Building a ball lift
I recently got the pachinko bug renewed by buying my third vintage machine. I always had planned on building a ball lift so now I've started making progress. I started scrounging for parts around my shop and have amazed myself.
The gangII.jpgBall lift partsII.jpgWhat I have in mindII.jpg
This is what I have so far.
Re: Ball Lifters/Ball Management Forum!!
Please keep us posted as you progress, I am hoping to add a ball lifter as well.
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."Pachiholic and Proud!!!サメ
Re: Ball Lifters/Ball Management Forum!!
Originally Posted by jdmorse
Welcome to Pachitalk
looks like ya have a good start.. keep us posted on the lifter
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as a friendly note
ya might wana consider giveing your Pachinko Balls a wash and or polish.. playing with rusty balls can ans will damage your Machines..
Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
.....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
.........................................Margaret Mead
Re: Ball Lifters/Ball Management Forum!!
can ya start a new thread.. it will make it easier to fallow your progress
Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
.....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
.........................................Margaret Mead
Re: Ball Lifters/Ball Management Forum!!
Welcome to Pachitalk!
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."Pachiholic and Proud!!!
Re: Ball Lifters/Ball Management Forum!!
This is the handful I sorted out of my recent acquisition after a couple hours in the corncob. Good for demonstration, but not in the machineas a friendly note
ya might wana consider giveing your Pachinko Balls a wash and or polish.. playing with rusty balls can ans will damage your Machines..
Starting a new thread implies that there will be measurable progress, but we will see.
Last edited by MrGneiss; 06-09-2012 at 06:35 AM.
Re: Building a ball lift
Well its its own thread now, so you better get working!!
If you want the thread to have a different title, just say!!
"Blowing smoke rings at the moon."
Re: Building a ball lift
I thought i was going crazy until i read this... i was sure this was not its own thread... you got me goodWell its its own thread now, so you better get working!!
If you want the thread to have a different title, just say!!
Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
.....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
.........................................Margaret Mead
Re: Ball Lifters/Ball Management Forum!!
ya might consider walnut shell for cleaning... works allot betterThis is the handful I sorted out of my recent acquisition after a couple hours in the corncob. Good for demonstration, but not in the machine
Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
.....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
.........................................Margaret Mead
Re: Ball Lifters/Ball Management Forum!!
Good Idea! I'll try to find some. Corncob is what I had and puts a nice shine on things, but yeah, doesn't clean all that well. I have a variety of media for my tumbler, but I think it's all too aggressive for balls.
Re: Building a ball lift
Arrrg...Now I've stuck my foot in it!
A new thread...
Last edited by jdmorse; 06-09-2012 at 10:26 AM.
Re: Building a ball lift
It wasn't me! Really! Ah, the performance anxiety!I thought i was going crazy until i read this... i was sure this was not its own thread... you got me good
Re: Building a ball lift
Do you have it finished yet???
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."Pachiholic and Proud!!!
Re: Building a ball lift
Why yes, yes I do! But I'm not going to show it for a few weeks/months.Do you have it finished yet???
Re: Building a ball lift
Good answer
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."Pachiholic and Proud!!!
Re: Building a ball lift
I think I will add a little to the progress report.
Projects begat more projects. I started rooting around for stuff to build a ball lift with a came up with this long spring that had a conveniently sized diameter and pitch. The next thing was a round thing to add rigidity to the spring. Finally, I need something that would keep the balls against the screw; a piece of angle aluminum! So I'm thinking that I'm home free when it occurs to me that I need something to attach all these wonderful parts to. Project phase II begins. A couple of weeks go by. I have a little slack time at the shop so I'm doing some cleaning/organizing and come across the big piece of 8020 . The little wheels start turning and now I have this chunk o' beam mounted to a piece of wood. Project phase III begins; I have no suitable hardware. 8020 doesn't sell online. Buying from my local distributor has become a cluster***k! Wait, I own a machine shop! ...and so it goes.
Ball lift partsII.jpg
Last edited by compirate; 06-10-2012 at 12:14 AM.
Re: Building a ball lift
I was thinking of a ball lifting project as well, but I was going to try a different approach... and in the far future (I have too many uncompleted projects now).
I was thinking of using a belt with permanent magnets attached, lifting the balls and be removed (scraped off) at the top. The typical problem with that approach is the balls get magnetized.
The way I was going to solve that problem was to use and old synchronous motor as a means to degauss each ball as it passes. To magnetize a ferrous material such as a pachinko ball, it needs to move within a permanent magnetic field. A permanent magnetic field does not change its N-S polarity. To degauss a ferrous material it must be in an alternating polarity magnetic field, that constantly switches N-S-N-S-N-S etc etc etc.
It makes sense that a ball reaching the top would become slightly magnetized. The idea is to have it run through the poles of an old synchronous motor. The motor would be something similar to what is pictured below with the gearbox painted red removed, leaving an open hole for each of the balls to pass through. These motors can be easily found in old record players, old clocks etc.
The balls may tend to stick to the poles instead of passing through so the coil may need to be pulsed just enough to let them pass.
motor.jpg
This idea may be overly complicated to build to service a single pachinko machine, but if someone uses a central ball collection system feeding several machines it may be worth it.
I think it's an intriguing thought that I want to try someday.
If you enjoy my pachinko, pinball and pachislo YouTube videos, please "like" them at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SirSteveFury
Re: Building a ball lift
Sounds interesting. I want to come up with a ball lifting design myself. I am toying with a few ideas. My goal is to keep it as simple and cost effective as possible. I am hoping in the near future to be able to visit my Dad and his machine shop. Then I should be able to try out a few ideas.
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well."Pachiholic and Proud!!!
Re: Building a ball lift
One of the things about pachinkos that I think is so cool is the low tech simplicity and cleverness in how they operate. The tolerances on vintage machines is VERY loose! This is a major factor in why something this old still works. When I was starting out in the machining trade, KISS was what I was taught most often. Keep It Simple Stupid, meant that whatever it was you were attempting had a better chance of success. Vintage pachinko epitomize this concept, IMHO. I think a magnetic lift would be a very elegant solution. Degaussing the balls might be a deal breaker. For more inspiration, try searching "magnetic conveyers".
Re: Building a ball lift
every one gets there firstWhy yes, yes I do! But I'm not going to show it for a few weeks/months.some time
Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
.....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
.........................................Margaret Mead
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