Pinball 101
This page can be considered as the Pinball Machine FAQ, or Pinball 101. Answers to all questions one has when you bought
a new pinball machine for your home. Everyone was a beginner once. I also had to learn everything I know now about pinball..
Pinball maintenance and repair. How to set it up its legs, how to make adjustments.
As I received a lot of emails with similar questions for basic information, I started to make
these pages. They contain a lot of basic information. If you have remarks, questions about things
that are not clear or missing, please let us know..
Glossary
What do all these words mean ?
Open a pin
OK.. there's a glass above the playfield so you cannot work on it.. or can you ?
Remove the head
Or: move a pinball machine on your own.
Remove the head on Sys11
How to remove the backbox of a Williams System 11 pinball machine.
Moving a pinball machine
It's big and heavy.. how do you get it into your house ??
Buying a pinball machine
Where and how to buy a pinball machine ? What to keep in mind ? Will it increase in value ?
Choosing a pinball machine
There are thousands of different models made. Which one to choose ?
Inspect a machine before buying it
What to look for when buying a pinball machine.
Testing a pinball machine
More detailed tests you can do to see if everything works.
Deep rules
What is a game with 'deep' rules ? Should you buy a difficult game
or an easy one ? What's the difference ? How good are Medieval Madness
or Scared Stiff ??
Cleaning your pinball machine
Keep your pinball machine in great condition !
Adjust switches
People often say you have to do it, here's how.
Remove pop bumpers
How to remove pop bumpers from the playfield.
Repairing a pinball machine
Unfortunately a pinball machine may stop working or get a problem.
Some general information so you know what is possible,
and what you can (not) repair yourself.
Coin mechanisms and free play
What are coin mechs, how do they work, what is free play ?
How to open a lock
OK so the machine you bought is closed and you do not have a key.
What do you do now ?
Pinball machine price guide
How much can you expect to pay/get for a machine ?
Adjusting your pinball machine
Don't like the gameplay ? There are some things you can change..
Make it more silent
A pinball machine makes a lot of noise.. what can you do to make it silent ?
Bingo machines
Like a pinball machine without flippers ? Not at all !
Interlock circuit
What is this weird yellow metal part for ?
General Illumination
What is it and what should you know about it ?
Flipper shaft end play spacing gauge
How to adjust flippers and maintain the correct 'Williams' feel.
Pinball photography
Learn how to make great pictures of your pinball machine. Large article !
Pinballs
Everything about steel pinballs !
Midnight Madness
At midnight your pinball machine goes crazy..
Tools for sale NEW
Overview of tools and parts for sale at DealExtreme.com that you can use when working on pinball machines.
For basic information about how a pinball machine works, see the explanation at this site: How stuff works.
If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, .. about these pages, please email me. Also just email me if you like these pages and they have been helpful when looking for a pinball machine. It's feedback like that I need to make these pages better, and to be motivated to keep on updating them.
While it is hard to believe pinball has had several
legislation hassles in the US regarding whether it can be considered
a form of gambling.
To make a ruling, the courts actually needed to decide how big the element of chance is in a game of pinball.
It had even resulted in some US states prohibiting flipper pinball. Still, the choice stays with the players - it is all about how they take
the game.