DIY Bally "Buttons" for Linear Flippers

[Nedreud]

Now don't all just tell me the "new style" Bally LINEAR flippers are sh*t and that I should replace them with the "old style" ones because a) I don't have £50 for a pair of replacements and b) I haven't got anything against the linear design because they seem to play just fine to me in my VECTOR.

However... I think that the nylon "buttons" in my GOLD BALL flippers need replacing as they're very worn and flat on both sides:



I'm aware that Pin-Logic.com have what they call "Bally Black Buttons" that are replacements for these, but at $4 each I think that's a bit pricey and you know what it's like ordering anything from the US. Also, it says they're made out of Nylon 6 which is the type of nylon used for textiles, furnishings, etc., whereas mechanical parts are generally made out of the tougher Nylon 6,6 formulation.



I'm also up for a bit of DIY

Measuring the somewhat knackered parts I'm left with (using my digital Vernier callipers) I'm assuming that in inches the original specification was 15/32-inch diameter by 9/32-inch thick. That is approximately 11.9mm by 7.1mm.

So, with that in mind I've order some 12mm diameter Nylon 6,6 rod. It's "natural" which is that sort of off-white colour of nylon plastic so a direct match for the originals. It's also 500mm long so allowing for a 1mm wastage for each cut I should be able to make just over 60 - enough to last several lifetimes. And it only cost £2.42 including postage ordered direct from https://www.trentplastics.co.uk/.

I'll update this thread with the results of my manufacturing skills and experiments...

 

[pinballmania]

I like the feel of the linear style flippers. I'd never replace them.

 

[Nedreud]

I like the feel of the linear style flippers. I'd never replace them.

Marvellous! That makes two of us

Out of interest Andy, do you get many orders for linear parts? Also, on your service calls do you find many games where you know they were originally linear but have been replaced with old-style?

 

[pinballmania]

In reality few owners bother rebuilding flippers of any age until they completely stop working. If say the majority of pins I see have their original parts.

 

[Nedreud]

The 500mm of 12mm Nylon-6,6 rod arrived today. I spending the day at my neighbours workshop tomorrow so hoping to make a few of these.

Biggest problem so far was after fitting the new flippers I couldn't get one of them off again! The shaft is well and truly jammed in the armature. Totally removed the grub screws and can even rotate it about 180 degrees with about 1/4" off vertical slack but it won't budge. I got the other off by hammering the flipper shaft through with an old screwdriver?

@pinballmania - any tips for removing stuck Bally flippers? I noticed that the old flippers had a thinner collar on the end of the shaft where the grubs bite in so even if the shaft gets a bit mashed it won't stick out and get jammed. New ones don't have this so I guess that's why they're stuck. I'll grind some collars onto them before refitting!

 

[pinballmania]

If you were replacing the bat, maybe you can break off the plastic side and extract flipper shaft and pawl together then separate away from machine.

But it sounds like you have a new bat in already, so that won't help.

 

[DRD]

If you can get this to work, it is a great repair. I replaced the 4 pawls on my Vector purely as the nylon was worn. Rebuilding linear flippers like this is surprisingly costly.

 

[Nedreud]

Yeah, it's a spanky new fresh bat from you, Andy! Managed to get one out with half a dozen taps from the hammer, but the other one is going to take a bit more effort. Have to tread carefully because I don't want to smack it so hard I shatter the bushing. Playfield is propped up at the moment which doesn't make it any easier. Will take it out and get it laid flat upside down.

 

[Nedreud]

After spending the day at my friend new industrial unit workshop playing with his CNC machine I also had a go at making button prototype #1.

Turns out the 12mm rod was slightly larger at 12.5mm so I had to lathe it down by about 1mm to 11.5mm. Once that was down I drilled three 2.5mm holes in a tight row across the rod then sliced it off to make the first button. I had to clean out the hole using a straight-sided diamond Dremel bit. I then cleaned up the cut faces by sanding smooth on 1200 grit wet and dry.

Using a very small hex bit I hammered out the brass pin from the original button:



I then drilled a 2mm hole half way through the button, then a 1mm pilot hole out through the other side. I then used a 6mm bit to make a countersink hole for the screw head. The screw itslf was a tiny self-tapper that came out of some electronics junk.

Here it is fitted to the armature with old knackered button:



And then installed back in the flipper. Looks good to me and a wobble free fit too!



I'll get some better tools for the job and hone my technique but I think I'm onto a winner here