How to bend pins to avoid jamming of balls?

[Gadgetguy]

Hello all,

in my Woody game there is a spot (just slightly above the top penguin pocket to the left) where balls get stuck - see picture.

The pins are very clearly visibly not straight.

The questions are:
1. Should all pins be by default totally straight?
2. Could maybe anyone take a close-up picture of the affected area, so that I see how the pins should look?

Thank you for any ideas.

Miklos

[luckydog]

the nails are all set straight as the pachinko comes from the factory,

any bent nails were done by the palours or someone else down the line.

adjust them slightly to stop ball jams. I like to use a small socket on a screwdriver handle. less chance of damaging the nails or cell that way.

some people use needlenose pliers or very small ballpeen hammers. nail adjusting kits can be found on yahoo japan with other custom nail adjusting tools

[BigBearSteve]

Go to the research center and under FAQ-pachinko, there is a section about adjusting the nails.

[Supersaiyan]

The questions are:
1. Should all pins be by default totally straight?
2. Could maybe anyone take a close-up picture of the affected area, so that I see how the pins should look?

1. Usually yes, but some pins can be tilted. I guess it depends how difficult you want to set the game. If balls get stuck in that spot most likely there is something wrong. Here you can see the nail man working at 4:05:

YouTube - Tokyo-Ga - Pachinko Mu

There are professional tools like these:

http://www.ohirasyoukai.com/parlors/...ktooldll_3.pdf

...but you can use gently any hammer that is small enough. Also needle nose pliers for tight places.

(There's a cartoon at the end of that catalog. What they are saying? Is there any critical information about pins?)


EDIT: I was too slow...

[MrGneiss]

I just bend them carefully with my fingers, it can hurt but it works!!

[logicprobe]

Gotta disagree with some of the things mentioned here...

Based on a few technical manuals that I have for some cells, not all of the nails are set at 90 degrees from the factory.
In fact, the manuals call out the exact angle and direction for many of the 'key' nails.

That said, I'm certain that the parlors do their own thing once they get them. I've had many that were bent in such a way that it was impossible to get a ball through certain gaps.

So I wouldn't worry about getting them exactly to 'spec'. Check that nail adjustment guide in the Research Center to understand the physics behind nail bending, then adjust them the best that you can. Above all... have fun!

[arbycoffee]

I always would set them on how the buyer want them to play, easy for kids or4 harder for an adult.

[rubberratt]

I use my fingers as well, but it is kinda' painful at times, isn't there a Pin Bending tool for doing that

I never acquired one, but I thought I saw some of them out there.

[arbycoffee]

Yes a whole kit for adjusting

[arbycoffee]

Compirate inherited mine set

[compirate]

Compirate inherited mine set

Pics below:

1: The Briefcase set (cleaned up very well)

2: The Holster set (old school Sankyo logo) hammer and ball stick

3: my personal case set - yet to custom mount in case

[Gadgetguy]

Is it anywhere documented how to use an adjusting kit? Why are there for example several steel sticks with balls at the end? Is one not enough?
Is there maybe a tool to measure / adjust the angle of the pin?

[compirate]

Download the tool catalog on this page, it shows just about any tool for pachinko. Don't bother ordering tools from these people unless you've got lots of money, they aren't cheap new (especially the gold and diamond studded hammer head!).

The balls on the stick are different sizes (in hundredths of a mm) so the nail dude knows that the balls will pass between the pins, some just barely. The two largest are usually 12 and 13 mm.

[arbycoffee]

there are tools for everything, to measure the compound angle & gap of a pocket

[arbycoffee]

I could make the balls darn near dance back up the board and have you thinking "oh so close"

[rubberratt]

LOL I bet you could bounce them back to the shooter if you wanted to Arby