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How to Make an Easy Pinball Machine

If you love to play pinball, you know that going somewhere to play whenever the urge strikes you can become a hassle. You probably often have thought about how great it would be if you could play pinball in the comfort of your own home. The good news is that there is an alternative to buying an expensive pinball machine. You can build your own pinball machine and enjoy the pleasure of playing pinball in your home for years to come.

Things You'll Need

2 1- by 8-inch pieces of wood (length of the playfield)
Wood screws
Drill
2 1" x 2" pieces of wood (length of the playfield)
Pinball playfield
Wire cutters
Acrylic glass (size of the top of the playfield)
Molding
4 2" x 2" x 4" boards (1 foot in length)
Wire strippers
Saw
1 6-volt battery
Rocker switch

Instructions

- 1
  Build the playing field frame. Screw four 1- by 8-inch boards together, using three screws at each corner to screw the ends of the boards to the sides.
- 2
  Attach the 1- by 2-inch boards 4 inches from the top of the frame to form a support bracket to secure the playing field to the frame. Fasten three of the four sides of molding to the top of the frame, leaving a space big enough for the glass to fit into.
- 3
  Install the playing field. You can buy a pinball playing field new or used; search online for "pinball play fields" or "pinball parts." Take the field out of the case, and use wire cutters or heavy-duty shears to cut the power cord about an inch before the point where it connects to the playfield. Place the playfield in the frame; the edges will rest on the 1- by 2-inch boards.
- 4
  Insert the acrylic glass underneath the molding and over the top of the playing field. Now attach the final piece of the molding.
- 5
  Install the legs. Fasten the four 2- by 4-inch boards to the table. Install one 2- by 4-inch board per corner, using wood screws to fasten them.
- 6
  Drill the power hole. Use a 1/2-inch drill bit to drill a hole in the wood frame where the wires are located. One end of the power cord is connected to the playfield, while the other end of the power cord is connected to a power switch. Remove the connectors from the back of the power switch by loosening the screws.
- 7
  Prepare the power cord. Cut 4 inches of the power cord and remove the covering. Connect one end of the wire to a rocker switch, which is simply an on/off switch that rocks rather than trips when it is pressed. Attach the other end of the cord to the 6-volt battery. Now fasten the rocker switch to the outside of the hole. On the bottom side of the rocker switch there should be some metal brackets with holes through them. Screw wood screws through these holes into the wood frame. If the rocker switch doesn't have mounting brackets, buy a small mounting bracket at your local hardware store.
- 8
  Use a piece of extra molding or wood to create a small ledge for the 6-volt battery. Fasten this piece to the side of the frame using two wood screws on each end of the ledge piece.
- 9
  Flip the table over. Once you have put the table where you want it, flip the rocker
  switch to power the lights inside the pinball machine.

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