BSD Skillshot reliability

[kevlar]

A question for owners and previous owners of BSD, is/was the skillshot completely reliable/repeatable on your BSD? one of the first things I noticed on my recently acquired BSD was that the drop target that completes the skillshot didn't always drop. First thing I did was check the plunger coil, making sure it's secure, correctly lined up with the ball and mechanically and electrically sound. I changed the sleeve as a matter of course but no improvement. I next fiddled around with the drop target itself, making it easier to drop which seemed to improved things slightly but still it's only about 80% reliable. Reading the rulesheet on IPDB it says that due to its design it can be hit and miss. Looking at the design the plunged ball gets airborne before then going through a spring steel one way gate, it's no wonder the outcome can be variable.

Why am I worried about it? Well the points for the skillshot can add up to a fair bit and I'm hosting in July, just trying to dot the i's and cross the T's, plus I'm a bit anal about anything I know isn't working correctly

Is it possible to make the skillshot 100% reliable or am I wasting my time trying to fix it?

 

[ronsplooter]

I don't think you can make it 100% reliable but you might want to look at adjusting the ball launch ramp as it can warp over time and affect the flow of the ball round the back loop and into the target.

 

[kevlar]

I don't think you can make it 100% reliable but you might want to look at adjusting the ball launch ramp as it can warp over time and affect the flow of the ball round the back loop and into the target.

Thanks for the suggestion, the steel ramp and the plastic ramp all look fine though.

 

[ronsplooter]

plastic ramp all look fine though

Even though it looks ok you might be able to adjust the path of the ball using washers as shims. Is the ball always hitting the drop target and it just doesn't drop sometimes?

 

[kevlar]

Even though it looks ok you might be able to adjust the path of the ball using washers as shims. Is the ball always hitting the drop target and it just doesn't drop sometimes?

Sometimes it hits the drop weakly, other times gets deflected and falls short of the drop. I think the one way gate might affect it a bit. I will double check the ramps tomorrow and have a play around with them, thanks.

 

[ronsplooter]

No worries, it's basically a case of just tweaking things until you can get it as reliable as possible....it can be a right ball ache though!

 

[DRD]

I have just got a loan bsd right now courtesy of @mark9

I can say with confidence that this arrangement will inevitably give trouble. Just like the auto shooter did on my twilight zone. I spent ages on tz getting it to shoot straight and to pass the ball eject for the locks. I got my tz working about 95 per cent, with both steel and ceramic balls but it was a hugely frustrating job. You will be amazed what moving things a fraction of a mm can do

On bsd, the ball goes up a metal ramp first that moves up and down. Then there is a gap. Then the plastic ramp. Worst of all, the ball falls off a diagonal part of the plastic ramp. The problem is that if the ball is too far right it bounces left off the wall and vice versa.

I would say the most likely place to start is is altering where the plunger hits the ball. Everything else stems from this. I can see on this bsd that the plunger hits just to the right of the centre line. And then the ball brushes against the left hand side of the plastic ramp

I reckon you will get there, but it could test your patience

 

[DRD]

Oh, and that gate may well affect it. Make sure it is as low friction as possible (clean, maybe some gt85 on the hinge). On tz the gates definitely move the ball slightly off track. I spent many hours on the s@dding business

 

[Arv]

I put abit of silicone spray on the plastic, drops a treat now.

 

[Moonraker]

I'd strip and clean the target. Interesting thought with using silicone spray, it may need a clean and re-spray every x number of games but can't see why not and would expect it to work very well as @Arv has reported.

If you're wanting a more powerful launch then make sure the shooter rod is far enough away from the ball before it fires...

 

[kevlar]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Drop target already cleaned and dropping very easily. Shooter is auto plunger so ball is resting against it.

Anyway ronsplooter was spot on, playing around with the position of the plastic section of the ramp yielded great results, moving the exit end of the ramp inwards a few millimetres seems to have done the trick. In testing about 30 launched balls have knocked the target down, will see if that continues through normal plays.

Thanks all for help.