How to Make a Homemade Pinball Machine

VHS Tape

A home-made pinball machine is great fun for any party and can quickly become the popular activity for the night. Create a home-made pinball machine to keep your friends entertained for hours on any occasion, or to keep you busy on rainy days. These pinball machines are cheap and easy to make for creative minds, and can make great favors for the whole party.

Things You'll Need

• VHS tape
• Drill gun with small bit
• Glue gun
• Paperclip
• 2 small plastic strips
• Marble or other small ball
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

1. 

   Disassemble the VHS Tape

   Open up your VHS tape and remove all of the components you find inside.The VHS will pry open with a little force. Be sure to keep all of the interior components, as you may want to them later. Set aside the bottom side of the VHS tape, the side without the clear plastic, as you will not need this side.

2. 

   Bend the metal piece

   Bend the metal piece in the middle of the VHS into a check mark form. This is one of the components that you'll find when you take apart your VHS tape, and is therefore not listed in the tools list.

3. 

   Glue the Bent Piece

   Glue the bent metal piece to the bottom right of your opened VHS tape. Make sure you have enough glue to hold it firmly in place.

4. 

   Paint

   Paint the opened VHS tape whichever color you want and wait for the glue to dry before moving on.

5. 

   Drill a hole

   Drill a hole just below the bent metal piece on your VHS tape, then drill holes on the sides of the VHS just above the bent metal check mark. Make sure that these two holes are large enough to fit the plastic strips into.

6. 

   Bend and insert your paper clip

   Bend your paper clip into a straight line with hooks on both sides. Make sure the hooked edges are facing in opposite directions, away from the center of the paper clip. Insert your paperclip through the hole that you made on the bottom right of your VHS tape, and then hook it around the metal check mark. This will serve as the plunger to launch your ball when you first start playing.

7. 

   Make the triggers

   Insert one plastic strip in each one of the holes that you created in step four. These will serve as your triggers. If you cannot find a plastic strip of any kind, cut off the handle of a plastic spoon to make your own plastic strips.

8. 

   Create Obstacles

   Glue down all of the other components you found inside of your VHS tape to create the various obstacles that you would usually find within a pinball machine.

9. 

   Place the Marble

   Place your marble, or other small ball, inside your pinball machine and rest it directly on the paper clip plunger.

10. 

    Place and Glue the Cover

    Place plastic wrap over the top of your pinball machine to keep your ball from flying out. This is a makeshift replacement for the glass that you would usually find on other pinball machines. Rip off any excess wrap, and glue down the rest, making sure it rests tightly on the body of your machine as to not create any ripples. After the glue is dried, your makeshift pinball machine is complete, and ready to play.

1. 

Tips & Warnings

• Always be careful when using glue guns, as their extreme temperatures can cause a fire if not handled properly, or result in burning of skin.

References

• Make a pinball machine