Product Information - Makers
Prior to purchasing, it is important that you are fully aware of and understand the project requirements and Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). For example, what's included and not included with the project kits; the tools, equipment and consumables needed; the time commitment to build the pinball machine; and the policy on returns and refunds. These requirements and T&Cs are set out below.
Included -16 Kits and Cabinet Flat-Pack
There are 16 subassembly kits and one pinball machine cabinet kit included with each project purchase. Each of the 16 subassembly kits has Parts Packs and printed documents to aid assembly, such as Parts Lists with parts images and Parts Diagrams for laser-cut plywood and acrylic pieces. There are five types of Parts Packs (with examples provided):
1. Electronics Parts - Resistors, capacitors, diodes, ICs, LEDs
2. Mechanical Parts - Nuts, bolts, springs, standoffs, rubber components
3. Wiring & Electro-Mech Parts - Power and data cables, connectors, switches
4. Wood & Plastics - Laser-cut plywood and acrylic pieces
5. Modules - Audio Amplifier, Arduino Uno, Accelerometer,
At least one subassembly part in each kit will need to be 3D Printed. Assembly instructions are primarily through the step-by-step construction videos, whereas the Lesson Plan documents only contain a high-level summary of steps. Therefore, it is not possible to build the pinball machine kits without watching the step-by-step videos. Although the 16 kits are for different subassemblies, they all require the same five making activities.
Not Included-Tools, Equipment & Consumables
Not included with Pinball Machine Project kits are tools, equipment and consumables, however these are needed for the build. Tools and equipment only need to be purchased once, and schools may already have many of these items, such as 3D printers. Consumables will need to be purchased for every pinball project built, for example, glues, 3D printer filament, waterslide decals and solder. Some consumables can be used over multiple project builds, such as PVA glue bottles. The lists provided below show quantities based on number of pinball machine builds and number of kits being built simultaneously in each class.
Tools and Equipment List (with example supplier links)
Consumables List (per pinball project, some can be used multiple times)
Tools, Equipment and Consumables Cost Calculator
Included - Step-By-Step Construction Videos
There are 200+ hours of video tutorials covering: skills, knowledge, methods and step-by-step instructions. The Video Tutorials and Files folders on the EPK website are organised according to:
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Kit Number 1 - 16
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Kit Overview
- Kit Intro & File Downloads
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Activity Type (1 - 5), for example:
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Wood & Plastic
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Intro & File Downloads
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Preparation - Kit Packs, Tools & Equipment, Materials, Health Safety & Environment
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Planning - Sequence, Methods, Skills & Abilities, Knowledge, Experience, Online Resources
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Work Instructions - step-by-step building and know how
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Videos for each Activity are organised according to these Section Headings. Some Section Headings have only text and download files, while others have video recordings only, such as the Work Instructions. The Lesson Plan documents have Session Video numbers on the left. The first digit of the number is for the Activity Type: 1 - Wood & Plastic, 2 - Electronics, 3 - Electro-Mech, 4 - Coding, 5 - Artwork. The next two digits of the number relate to Section Headings, such as for Electronics: 2.1 - 2.3 (Intro), 2.4 - 2.8 (Preparation), 2.8 - 2.14 (Planning) and 2.15 - 2.18 (Work Instructions). About 30 mins of each Activity's video is dedicated to the Intro, Preparation and Planning sections of the Lesson Plan, and these sections are especially for setting up. Work Instructions are primarily for construction.
Included - Weekly Maker Support Webinars
Every week at a set time and day, EPK will host a Live Webinar for all maker members that have purchased the kits and need to ask questions and get advice/help with technical issues or skill or knowledge gaps. The following discussions will be included in the 1-2 hour weekly sessions:
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Q&A - Technical Issues
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Common problems
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Fault-finding and trouble-shooting techniques
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Q&A - Skills Gap
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Hand tools - how to use
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Test equipment - correct operation
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Q&A - Knowledge Gap
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Electrical and Electronics basics
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Software guidance
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Q&A - Tools, Equipment, Consumables Advice
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What to buy
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Where to buy
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Q&A - Spare Parts and Replacing Plywood and Acrylic
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Spare Parts Lists (electrical, electronic, mechanical)
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Laser-cut files to replace lost/damaged/incorrectly glued
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Design Enhancements (pimping your pinball)
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Adding more lighting, displays or mechatronics
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Running a Pinball Machine Project at your Local High School
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How to approach schools and get teaching gigs
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Potentially creating an income as a STEM course provider
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Terms & Conditions
The Terms and Conditions document provides important information relating to the buyer's responsibilities and limitations of EPK regarding liability and when returns and refunds are accepted. A summary is provided below, and the full document can be downloaded here:
Product Warranty - once any kit is under construction all warranty is void, as we cannot guarantee assemblers' workmanship.
Warnings and Cautions - the power supply provided in one of the 16 kits has an AC mains voltage selection switch (115V or 230V AC). Use the correct voltage for your country. Failure to use correct voltage will result in damage to components and possibly a fire.
Product Returns - Once construction of pinball machine kits has commenced, return of the pinball project cannot be accepted. Return of the pinball project can only be accepted when all kits sent back to EPK in their original condition with a full inventory of unused parts, packaging and construction materials. Returning the full set of kits will be at the buyer's own expense.
Product Refund - If all conditions required according to the above Product Warranty, Warnings and Cautions, and Product Returns are met; a full refund of the purchase price of the project (minus the freight and tax costs spent to deliver to the buyer) will be provided; once all project kits (16 subassembly kits, and the cabinet kit provided) are received, inspected by EPK and deemed to be in resalable condition; with the return freight costs paid by the buyer; and if the full project is returned within 30 days of the product purchase date.
Replacement Parts - If the parts supplied within the kits are lost or damaged by the buyer/assembler, rather than buying another complete kit, the buyer can email EPK a request for either the Laser-Cut Files (to recreate the plywood or acrylic parts with locally sourced materials) or a Kit Parts List, detailing manufacturer part numbers and links to example suppliers. These parts can then be sourced locally at the buyer's own expense, with parts supply being quicker and less expensive.
Product Liability - Engineering Project Kits will not be held responsible or liable for any incident or loss (such as fire, and/or injury) associated with the construction or operation of the pinball machine, as EPK cannot guarantee the skills, abilities, workmanship or correct instruction following of the assembler.
Construction Time & Makers' Open Forum
For Makers, the number of Hours / Days / Weeks spent building the pinball machine project depends on a number of factors, which are outlined below:
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Average Making Hours per Kit x Number of Kits
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There are five making Activities per Kit, and
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An average of 3 hrs per Activity spent making (includes video watching)
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Therefore 15 hrs per Kit x 16 Kits = 240 hrs plus
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The Final Assembly (11 main tasks) = 60 hrs
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Therefore approximately 300 hrs of build time
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Number of Makers, Making Hours, Making Days
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With 2 Makers, build time will naturally be halved
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Build time can also be reduced by number of making hours per day
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And making days per week
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Skill and Experience Level of Makers
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3 hrs of making time per Activity can be expected with a moderate skill level, less if skilled and experienced, or longer time if an unskilled beginner
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2 hrs is the time required, on average, for each Activity, with 1-2 hours for video tutorials (allow at least one hour for the Work Instructions)
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The approximate pinball machine build timeframes, based on these dependencies are shown in the table below (desktop view only):
The Makers' Open Forum
For the pinball machine maker community, a Makers' Open Forum will be available (free 24-hour access) for discussions, and sharing knowledge, photos and videos, construction techniques tips and tricks.