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Author Topic: Modular Pinball/Physics "toy"- how could it be done?  (Read 1976 times)

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Well Fed Games

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Modular Pinball/Physics "toy"- how could it be done?
« on: October 01, 2012, 07:03:01 pm »
Disclaimer: I own no pinball machines (not for lack of trying) and most of my knowledge of pins comes from the Ben Heck Show and console pinball sims.

So I was brainstorming on the idea of a toy pinball machine, some sort of angled board that you could put different ramps, bumpers, etc. on as a way of "making your own" pinball and maybe teach kids a bit about physics. It could even have a simple score-keeping led "backglass" (but maybe that is getting too complicated). Anyway, I was trying to think of a way to non-permanently attach various components to the board:

1. Magnets- would need to be strong, and the ball of course could not be steel then. How to run wires?

2. Some sort of flush-mount 1/4 inch jacks spread in a grid across play field- would be easy to transmit signals, and plug things in and out, and they are stable (guitars & amps use them).. but then the board would be full of holes, that perhaps could be plugged somehow?

Really, I am just talking out of my butt here, but Pins are expensive (parts even more so) and the toy pinball tables for kids always seem so cheap and uncreative. Trying to think of something in the middle that would scratch some of the same itch as playing with duplos and marble runs (favorites at my house) Anybody have thoughts on how a project like this could work?
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Re: Modular Pinball/Physics "toy"- how could it be done?
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2012, 09:53:31 pm »
That jack idea sounds interesting so I figure have a sheet of chipboard (cereal box thickness cardboard) that you can easily make holes in for mounting stuff and to give the rest of the playfield a smooth enough surface.  Want a new arrangement use a new sheet of board and make new holes.

This reminds me of that knex pin sold in stores awhile back but better even though it doesn't exist yet.
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