Starting the game

[RivkahChaya]

Makes perfect sense but the nails are about 4 degrees off of 90 from the playfield. The machine itself should have about a 3-5 degree lean backwards as well.

Yeah-- if it's not leaning just a little, the marbles aren't rolling on the cell, which you want. You want the friction.

[DukeOfDelmar]

Makes perfect sense but the nails are about 4 degrees off of 90 from the playfield. The machine itself should have about a 3-5 degree lean backwards as well.

Huh, I never realized that the nails were not intended to be perpendicular with the playfield. Is the preferred 3-5 degree backward lean you refer to built into the machine, or does it need to be provided by the base that the machine sits on?

[mxfaiman]

Huh, I never realized that the nails were not intended to be perpendicular with the playfield. Is the preferred 3-5 degree backward lean you refer to built into the machine, or does it need to be provided by the base that the machine sits on?

It should be basically built into the machine. If you turn a machine over and look at the bottom of the frame you will notice that the center of the board is lower than the 2 ends. Well the front part is ever so slightly taller than the back. It is hard to really tell because were talking fractions of inches that you don't notice till you put the machine on a flat surface. In the parlors they would make it so the machine sat on the base and made the top of the machine flush with the face of the cabinet. It is just one of those things the average player usually won't notice.

Pachinko Parlor pic.jpg00002257_medium.jpg

The first picture kinda over emphasizes it.

[RivkahChaya]

Why is this surprising? The balls roll down the cell, they aren't in free fall. It's sort of the same idea as a pinball machine, only the angle is much steeper, but it's still there. I guess the idea is that there is a slight lean to the cell, but the nails are closer to being parallel with the floor.

If the balls weren't rolling down the cell, they'd bounce more wildly, and get stuck against the glass sometimes; also they wouldn't roll into the tulips. I think the reason the angle is as steep as it is, is so that the balls don't make ridges that cause them to roll more easily into the tulips. If you have ever seen a very old pinball machine that has been in constant use, and never re-planed, it has sort of "canals" or something, where the ball has rolled over and over again.

The grime tracks where the balls have rolled on old pachinko machines show that the balls are rolling on the cell surface.

If you know why gun barrels are rifled, to put spin on the bullet, and why a knuckle ball is so hard to hit, you'll realize, if you think for a moment, why you want the balls to roll on the cell surface-- they need spin and friction.

[Mrtoad]

made a quick search but no luck... sorry

i got mine on da-bay a few years back

thanks for checking! I will find something to use.

[Mrtoad]

We got ours directly from Japan. If you want here is the store we bought them from but I don't think they ship.

Ball Gauage
Nail Gauge
Nail Pliers

Attachment 71110Attachment 71111 (sorry don't have any pics of our other tools at the moment)

Oh and nice tools aren't cheap. Just so you know.

thank you. If not cheap I probably cannot get . I wish that was not the case but...

[Mrtoad]

We got ours directly from Japan. If you want here is the store we bought them from but I don't think they ship.

Ball Gauage
Nail Gauge
Nail Pliers

Attachment 71110Attachment 71111 (sorry don't have any pics of our other tools at the moment)

Oh and nice tools aren't cheap. Just so you know.

i just finished restoring a 1934 pinball machine and probably spent more on cleaning supplies/tools than anything that actually went into the machine. Not sure I can do that again right now is all. Luckily though with both the pinball and the pachinko I was given both so that cost at least was free. . This is the pinball machine if you are interested in seeing it in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn_usapnOVs

[Mrtoad]

It should be basically built into the machine. If you turn a machine over and look at the bottom of the frame you will notice that the center of the board is lower than the 2 ends. Well the front part is ever so slightly taller than the back. It is hard to really tell because were talking fractions of inches that you don't notice till you put the machine on a flat surface. In the parlors they would make it so the machine sat on the base and made the top of the machine flush with the face of the cabinet. It is just one of those things the average player usually won't notice.

Pachinko Parlor pic.jpg00002257_medium.jpg

The first picture kinda over emphasizes it.

so if I am planning on building a case for mine do I need to take this into account or just by making sure that the shelf part the machine will sit on is level with the floor be all I need to worry about? Thanks!

[RivkahChaya]

i just finished restoring a 1934 pinball machine and probably spent more on cleaning supplies/tools than anything that actually went into the machine. Not sure I can do that again right now is all. Luckily though with both the pinball and the pachinko I was given both so that cost at least was free. . This is the pinball machine if you are interested in seeing it in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn_usapnOVs

Wow. It's fascinating how much that looks like snooker.

I have a Bally Lost World pinball machine from the 1970s. It was my favorite machine when I was a kid, and I had a chance to buy one about 10 years ago.

so if I am planning on building a case for mine do I need to take this into account or just by making sure that the shelf part the machine will sit on is level with the floor be all I need to worry about? Thanks!

In my experience, they lean naturally. When I put wooden feet on them, I put something like foam shelf liner or thin cork between the feet and the bottom of the machine, that way even if they don't match flush, the machine won't rock.

[takethecastle57]

For the past 8 years that I have been a member on this site I have seen , I think every aspect of pachinkos talk about and dissected and to think that I did almost anything sort of stripping the playfield and taking the machine into itty bitty pieces and using all sorts of unique materials and devices to get the job done .

Back in the 1970's I did sketches of how a certian part fit at a certain area and yes , I found that WD-40 and 3 in one oil on the mechanical parts and windex or liquid metal cleaner on the playfield do not work as good as you would think.

I thank the day that this site started up in the early part of this century and I am very proud to be part of the " Brain Trust "here .

[pachiwall]

Try this thread...since real tools are so scarce, and expensive! homemade nail adjustment tools

[Mrtoad]

Wow. It's fascinating how much that looks like snooker.

I have a Bally Lost World pinball machine from the 1970s. It was my favorite machine when I was a kid, and I had a chance to buy one about 10 years ago.

In my experience, they lean naturally. When I put wooden feet on them, I put something like foam shelf liner or thin cork between the feet and the bottom of the machine, that way even if they don't match flush, the machine won't rock.

what is snooker? Do you have any pictures?

Lost world is supposed to be a nice machine.

Thanks for the info on the leaning. I will try that for the bottom when I get in a cabinet.

Mike

[Mrtoad]

For the past 8 years that I have been a member on this site I have seen , I think every aspect of pachinkos talk about and dissected and to think that I did almost anything sort of stripping the playfield and taking the machine into itty bitty pieces and using all sorts of unique materials and devices to get the job done .

Back in the 1970's I did sketches of how a certian part fit at a certain area and yes , I found that WD-40 and 3 in one oil on the mechanical parts and windex or liquid metal cleaner on the playfield do not work as good as you would think.

I thank the day that this site started up in the early part of this century and I am very proud to be part of the " Brain Trust "here .

I am very thankful for the site and the help it is providing me. I really appreciate everybody's help.

[Mrtoad]

Thank you, I will check it out!

Mike

[CarlW]

I have another idea on how to start your game. A WARP TUBE!

Vintage Comet II jackpot tube - Warp Zone - Worm Hole

[Mrtoad]

I have another idea on how to start your game. A WARP TUBE!

Vintage Comet II jackpot tube - Warp Zone - Worm Hole

that is excellent! I really think I will do this once my cabinet is built. My youngest daughter would be able to play on her own. Right now with my pinball machine she cannot start it on her own. It is not like a modern or even semi-modern machine where you drop a quarter in a slot. The nickel slide takes a bit of force to push all the way in. I saw you mentioned to PM with any questions. I will most likely be doing that as soon as I am ready to do this. Thank you!

[takethecastle57]

Wow. It's fascinating how much that looks like snooker.

I have a Bally Lost World pinball machine from the 1970s. It was my favorite machine when I was a kid, and I had a chance to buy one about 10 years ago.

In my experience, they lean naturally. When I put wooden feet on them, I put something like foam shelf liner or thin cork between the feet and the bottom of the machine, that way even if they don't match flush, the machine won't rock.

[RivkahChaya]

No, my Lost World is older than that. It's from before double layer machines. It's one of the very first machines with a digital score, and tat place I played it as a kid still had machines with mechanical displays.

This is my Lost World:

lost.world.jpg

what is snooker? Do you have any pictures?

Snooker is a game where the play has pockets like pool, but hitting color combinations, like in billiards, is the goal. The cue-stick is called a "reel," and it's complicated, as far as I'm concerned. Sort of the Quidditch of ball-&-table games.

A lot of games went into the inspiration for pinball, and ball-cue-table games were no doubt involved.

BBC SPORT | Other sport... | Snooker | The rules of snooker