Topic: Tornado table changes

[rradjabi]

I am curious if people know when the last time the Tornado tables were changed, and what was that change? How long has Tornado's tables resembled the tables that they are, currently?

[grandmaster]

The change to 13 player flat playfield tables was the last major design change. When I asked Ed Mcloud about it he said the change was in response to operator complaints about the corner ramps breaking frequently on the old design. The "new" Tornado modern design table with split bearings mounted on the inside of the sidewalls and the player figure with  the assymetrical foot is fundamentally the same as when it first came out in the very early 1980's. Minor updates to the bearings, men and fastener have occured in the interim. The ball changed to the modern urethane ball we still use now in the later part of the 1980's. The octagonal handle is the same size and plays the same. The legs are now made of plastic recycled containers and are much improved. The leg levelers used to be aluminum and are now plastic. The big change was when they went to the 13 man flat table. This became the new standard American Style table.

[marty]

now theres a rumor that the next change is going to be back to a single goalie and no serving hole, for more european play read it on another board
i think thay said out in 08 but like i said its a rumor

[EDGEER]

Hello all.

McCloud changed the table mostly for ecomonic reasons.  I designed and built the first table with a High Presure Laminate playing surface and 3-man goalie in 1979.  I wasn't interested in marketing the table, so I gave my designs to McCloud a year or so later, and showed him how to construct the cabinet.   Eliminating the ramps and using High Presure Laminate instead of the Tempered Textured glass playing surface, cut the cost of manufacturing the table by 20%.  It also made it more durable and lowered operating cost as noted above. 

Ed Geer

[Gstillwellar]

Ed,
How do you propose to convert the Tornado back to a 1-man goalie without making everyone buy a new table.

[EDGEER]

If it were left up to me, I wouldn't change. The game is so much easier to learn with the 3-man goalie.  I would definitely not change home models or commercial coin-ops.  If I did it at all it would be to appease old farts like you, and Farid and his Euro minions. 

However, if it had to be done, I would have pvc vacuum formed plastic inserts, even a injection mold soft vinyl plastic part may work.  If I recall, and you can do the measuring yourself the triangles are not 45% and would require lefts and rights if you wanted to do it correctly.  I guess you could make them on 45%'s and make them interchangeable.  That would make the most since.  The cost wouldn't be prohibitive as long and the cabinet dimensions and construction isn't changed.