70s Pachinko Machine Hopper / Ball Collector

thingiverse

I've finally figured out a specialized part that should help others too. I stumbled upon this Japanese pinball/gambling machine on Craigslist several years ago and immediately knew it had potential. After building a sturdy stand for it and giving the electronics a thorough cleaning, I was determined to find a perfect hopper for the steel balls that serve as game tokens in this machine. I tried various plastic containers, but they kept failing me - either unstable or too flimsy for the job, causing the balls to bounce out onto the floor. Given my access to a 3D printer, I believed I could design and print the perfect solution. The result is above; I tweaked it with a Dremel as shown in the pictures after making a few calculation errors when adjusting its width for better printability. The STL file has been updated accordingly. If you have a similar Pachinko machine, this hopper should work well.