Free Steeple Chase

[scottie]

All I have to do is make a wooden shipping box, ship the empty box to this guy and pay for him to ship it back to me and I get a "free" STEEPLE CHASE...
It's only missing the bottom row of cups, so if anyone has a extra set please let me know,
Scottie.

[gameswat]

Damn - that's a hell of a nice score there! And at least for the well being of the rest of us you do have to get your hands slightly grubby on this one. I have to spend quite a lot of cash to buy my machines and ship them to Aust, and usually they're full basket cases!! I've been given a number of free pieces (most often saving the owners a trip to the dump) over the years but none were anywhere near as clean original as this. How did it fall into your lap Scottie?

[treefrog]

Nice one. Yet to get a lucky break like this, I always seem one step behind. A couple of months ago when collecting a clocking-in machine from an auction I had bought in London, talking to the auctioneer, I mentioned I was interested in slots. He said he had a machine that they knew nothing about and asked me if I would take a look... It was a Clown catcher in reasonable condition, with no glass. The owner was doing a clearance and about to dump on a skip, but took it in to see if it would make a few quid with a few bits of other junk. The auctioneers were going to put a £50-70 estimate on it and did not know the name or anything... Mmmmm, I am too honest and told them the value and name for them to list... They were shocked this could be worth over £500 and slightly increased the estimate to attract buyers... It went, of course, way over estimate...

What I want to do is meet the man with the skip....

[terry]

Scottie, what a result! I've got several ball galleries in the spares box but not the chromed surround. If you let me know the measurements when you get it, I'll have a look to see if I have a suitable part.

[scottie]

Well, the wooden shipping box was made on Thursday night and Friday morning I shipped it out.
70 dollars so far lol....
He should get it in a week or so and then he's going to email me back with the cost of shipping it back to me (when I send him the money), so I'm sure it will be a few weeks 'till I see the machine.

Hey Gameswat... this guy just posted it on a website, and I do check it once in a while and I guess I was the first one to say I'll take it!!!!!! This doesn't happen very often.

Hi Terry, thanks for the offer, like I mention, it will be a few weeks, so I'll let you know... Do you have any coin chutes for Oliver Whales machines? I need top and middle ones for the old large penny for another machine I have.
Scottie.

[scottie]

Funny how a few days can feel soooo long.
The guy in Mississippi finally shipped out my "free" Steeple Chase on Friday after having to wait till after Christmas... so I might be getting it this coming weekend
Scottie.

[scottie]

Well it's finally here, well sort of ... I'm driving down and picking up the STEEPLE CHASE tomorrow morning (Saturday Jan 7th).
Should be interesting telling the customs that I paid NOTHING for it ...as far as I know, there is no tax or duty charge on "nothing" ha ha ha
I'll keep you posted.
Scottie.

[bandito]

Hey Scottie, what about the £25 tax for wasting their time...........

[scottie]

I got a STEEPLE CHASE, ... I got a STEEPLE CHASE.
Wow it's a lot wider that the "standard" size allwin.
Interesting the way the ball returns after you turn the knob to get paid and you get another chance to get more money ...cool...
Hey bandito... I had to go inside at customs even after I told then I got it for free. I think that's what the problem was, they were not sure how much tax there is on "FREE" ...they kept asking what it was worth...
I told them it was for parts... and ....well...ahhh....$10.00 .....
Oh OK ...have a nice day....
I do have my work cut out for me on this one. The cabinet is... how do I say? falling apart... but fixable (maybe have a new one made... maybe) and I'll need the lower row of cups. If you're listening Terry, did you find any???
the glass also broke on the way ,but thats a easy fix....
well thats it for now
cheers
scottie

[JC]

Not bad for a freebie, Scottie - good luck with the restoration. So what's wrong with the case? It looks OK in the picture (although it is of course difficult to judge just from a picture). However, whatever you do, don't make a new one - if needs be, re-build the old case. That's beautiful English oak you have there, and you won't be able to replicate it.

P.S. I still haven't had any luck with the coin chutes - I'll let you know if anything turns up.

[scottie]

Hi JC,
The side of the case is cracked in half, so I was thinking maybe I could glue it back together. I was just checking the original picture and then went down stairs to check the case. Maybe it FELL OFF THE TRUCK, or they were playing basketball with it... The glass got broken (pieces in the bottom of the crate) and the left side is split wide open (hard to tell if there was a crack on the left side by the picture...)
On the good side, the backflash is perfect and the balls there too
Remind me (sorry old age) about the coin chute... were these for me ????
Scottie.

[JC]

remind me (sorry old age) about the coin chute...were these for me ????

Yes, you wanted three for your Whales allwins. I didn't think they'd be so difficult to find - but I'll still keep my eyes and ears open.

Jerry

[scottie]

HI TERRY
The cups I need for the STEEPLE CHASE are 7 cups wide.. the first, 3rd, 5th and 7th don't have a "cup" in place, letting the ball drop through, therefore the 2nd, 4th and 6th do have cups in place.
The hole for the cups to fit into is 3 1/2 inches wide or just about 9 mm long. It's 3/4 of an inch high or 2 mm.
Hope that sounds right,
Scottie.

[scottie]

Well, after stripping, glueing, sanding, cleaning, painting and staining... the Steeplechase is just about finished.
Still need to finish making and installing the bottom row of cups and making a new bottom cash door and get a new piece of glass... Not bad for free, if I do say so myself.

[treefrog]

Scottie, I cannot login to the market as you still have a request or a wonders gallery. I have a spare one and if still needed can post a picture when I get to my stores....

[scottie]

Hi treefrog
I just saw your last post, I'm so sorry I took so long... blame it on old age, dail up at home that doesn't work any more... or too many projects on the go all at the same time.

If you still have the row of cups for the Steeplechase please let me know.

Thank you
Scottie

[treefrog]

Finally dug out, not the straight top type but fancy top. May be bale to move the top cover on yours to the bottom and use this at the top or slice the top.

Not in bad nick a few marks here and there, let me now

[badpenny]

Wowsers, it reminds me of a knuckle duster for someone from the Lincolnshire Wolds.