The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => General Discussion => News & Announcements => Topic started by: swinks on March 25, 2018, 07:54:00 AM
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An aussie pinhead asked me to help him out with a unobtainium drop target as wants to restore his game to original parts - Drop target 13A-11. The target is designed and just needs to be made and tested. The original and proper drop target can't be found anywhere and often a different design tagged with the same number.
photo 1 - original assembly drawing
photo 2 - replica drop target to be tested
photo 3 - current one that is the substitute that has a different top / hood to the target
can anyone tell me what games these are used in?
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From memory - Bally and Stern tombstone targets are the same, just with different artwork.
The Hooded Bally (starting with Paragon) are different from the Stern Hooded.
The Stern hooded are on several games - Galaxy, Flight 2000, Freefall and many others.
You can see the differences on the PBR website - http://pbresource.com/pfdroptar.htm (http://pbresource.com/pfdroptar.htm)
What game is it for ? I've not heard of a different Stern target other than the tombstone and hooded ?
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Marco's has them
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/13A-11
They state they are for BIG GAME (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/533), CATACOMB (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/534), CHEETAH (Stern) (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/535), FLIGHT 2000 (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/537), METEOR (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/546),
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Marco's has them
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/13A-11
They state they are for BIG GAME (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/533), CATACOMB (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/534), CHEETAH (Stern) (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/535), FLIGHT 2000 (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/537), METEOR (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/546),
No, there is a different style of lip for the target to sit on. I have seen Bally targets 'converted' by putting a staple in them to replicate the Stern style lip - it does actually work!
I am pretty sure that all games up to and including Meteor had tombstones, so basically anything pre 1980.
Swinks, if you make them it will be very interesting to see how they perform, as the tombstone style have a reputation for dropping much better than the hooded targets.
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Photo to show the differences...
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yeah on researching as @ballywannabe stated there are difference between them:
the very early Stern's tombstones had no hood, then around the early 80's went to a hood variety but hooded front and back as well to the sides and bally's were hooded front and back and though are the same length the bottom pivot hole is in a different location and sections of the target are the same but there are differences at the top and bottom.
as for the guy that asked me, he is a aussie collector of classic sterns and paid a company to replicate the target but they did a crappy unusable 3d scan and a through away. So I donated my time to replicate to help him and other purists restore their games to the early intended design. I will find out what games he has that he intends to install these into.
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I am going to model the Bally hooded drop to then compare the 2 drops as there is a difference in a few areas
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I have a box of Targets from old Sterns - once you know the game - I might have originals you can use to replicate.
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well I heard back from my guy that I am helping:
Classic Stern’s that had the “Original tombstone drop targets” are:
Cosmic Princess
Dracula
Hot Hand
Lectronamo
Magic
Memory Lane
Nugent
Stars
Stingray
Trident
Wild Fyre
Meteor
Galaxy
he believes “1980” was the changeover which was also when Stern upgraded from the MPU 100 to the MPU 200 and the 16B-3 Transformer to the much better 16B-6 Transformers.
Change of Target to the later “Hooded Version” was:
Ali
Big Game
Catacomb
Cheetah
Dragonfist
Flight 2000
Freefall
Iron Maiden
Lightning
Nine Ball
Quicksilver
Seawitch
Split Second
Stargazer
Viper.
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I think they started at Galaxy, as all three I've restored had hooded targets.
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Yes, Galaxy on.
A lot of Meteors have them in the large target bank, but I am not sure if this was how they came out of the factory.
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sample is ordered and will then see how it compares and works, as have a full assembly on loan to do the fit and mechanical test
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xlnt #*# The true test will be how they operate in playing conditions. If the targets are too flexible they will not drop well on direct hits - like Bally targets !!!
Fingers crossed...
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xlnt #*# The true test will be how they operate in playing conditions. If the targets are too flexible they will not drop well on direct hits - like Bally targets !!!
Fingers crossed...
hopefully my guy can install and play test fairly quickly
If there is an issue I can design an upgraded version as well, that strengthens places up to last longer and solve other known issues like flex, breakage etc. I did this with the Bally Outhole Kicker and to date good results so far as strengthened up it's weak point where they commonly broke.
https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=swinkskicker (https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=swinkskicker)
I have always completed the bally one so if you let me known the common issue I can make a modified upgraded version
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I have cosmic princess and stars, so I would love to get some tombstone targets for these, the hooded ones just don’t look right.
I also have a nine ball, one of my too 3 games if all time, I didn’t realise this came out with hoods. That’s a relief, that would be 14 targets to change over.
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finished all the measuring and modelling of the Bally hooded target based off a new skateball target, this is cheaper already made but will put it up at Shapeways in case someone wants a a custom colour or non pattern stamped.
interestingly the anchor point (hole) and body section around it, shaft up to the spring locations is basically a replica though the spring anchor point is beefed up on the bally version. The hooded section of the target is slightly lower at the top as is the base is slightly longer where it triggers on the drop down switch on the bally one.
so there are some similarities and probably came out of the same manufacturer with molds copied and adjusted.
LHS - Stern
RHS - 80's Bally
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I recall there being a problem with the repro drops that are available various places online, the targets fall back down when resetting which requires the plunger on the coil to be shortened to recitfy. This was and still is a PITA on my cosmic princess.
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got a sample back and has the same amount of stiffness / flex as the original, though I did notice I stuffed up 2 minor measurements so have now fixed and will be ordering a version 2 for testing soon
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after a few revisions the targets are done and available, nothing beats original but this is a option for those with broken targets and allows games to be now playable. Available in a range of colours and higher res finish.
unfortunately I have no control over the final price as are made on demand by Shapeways
https://www.shapeways.com/product/J8REG7JSC/stern-tombstone-pinball-drop-target-13a-11?optionId=65101924&li=marketplace
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added another Stern Tombstone Drop Target that does no have the rib guide in which when the target lifts up either sits on the rib or the half circle step
https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=swinksdrops