided to take the feeder cartridge out and give it a look see.Before doing anything crazy, like drastic plexi removal with a Dremel tool...I decided to study it. Seems like I left what seemed like an insignificant ammount of epoxy (smoothed and polished), in a critical area. Diana VIII 002.JPG Not too easy to see in the unmarked pic, but you can see the scratches where the seesaw was rubbing. Diana VIII 003.JPG I used a green sharpie to mark the scratch.Diana VI 003.JPG As you can see, a clear line between new material and old material. You can also see the stuff I failed to remove! This pic was before I glued the cover on. I can't get a good shot without glare with the cover on. Now that the cover is glued on...I have less space to work in as I don't want to scratch the new cover. It is the view window after all. That is why I'm polishing the back after sanding the excess. Diana VIII 004.JPG I need to thin out the green area. I'll use masking tape to protect the window.Diana VIII 005.JPG You can clearly see the 2 supports I made for the upper right corner. This allows the Plexiglass window to sit flush. I wanted to use the screw boss to support it, but the cover it supports sits flush as well. So I notched around it and left all that space unsupported. That's why I also put epoxy down the center post, being careful to not make bubbles, or use too much and ooze out. WORSE would be to get the ooze...then SMEAR it trying to get it off! The cover seems rigid enough without support from the screw boss, but...I could use a longer screw, shorten the boss that supports it the thickness of the plexi, and make a support that is epoxied to the bottom of the window...with the original cover on top FLUSH. But only WHEN I get it working...and ONLY if such modification is not noticeable with the door closed.Diana VI 005.JPG Another shot from the archives! Before I epoxied the cover on. I want the original 2 screw cover to still be removable. It gives access to the ball gate movement (real term...look it up!), in case it ever needed serviced. Too late to work on it tonight...but now I'm excited about it again!

[pachiwall]

Found a greater source of friction. The pivot hole was too far to the right...and not square. Diana IX 003.JPGDiana IX 002.JPGThe 1st pic shows a clear notch on the back where I tried to accurately locate the hole after I filled the back hole. I left the front hole alone...figuring I would only do more harm than good. Diana IX 006.JPG Mounted AGAIN! I have lost one of the screws, abd the heads of the other 3 are getting stripped pretty bad. I'm gonna replace them with brass screws soon. You can see the original hole to the right of the drill bit. I keep having a problem inserting the cartridge because of the low ball cutout lever. It presses the wire that extends from the seesaw to the right behind the frame. The LB cutoff holds the wire down, preventing seesaw movement, therefore stopping ball flow to the shooter. So I used masking tape to hold it in the FULL position.Diana IX 007.JPG Here is the lever from the back.Diana IX 010.JPG When balls are low, rod pushes down, lifting lever, pushing up on seesaw wire.Diana IX 011.JPGThis is ball hopper full, and what I believe to be seesaw at rest. Diana IX 012.JPG this is seesaw either delivering a ball to the shooter ( and then returning to "at rest"), or "low ball" condition (where lever is pressing down on seesaw wire). At this point, when I feed balls manually into it...the ball rolls down the seesaw into the shooting area. Just as it should. However, the seesaw only resets 1/2 way.Diana IX 013.JPG Although disappointing...this is a big step into making the machine function again. This is good enough to give it a break. I do better when I am fresh. Maybe I will take it out and polish it. Looks like sanding is done. Hopefully I don't have to relocate that hole again!

[pachiwall]

WOW! So many "important" things grabbing my time...hardly any time left to work on my toys. I did, however, make some small progress. DIANA I 015.JPGOriginal problem. Diana VII 015.JPG My 1st thought.Diana VII 017.JPG Yeah...that was gonna happen! I got to looking at the spacers on my ball counter...Diana X 005.JPG and decided that it would work great! It was for a #6 screw, not a #8...so I had to drill it out. Diana X 003.JPG The screw was still a tight fit. Sanded it down until just a small hollow was left in the tube...then filled it with plastic epoxy. The original slot was just a little tight, so I sanded it open a bit until it slid freely. After dry, I gave it a nice curved shape. I probably should have made it a little stubbier...but not gonna invest any more time here.Diana X 001.JPG

[mxfaiman]

but not gonna invest any more time here.

I think you should invest a little more time on it. Something simple though... like a basic coat of paint. I think it would look better if you painted it gray or silver to match the tray. You probably will also want to put a clear coat on it afterwards. Just my thoughts.

[pachiwall]

Stopped working on Diana for awhile. Too many projects, plus frustration from feeder door problems made me stop and refresh. No sense making mistakes and making things worse. Finally picked up some #6 stainless steel screws. Reattached tray to front door.DSCF7692.JPG The door is aluminum, but has scratches and a satin finish. It resists efforts to polish. May have some sort of clear coat, but even areas hidden from view were sanded, and polished to no avail. DSCF7693.JPGDSCF7694.JPG The Styrofoam on the back was damaged by balls compressing it. I dug out to clean Styro and started filling with plastic epoxy. No before or current pics. Two tubes of epoxy, and more needed. Probably should have just made it out of wood. While I was at it I cleaned up the tulip a bit. DSCF7682.JPGDSCF7684.JPGDSCF7686.JPGDSCF7688.JPG It wasn't in too bad of shape, just dirty. While I was in tulip cleaning mode...I used paint stripper to clean black and white paint off of this one from a single ball machine that should have became a parts machine...but I'm not gonna let that happen!DSCF7669.JPG No wonder they painted it! DSCF7677.JPGAfter some SOS pads, and metal polish.

[naha13]

I really like the stamped metal design on the clean tulip in pic#4. Nice!

[mxfaiman]

What have you been using to polish the aluminum? I would recommend Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish. The stuff works great and remember, "There's no shine like Mothers."

Also for cleaning the chrome or brass I would recommend MAAS metal polish in paste form. It can be found at your local Ace Hardware store.

Otherwise it is nice to see you making some progress.