In reading the threads for this group it looks like you restore machines by and large. I just got to thinking that it seems it would be really cool to make a completely new machine with a design based upon the Makerspace! Seems like it would be a great marketing piece after complete and a really fun job to build.
That said, I know very little about pinball machines and don’t know how realistic this would be.
Hi Walter.
I think almost every member of the VECTOR committee has shared this idea as well. It would be an awesome project, and @nickdangerous and I have started and quit a custom pinball machine already. It is a hard and expensive hobby to build a custom machine, but not impossible. Nick and I are learning and teaching the pinball quirks and amazement through restoration and repair. We are always working on techniques and manufacturing methods for pinball parts to be able to build them in house rather than relying on NOS (New Old Stock) parts which may dry up at any moment. We jumped in head first on our custom machine and woke up with a small bump and a bit of a head ache. This didn’t stop us, instead it proved there was much more to learn.
That all being said, since you showed interest I’ll share our plans for the new year. We are planning on making a large showing at next year’s TPF (Texas Pinball Festival) We are hoping to display 10 plus machines restored at DMS, or by DMS Members. We want to make a big Splash and really attract the Dallas Pinball community to DMS, as it is a large and active community that likes to build and restore projects and knows how to have a good time. Nick and I both feel this would be a great gain to our maker community.
Ditto what Nick said above. Pinball is awesome and fun but the learning curve is very steep. Much to know and discover along “Pinball Road”… mechanisms, art, cabinetry, small-scale manufacturing, electronics, geometry, and somehow it must all work together or the game just won’t feel right, look right, or be any fun.
I agree eventually we need to take on this challenge and build a custom machine. Pinball is a highly “Makery” endeavor which requires dozens of skills coming together in just the right way. Very few companies knew how to do this well, and even then, not consistently! But that’s what makes it a worthwhile challenge.
As mentioned, we are working our way through history by restoring the classics and moving up through the years into more modern tech. Eventually, it will be time to build something new based upon everything learned along the way. I don’t think there is a shortcut in this hobby… only pinball informs what pinball is.
Nothing to do but keep on rolling… 