# Creating the Playfield | Episode 1 **Source:** Jersey Jack Pinball **Type:** video **Published:** 2017-01-28 **Duration:** 3m 12s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUxk2VVyS_U --- ## Analysis Butch Peel from Jersey Jack Pinball provides a detailed walkthrough of the playfield manufacturing process, from nine-ply hardwood plywood through CNC routing, insert installation, artwork application, and protective clear coating. The video emphasizes precision manufacturing, RGB LED integration for dynamic insert coloring, and the playfield as the foundational element of a quality pinball machine. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Jersey Jack Pinball starts with nine-ply hardwood plywood for all playfields — _Butch Peel, Jersey Jack Pinball, opening of manufacturing explanation_ - [HIGH] Playfields go through CNC routing twice—once on the front surface and once on the back — _Butch Peel describing the manufacturing sequence_ - [HIGH] Jersey Jack uses clear plastic inserts with RGB LEDs behind them to enable dynamic color changes during gameplay — _Butch Peel explaining insert functionality and LED integration_ - [HIGH] Magnets require routing on the back of the playfield to reduce wood thickness between magnet and ball for better activation — _Butch Peel discussing backside routing rationale_ - [HIGH] Artwork is applied via a large-format printing process similar to a home color printer — _Butch Peel describing artwork application method_ - [HIGH] Two to four coats of protective clear coat are applied after artwork — _Butch Peel outlining final protective coating steps_ ### Notable Quotes > "So we put this in a very fancy CNC routing machine, goes in, cuts all the holes, makes everything nice and smooth, and then puts in the spotting dimples here for everything that's going to attach to the top surface of the playfield." > — **Butch Peel** > _Explains the precision and multi-step nature of CNC routing for front playfield surface_ > "Magnets work a lot better when there's not as much wood between them and the ball when they activate so they have to be routed out." > — **Butch Peel** > _Justifies the engineering choice to route playfield back for magnet effectiveness_ > "Jersey Jack Pinball, we use RGB LEDs behind these. So now with these clear inserts, if we change the color of the light behind them, we can make those inserts any color we want them to be during gameplay and provide really good visual cues to the player as he goes along." > — **Butch Peel** > _Highlights JJP's insert and LED strategy for dynamic visual player guidance_ > "You have a great playfield, you've got a really good start towards a great game and these are absolutely beautiful." > — **Butch Peel** > _Emphasizes the playfield as foundational to overall game quality_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Butch Peel | person | Jersey Jack Pinball representative; primary speaker explaining playfield manufacturing process | | Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer; subject of manufacturing process video | | Wizard of Oz | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title used as example of playfield manufacturing; unpopulated blank playfield shown | | The Hobbit | game | Jersey Jack Pinball title used as example; Standard Edition shown with pop-ups highlighted | ### Topics - **Primary:** Playfield manufacturing process, CNC routing and precision manufacturing, RGB LED insert technology - **Secondary:** Materials and material science (nine-ply plywood), Artwork application and protective coating ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Butch Peel presents the manufacturing process with pride and enthusiasm; emphasizes quality at each step and positions the playfield as the heart of the machine. Tone is educational and confident in JJP's capabilities. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Jersey Jack Pinball producing educational manufacturing content demonstrates commitment to transparency and player education about product quality and construction methods (confidence: high) — Full-length video walkthrough of playfield manufacturing process with physical examples, released publicly - **[product_concern]** Emphasis on precision manufacturing steps, magnet routing optimization, and multi-coat protective finishes suggests JJP is addressing manufacturing quality and durability as core value proposition (confidence: high) — Detailed discussion of CNC precision, magnet effectiveness engineering, and protective clear coat application - **[technology_signal]** Jersey Jack Pinball uses RGB LED inserts with dynamic color-changing capability during gameplay for player guidance, representing a modern approach to insert illumination versus traditional single-color inserts (confidence: high) — Butch Peel explicitly describes RGB LED integration behind clear plastic inserts and the ability to change colors dynamically during gameplay --- ## Transcript Hi, Butch Bill here from Jersey Jack Pinball. I just wanted to take a few minutes today to talk about playfields with you. How does Jersey Jack Pinball make our plate fields? So being at the factory up here we just happen to have a couple of them handy for you here. That's the Wizard of Oz unpopulated blank plate fields and the Hobbit. So how do we make a play field? I'm glad you asked. The first thing we do, we start with a nine-ply piece of plywood, hardwood plywood. They put on a special machine that moves around and cuts and drills all the right holes, all these odd-shaped pieces that are made here, the indentations are routed out, the shooter lane groove here where the ball comes out when you first launch it, all these strange shapes like the house in The Wizard of Oz and the pop-ups here in The Hobbit. All these shapes have to be made, and they have to be in the exact right spot and the exact same spot on every playfield over and over again. So we put this in a very fancy CNC routing machine, goes in, cuts all the holes, makes everything nice and smooth, and then puts in the spotting dimples here for everything that's going to attach to the top surface of the playfield. Then we flip these guys over, run them through that same machine again, and now we're going to be cutting on the backside of the playfield. And a lot of these have to be, the holes have to be cut out here here for our general illumination bulbs that go up through in these places, T-nuts, things that attach here magnets Magnets work a lot better when there not as much wood between them and the ball when they activate so they have to be routed out And then we put all the spotting holes and everything for items that are going to be attached to the back of the playfield now. So that's what all these little dimples are here for, is something will be attached there. So then we put them back on the playfield surface again, we go back over again, and we add the inserts. And these are clear plastic pieces that fit into some of the holes here. Why are they clear, you might ask? Well, Jersey Jack Pinball, we use RGB LEDs behind these. So now with these clear inserts, if we change the color of the light behind them, we can make those inserts any color we want them to be during gameplay and provide really good visual cues to the player as he goes along. Once those are all in, we sand the entire play field very, very smooth. We apply the artwork. It's just like running a piece of paper through your color printer at home, except for it's a big board. It runs through, puts all the artwork on top of it. Then we're going to apply two or three, four coats of protective clear coat to the top and that's to make it super hard and really smooth. So we're going to polish and buff that and make it really nice and smooth and you're going to get this beautiful shine to it. So these are then boxed up after that and sent to the factory where the people back in the back there can start adding items to them top and bottom because this really is the heart of our pinball machines. You have a great play field, you've got a really good start towards a great game and These are absolutely beautiful. I think you'll agree. _(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: c0ee92fb-131b-4d0d-982e-7ac683e99d2a*