After the fit-check
above, I sanded
and painted multiple coats of white semi-gloss latex paint on the
outside,
and then
clearcoated the inside with a leftover can of clear Polyurethane from
the Playfield renovation.

The finished casing next to the inverted coffee table that will be used
to
house the playfield. Note the cut corners
on the casing due to the corner braces on the bottom of the coffee
table.
The coffee table had two panes of glass on
either end. The middle center solid panel was removed to
create a full view of the table.

A test fit check of the parts in the unmodified coffee table.
Obviously,
view of the playfield is severely obstructed, but this check showed
that the whole assembly fit together very well.
Modifying
the coffee table and final assembly
Once I was satisfied
with the initial
fit check in the unmodified table, I ordered a pane of tempered glass
(18.5" x 44.5") from a
local
glass place. It arrived after 10
days, and I then started the modification of the table by cutting out
the center panel with a circular saw. I then used a router to
create a 1/4" edge for the glass pane. I used a 4 foot level
clamped to the table as a rip fence to ensure straight cuts of the saw
and router.

The modified coffee table with the center panel cut out and an edge
routered for the
glass pane. I was very pleased with the result. It
looks
like a picture frame for the
playfield. This coffee table was very close to the ideal size
for
a playfield.
This picture shot with the top glass in place.

The bottom of the casing is covered with a sheet of flexible clear
plastic. This allows the
viewing of the mechanical systems underneath the playfield.
One
slight modification is
that I had to move the switches on the 3-bank target to reduce the
height.

The GI connector was changed from an inline style (example on the
right) to a
panel mount style of the same size. This was then snapped
into
the clear
plastic sheet that covers the
bottom of the casing. With this, I can quickly connect
or disconnect the electrical cord from the coffee table. By
using the same size
and pinout, I maintain 100% functionality of the playfield.
It
can be removed from the coffee
table and swapped out at any time.

Transformer supply that powers the GI circuit. It is slid
under
the couch that is beside the coffee table. A leftover piece of
clear plastic from the underside of the table covers
all the electrical connections.
To better show-off the
playfield, it
made sense to me to light the General Illumination (GI)
circuit.
On the actual machine, the GI circuit requires 7.8 Amps. Per
the
schematic, this is powered with a 6.3Vac transformer winding.
Although the current total includes the backglass and the coin door
lights, the test
allowed me to estimate the size of the transformer needed. I
purchased a 12.6V CT 4 Amp transformer from
www.mpja.com
for $5.75. By splitting the GI consumption into two separate
4 Amp circuits, efficiency is increased . The two phases of
the
transformer power the two separate GI circuits on the playfield.
Using my
Kill-a-Watt
power meter,
I measured a total power draw of 30 Watts for the lights and the
transformer. The transformer only gets very slightly warm.

The pinball coffee table can be seen from many parts of the home and
should be a nice
conversation piece. The top glass was removed for this photo.
Reverse angle
Pinball Neon Lighting
In November 2006, I bought a small neon sign on ebay for $37 (shipped).

The neon sign was installed at the bottom of the stairs that lead to
the game room.
I had installed an electrical outlet the weekend before in anticipation
of its arrival.
The light is turned on and off with the main wall switch.

Close-up of the lamp. It comes with a right-angle adapter
that
allows it to be
wall mounted (holes in the base) or table mounted.
A switch in the base allows you to select flashing or constant 'on'
mode. We prefer the latter.