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Broken Vortex Repair

Does your Pinbot have a black vortex at the upper right side of the game?  This is probably because the original vortex was broken and someone used a Jackbot vortex (black) for replacing the original broken red vortex.

The pictures below show the fix Cliffy used for fixing the red spiral vortex found at the top right of the game.  The tip of the vortex is often broken and to repair this, Cliffy constructed a metal protector that is held in place with a screw and nut with epoxy putty or bondo used to fill the gap between the stainless repair.  The screw Cliffy used has a 4-40 thread that is 1.5 inches long.  Cliffy recommends that the fix not be applied to an unbroken vortex since the clearance between the pinball and the metal may be too tight.

The pictures below are photos taken by Cliffy outlining his repair.  Thanks to his hard work, we now have a way to repair this often broken piece of plastic.  Be sure and check his website since he also shows other professional protectors he has created for a variety of games that are worn.  I have an Attack From Mars protector and it looks great in the game and prevents further deterioration of the playfield.

This is the original vortex showing the broken tip.	Metal is shaped like this to form the protector.
A threaded screw (4-40 thread, 1.5 inches long) is inserted in to the metal. Be sure and grind the screw head flush with the stainless steel so that the screw head won't interfere with the ball as it goes up the vortex.	Plastic is ground flush on the top of the vortex.
Plastic is ground on the underside of the vortex where the nut will be seated.	The point where the screw goes through the vortex is marked.
This is the location where a hole will be drilled for the screw.	The hole is drilled for the screw using a pinvise.
Here is a topside view showing the metal repair screwed in place with the nut just visible on the underside.  You can use bondo or epoxy putty to fill the gap between the stainless and then paint it to hide the filler.	This is a view from the bottom showing the nut holding the screw in place.
The metal is fastened in place and ready for the vortex decal.	This is the finished product.  Notice the pinkish area where the gap in the stainless is filled with epoxy putty and then painted to mask the gap.
The repaired vortex installed in the game.

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The pictures you see were created by Steve Corley unless otherwise noted. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited