Bingo Overhaul
Step 23: Now what?

Right, you have the game pretty much working, the playfield glass is in (and it just got a lot harder to win). All that is left is cosmetics on the cabinet, which I'd suggest you look at the pinball hq site for, and putting in the backglass.

The backglass is like gold. If the ink is adhering really well, then I like to put a piece of clear mylar over it (the non-stick kind..you just tape it along the two sides to the backglass. the tape wraps over the edge to the front, where it is hidden by the wooden side rails on the head). The mylar is really there as a partial heat shield and more importantly, protects the back when sliding the glass in and out. If the ink is starting to flake, get over to the pinballhq site to see your options. Also, if your game will be subject to humidity and/or big temperature swings, do something to protect the backglass.

People seem to hate it, but I've seen operators simply apply strips of clear packing tape over the ink. On the glasses I've seen, it actually seemed to work well. The tape didn't burn, and the backglass artwork was perfect. If someone has seen a case where this approach actually ruined the glass, let me know the details.

So now you are faced with the ultimate problem - how long until the game gets boring. This is the main reason I like to only get complex machines. Without the payoff potential, simply winning credits can get old after a while. Then again, I have a short attention span.

Magic Ring has been interesting because it is a pretty rare style of bingo, and the game play (which I'll detail someplace else) is is not too bad. The main problem I have with it is that winning requires lighting adjacent/close numbers around the ring, and the numbers can't be rearranged. Offsetting this limitation is the double-or-nothing game, which as always appeals to those of us that enjoy the odd wager here and there.

Is the game a keeper? I think not for me. I have assumed that I will probably wind up with maybe four machines - a screen game, a mystic line game, a magic square game, and one of the early machines - most likely Surf Club or Gay Time. It's just a question of space.

So, I may drag the machine down to the california extreme show in case anyone out there within a few hundred miles is actually reading this and wants to see the machine up close and personal, and I'll dig through the email and find the guy who was actually looking for this machine to see if he is still in the market.

Oh yeah, let's not forget the costs.

We'll ignore the peripheral stuff like the welder and other required power tools ... and yes, the mini stereo system for the workroom was a necessary expense, thanks for asking. Notice we are also ignoring cost of labor. Let's just say 40+ hours of my time is quite a bit, and is pretty much why overhauling and selling bingo machines is not a viable business if you enjoy the finer things in life - like eating and taking showers on a regular basis.

Thanks to everyone who sent in comments and questions about this stuff. My main interest in bingos is how they work ... and why they don't ... so I especially like to hear about the problems and solutions.