Moving pins up and down bulkheads...

GameyMcGame

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I've been doing it for years. It's a pain. Would love a stairclimber but thats too expensive.

Any of you maniacs rig up anything with a winch to help move pins up and down? I'm thinking 'shark cage' with a winch...
 
What are bulkheads in this case? The term refers to a type of wall structure in any use I know of...

If you're talking stairs, mine are carpeted to my basement so I long gave up trying to use my dolly and I just slide them down. I can do it by myself no problem this way.
I just get on the bottom and lower it nice and easy down the stairs, back first and then stand it right up at the bottom...piece of cake, no wall or pin damage.

If you don't have carpeted stairs, what about getting a piece of carpet, and strapping it to the bottom lengthwise across the pin?
 
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I know it's not always applicable, but that's one thing that's fairly easy with System 7 and older Williams machines.

Pull the head, pull the playfield, and there's nothing overly heavy at that point.

-Hans
 
My warehouse is on a 2nd floor so I have brought my games up with a winch bolted to the wall and a plywood ramp permanently attached to the steps.
 
I have pics that i should post but this is what I do:

bought an electric winch. bolted it to a board that was wider than my door frame. strapped pinball to dolly. ran cable to winch. Used winch to lower down stairs and pull up stairs.

one person operation

need to fine tune design a little, but it works well.
 
I have pics that i should post but this is what I do:

bought an electric winch. bolted it to a board that was wider than my door frame. strapped pinball to dolly. ran cable to winch. Used winch to lower down stairs and pull up stairs.

one person operation

need to fine tune design a little, but it works well.

how do you get it over the top threshold if the winch setup is there?
 
how do you get it over the top threshold if the winch setup is there?

I'd love to hear more about this....

do you hook the winch cable up to the bottom of the dolly and contol the top yourself as you work the winch with the remote ccontrol? I guess when you reach the top of the steps the bottom of the dolly is fully pulled up. How do you prevent cutting a nice groove in your steps with the winch cable?

Pics wold be a big help:)
 
Bought a winch...Wrapped the pin and then strapped it to the hand truck. Worked like a charm

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Now there's an idea...I couldn't pull something like that off for my basement stairs, the landing at the top is like 4'x4' with the door at a right angle to them.

So far it's just been on the dolly, with me at the bottom pushing up and my wife at the top pulling and standing it up.
 
Now there's an idea...I couldn't pull something like that off for my basement stairs, the landing at the top is like 4'x4' with the door at a right angle to them.

So far it's just been on the dolly, with me at the bottom pushing up and my wife at the top pulling and standing it up.

Do you have a bulkhead like I do? If so, it was super easy. I'm no longer held hostage to only moving pins when I have someone around to help. Frankly, this was much easier than pushing/pulling with two people.

I first attached the winch to my ride on mower but it pulled the mower...even with the truck you could tell there was some serious force going on. Get a sturdy winch and chain/tow rope!
 
No, basement access via inside the house only.

It's on my list for my next house that it MUST have ground level basement access, so I don't have to contend with any stairs for my game room.

Now to find a house with that, and a large walk-in closet...
 
No, basement access via inside the house only.

It's on my list for my next house that it MUST have ground level basement access, so I don't have to contend with any stairs for my game room.

Now to find a house with that, and a large walk-in closet...

You could always have a bulkhead/access built...probably pricey though
 
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