The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Pinball Mods => Bally / Williams => Topic started by: swinks on August 08, 2014, 08:45:44 PM
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This is a mod that has been in my head for a while, and was made but needed a paint up and was finally finished today structurally though still needs a little bit of electrical "plug and play" work done as well as 2 decals completed - one for the top and one for the FILM over the scoop. I 3D printed this at home but when these become available these will be made overseas and hand painted and fitted with all the pieces required allowing a simple plug and plug system.
The decals will be similar to the original to keep with the look and the dome on top will be a choice between red or purple and for the el wire there will be a choice of white or pink.
The mod is reversible so your game can be returned to original very easily and quickly without any permanent changes.
For me I felt this mod captures the graphic of the snack bar building which is on the playfield and now adds that cool retro neon look of the era to the game.
For anyone interested let me know as when I get parts made the more people interested the cheaper I can make the parts and then I can finalise a price.
Some decal mock ups coming soon, thanks for looking.
Edit - Thread renamed as requested by OP
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2 more
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Looks great, well done!
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Sensational Jady that looks great :-) awesome pictures to.
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Looks great Jady. ^^^
I am interested in one
Cheers
Dave
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I would be in for one of those as well. Great idea.
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This is a draft of the decal for the top of the building. I didn't want to infringe on the original plastic design with copying the graphics but still want to maintain some of that original plastic look. The large arrow will be the same blue as the building but with the graphic now having 3 neon tubes like on the speaker panel Drive In sign. The word Snack Bar is a different font, in a different location trying to capture the playfield art to a degree but is in a neon font. I lastly added the word OPEN near the arrow and leaving the word "Shoot" out of the design. The ring around the dome is now a soft pink as I want the decal to suit a red or purple dome so people can mix it up a little as there will be a option for pink el wire as well.
Those that have a Creature and have some constructive criticism please share any ideas so I can try and improve on this a little more.
I was thinking a couple of stars on the black section but keep in mind that some of the decal will have a ramp passing over the top of it.
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I couldn't rest until I did a quick print, laminate, cut and screw into place to pardon the average quality as the final decal will be a laminated vinyl decal with the holes cut out. This one has the red dome cover like the original and the 3 mounting holes have been blacked out and not cut out as didn't want to fuss around but black bolts will be used as well so they should blend into the black surround well. Also pardon the photo quality as the camera batteries went flat and I had to use my daughters iPod (and photos taken at lunch time to give you a idea of emitted light from the el wire kit.
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the last photo viewed from the lhs is a space behind the scoop which will have a film decal fitted to the supplied plate.
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look Jady, the only criticism I have about all this is your mod doesn't come with a cftbl machine. Had a few recent plays and am wanting one now.
The mod looks great and I believe modding a game should only occur if it enhances the look or game play and your mod does the former. Well done
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look Jady, the only criticism I have about all this is your mod doesn't come with a cftbl machine. Had a few recent plays and am wanting one now.
The mod looks great and I believe modding a game should only occur if it enhances the look or game play and your mod does the former. Well done
thanks mate, much appreciated, I try to not go over the top and strive for that "it should of been there in the beginning" but understand that may not be feel the same way.
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also a design note: that the rear side of the mod has a bevelled edge to avoid any ball catches as well as the height isn't too high so no balls can get hung up and caught between the mod and the ramp above.
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Fantastic work Jady, It really looks part of the machine. CFTBL's a great game, I just wish I had one. Your mod would be going straight in.
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Looks great with the decal mate ;)
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due to some requests and alot of searching I found a font to replace the Snack Bar wording to better represent the Playfield art of the Snack Bar wording. It's not perfect but is better, please share any thoughts so I can then finalise the artwork.
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with the help of some people I tweaked the main decal to the point of completion.
- added a graphical neon in the arrow head
- OPEN in upper case of the same font of the Snack Bar wording but modified the E
- shortened the middle graphical neon to allow easier reading of the word OPEN
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finished the proto-type in a white el-wire and a pink elwire along with a small FILM decal behind the scoop
now just need to price up over the next week or so and get a few samples made by the external companies and post up the finished products.
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I know I will just have to get one of these ()
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here is a screen shoot of the decal that will fasten to the base plate that sits behind the subway entrance, decals gone out for pricing.
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Nice work Dude,
Shoot the snack bar ^^^
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Nice work Jady. I particularly like the mods for CFTBL.
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Jeez mate, tough choice for owners. Bot lights look great and appropriate. Well done.
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Love your work! ^^^
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thanks guys, almost have all the prices in and will start making them soon. Skybeaux helped me today work out the "plug and play" wiring so a big thank you to Ken @@* - definitely no alligator clips.
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Can you put me on the list for one please Jady ^^^ I think my next purchase will be a creature.
Peter
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Looks great Swinks... really enhances the machine
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all the prices have come in and various numbers of parts are being made but will hold off listing a final price until the parts are in my hands to check quality and determine if the suppliers are good enough. I want this mod to be of high quality starting with the base plate - I was either going to be 2mm black acrylic to maintain the look or 1mm SS to last a lifetime and not have to worry about parts cracking etc.
By the model pictures I am happy to share that the base plate will be Stainless Steel as at the end of the day there was no real price difference so I went for longevity over a colour that really won't been seen due to be covered up and decaled.
The plate picks up on 3 mounting points like the original plastic but now includes a 4th mounting point where the middle vertical panel mounts to. I increased the base plate to cleanup this area hiding a post and improve on the flow of the design. The SS has a cut out in the centre allowing for the existing globes sockets to still be used though under the dome I would recommend one of those leds that have the extender leds on the flexible leads to direct the light better to the lifted dome. There are 3 extra holes in the plate but that will be explained a little later on.
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a little more info to help those interested understand the mod a little more.
- basically the old snack bar plastic has to be removed before any reassembly can occur.
- then the new SS base plate (with a decal fitted) with the blue pillars will be fastened to the location that the old plastic came from. (the blue pillars will already be fitted by myself before shipping to customers). Also these blue pillars are the only 3D printed part by myself with everything else professionally made.
- then the snack bar top (with a decal fitted, as well as a dome and el wire routed) will be located onto the pillars and then 3 screws fitted to lock the mod down into place via the top side of the pillars.
I will have instructions with photos ready to send out with the mods but this gives you a general idea of assembly all with the ramps still in place with only the glass off.
You will notice the snack bar top over hanging the plate in one section, the plate steps back around behind the targets like the original plastic. I have left the snack bar top maintain a curve over the targets to keep the building curve look without obstructing the view of the targets. I made the mod solid plastic in this area, therefore it is not hollowed out and not a weak point.
I hope this helps and I will release a lot more info when the samples start rolling in with photos and video along with some transparency views showing some of the hidden detail of the top piece.
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Very cool mate, well done ()
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Very cool mate, well done ()
now that's saying something. ktm450 generally dislikes mods, so saying its cool is a major compliment swinksy ^^^
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thanks guys - very much appreciated,
also started working on another cool mod for the creature - this one will hopefully appeal to people that love the classic cars #@#
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Very cool mate, well done ()
now that's saying something. ktm450 generally dislikes mods, so saying its cool is a major compliment swinksy ^^^
That is very true, Swinksy's snackbar looks like it should have been there all along
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50 sets of laminated vinyl profile cut decals arrived today and are a beautiful fit and look great (I think).
I ended up doing the world OPEN in red to tie in with the red dome and some of the insert art on the playfield. The guys at Art & Soul colour matched the blue in the decals to a paint sample I supplied so everything flows. In addition I chose a spray pack can of a well known brand so anyone around the world can colour match it they get some scuffs - Tamiya TS-41. Lastly the pink ring around the dome was chosen to give / enhance a nice glow and tie in with the pinks in the game.
The remaining holes in the top still need screws and I did apply the decals to my 3d printed top and base plate which will be the finished product of much higher quality as these will be made externally.
Also the elwire in this tester is pink so photographs a little funny as it was on at the time of taking photos and I also don't have the el-wire properly restrained as it will be swapped out in the the externally made prototype in the next week or 2 and pink won't be the standard colour used.
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few more
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That looks so good mate well done
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Big thanks to Beaky as he is making all my power supply leads for this mod. The power will be gained from J116,117 or 118 with a z connector supplied as well as a 2 metre lead including a fuse holder and fuse as I want to ensure no power can feedback from the inverter back to the circuit board causing damage. This might be a slight over kill but worth it in peace of mind for myself and every customer that buys one of these mods. I will then solder the inverter to the power lead and bench test every lead, inverter and el wire installed kit before sending out to customers.
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Great work - keep it up. Be nice to purchase an aussie made mod. US shipping has been killing me.
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well a little update….
I have nearly all the parts to do a batch of 25-50 - from light domes, decals, plug and play wire looms, small bolts etc. I received the 6 test tops and these look very nice with the only parts left are 25 sets of SS base plates to come (a few slight supply issues).
I was cautious on the tops due to using a new company and them being the most expensive part so didn't want to spend up big in case of issues, but so far they fit in my machine on to the prototype base plate and look real nice. I should have these 6 units ready to go out to my testers in the next 7-10 days and then I will order 20 tops to get the first production batch happening.
Here are the 6 tops ready for filler undercoat ready for a nice finish
Here are the six units with the medium filler paint. Not that there are pits I just had the paint and since the parts are white it helps define any slight issues and seals them up - like I said these are nice and am very happy with them.
I should have the prices worked out by this weekend to help people decide it they still want to get a unit and stay on the list.
Test units are going to a few in Aus as well as US and Canada and one hopefully will make it in the flesh to the Pinball Show in Chicago in Oct.
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Great work - keep it up. Be nice to purchase an aussie made mod. US shipping has been killing me.
Well if you want one, you will be happy to know that you are no:1 on the production list if you decide to keep your spot
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Could you add my name to the list as well please.
Graeme
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Could you add my name to the list as well please.
Graeme
Cheers, you're on the list
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test batch of 6 update
- tops are painted and curing so decals on soon
- laser base plates should be in tomorrow
- harnesses finished
- writing up a install manual
- tooling up with a custom 12 vdc tester to test the every wiring harness, inverter and el wire kit - see pics below
12vdc tester
my unit will have a plug in power pack connected to the appropriate pins so instead of plugging every kit to my back box circuit board I can plug up to 3 units at a time into the test box and test for 15 minutes each - QA testing before despatch. It will also be good to experiment and compare el wire inverters and different glow intensities or have 3 units with different coloured el wire plugged in at the same time.
this box will be available at Shapeways soon if anyone wants to create there own plug tester for mods etc - you will just need the box and 3 z connectors (available at Pinball Life). In addition you can mix it up and you could have one plug for 5 vdc testing the others for 12 vdc testing.
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6 test units are painted, decaled and el wire fitted after these photos.
You will notice one unit with SS screws and washers and the other with just black screws. The black screws blend in and disappear into the decal and the SS fit in with the chrome of the game and cars. It will be a personal taste thing provided in the kit for people to swap in and settle with the ones they like. People will also be able to swap out the el wire to a different colour for $10 and swap out the dome cover for a dollar - so it is a mod that you can then personalise (though you will have to purchase these separately yourself)
In each kit there will be spares so each customer has the option to mix it up and play with the look to how they like it. Therefore since I do not want to mark the decal in any way I will leave the dome top for the customer to fit which is only a 2 minute job.
SS brackets are due tomorrow as the laser company decided to send them on a country tour to everywhere but to me. Once I get them I can finalise and will list the price, along with pictures of the completed unit and then finish the manual of how to fit. These units will be ready to post out next Monday so hopefully some feedback soon - 2 x AP members and 3 x Pinsiders with one being installed hopefully on a machine at Pinball Expo.
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SS base mounting plates arrived and perfect fit, decal on then locator posts and then the top can be screwed down onto the posts.
Will post prices and finished installed mod over the weekend, and then start producing them.
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Your attention to detail is incredible swinks. I don't have a creature but would snap one of these up if I did!
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Your attention to detail is incredible swinks. I don't have a creature but would snap one of these up if I did!
Thanks for the compliments….
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Hi All
I have finished the test units and just have to pack and send them. I will wait a week for feedback and then place orders for the first production batch.
The price is finalised and is set at $175 Aus Dollars + Postage
Register Postage for one kit is
- within Aus $10.00 Aus
- USA and Canada $20.00 Aus
- UK, Germany (Europe in general) $24.00 Aus
there is a growing list so if you are interested let me know and I will place you in the line and I will notify you when I am starting the batch you are in when to pay - basically asking for full payment a week before posting out. If I do not get a response / payment within a week (at the time of posting) I will offer your place to the next people in line in the next batch and you will be substituted into the position of the person that replaced you or cancelled off the list if you let me know that you are not keen at all and do not want to be on the list anymore.
Batches will be 25 at a time with a estimated 4-6 week turn around though I will try to improve this with practise but limited as the snackbar tops are made in Europe.
The photos below are of the white el wire installed from different angles as well as what you get in a kit.
The Kit includes:
1 x brushed stainless steel base plate with decal fitted
1 x snack bar top with decal fitted with a plug and play el wire lead (white)
1 x red dome
1 x plug and play 2 metre wiring harness including fuse holder / fuse, z connector, elwire inverter with a quick connector to plug the elwire lead into
3 x locator / standoffs
5 x black screws
5 x stainless steel screws
2 x nuts
6 x washers
1 x allen key
Over the weekend I will put together a manual and this will be available as a download so people can see what is involved and use to assemble there kit.
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This kit is complete but it can also be personalised with different colour elwire strands which can be purchased from the below link for under $10 (3ft strand of 2.6mm with a quick connector)
http://www.elwirepros.com/super-bright-25mm-qc-el-wi25.html
I got pink elwire for my machine and I got an aqua blue just to test - but every kit will go out with just white which looks cool and blends in with the graphic and game.
photo 1 - white elwire (this looks blue because of the colour of the mod and the grove it sits in)
photo 2 - aqua elwire
photo 3 - pink elwire
photo 4 - el wire options
Though it must be noted that the camera does not truly capture the colours of the elwire, as the aqua looks more blue than the photo. The pink is slightly dull in intensity compared to the white as the elwire sits in a coloured sheath. White is the brightest.
Video coming over the weekend with pink installed.
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PM sent !!
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Awesome work Jady, I hope you sell one for every CFTBL ever made!
Well done! @@*
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for those purchasing and wanting to know how to install this mod, please download, read and become familiar with how to install it - I will make some improvements and fix some minor wording mistakes in the next few days.
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Pffft. Instructions I'm a man I don't use them to assemble stuff. Unless the products faulty like an Ikea cupboard lol
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Pffft. Instructions I'm a man I don't use them to assemble stuff. Unless the products faulty like an Ikea cupboard lol
haha, I put a line in the manual about guys that don't want to use manuals %.%
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With some help from a friend, the installation manual was reviewed and improved. Please see attached Version 2 to learn how to install.
A big thanks ^^^ to:
skybeaux - getting my prototype lead going for me
beaky - for making a heap of plug and play leads
ddstoys and goodolddays - for being my aussie (AP) testers and trusting me and my product.
and to other AP members keen to get one was production starts
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here is a quick video showing the mod from different angles, with non standard el wire (pink) and taken in the middle of the day - sorry about the quality just a bit of fun.
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That looks great mate looking forward to mine arriving.
I noticed your snack bar targets are a bit bare I purchased some decals for mine I bought a couple of sets so must have some floating around if you want them?
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That looks great mate looking forward to mine arriving.
I noticed your snack bar targets are a bit bare I purchased some decals for mine I bought a couple of sets so must have some floating around if you want them?
Hi mate
Hopefully your mod arrives today, goodolddays got his yesterday.
I have the target decals ready but soon the creech is being stripped, along with a new cabinet and new playfield to be installed but thanks for the offer.
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Well I received my snack bar mod today and was impressed before I'd even assembled it the aqua moulding and decals look like a factory add on Jady had already won me on this mod just from that.
Was very easy to install zero modification which I love in a mod and everything fitted perfectly. Wiring is so basic instructions really sent needed but for those who need them are well written and plenty of photos.
Installed and turned on the white el wire with the aqua housing looks amazing I can't recommend this mod enough I can't wait to see other people reaction when I show them.
Here are some before and after photos
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/03/ytutuna6.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/03/5umatydy.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/03/9uzupu8a.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/03/a3u6edy6.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/03/u7uza3u5.jpg)
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Mod is very cool Dude ^^^
Me thinks you better stop shooting the snack bar though, or put in a cliffy protector for the scoop #@#
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what a relief.......Glad you like it Daniel.....thanks heaps for the support
looking forward to seeing and hearing about other peoples reactions as well, it is so rewarding. ^^^
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^^^
Mod is very cool Dude ^^^
Me thinks you better stop shooting the snack bar though, or put in a cliffy protector for the scoop #@#
I don't need to worry about the scoop wearing I never play my pins lol
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That is damn impressive Jady.
^^^
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A Little off topic
But I read your thread about you using a 3d printer to make this mods prototype,
What is a good value 3d printer model?
Some seem to print rather messy and others print much nicer, you have experience with them obviously so id be interested on your advice?
Im wanting a good value for money 3d printer.
The mod is fantastic BTW
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I've installed Jady's awesome mod this afternoon . As Daniel said, installation is quite straightforward .
I know Jady is aiming to make installation as simple as possible but I would recommend making a little extra effort and removing the centre ramp .
I ended up doing this as I found it the best way , as it allows you to secure the mod to all 3 posts and it is a lot less frustrating when trying access the mounting points on the game.
Also, the installation manual is easy to follow.
This mod fits the theme perfectly .
I now have 2 awesome Aussie designed mods in my Creech .
2 final words for you Creech owners about Jady's mod.
BUY IT ^^^
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Thanks heaps Dave, I really appreciate the thumbs up and the feedback.
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Looks great - can't wait to get one.
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I ordered the first batch of snackbar tops from Europe last night which will arrive to me in 3 weeks time. From there they need to be painted and then start sending the kits out to those on the list which is about 5 x AP members.
I did make a slight change or 2 on the underside of the tops to have a no cable tie locking / tension mechanism for the el wire, meaning no cable ties other than that they will look exactly the same visually in the game.
Here is a photo of one of the test units at a stall at the Chicago Pinball Expo with Rob Anthony from specialwhenlit.com thanks to a pin mate j.m. for organising it.
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Great work Jady, hope it sells well for you. I don't have a reach, but if I did I would def buy your mod.
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Progress Update
All parts are made except a small supply issue with the el wire as my supplier got hit hard with Halloween but assures me I should have all the 1m lengths of el wire by 3 weeks time, but he has sent all the inverters so I can pre-wire the kits ready for sending.
The tops are made and on their way from Europe as I write, then off to a professional air brush artist for painting (to speed up the process).
I am still on target for the 3rd week of November departure to the first 25 people.
In 2 weeks time I will order the next batch of tops to get the ball rolling for the next batch to get a flow going in which I am hoping to send these out around the end of December / New Years time.
I am taking a few days off later this week to take my recovering daughter for a zoo stay as she was seriously ill a few months ago so I will go quiet for a few days with assembly but rest assured production has started and thanks for your patience and support.
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Great news is all the tops come in this afternoon before I leave for a few days with the family ...... and I am happy with the few minor unseen changes that were made to the 1st production run. My apologies to the testers that yours does not have the minor changes - el wire tensioning system.
Basically once the elwire is installed in the testers, it was locked in with a cable tie to hold tension but me being particular was not 100% happy with it. I modified the design to incorporate a small cylinder on the underside to clip the el wire in between the cylinder and the wall and then feed it around to a pass through section to a small cross cylinder to physically hold the elwire in tension and then back again to the larger centre cylinder. It is a positive lock on the el wire and keeps it sitting in the outer groove slightly better. So now glue is not a requirement and people can swap in a different colour into the top in about 5 minutes.
I will update the manual with a how to in the next week.
I will be dropping off the tops for painting on the weekend and also be sending out pm's to the first batch of people on the weekend to see if they still want a mod, addresses etc as this 1st batch should be ready in send out in the 3rd week of November with everyone in that batch receiving around the end of the month.
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21 units are getting packed and ready to go out in the next day.
V3 of the manual is now complete to align with the production batch of the Snackbar Mod, please ignore V1 and V2 as they are now outdated.
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my little test rig works beautifully allowing me to test up to 3 units at a time (though mine is setup for 2 x 12vdc and 1 x 5vdc) instead of wearing out the plug in my back box. The box is available at my shapeways store.
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very nice Dude @@*
SHOooOT THE SNACKBAR!
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Looks sweet Jady, might have to go on the Xmas shopping list. Well done ^^^
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MASSIVE hit at Joes last night and they all want one, well those with Creech.
You certainly see the quality and engineering that went in to this. ^^^
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Installed mine on Sunday with ease - not an issue whatsoever. As Andy said, the quality and the engineering are top rate, very professional. Love the redesign above the scoop too where the original plastic used to bend up (and usually break).
A lot of thought, time and effort have obviously gone into this mod to make it look like it should of been there from day one - worth EVERY cent.
Every CFTBL should have this mod.
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Glad you guys liked the mod and appreciated the design, very much appreciated ^^^ thanks
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This mod makes me want to buy a CFTBL and I am not even a fan of the game!
Well done Jady I hope you sell a ton of these.
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A few minor updates to the Manual, please scrap the prior manual versions and use this one V4
NOTE: do not power the inverter with out the El-Wire plugged in as it may fail the inverter.
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due to this mod keeping me extremely busy I have closed the list - therefore taking no more names and will take a break from this mod once I fulfil the ones on the list.
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Quite a few of us got these pearlers in WA. Glad we got on board quickly.
Everyone here is stoked off their head with the end result.
LEGEND.
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Thanks for my snack bar mod Jady .. Been meaning to show up and say thanks again much appreciated .. cheers nick ..
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Thanks for my snack bar mod Jady .. Been meaning to show up and say thanks again much appreciated .. cheers nick ..
Glad for like it Nick and thanks for your support ^^^
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Lee from Pinball Supernova was really nice and helpful and promoted the Snackbar Mod along with a install video. Thanks Lee ^^^
https://pinballsupernova.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/swinks-snack-bar-mod-install-for-creature-from-the-black-lagoon-pinball/
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just a minor manual update for those still waiting for their mods, nothing major just a little more clarity as a few people asked the odd question.
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Installed Jadys CFTBL Snack bar mod today $#$'
Brilliant mod keep up the great work Jady.. #*#
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looks awesome and see you went with the yellow, never tried that combo and looks great, thanks again for the support.
for anyone else possibly interested I have one position left on an unadvertised extra batch and doubt I will be making anymore in the future.