The Blue Death...

     Fear not! This project is not dead, progress is moving forward as always!

    Rather, a different kind of death has reared its ugly head... A form of death known throughout the pinball world. A being spoken of with expletives and curses! Of course, I'm talking about the infamous Stern "Blue Nub of Death" (BNOD)!

Stern BNOD (picture from Pinball Life)

    Known for killing any sort of ball momentum, these little bits of rubber have made a name for themselves among pinball enthusiasts. Which begs the question: "Why are you putting these things on Space Cadet?" The answer to that is space constraints, particularly with the ramp leading to the upper playfield.

Ramp entrance, with arrows indicating BNOD placement

    This ramp provides access to the upper playfield, but also requires a large amount of space on the main playfield to make it accessible. With the placement of this ramp, and the shots to either side of it, more common edge protection options (rubber posts, or curved metal guides) aren't viable, as they would further restrict the ramp entrance, the shots to either side, or both! By utilizing the BNOD, the amount of restriction is kept to a minimum.

    And as always, if you'd like to contribute to "Mission: Space Cadet" to help things move along, check out the following links:

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/terpohgaming
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwoPkU6CG4_jAk7NmeQI7pA