Anybody ever build a pinball coffee table?

bottlejunkie

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Ive been trolling CL looking for a pin in the worst state of disrepair to make one. I may have one from a guy ive been emailing,no head,no boards,my main question is if anyone has done this what do you put where the head was? Basically id be getting the cab,glass,playfeild and legs its in pretty bad shape but i can make it look better.Also i would like to add some lights to the playfeild im pretty sure the cab is gutted so what would be the easiest way to add some?

Thanks

Roy
 
I'd put cup holders where the head was...
As for the lighting, what about strip LED's? They come with a remote and can change between different colors.

I'm making an end table for the game room with a Close Encounters head. :D
 
I have seen several such projects on different web sites.
The ones on the instructables web site come to mind but I have seen others...
http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Pinball-coffee-table/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Pinball-Coffee-Table/

Cool idea. I would like to build one some day myself.
If you do it, post about it so I can get motivated.

I was thinking more of useing the cab not a hand built wood frame,the table in there now opens for storage and is full of parts so i was thinking i could still have the storage.
 
I was thinking more of useing the cab not a hand built wood frame,the table in there now opens for storage and is full of parts so i was thinking i could still have the storage.

Oh... yeah... what I have always seen was bsically a playfield re-purposed.
Using the whole pin body would be a BIG table.
Would this be some sort of sofa table or more like a glass topped work bench?

Well, maybe you can get some ideas on lighting etc from the other, smaller projects.
 
I was thinking about doing this to a mint Twilight Zone. :eek:

Im surprised you havent already built one considering all your projects,which are awesome btw. No this is some pin called attack from mars,never heard of it? J/K.
 
Years ago, I got a 1941ish Gottlieb High Dive lower cabinet and playfield and legs. The bummer is that all cabinet internals are missing, as well as the head, backglass, etc... Even the guys on RGP said it's basically just parts. As much as I'd hate to not restore something, there's probably nothing else I can do with this. The plastics on the playfield are all melty/broken/aged, so I never did anything with it.
 
The biggest problem I've seen doing this is that the reason it is making to a coffee table is that it was worn out and beat to death, but I don't want my coffee table to look ratty. I guess there is a balance point to it somewhere. IIRC someone at Pinball Expo was selling kits to build these.
 
I have an older pin sans head that I got for free that I plan to do this with. I don't remember which one it is right off. Playfield and plastics look pretty good. I was going to trim up the body and cut down the wooden legs. I haven't decided how to do it all yet. Not looking forward to prying the rails off.
 
Im surprised you havent already built one considering all your projects,which are awesome btw. No this is some pin called attack from mars,never heard of it? J/K.

Thanks man! And of course I would never wreck a TZ. ;)

Edit:
Revenge from Mars would probably make a better coffee table ;)
 
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I'm in the process of building one right now for the daughter, using a complete 62 gottleib Flipper Clown playfield.
Was going to do the coffee table but she wants it taller around 36inches tall so it can be a mini-bar to put in her game room.

Oak is quite expensive right now, it's not a cheap endeavor to do right. :(
 
You should just use a cocktail pin for the coffee table. They were already designed to be a place to set your beer.
 
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