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1. Overview
The goal of this project is to create an entire pinball machine from the ground up utilizing original 1960's-1970's Electromagnetic (EM) pinball parts and integrate it with an Arduino for control. This pinball machine should have all 4 of the major components of a typical pinball machine: ball launch/return, flippers, scoring elements and a display for scoring. This project requires in depth knowledge of both Arduino interfacing and high voltage circuit design. Due to the intermingling of both high and low voltage elements, if you are attempting to repeat this project be sure to move slowly and test often to ensure there are no shorts or chances for circuitry to become damaged. As most of my experience in pinball machines is with Williams brand parts, these will be the parts I use for this system and all instructions are directed specifically at the operation of these parts (there may be some overlap with other systems but to be safe it is ideal to match the parts I am using). Lastly, over the course of this project, I have learned that it takes a tremendous amount of effort to obtain even a beginners level of knowledge about the construction and operation of one of these pinball machines. In order to hopefully make this search easier for others, I am including a "General Pinball Knowledge" section in this wiki which contains more information that is outside the scope of the general build instructions of this project but will hopefully help anyone looking to have a deeper understanding of these systems.
This project covers not only electrical systems but also cabinet construction. As such, a large number of woodworking tools are required for this project alongside the typical circuit design tools. I have categorized the tools needed below into their use below (Cabinet or Circuit) in order to hopefully make this tool list a bit more organized.
| CABINET | CIRCUIT |
|---|---|
| Table Saw | Wire Strippers |
| Jigsaw | Computer Screwdriver Kit |
| Chop Saw | Electrical Tape |
| Power-drill | Soldering Iron |
| Forstner Bits | Pliers |
This is a rather in depth project. As such, a large number of parts are required. To make the parts list less dense, I have separated it, as I did in the previous section, into components for the cabinet and components for the electrical systems. It should be noted that you do not have to use maple sanded plywood (3/4"-4'-8'). It is just the only wood I could find that is smooth enough to be used as a playfield. If you would like to use another wood you can certainly do so but you may need to adjust your screw lengths depending on the thickness of the wood.
| ITEM | QUANTITY | UNIT PRICE | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Sanded Plywood | 2 | 75.00 | 150.00 |
| Adjustable Pinball Legs | 4 | 69.99 | 69.99 |
| 1-1/2 Inch Wood Screws | 110 | NA | 12.51 |
| 1-1/4 Inch Wood Screws | 110 | NA | 12.51 |
| 1/2 Inch Wood Screws | 110 | NA | 6.98 |
| Wood Glue | 1 | 3.47 | 3.47 |
| 1/2 Inch Diameter Dowel | 1 | 2.39 | 2.39 |
| = | |||
| Total | 257.85 |
Although most of the materials needed for the electrical systems are readily available from Micro Center and your local hardware store, the pinball specific parts can be much harder to find. Here are some of the most reliable sites for finding pinball parts. I order most of my parts from Marco as they have high quality and reliable new stock and new old stock. If you are willing to risk receiving a faulty part, Ebay always has a selection of parts as well. For all Arduino parts, Amazon carries almost all of the modules at very reasonable prices. Also, a reminder that all coils and pinball specific parts listed below are Williams brand parts.
| SITE | URL |
|---|---|
| Marco Specialties | https://www.marcospecialties.com/control/main |
| Pinside | https://pinside.com/ |
| Pinball Life | https://www.pinballlife.com/ |
| Great American Pinball | https://www.greatamericanpinball.com/shop-now |
| ITEM | QUANTITY | UNIT PRICE | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| FL-11753 Flipper | 2 | 39.95 | 79.90 |
| Flipper Bat & Shaft | 2 | 4.95 | 9.90 |
| AE-23-800 Pop-Bumper | 2 | 49.95 | 99.90 |
| Arduino Uno | 1 | 24.20 | 24.20 |
| Pressure Sensor | 2 | 9.98 | 19.96 |
| I2C LCD | 1 | 4.99 | 4.99 |
| Relay Shield | 1 | 22.00 | 22.00 |
| Ground Bar | 1 | 5.62 | 5.62 |
| Power Distribution Block | 1 | 12.99 | 12.99 |
| 50V AC-DC Converter | 1 | 30.00 | 30.00 |
| 12V AC-DC Converter | 1 | 25.00 | 25.00 |
| TIP-120 MOSFET | 3 | NA | 2.50 |
| 1N4007 Diode | 100 | NA | 0.62 |
| 10Ohm-100KOhm Resistors | 600 | NA | 8.99 |
| Copper Wire > 50V Rated | 2 | 30.00 | 60.00 |
| Perfboard | 20 | NA | 1.19 |
| Solder | 1 | 9.42 | 9.42 |
| Arduino Wires | 120 | NA | 2.15 |
| = | |||
| Total | 419.33 |
Completion of this projection must follow a very logical order. The frame of the pinball machine must be constructed and then electrical system can be mounted after. That being said, there will be a bit of time before you are able to start working with the electrical systems (if you're going to do the frame right). It took me a week working 8 hours a day everyday to build my frame. If you are planning on doing this project for a couple of hours at a time, consider this a long term project. The time it takes you to build the frame of course also depends on your woodworking skills.