What's new
By:
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Lit frames group buy.

I'd be interested in at least one, maybe 2, dependant on price.


I was considering knocking something up myself, with a slightly different design.

Basically, the translite (with a difusing sheet) is sandwiched between 2 pieces of glass (or perspex) which then slides down into a channel in the frame from above, top of the frame then sits on top making a solid surround. Without owning a router, and not buying one just for this project I backed off.
 
Last edited:
Sako-TRG said:
I said before, there is a massive difference in quality between the PU version and the Stern version.
But in all seriousness, do you really need the additional quality?
I’m no expert if there is a long term affect of damage to a translite by the method shown above in the home brew version.
The PU version has glass separated with diffusers - mesh systems - proper German engineered sealed unit. I couldn’t open it.
Designed to uniformly evenly distribute the light. I’ve seen this in retail advertising screens before.
Perhaps stops heat spots being directly behind the translites?
Maybe worth adding a diffuser inside.
Lights on the edge, spreads light to the centre.
Click to expand...
Those PU frames are the LitFrames I believe. Which from the US with shipping and tax if you get hit with duty is over £200 which is crazy!
 
All soo blooming expensive for what amounts to some metal channeling and led's.

I'm looking at making some of the wooden ones, however with all I have on at the moment i just dont have the time :(

Wayne J said:
Basically, the translite (with a difusing sheet) is sandwiched between 2 pieces of glass (or perspex) which then slides down into a channel in the frame from above, top of the frame then sits on top making a solid surround.
Click to expand...

Exactly what i was thinking of.
My only concern was around the distance between the Led lighting and the Translight itself... I guess if the diffuser is good enough then this could be as little as a few cm or so...
 
Paul said:
All soo blooming expensive for what amounts to some metal channeling and led's.
Click to expand...
Yep! And the ones from litframes at 200 each a pop are mass produced in China from what I remember.
 
Pretty sure that is from Litframes.

Seems they switched from snap open fronts to magnetic fronts.
 
I'm kind of interested in a couple of these (not that I have any spare translites ATM), but I'd probably want to mess around with the internal configuration as I want to put them in place of a couple of wall lights & run them from the existing wiring.
 
Do we know the right internal dimensions for Stern/Bw etc Translights at all?? Might do a good dig and see if we can get any custom made at a reasonable price!
 
I’d make your own wooden frames and put lights behind it. i have made loads of these. i chose addressable leds and an arduino or esp32s to do different light patterns. Happy to help with the hardware. coding if anyone wants to make one.
here’s a video

also here’s a video of a backglass wall art - with led lights plus score displays and credit/match displays.
 
Thinking of wooden ones myself... Was checking out a video on Youtube with a guy that did an awesome job for a movie poster (and whilst it's a different size it would work for this re-scaled).
He has some lovely kit there... all Festool. Mine isnt thta expensive.
I was thinking about kits - easilly postable and easy to put together.

Love the idea about sanding the internal acrylic @ 80 grit to help difuse the light!!....

Video :
Plans : https://thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/backlit-led-poster-frame-light-box/
 
^^wow looks amazing, takes some skills that.
He mentions heat from the LEDs.
Something to be conscious about to avoid damaging translites maybe?
 
AlanJ said:
yep that looks good.
Click to expand...
Alan the ones above you mention using off the shelf frames. I haven’t been able to find an off the shelf size that would fit a stern lcd translite. Any links mate?

FYI I am looking into metal frames.
 
i got frames made up to the exact size i needed using frames.co.uk for my mini translites, I chose a plain black:
57FD997A-0843-4841-9ACA-DCC31F325388.jpeg
50D627E8-14AE-463A-9E83-1E56113A8C2F.jpeg

Then i’ve made up some led light boards to illuminate :
BC75F5C0-3FC7-41F6-BF2F-4CEA88C40693.jpeg

These have been sat on my desk for nearly two years waiting for me to assemble them and wire them up! I’ll get around to them soon…………😂
 
Okay looking to gauge interest in lit frames, I have been speaking to a company that can create what I want custom sizing, RGBW diffused lighting with magnetic front super slimline frames, none of this clip frame cheap bull**** stern are using for a $120 bucks!

Anyone interested in lit frames here in the U.K.? Obviously it’s a different market over here compared to the US so volumes will be different but if there’s a decent amount of interest to get runs of 20 or so per size it will drive pricing down.

Sizes I’ve enquired about so far are:

Stern LCD
Stern DMD

if there is a good amount of interest to get a couple of runs of these made, I am sure I can get Bally/Williams made and combine run sizes, which has been offered to me already.
 
J85M said:
Okay looking to gauge interest in lit frames, I have been speaking to a company that can create what I want custom sizing, RGBW diffused lighting with magnetic front super slimline frames, none of this clip frame cheap bull**** stern are using for a $120 bucks!

Anyone interested in lit frames here in the U.K.? Obviously it’s a different market over here compared to the US so volumes will be different but if there’s a decent amount of interest to get runs of 20 or so per size it will drive pricing down.

Sizes I’ve enquired about so far are:

Stern LCD
Stern DMD

if there is a good amount of interest to get a couple of runs of these made, I am sure I can get Bally/Williams made and combine run sizes, which has been offered to me already.
Click to expand...
Depending on price, I could well be interested in a couple of Stern DMD size.
 
Just to be awkward I'd be after a Williams DMD specifically for a White Water translite.

Cheers,

Scott
 
I'd definitely be interested in 2 x Williams DMD also. I was actually looking at the ones inn the US only last night as stocking up for a pinshed due in March.

Thanks

Ian
 
Just wanted to bump this one to see if there had been any progress? @J85M

I am in the market for a couple of frames and thought I would check before buying elsewhere.
 
Last edited:
Just thought I’d add to the thread as me and @JAG555 have been talking via pm trying to sort a group buy.

Litframes sell the better quality pinball frame with magnetic fronts compared to sterns snap frames.

Minimum order numbers for a group buy receiving the frames directly from Brads Chinese factory is 20 per size.

I was looking at 20 Stern DMD frames and 20 Stern LCD frames providing we can get the numbers.

Is there any interest? There’s approx 5 of each already spoken for, so looking for enough interest to fulfill the other 15 of each frame size.

Regarding price the bulk buy will make them cheaper than litframes website price although shipping will need to be added and factored in.

Please let me now asap here in this thread of any potential interest. Thanks
 
J85M said:
Just thought I’d add to the thread as me and @JAG555 have been talking via pm trying to sort a group buy.

Litframes sell the better quality pinball frame with magnetic fronts compared to sterns snap frames.

Minimum order numbers for a group buy receiving the frames directly from Brads Chinese factory is 20 per size.

I was looking at 20 Stern DMD frames and 20 Stern LCD frames providing we can get the numbers.

Is there any interest? There’s approx 5 of each already spoken for, so looking for enough interest to fulfill the other 15 of each frame size.

Regarding price the bulk buy will make them cheaper than litframes website price although shipping will need to be added and factored in.

Please let me now asap here in this thread of any potential interest. Thanks
Click to expand...
No chance of Williams frames?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom