Introduction: Wooden Pinball Table

Pinball (Flipper) table. Inspired by William Manke Boxwood Pinball.

Step 1: Materials

I used a 2 cm low quality plywood that I took from work.

I cut two boards to the size of 80x60 but I think 80 Cm long is too long...

Then I drew the layout that I want to have on one of them and cut it out with a Jigsaw.

Then I cut out the legs, keeping in mind to achieve a 7 or 8 degrees slope.

I then glued the two boards one on top of the other.

I suggest you to attach the sids walls of the pinball box only when you are done, it will allow you easy access to work on the flippers system underneath.

Step 2: The Ball Shooter

This one was very easy actually.

I drilled a 16 mm hole in a square piece that would act as the barrel.

I used a 14 mm wood stick that I cut of a kids game I had.

I placed a long screw in the wood stick and strapped two rubber bands on it, attached to nails hammered in to the board.

Works perfect!

Step 3: The Flippers

The flippers I made from the hardest wood I found.

I drilled a 14 mm hole in them and used the 14 mm round stick to be the hinge.

Before I put some glue, I drilled a 3 mm hole that will be the guide for the screw that holds both the hinge and the piece together.

I then made 16 mm hols in the base platform but I think that was too big because there is too much "freedom" for the hinge.

On the other side of the platform, I attached to the hinge in the same way, a piece that I would push from the side and that will transferee the movement to the flipper it self.

Its very simple, just need to pay attention to the flipper angles, the home position, the distance between them and the top angle movement. (From home position to top is about 30 degrees).

Step 4: The Handles

Also made of scrap wood pieces.

This one was a bit tricky.

You need to find the right spot to push so that the movement is not too long. I changed the spot many times because in some cases, as of that angle created between the handle and the rotating part, the pressure back from the rubber caused a resistance and the rotating part did not return to his home position.

You need to make holes in the side of the box for the handle to go through.

You need to build also a piece that would hold the handle in the right angle when it is pushed in and out.

See the diagram I made for that. There are no specific measurements. Just make sure that the spacers are 2-3 mm higher that the handle it self to allow smooth movements.

I added a stopper between the two rotating pieces to limit the flipper movement to the desired angle.

Then use some rubber bands to bring the flippers back to their home positions. Don't use strong rubber bands here.

Step 5: Add "toys"

Now just use your imagination to add elements that make noises and sounds to make playing fun!

I built a ramp from two hard metal strings (made from a coat hanger I cut and curved). They are pierced in to the base board in to holes I drilled in the right angle. In the middle, I added a leg that holds the two rails with a simple Tin welding

I added some bicycle ringers, flipping gates, rubber bands walls and a little tunnel made of plumbing connectors (Not very elegant, I know...)

Step 6:

Step 7:

Wood Contest 2016

Participated in the
Wood Contest 2016