Bakelite playfields

[Pinprick]

A good mate of mine "Pinnipop" owns a Speak Easy 4 player.
When we lifted the p/f I was astounded to discover that it was made of Bakelite.

The p/f is free from any dings, swirls, scrapes or gouges.
The artwork appears to be screened on directly and is intact despite considerable cabinet wear etc.
This is testament to the durability of the material.

I believe Bakelite has been around forever and was the first commercially used plastic.
Obviously, all holes, recesses etc in the p/f are "made in the mold" thus obviating any drilling/routing processes.
I guess Speak Easy was made before CNC manufacturing was available?
The p/f is also as straight and solid as you could wish for and Bakelite is of course inherently non-conductive.
What a wonderful playfield material!

I'm told Bakelite needs expensive hi-pressure/temperature molds?
Could this be the reason that the idea appears to have been abandoned?
Does anyone know of other machines produced with Bakelite playfields?
Does anyone have any info on this (to me at least) intriguing subject?
 

[Extra Ball]

First I have heard of it. Can you get some pics sometime?

[pinnies4me]

I played a Speak Easy a few years back, and it too had a pristine playfield. Perhaps it was cost? I didn't spend time looking at how stuff was mounted, and I did wonder later about the use of self tappers in ply and whether they would hold in this stuff.

[Strangeways]

You mean this game ?

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=4342

"Speakeasy 4"

[Retropin]

Bakelite PF's is a first on me.. the Europeans were keen on RESIN playfields.. these are still minty to this day despite some 50 years service... theres ANOTHER KING by ALBEN of France on Ebay at the moment - this has a resin PF.
 I thought maybe it was the Playmatic Speak Easy?????

My dad once taught me how to make Bakelite.. he is over here again in a month.. will knock him up to for his knowledge again

[Pinfan]

A guy i know who shops a lot of pins has come across a few Speak Easy 4's and a couple of Speak Easy's, 2  player version, which were all imported from Germany.

As we noticed this pf was not wood and what looked to us like some kind of plastic, all were warped in one way.

All of the pins we come across the pfs were immaculate except for one, had a couple of minor wear spots from sinking inserts.

IIRC its the left hand side closer to the top where they would be warped as there is no timber support/rail because one of the mechs is literally on the edge of the pf. It is there where the pf was usually warped.

As an educated guess i am tipping this is the only pin they used this material on, what ever it is...

[Pinprick]

You mean this game ?

http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=4342

"Speakeasy 4"

Yes, that's the one. Note there is no mention of unique p/f material, be it Bakelite, resin or whatever.
I only assumed it's Bakelite by its appearance and era, so I could easily be wrong.

[Pinprick]

First I have heard of it. Can you get some pics sometime?

Will get pics next time I go to my mate's place (about 2 hours from here)
This stuff is pretty dark and I'm no photographer, but I'll do what I can.

[Rod71]

If we're talking about playfileds with the dark green shooter lanes.  Bally experimented with these going back to Kiss and a couple of other late 70's games.

[mirco]

Hi!

all speakeasy´s (from bally) have plastics playfield.
and a few one (but only prototypes): kiss, rolling stones, 8bd and mata hari

the good thing is, there is no staining; white is white  

only problem is the inserts, sometimes they disolved.

here are some pics from a mata hari plastic-playfield (restored)


Ps: sorry for my bad english!  

[pinnies4me]

Thanks for the info Mirco - I'm guessing you are the Mirco who produced the AFM playfields a couple of years ago?

[Strangeways]

Thanks for the info Mirco - I'm guessing you are the Mirco who produced the AFM playfields a couple of years ago?

beat me to it - I was thinking the same !

[Pinprick]

Many thanks to all of you for the information & pics.
It's great to be enlightened about another pinball mystery.
Max.

[mirco]

hi!

sorry, but i´m not the mirco who produced the afm playfields.