tilt.blog

Let me start this entry by apologizing. The machine is still in the back of my car, and I am still making space for it in my basement. Also, until I bought one, I didn't know that pinball machines weigh 200-400 pounds. I don't have the people and equipment necessary to move the machine right now. For now, you'll have to be satisfied with the manual: RTFM Pinball machines are made to be serviceable by the owner, and many machines come with incredibly detailed manuals. As someone new to the hobby and who doesn't really know what he's looking at, I would classify my manual as excellent. It goes into the essentials on gameplay, settings, diagnosing and auditing the machine, part numbers for when things break, and incredibly detailed schematics. For example, below is a picture of two pages of the electronic schematics from my machine, next to a yard stick for scale. Remember this is two pages of the twenty-six  pages of detailed electronic schematics! All ninety-six pa...

Welcome to tilt.blog, a place where I hope to chronicle my journey fixing a pinball machine. I'm going to restore a  Maverick pinball machine. I have never owned or restored a pinball machine before – this is all new to me. I'm expecting to make mistakes and have successes, and I hope you'll follow along. First, I'd like to introduce myself: About Your Author I retired from a career in software and electrical engineering in mid 2022 when my company instituted the post-pandemic return to office plan. I did not want to start commuting again, and I had been wildly successful in my work-from-home job during the pandemic. I didn't feel a return to the office was necessary. Additionally, as a manager, it was my job to tell my people to toe the line and come to the office. I didn't believe it was important for their work or career. So, rather than live with it, I decided to quit. My wife and I had always lived frugally, and we felt we could make it work. But, Why Pinb...