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Author Topic: Bats to Balls!  (Read 3950 times)

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jasonbar

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Bats to Balls!
« on: January 12, 2011, 07:51:30 pm »
Howdy-

Currently, my Frankenpanel has dedicated Robotron Wico 4" leaf sticks, 2 Ultimarc Mag-Stik Plus 4-way/8-way top-switchable sticks, & 2 mechanical rotary sticks (Happ 50-5618-00, I think...these were an installed upgrade on my SlikStik Quad panel when I ordered it in 2006).  See pic #1.

I use the black bat sticks for 99% of my game-playing, but I'm tired of the bat feel--I'm too old for bats.  I'm of the ball generation, & I like my balls red.

So, I think that these are my options:

1 - To convert the Ultimarc Mag-Stik Plus from black bat to red ball, I think I need the $14 "Ball-Top handle for Mag-Stik. Long Length."  (as seen on http://www.ultimarc.com/JShopServer/section.php?xSec=6).  My question to Andy: I just want to confirm that I'm picking out the correct product--I think I am, since my sticks are mounted to the bottom of a wood panel, but I want to be 100% sure.  Pic #2 shows my current black bat stick, with my calipers revealing that the stick, tip-to-tip, is a bit over 6" long.

2 - To convert the Happ mechanical rotary sticks to red balls, I don't see any product available for an easy swap.  Happ says "Available in black knob only": http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/rotary_optical_joy.htm .  But, heeeeyyyy, check out the Mag-Stik Plus shaft next to the Happ Rotary Stick shaft (pic #3).  Close match (when putting the chrome plastic sleeve on the Mag-Stik Plus shaft).  To convert a Mag-Stik Plus shaft to fit in a Happ Rotary stick assembly, It should just be a simple manner of lopping off the threaded tip & making a small adapter sleeve to thicken the portion next to the threaded tip so that the plastic rotary assembly will fit nicely on the shaft.  I think I'll be ordering FOUR shafts from Ultimarc & making 2 simple adapter sleeves on the lathe to bring that .470"-long .309" OD up to .393".  If there's demand for this, I would consider making extra parts (it wouldn't be cheap--I'm not set up for any sort of production & these would be very small quantities...) or at least making & sharing a drawing for people to take to their local machine shops.  Andy, do you/will you also sell me the chrome plastic sleeves if I buy some shafts?



And no, before anybody asks, I am *not* going to change my cabinet name from "Infernolab" to "Great Balls of Fire"!


Thanks,
-Jason

Nephasth

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2011, 11:24:30 pm »
I'm tired of the bat feel--I'm too old for bats.  I'm of the ball generation, & I like my balls red.

+1 I'm not a fan of when my balls are blue.   :duckhunt

DirtyDachshunds

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2011, 01:32:00 pm »
I'm of the ball generation, & I like my balls red.

Glad I'm not in that generation

jasonbar

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2011, 04:25:28 pm »
Just heard from Ultimarc Andy that I seem to have chosen the correct replacement shaft length.

I just ordered 4 red ball long Mag-Stik Plus shafts & asked for a couple extra plastic chrome spacers.

I'll report on my efforts when I have something to share.


Thanks,
-Jason

Paul Olson

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2011, 04:40:38 pm »
Just heard from Ultimarc Andy that I seem to have chosen the correct replacement shaft length.

I just ordered 4 red ball long Mag-Stik Plus shafts & asked for a couple extra plastic chrome spacers.

I'll report on my efforts when I have something to share.


Thanks,
-Jason

I think that will be too many red balls on your panel. the only logical solution is to sell the 4" wicos. How much? :)

jasonbar

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2011, 04:49:22 pm »
Ha!  You know how much effort & $ it took to track down & assemble all those?

And do you know how goooooooooood they feel???   >:D

-Jason


Just heard from Ultimarc Andy that I seem to have chosen the correct replacement shaft length.

I just ordered 4 red ball long Mag-Stik Plus shafts & asked for a couple extra plastic chrome spacers.

I'll report on my efforts when I have something to share.


Thanks,
-Jason

I think that will be too many red balls on your panel. the only logical solution is to sell the 4" wicos. How much? :)

Gray_Area

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2011, 12:22:08 am »
The image the title of this thread conjures is very....provocative.

On the rotaries: all rotary stick games I saw in the 80s had yellow, octagonal tops.
-Banned-

jasonbar

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2011, 01:03:19 am »
Yah, I might not really like a rotary ball top, but I won't know till I try!

And I play non-rotary games far more frequently than rotary games, so it would be a good trade-off even if I weren't excited about rotating my ball tops.

-Jason

jasonbar

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2011, 04:02:10 pm »
Update.  Andy shipped promptly & it took me a little while to find time to open the package, then I went on a business trip.

I'm back & have started checking out the replacement red ball top sticks.

1 - The stick is a direct & perfect swap in for the Ultimarc Mag-Stik Plus (no surprise).  As a pleasant bonus, the shaft comes with an integral short shoulder that controls the height of the stick protruding from the panel.  This seems more elegant & robust than the chrome plastic sleeve over the shaft that came with the black bat stick.  The new shaft with the red ball top is also significantly slimmer than my other shafts.  Not a problem--it just doesn't match my Wico Robotron shafts.

For reference, here are some shaft thicknesses:
  .355": new red ball top Mag-Stik Plus replacement
  .393": old Mag-Stik Plus black bat
  .434": Wico Robotron 4" red ball top
  .598": old Mag-Stik Plus black bat chrome sleeve that controls stick height

2 - The dust washer is rather small (1.487" diameter).  I guess it covers the hole in the panel, but it looks a little funny, & I've already got big plastic dust washers (2.167" diameter) with "lift & twist" stickers for my 2 Mag-Stik Plus sticks.  Fortunately, the red balls screw off & I can swap the small dust washer for my favored larger dust washer.

3 - My 1 gripe: the ball diameter is smaller than my beloved Wico Robotron balls: 1.390" vs. 1.486" diameter.  Sure, .096" doesn't sound like much, but I can see it & I can definitely feel it.  So, I'd like to swap up to bigger balls.  (Insert Beavis & Butthead joke here.)  The male thread on the shaft appears to be an M6x1.0 thread.  Is that correct?  Is that a standard?  Where can I find a 1.486" (well, 1.5", I guess) diameter red ball replacement with an M6x1.0 threaded hole around here?  Didn't GGG have a big selection of replacement balls?

4 - I haven't yet adapted one of these shafts to my Happ rotary mechanical sticks, but that should be pretty straightforward, & I'll post details when I get around to that.  I just wanted to post on my progress in the meantime & get some leads on the replacement balls.

Thanks!
-Jason

jasonbar

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2011, 01:18:29 pm »
All done!  I now have red balls all around.

My pair of new replacemetn Mag-Stick Plus shafts have been modified to work with my pair of Happ mechanical rotary sticks.

Step 1: lop off the threaded end of the shaft (the end that goes into the control panel, not the end that accepts the ball)

Step 2: machine a small tube sleeve to slip over the smaller-diameter end of the shaft.  I had our company machinist whip out 2 sleeves from 303 Stainless Steel.  No drawing or dimensions are needed, really.  I simply provided the shaft & asked for him to make a sleeve that, when installed, essentially removes the necked-down section.  I opted for a small gap (.005" or so) between sleeve ID & the shaft OD instead of asking for a press fit.  This way, I could set everything up & then use Loc-Tite retaining compound to attach the sleeve--if, for some reason, I wish to remove it some day, I can heat it up & remove it.  Then, I cross-drilled a hole to accept the set screw that anchors the rotary color to the end of the shaft.  I did this on my work bench by clamping the shaft to the bench, measuring the axial location of the hole, center-punching the shaft, then drilling carefully w/ a few drills (starting small & then increasing in diameter), using my power drill.  A drill press or mill would make this step easier, but it isn't necessary.



Pics:
1: Mag-Stik Plus original black bat shaft with 2x Mag-Stik Plus red ball replacement shaft after mods (sleeve attached & cross-hole drilled)
2: Closeup of shaft end features
3: Mag-Stik Plus red ball replacement shaft installed in Mag-Stik Plus.  Note that red ball shaft OD is noticeably smaller than black bat shaft--the dust washer is a bit loose.
4: Mag-Stik Plus red ball replacement shaft installed in Happ mechanical rotary stick.  Note that red ball shaft OD is noticeably smaller than black bat shaft--the dust washer (with keen sticker from Pongo) is a bit loose.



Next step, swap the balls for slightly larger ones that match my Wico "Robotron" balls.


Thanks,
-Jason

armi0024

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Re: Bats to Balls!
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2011, 03:15:52 pm »
I am working with someone on KLOV to do Wico replacement shafts.  There will be 6mm threads with 1.5" balls color matched to Wico balls as well as press fit replacement shafts available.  We are working to get the original ball and shaft off to my manufacturer to match the plastic color perfectly, prototypes will be expected within a month....