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Pinball Tools

Nedreud

Nedreud

Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
3,092
Location
Aldershot, UK
I wasn't sure if I should post this in Tips and Tricks or Technical Questions & Help, but decided on General Pinball Discussion as it's a fairly open-ended query.

So, recently I've been buying a few new tools to help with the restoration and upkeep of my pins. The other day I took delivery of some inch-based deep sockets, selection of Allen keys and Hex bits:

farm6.staticflickr.com_5235_14297336645_190f05400f_c.jpg
Paragon: SAE Tools by staticboy, on Flickr

And today a digital mm/inch Vernier caliper and set of 1/4-inch Hex to 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2-inch socket driver arrived:

farm4.staticflickr.com_3884_14157694448_434e28ef94_c.jpg
Paragon: Digital Vernier Calipers by staticboy, on Flickr

So, aside from the usual suspects you might find in your average tinkerers toolbox (screwdrivers, snips, pliers, hammer, soldering iron, etc.) what tools do you have for working on your pins? Do you have any tools specifically made just for pinball? Are there any tools which are particularly hard to find? For example, there was a recent discussion and group purchase of rivet dies on here recently.
 
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PS. In case anyone is interested the digital Vernier calipers were from eBay and cost just £5.99! At that price I figured I didn't have much to loose, but these seem of perfectly adequate quality and measured objects of known size with near perfect accuracy. Certainly much more accurately than me guessing with a steel ruler! Although a general tool I bought them to measure the diameter of holes in my Paragon playfield as I'm going to attempt to make a new blank from scratch (guess I'll be buying so good quality inch wood drills too soon!)
 
Here we go: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290679682771

£5.99 BIN and, yes, it does come with the box and a spare LR44 battery. The seller, universalgadgets01, has an eBay feedback 1,674,202!

There were cheaper calipers but they have "carbon fibre", i.e., plastic, bodies rather than all steel. I thought for an extra couple of quid all steel was better. There are literally dozens of sellers shifting these unbranded digital calipers but this was the cheapest overall price including shipping (okay, cheaper direct from China but 3-4 week wait). And I ordered at 7pm on Monday and they arrived today (Wednesday)!
 
Nice one for the calipers link, just ordered :) If your after good screwdrivers then I can recommend Halfords Pro range. I was looking at treating myself to a really nice set so obviously checked out Snap-On. Came across a post on Piston Heads saying that Halfords Pro range are good quality and also have the same lifetime guarantee that you get with Snap-On so bought a set of 8. Really impressed with the quality and only cost £15 instead of £100 that the Snap-On set would have been :thumbs:
 
Cool! Glad everyone is happy with the callipers! Just been "translating" the english instructions and it appears there's even a serial data port for outputting data to a computer or printer!

But, c'mon! I was hoping for some details about slightly more exotic, weird and wonderful gadgets from the world of pinball!

Only thing I've come across was in VID's Guide to Upgrading/Rebuilding Flippers: the Flipper Shaft End Play Spacing Gauge (Williams p/n 03-8194):

31484-i.jpg

Me being Mr. Budget I made my own from an old store card as suggested:

HomemadeFlipperGapTool.jpg

Having read that the official Williams tool is supposed to be 0.030" I was of course forced to double-check the thickness in my new callipers:

VernierCallipers690.png

Well, b****r me :)
 
Also ordered.

Nedreud should have been on commission for these. I probably won't use them that much, but at that price it's a steal.

All the tools I use for my Pin are fairly mainstream. Prior to these callipers my last purchase was the variable temperature soldering iron that Paul mentioned from Maplins. Also hope to pick up a desoldering station at some point too.
 
Every kit should have a Palnut removal tool...

http://www.pbresource.com/toolbox/gtb-26181i.jpg

and seeing as I had to find that link then there's lots of interesting items (but not for everyone) on the main page:
http://www.pbresource.com/tools.html

Plus a suitable molex insertion tool for all those pesky GI failures on modern B/W machines.
https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/Datasheets/Molex/ATS-638133503.pdf

again more interesting ideas/tools from here:
https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/categories.asp?cat=53
 
I remember reading somewhere (maybe on Pinball Heaven's help pages) about nut driver sets that you could mount on an electric drill (one at a time, obviously!) for rapid removing of lots of nuts when stripping the underside of a playfield. Anyone seen these. Or maybe it's possible to use a hacksaw to cut the handles of a normal set. Anyone done that?
 
+1 on the telescopic magnet tool @ronsplooter, which reminds me I need to get a new one after my kids over extended my last one. Shame, as it was a deluxe model with a tiny button cell powered LED torch in the magnetic head.

Thanks, @Moonraker! Awesome selections of gizmos. Exactly what I was looking for. I need one of those Palnut tools - even removing rubber barrel nuts I've managed to undo the odd post!

And for @Mfresh: you most certainly can get nut drivers for electric screwdrivers. Like this:

HexNutriver.jpg

But even better, and shown in the photo 2 of my original post, you can get adapters between 1/4-inch Hex Drive and 1/4-inch Square Drive (and also 3/8" and 1/2") so that you can use any socket on a cordless drill (either Hex drive or normal chuck).

Here's a shot (sorry, it's a bit blurry) showing the adapter in my Bosch mini cordless screwdriver with a 1/4-inch deep socket. Also shown is a little mini ratchet I picket up in the supermarket fitted with an extension bar (B&Q) and deep socket. Very handy for those hard to reach nuts that need a little more force. I've also got a screwdriver handle with 1/4-inch square drive so sockets can just go straight on to that just like a nut spinner.

farm4.staticflickr.com_3882_14164195179_d0853ff2af_c.jpg
Paragon: More Tools! by staticboy, on Flickr
 
I have a mini-ratches identical to that too... however I use a cordless drill to get the stuff in/out - will have to try my ixo driver set up like that :D
 
I should have done my homework and setup my own eBay tool shop ;)

Socket Hex Adaptor Set 3 Pc Piece Kit Power Tool 1/4 3/8 1/2 " Inch TL/WR267 NEW
£3.20 BIN Free P&P
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310959470077
Cheaper here! £2.49 BIN Free P&P: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160742839859
HexSocketAdapter.png

11PC 1/4" DRIVE DEEP SOCKET SET IMPERIAL AF SAE CHROME VANADIUM ON RAIL 0216C
£5.75 BIN £1.99 P&P
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221309677918
DeepSAESocketSet.png

Torq 1/4Inch 2Pc Extension Bar Set
£5.18 in-store at B&Q
http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/handtool...2Pc-Extension-Bar-Set-11377948?skuId=11888654
ExtensionBars.jpg

Imperial 9 Piece Ball Ended Allen Key Hex Set SENTTODAY
£5.95 BIN Free P&P
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180710931313
AllenKeys.JPG
 
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A 1/4" extension will fit into an electric drill. I use one to remove and install nuts and bolts. The length of the extension is handy to get in amongst things. I also find a very small neodymium magnet fits inside your small sockets nicely and holds whatever screw or nut securely to the socket without it falling out.
 
elrikos said:
A 1/4" extension will fit into an electric drill. I use one to remove and install nuts and bolts. The length of the extension is handy to get in amongst things. I also find a very small neodymium magnet fits inside your small sockets nicely and holds whatever screw or nut securely to the socket without it falling out.
Click to expand...

I would use a cordless drill to remove nut/bolts etc but would be very cautious putting them in with a drill unless you have a really sensitive torque setting on the drill. Too easy to strip threads etc with something powered.
 
I loved the tip about using neodymium magnets. I bought a bunch of 50 tiny little 4mm squares for a modelling project and plenty left.

Today, I also order another 4" x 1/2" Pro-Max Steel & Stainless Steel 9pc Metal Polishing Kit from Metal Polishing Supplies UK Ltd. I noticed that if you Like them on Facebook you get a 10% OFF code: FACEBOOK10

I also got couple of these Satin Web "ScotchBrite" Metal Sanding Mop Fine 4". I've got some mini Dremel ones so thought I'd try the man-size ones for rusty parts. I find a wire brush wheel too rough.

Satin_Web_Mop.jpg
 
Got a new tool! :p

No eBay link for this as it's from my Dad, his Tektronix 453 Oscilloscope! This is older than I am and is from his days as a computer engineer back in the day when you had to, and could, fix computers using tools! It's funny... I haven't seen this bad boy for nearly 20 years, but I remembered exactly how to open it, switch it on and get it in the right modes for testing the regulator output voltages for ripple and logic states on the MPU. Happy days...

farm6.staticflickr.com_5114_14326027320_21b06dc848_c.jpg
Tektronix 453 Oscilloscope by staticboy, on Flickr
 
I mentioned the oscilloscope to my audio engineer neighbour. It's about the size of a flight case and weighs a ruddy tonne. He said "Oh, you could have borrowed mine." A short walk to his workshop and he hands me one of these:

media.fluke.com_images_fluke_123_320px_x_220px.jpg

Bloody thing fits in my pocket! :eek:
 
Wiredworm said:
Reasonable price for anyone in the market for AutoSol: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autosol-S...ssories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item3a902eeee7

Or buy in a larger container. Even with the postage charge it works out pretty reasonable:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autosol-7...ssories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item233ba0e88c

I need to grab some more. It's fantastic stuff and i've been eyeing up a polishing wheel myself so I can make my Pin shine like Nedreuds.
Click to expand...

Essential for polishing just about anything and everything! And @Wiredworm found some good deals online ;) 6 tubes for £22 works out at £3.67 each whereas they're £5.99 in Halfords!

cdn3.volusion.com_krcyo.mqpav_v_vspfiles_photos_1000_2.jpg
 
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