Exploring a vintage UK arcade roulette machine mech

I remember those arcade machines. But now that you called it "vintage" I feel really old :-(

That prox switch is bonkers. Must be there's a lot of slop in the position of the bearing in the pockets?

Be-Ankh-Ah

The machines are huge. I'd guess the rest of this one was scrapped due to the space it took up. That often happens to old arcade stuff when it's well and truly paid its way.

Big Clive

I'll probably lift the main wheel out to see what the bearing looks like. Not sure what sort of lubricant it might use if any.

Big Clive

What didn't you like about it?

Big Clive

Maybe AVE could make some Skookem parts for it.

Dave Frederick

Brilliant video ... and took me back to my summer job on Blackpool South Pier, where as a teenager I was employed to help keep arcade machines working... I remember working on a machine like this - it was a horrible thing to work on...

Rik Kershaw-Moore

Does the shaft need the lubrication replaced. I repair old sewing machines and it is surprising you sometimes need firelighter fuel to get rid of old oil. The motors on old Singers use a low melting point grease. I often remove the belt and warm the motor bearings with a hairdryer and run at full speed to get them running smoothly again. Reminisce at the fun and games with 2 stepper motors for an AGV back in the late 1980s. BEng final year project, for warehouse stacker truck using passive tuned LRC slugs drilled into the gangway floor, no need for an inductive wire track. Assembler code for a 6800 processor.

John Harrison

Would be good to see a schematic for that driver circuit, especially how you've used the Zener to clamp the voltage over the chip whilst using a higher voltage for the motor circuit.

Jon Knight

If the seller of the whole machine is i the UK invite them over for the weekend and put them up in a local hotel and they could bring the machine with the and drop it off to you, that should cover the cost of the machine.

Dr Andy Hill

You could use it as a poll decider in your streams - more predicable than us lot.

Ymir the Frost Giant

I still think it needs 2 b a 24 hour clock eventually Clive. The ball would b fixed @ top as the pointer over the “hour” then @ the hour disk will spin around a few times for effect & stop @ next hour. Could even take it’s time keeping as a slave dial to your electric regulator. Lit from behind would b a good prop in the streams.

Looks and sounds terrific. Just about getting my head around the circuitry. They were repairing a vintage Wall Roulette Machine on BBC's 'The Repair Shop' last week.

Andrew Donaldson