kickback specification

[showdon]

when is it a good time to check pinspotter wood to wood [width adjustments.].i check them today and found them off about 5/16.i checked only four lanes and all four was short about 5/16.do i need to wait untill about august to do this adjustment.it was' 59' 11/16 across.more or less.i know we have not had a lane inspection in about 4 years.now they just signed up a new lane inspection crew.i was just tring to get a head start..need some feed back.i never check lane adjustments in spring.

[Stripperbolt]

Is this the measurement that you got between the 2 kick plates? You need to add some to each measurement depending on the type of kick plates that you have. Phenolic plates are around 1/8" thick each, so you would add 1/4" to the distance between them. Fiber plates are somewhere around 3/16" thick, so you would add 3/8" to each distance between those. That's if you're taking the width measurement at the level of the pindeck across the center of the back row of pin spots. Maybe one of the other BT members who knows the thickness of the plates will reply to confirm my info. Ted? Anyone?

[showdon]

i did add 3/16 for the fiber board on each side.its in the total width from kickback tokick back.

[Ted]

You can measure wood to wood right at the back of the tailplank, under the plate on each side.
The USBC gauge that sits on the lane and you push the 'feeler' out to the plate assumes a 3/16" thick plate, when, as pointed out above, would read wrong with an 1/8" thick phenolic plate. If the inspectors say they are out, I get a tape measure and check wood to wood where I mentioned. Most of the inspectors appreciate the education, especially when a fiber plate is delaminated and further skews their measurement.
If they are truely too narrow, they were probably beat that way with years of pin impact, AND there is no spacer between them on the ball return side. It is common for the outside kickbacks (lane 1 and the last lane) to be too wide as there is no flat gutter on the other side to help keep it in place. Only AMF kickbacks specified outside bracing to help them stay put, but this too often isn't enough to knock them out a bit.

[Stripperbolt]

Thanks, Ted, for the info. Even an old-timer like me can learn some "new tricks" from someone like you with more experience in certain areas. And this should help a lot of the guys with little experience in this area.

[showdon]

sry for delay on post reply...my main question was this the wrong time of the season to do this measurement..i was thinking about waitng till mid july to do this measurement.an see if wood exspansion was the problem from weather or humidty etc.need some to answer this question...if im wrong please let me know.

[showdon]

hey i guest weather does matter...every measurement is perfect now.wood kickbacks must shrink in the colder months. check june 5th every thing is good...wow im so happy i dont have to move them walls.