What bandit to restore?

Advice and guidance on repair and restoration techniques.
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brianh
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What bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

I'm relatively new to the restoration game having played the slots in the sixties then started dabbling in attempting to bring allwins back to life when I retired a year or so back.
I have so far resisted trying same with a bandit as they looked a bit complicated compared with basic allwins but time has come when I fancy having a go.
Question is ......what would anyone recommend as a good basic machine to look for as a starter and what pitfalls to avoid? I'm reasonably OK with working on the mechanical side of things but crap with electrics. !PUZZLED!
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treefrog
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Re: what bandit to restore?

Post by treefrog »

Most bandits work to the same principle and in fact you do not need to do a huge amount to them other than clean and service certain areas like the kicker, clean slides, clean the clock and lube pivots and wear points.

In terms of cases, any chrome machine will be a pain if it is in poor condition, but if reasonable, being biased, I would say an Aristocrat is a good start. Most mechanical machines the most in terms of electrics you need to worry about are lights, if they have them....

Suspect it is more down to availability, price point and preferences, looks.

Good luck
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badpenny
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Re: what bandit to restore?

Post by badpenny »

I agree with TF.
And .........
Avoid anything that relies on being plugged in to work.
Go for an Aristocrat Arcadian or Jubilee first.
Don't worry if it only spins slowly or has an intermittent problem, just so long as you get a complete cycle out of it now and again.
If it's an adventure for you, try and avoid buying something with missing bits it could put you off for life.

There will be project bandits at the forthcoming Coventry Auction Coundon Social Club. Come and play first and ask questions to your hearts content.

BP
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brianh
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Re: what bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

Many thanks TF and BP - very helpful as always.
Looks like a trip to the Coventry auction is a good bet (my wife sends me there frequently so I should be OK finding it :-( )
Maybe see you guys there.
Brian
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coppinpr
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Re: what bandit to restore?

Post by coppinpr »

The guys are right, of course. The only tip I'd add is, bandits look daunting but once you understand them all becomes clear (well almost all, well some of the time :lol:), and the best way to understand them is buy a complete one that is so dirty it barely works. Nothing teaches you about them better than part dismantling them for cleaning. It is easy to dismantle them in sections so as not to lose your way. They are, for the most part, put together in a logical way, and most parts of the dismantle are to be found in the tips section of the forum. The case? Well the worse it is the less concern you will have about changing it from the original.
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geordy55
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Re: what bandit to restore?

Post by geordy55 »

I've only got into Bandits in the past 6 months and started with a Jubilee to learn on (still restoring) but have also bought a Jennings Chief and two Segas. They are very simple mechanics and I agree with previous posts that as soon as you start taking them apart to clean, it becomes clear how they work. There's plenty of advice on this forum and videos on YouTube are very helpful.
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brianh
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

Thanks coppinpr and geordie55 - sounds similar to my first experiences with allwins where I was scared to unscrew or remove anything but soon learned that my camera was my best friend. So the one I'm working on now (Win a Kit-Kat!) was at one point in a hundred bits in my garage and it's amazing how soon you forget where that vital piece came from or have a bit left over !PUZZLED! . Long as you don't delete the pics it'll be fine! Must finish it soon as I'm in need of a Kit-Kat :lol:

Presume same principle applies to bandits - to not be afraid to dismantle just so long as you take copious photos as you go and it sounds good sense, coppinpr, to get a really mucky one to start with. And the bonus with that is the pleasure you get just with the results of the cleaning process.
Thanks for your advice and I will look forward to my first attempt knowing this forum always has answers if I get stuck (as I'm sure I will). !!THUMBSX2!!
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brianh
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

Oops, sorry geordy55, got your name wrong. Apols! :oops:
widget2k4
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by widget2k4 »

There is a good book (pictorial guide) for step by step strip-down. That's how I learnt and now can fully disassemble one, clean it, and rebuild it almost with my eyes shut. Well worth buying. !THUMBS!
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by coppinpr »

Your camera is indeed your best friend. I use my phone camera now, it's quicker to refer to. :lol:

As Widget says, a manual is pretty much essential. Problem is they cost a fortune in the UK. In my view the best is the Owner's Pictorial Guide (Mills slot machines). A quick search on Amazon will show you that the cheapest in the UK is £125. By far your best bet would be to buy from Amazon USA where it's $51. They might post direct to you but most US firms think the UK is on Mars and that we don't have postmen so they won't do it. Best bet is to get it posted to someone in the USA who will forward it to you at min postage (I can help with this if you need it).
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by widget2k4 »

Bloody hell 125 quid!
Time I sold mine then. lol
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brianh
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

Thanks again for your advice (and your offer of help coppinpr) - seems a bit like spending all your dosh on a good wallet then having no money left to put in it! :#: But looking at my "vintage slot machines buyers price guide" which has some very basic info on how they work, it seems a manual is indeed essential if I'm not going to write off a good machine through ignorance (which I am blessed with plenty of) :smash:
I notice there are several pictorial guides for different makes, e.g. Jennings, Pace, etc. though Mills seeming to be most common bandit. Sorry if it's a daft question but are the different makes much the same inside so that if I got a Mills guide, for example, it would give me enough info for most common bandits?
Either way I think I will start at the beginning and get myself a bandit to work on, possibly at Coventry auction, so I know what I'm looking at, then get a suitable manual before I cause too much damage. !READ!
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coppinpr
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by coppinpr »

They are much the same, but most are based on the Mills.
At the right price, and bearing in mind the case......"needs some TLC" this might suit you:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152737759361?rmvSB=true

All Aristo's are pretty much indestructible, this one could easy live again.
brianh wrote:I will start at the beginning and get myself a bandit to work on, possibly at Coventry auction, so I know what I'm looking at, then get a suitable manual
Yeah, right you're going to buy a machine, open it up, then not touch it till the manual arrives... I can see that happening. :lol:

widget2k4 wrote:Bloody hell 125 quid
Time I sold mine then lol
Actually, I don't think I'd part with mine for £125 and I suspect neither would you Widge. :lol:
Last edited by coppinpr on Wed Oct 11, 2017 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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badpenny
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by badpenny »

Keith ....... If your eyes are shut, how did you read the book? !PUZZLED!
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by widget2k4 »

Haha, I read the book first then never needed to look back at it again.
And yes I would certainly sell mine. lol
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brianh
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

Yeah, right you're going to buy a machine, open it up, then not touch it till the manual arrives... I can see that happening. :lol:
Who said I wasn't going to touch it! 'fraid I tend to use manuals to find out where I went wrong, bit like getting a map out after I get lost which is why it took me 3 hours to get to Elephant House last time and got lost coming home :!?!:

Seriously though, take your point coppinpr! !!THUMBSX2!!
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coppinpr
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by coppinpr »

I read the book first then never needed to look back at it again
Yes I did that but only because I couldn't remember where I'd put it let alone what was in it.

But now, no problem, next time I need to adjust the main operating fork assembly you can remind me. :lol:
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brianh
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

Still not got my first Bandit (7 allwins later!) but have a chance of a Sega Mad Money locally. Looks to be in good working condition, only problem being it doesn't have the top box which seems to be a common attachment on the Mad Money ones. Holes are there to fit the box but they are blanked off.

Question is - are they fairly straightforward for a first bandit? I can live without the top box (though I did, in the 1960s, buy many copies of "Mad" mag !) and could maybe try to source one separately.
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treefrog
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by treefrog »

Yes good machine to have and reliable

Top boxes come up occasionally. There were three at the recent spares sale. I have sold a few on eBay and may do so again as have about 5 or 6 original shells and artwork.....moderators, not selling one though on here, I tend to stick on eBay or someone else may sell one. Not needed, just for looks
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brianh
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Re: What bandit to restore?

Post by brianh »

Thanks for advice treefrog, and will keep an eye on eBay for top box if I get it, and post a wanted ad on forum in case anyone has a spare one they are selling.
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