Plastic Pinball Ramps. by cfh@provide.net, 02/12/01. Copyright 2000-2001 all rights reserved.
Scope.
Internet Availability of this Document. Table of Contents
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A. Why is this document needed?
There are three major problems with plastic ramps. First, they are game specific. There is no such thing as a 'generic' replacement ramp. Second, new replacement ramps are expensive. Price can be anywhere from $25 to $300, depending on the game. Lastly, there is a limited supply of replacement ramps. For some games, there are just no replacement ramps to be found anywhere.
This document describes how to make stainless steel entrances for plastic ramps easily and cheaply. This will repair most broken ramps, and protect them from further abuse. It can also be used to protect unbroken ramps. There is another great article on plastic ramp repair at http://www.best.com/~bobhsc/Bopramp.htm. The only problem with this repair method is the amount of work involved! It uses fiberglass to reform to missing/broken ramp side walls. This was just too labor/time instensive for my tastes. Though replacing the missing plastic sections with new material is ideal, I personally was just not willing to spend that amount of time doing it. This web page was inspired by the above page.
B. Parts needed (which you already have!)
But the really good news is now there is a use for the old, bent side rails; ramp repair! This material is perfect for this purpose. It is stainless steel, it is the right thickness, it is already bent to the right shape. All that is needed is for the metal to be cut to the right size.
These metal playfield posts are available from Pinball Resource, part number GTB-26531, $2.00 each (this is actually a Gottlieb part, but it works perfectly and Pinball Resource has lots of them). The original Williams post part number is 02-4036 or 02-4659. All these posts have a threaded top 6-32 hole, and a bottom stud that uses a 8-32 nylon locknut. A black rubber sleeve is also needed for these posts. C. Necessary Tools.
For finishing the metal pieces, a bench grinder or hand file will be needed. Finally, a drill and drill bits are also needed to drill the stainless steel. It is also a good idea to have a pop rivet gun handy. Lastly, a "Sharpie" mark-all pen is needed for writing on the stainless steel.
D. Cleaning a Ramp before Repair.
Amazingly, decals and stickers will not delaminate from the ramp. Micro switches do not need to be removed either; they survive the wash cycle just fine. Using a dishwasher to clean a ramp will do the best cleaning job possible. Ball marks will still need to be removed, as will some really stubborn dirt. Use Novus2 (only!) for this chore. Ramps should not be cleaned with anything other than soap and water, and Novus2.
E. Fixing Ramp One.
F. Fixing Ramp Two.
F. Fixing Ramp Three.
End of Ramp Repair document. * Go to the Pin Fix-It Index at http://www.pinrepair.com/fix.htm |