# We Upgraded our Alien Pinball Machine w/ a 3D Printed Xenomorph -- and So Can You! **Source:** Wild Dog Arcade **Type:** video **Published:** 2026-07-16 **Duration:** 7m 46s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQpTCqvZWtg --- ## Analysis Wild Dog Arcade demonstrates how to install a custom 3D-printed Xenomorph model on an Alien pinball machine. The creator provides detailed instructions on scaling and mounting the model, removing original hardware, painting the piece, and installing it with M4 standoffs and screws. The mod fills an otherwise blank playfield area and is presented as an accessible DIY project for Alien pinball owners with 3D printer access. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] The Xenomorph model fills a blank area on the Alien pinball machine playfield — _Host directly shows and describes the installation location on their Alien machine_ - [HIGH] The mod uses M4 hex standoffs (12mm) and M4 screws (14mm) for mounting — _Host explicitly lists hardware specifications during the installation walkthrough_ - [HIGH] The 3D model has been scaled and modified with custom mounts by the creator — _Host states they used SolidWorks and Blender to add mounts to an existing online model_ - [HIGH] The model file will be made available for download to viewers — _Host explicitly states: 'I'm going to make this model available to you to download'_ - [HIGH] The installation requires only four tools: two 7mm sockets, a Phillips screwdriver, and a T25 Torx driver — _Host lists tools needed during instruction segment_ ### Notable Quotes > "I was looking through some online forums and repositories for 3D models looking for some stuff to print for my game here... I ended up scaling it because the model was smaller so I needed to scale it to fit this area." > — **Wild Dog Arcade host**, ~0:30-1:00 > _Explains the origin of the mod and the design iteration process_ > "I took the effort to grab the model, scale it to fit the game and added some mounts to it. So that way it's a pretty easy bolt on." > — **Wild Dog Arcade host**, ~1:30 > _Describes the value-add of making the mod user-friendly for other owners_ > "It's a really easy install. It takes very little tools, very little time. The hardest part is printing it, painting it, and doing all the work to it." > — **Wild Dog Arcade host**, ~6:45 > _Summarizes the accessibility and effort profile of the mod_ > "If you've got an Alien Pinball machine and a 3D printer or access to one, do this mod." > — **Wild Dog Arcade host**, ~7:15 > _Direct call-to-action recommending the mod to the target audience_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Wild Dog Arcade | organization | YouTube content creator and arcade operator; produces pinball machine modification and gameplay content; hosts live pinball streams on Wednesday and Sunday nights | | Alien | game | Classic pinball machine by Williams/Bally featuring the Alien film theme; subject of this DIY modification video | | Xenomorph | product | Custom 3D-printed toy/decoration modeled after the Alien creature, designed to fit on the Alien pinball machine playfield | ### Signals - **[design_innovation]** Custom 3D-printed and painted Xenomorph model designed to enhance the Alien pinball machine's playfield aesthetics, filling an otherwise blank area with thematic decoration (confidence: high) — Host designed mounts in SolidWorks and Blender, scaled online model to fit, painted with highlight technique, and installed with custom hardware - **[restoration_signal]** Detailed DIY installation guide demonstrates a low-barrier aesthetic enhancement mod accessible to home collectors and machine operators with 3D printer access (confidence: high) — Video provides step-by-step instructions with specific tools, hardware specifications, painting techniques, and offers the 3D model file for free download - **[community_signal]** Content creator sharing custom mod designs and detailed installation guides with the broader pinball community, lowering barriers to machine personalization and encouraging DIY modifications (confidence: high) — Host explicitly offers to distribute the scaled/mounted 3D model to viewers and provides comprehensive installation walkthrough - **[technology_signal]** Growing use of 3D printing and CAD tools (SolidWorks, Blender) within the pinball community for machine customization and aesthetic enhancement (confidence: medium) — Host uses modern digital design tools to modify community-sourced 3D models for pinball-specific applications --- ## Transcript Are you a big fan of the movie Alien? Do you own an Alien Pinball Machine or know someone that does? If you do and have access to a 3D printer, you can make your own mod to this game. So today I'm going to walk you through how to install this Xenomorph model in your Alien Pinball Machine. I was looking through some online forums and repositories for 3D models looking for some stuff to print for my game here. I was looking at this area particularly there is a pretty fairly blank area here which is some plastics. I happened to see this model that was kind of in the right format so I downloaded it looked at it and I ended up scaling it because the model was smaller so I needed to scale it to fit this area. But I also needed to make some mounting. So I actually modeled in using some SolidWorks and some Blender. I actually added mounts to this model in two spots that will tie into original screws in this game and will bolt on. It's a really easy install, so follow along. Okay, I'm going to make this model available to you to download. So if you've got a 3D printer in one of these games, you can do this yourself. I took the effort to grab the model, scale it to fit the game and added some mounts to it. So that way it's a pretty easy bolt on. You're also going to need to get some hardware. You're going to need some hex standoffs M4 by 12 and then you're going to need some screws M4 by 14 millimeter. And I've got this little hardware kit. I will put links to these. These are just from Amazon. And it basically makes a really, really easy install. So let's get started. Okay, so this install is actually going to be pretty basic. The model actually has little bosses put in here so it will mount directly into this area. Fits under the glass looks really nice There are two pieces of hardware you going to have to remove You got a Torx screw here and a nut So basically the tools you need is you need two sockets 7mm 5 you going to need a Phillips screwdriver and a T25 Torx driver Those are the four tools you going to need to use to put this in Okay, let's remove the hardware. The original hardware you're going to be focusing on is this front torque screw and the second hex nut. Those are the ones you're going to remove. You basically take them out, keep them in your coin box. You are not going to be reusing them unless you want to take the mod off. Screw and washer. Okay, that's it. Now we're ready to actually put the Zeno on the game. All right, painting this one's going to be pretty simple. I've cleaned up the print, pulled off all the supports and stuff like that. I'm not going to do a lot of sanding because it's going to get heavy clear coat. And also then I'm going to highlight it with some silver, some inexpensive basic acrylic silver. I'm going to do this using what I call the paper towel technique. So I'm just going to dispense some of the silver into here. I'll fold up a paper towel, pat it into the paper towel here. And I'm literally going to just kind of gloss some of this. So mostly just highlight this, just kind of just brush it on in some spots. Just kind of to give it some contrast. Hey, if you like Pimball, then you will love our home crew project, Anthropia. Check it out, hear the details. Thank you Music But yeah, so there you go. That's going to be a little bit more highlights and I'm going to clear coat this whole object here. I'm just trying to make sure that things are just standing out and popping. So this will stand right in the game, kind of as is after a clear coat. I'm going to use a really high gloss on this to try to really make it look shiny and kind of, you know, kind of wet. Yeah, there you go. Kind of how the highlighting works. Since I get a dark base, just use some silver and some damp paper towel. And you should be able to wipe it on really nicely. And this will look really nice when it's clicker. I've done another one of these in a smaller format and I know it looks really good. So, alright, here we're outside, just put it on a cardboard box. I'm just going to use, I have this lying around, so just rust-oilum acrylic enamel, gloss. So we'll do that, do a kind of reasonable coat. I'm doing a pretty heavy coat because I don't care about actually runs on this because this object is so strangely shaped. Any runs aren't even going to show. Plus it's going to be in a pinball machine under glass. So I'm just going to do one heavy coat for this. Okay we let that dry and it ready to put in the machine You notice when you have the screw and the nut off of there you got threads here and you got a stud sticking out here So grab one of the little M4 hex posts that you got We going to screw that on to this stud Screw it all the way down and then snug it up So now we can move on to putting the Xeno on The Xeno will go on with a couple of screws and washers Alright, let's move on to putting the Xeno on. So there are some threads here and then when you've got the hex you've got some threads. So drop one of the M4 screws into the front mount and get started on screwing that in. Second one is you're going to want to move to the back. Put that screw in the boss. I've tried to position the boss so you can actually get the screw in there. And so that will screw right into the hex post. So tighten them down. And snug them up. Don't go too tight. It's plastic. You'll just crush it. Voila. There we go! It's a pretty easy install. It takes very little tools, very little time. The hardest part is printing it, painting it, and doing all the work to it. But yeah, it sits right here, kind of on a spot that just was kind of blank looking in the game. So this adds some more xenomorphs to your game. So if you're really a big alien fan, this is worth doing. Here you can see it with the game lighting. It's actually really cool. Basically hides right in a kind of a bare spot in there. Looks really good in the game with the game lighting. So enjoy. I only need to know one thing. All right, that's the install. It's pretty easy to do. If you've got an Alien Pinball machine and a 3D printer or access to one, do this mod. Thanks for watching this video. Hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please give us a thumbs up. Also subscribe and click that notification bell. That way you know when we've got new videos coming up and when we go live playing pinball, which we do Wednesday nights and Sunday nights. Hope to see you there. Where they are. _(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v5)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: 1c11591d-9ad1-4945-88cb-c49c910da7f4*