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Deep down, we all secretly wish we had a Skee Ball game in our own homes. If you're unfamiliar with this, it's a bowling-type of game where you get nine balls to roll up a ramp and off of a jump, trying to get the them into different holes for different amounts of points. It's a fun and simple game, and very addicting.
But to buy your own they're just too darn expensive.
So I decided to make one. It uses golf balls and has no electronics whatsoever (by design). It has an automatic ball return system which places the balls in separate lanes to indicate each ball's score, which is visible through a plexiglass window at the bottom of the ramp. A ball-drop lever is pulled to release the balls back into a storage compartment at the front of the game.
This was a fun and challenging project. The finished size is 86 inches long, 17 1/2 inches wide, and about 49 inches tall. It weighs a lot, and is awkward to move. I'm not sure exactly where we're going to put it. I should have thought of that before I made it...
But to buy your own they're just too darn expensive.
So I decided to make one. It uses golf balls and has no electronics whatsoever (by design). It has an automatic ball return system which places the balls in separate lanes to indicate each ball's score, which is visible through a plexiglass window at the bottom of the ramp. A ball-drop lever is pulled to release the balls back into a storage compartment at the front of the game.
This was a fun and challenging project. The finished size is 86 inches long, 17 1/2 inches wide, and about 49 inches tall. It weighs a lot, and is awkward to move. I'm not sure exactly where we're going to put it. I should have thought of that before I made it...
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Signing UpStep 1Basic plans
I had an idea of how I wanted to make this, but when I began to plan out the details it became much larger in size than I had imagined. It also proved to be much more challenging than I had expected.
The entire structure is designed to accommodate the size of a golf ball. The plan I laid out uses two 49" by 97" sheets of MDF (one 1/2" thick and the other 3/4").
I also used some 1/4" MDF, a few pieces of PVC, an old plastic mudflap, a piece of used plexiglass, and a handful of other little things.
These photos are of the plans that I sketched out. Many things changed as the project progressed, but you can get an idea where it all started.
The entire structure is designed to accommodate the size of a golf ball. The plan I laid out uses two 49" by 97" sheets of MDF (one 1/2" thick and the other 3/4").
I also used some 1/4" MDF, a few pieces of PVC, an old plastic mudflap, a piece of used plexiglass, and a handful of other little things.
These photos are of the plans that I sketched out. Many things changed as the project progressed, but you can get an idea where it all started.
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(I see you're from Seattle. I grew up in West Seattle. I sure miss it!)
Not my instructable, btw.
It is a popular game, and I'm sure a lot of people out there have made some homemade version or another.
Most of my projects seem to progress that way!
It's like continually painting yourself into a corner, just for kicks. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but I generally don't make to have. I make because I enjoy the process.
(By the way, do you want to buy a 170 pound skee ball game?)
(It would be hard to play on a boat!)
9/10
-Thanks
I'm glad this has inspired you to take on a similar project, and hope that I've shared enough ideas to get you going in the right direction. Good luck!
ill build one if my house were big enough.