Essex Flat Racer identified

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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

Yet further proof that these machines were of original British manufacture and not US Watling. Photo showing the two size of bolts used throughout this early style mech I'm currently working on, 1/8" & 3/16" British Standard Whitworth threads.
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flat racer bolts.jpg
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treefrog
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by treefrog »

Showing my complete ignorance, what are those two die type items, are they for threading screws !PUZZLED!
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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

treefrog wrote: Showing my complete ignorance, what are those two die type items, are they for threading screws !PUZZLED!
How on earth have you worked on machines this long Tree without owning some of these?! Yes, these are dies to cut the outer thread of a bolt, while the matching tap cuts the inner thread for the nut.
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P_N_BSW_Tap___Di_4db56ef88a137.jpg
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badpenny
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by badpenny »

1/8" 40 Whitworth and 3/16" 24 Whitworth

I keep imperial and metric
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treefrog
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by treefrog »

Funnily I have had my finger on the buy button for some time as wanted one of these kits and have a few jobs needing tapping....I guess I have avoided up until now
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badpenny
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by badpenny »

If you didn't do this in metalwork at school.
The only advice I'd give is ......
You can assure you have identified the correct size and thread by checking either the tap or the die against the corresponding bolt or threaded 'ole you've already got.
Ensure you've got the cutting tool vertical or you'll go wonky as you cut down. Wonky bolts don't go into straight 'oles nor do wonky 'oles accept straight bolts.
Apply machine oil regularly to the cutter and every half turn rotate backwards until you hear or feel the swarf cut off. You're cutting a thread not making springs and swarf still attached will damage the thread above as soon as the cutters following foul the swarf with the thread you just cut.

Others may have different views/advice, good luck and enjoy.
It's very satisfying ..... errr ... well .... I think so. !!HIDING!!
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by jailtime10 »

You may have forgotten that "old mate roger" as referenced by GAMESWAT 6/22/17, was banished to SIBERIA by 3 misinformed CLUB MEMBERS........I suggest they read ROGER'S post on 4/7/12 (Discoveries) so as to get their noses back from "out of joint".
In retribution, ROGER, surely, will be laughing , as GAMESWAT tries to get his "Rube Goldberg" prototype RACER into working order....As far as I know, there are only 4 known REAL PRODUCTION MODELS" of the RACER..."Watling" Yours truly, Mr. Putin
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by pennymachines »

Hi and welcome back Roger,
Thanks for taking time out to post. We didn't convince you - fair enough. I don't think our noses are out of joint. It was a long time ago after all and I think we convinced ourselves at least. Not that I have any particular dog in this race. It's just interesting to deduce as much as we can about the origins of our machines. I hope your nose isn't out of joint and please don't feel banished.
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by jailtime10 »

Hi Mr. P..........Don't ever put yourself in a class with the 3 misinformed CLUB MEMBERS....You were smart enough to recognize that all of my posts were designed to instigate a lively discussion on the DOG RACE....There is no question that my machine had its origin in the U.K................I did ruffle a few feathers among the experts in the coin-op world.........however these "gentlemen" should have realized the "PUT ON" after reading my post on 4/7/12 regards, MR. PUTIN
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by jailtime10 »

ESSEX AUTO MANUFACTURING CO. LTD..............In a more serious mode...has anyone ever researched the history of this company to see how an auto company evolved into making WATLING(see note **) slot machines.
*** NOW THIS IS WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A "PUT-ON"
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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

PM, I wonder if you can please post any photos you have showing the complete cabinets of the two Motorcycle machines you restored? I'm trying to figure out the correct instruction card holder and marquee for the game I'm restoring. There are marks and two holes on the left door side of this one showing it once held a rectangular frame vertically, and when I fitted an Essex Corn Exchange frame casting it fit perfectly. Bit I'd be interested to see what the later games had, possibly the streamlined version as on the Greyhound? And did either of those have the original instruction card because sadly it's too small to read on the Racing Investor photo you posted earlier? Cheers.
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essex frame fitted.jpg
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by pennymachines »

Hi Rory,
Responding to your PM reminder - unfortunately I don't think I took a picture of the one I restored and returned, but it was identical to the one I kept. Both were identical to Roger's in the very first post of this thread, except they had bikes, and large round crank handles (of thermoset resin?). Both lacked original paperwork, including totalizators I'm afraid. It's frustrating, isn't it? As the frame is mounted sideways on your machine, the text would have to be configured differently anyway.
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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

Thanks PM. But at least an instruction card in any shape would have yielded the original wording. Maybe the owner of the apparently complete Racing Investor version will come to light one day? Other than that I do still have one last iron in the fire that might just pay dividends regarding these games........ :!?!:
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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

As a prototype this machine turned out to be a hell of a lot of work to get right - over 140 hrs! Overly complicated due to the fact it hadn't worked very well from new!! Knowing the high quality of other Essex machines I'm certain this was only supposed to be a proof of concept and design test, and never ever meant to be operated. Well, other than possibly very short location testing to see if players liked it. My theory as to why this machine survived and was actually well used is this: The Essex company closed in 1931 and an advertisement in 1930 stated "machines to clear", so it probably escaped then into the hands of an operator. The company was revived in 1935 but possibly only in name.

Due to almost no surviving information on this mech or cabinet I had to fill in most of the blanks as best I could. I based the missing marquee on other Essex machines, the Corn Exchange and Stock Exchange, both having used the earlier Clown design. As for the name and lettering I stole that from the only other Horse Race version known. Though I later decided this probably wasn't quite right as I think the Investor name related to the fact the other machine is a Future Pay, as all the others are too I think. While this prototype pays at the end of the race. Anyway I'm happy to redo the marquee if any new information comes to light.
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corn exchange patent cab.jpg
essex RacingInvestor.jpg
essex horse.jpg
essex horse 1.jpg
essex horse 2.jpg
essex horse marquee.jpg
essex horse racer mech.jpg
stock exchange ad.jpg
Last edited by gameswat on Tue Jul 17, 2018 1:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by bryans fan »

!!GOODJOB!! CoNgRaTs
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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

jailtime10 wrote: Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:50 pm ESSEX AUTO MANUFACTURING CO. LTD..............In a more serious mode...has anyone ever researched the history of this company to see how an auto company evolved into making WATLING(see note **) slot machines.
Jailtime alias Roger, nothing to do with automobiles, the Auto would mostly likely be a shortening of Automatics, which was a very common term for coin-op machines at the time and used in many company names.

Update:
I just enlarged the above Stock Exchange advert photo and the decal on the marquee clearly says "E. A. M. C. - Automatic". So no s.
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treefrog
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by treefrog »

Very nice GW, would have that in my collection anytime ;-)

Did the lower cash door get changed in its travels as it looks different to the picture with the carved horse marquee
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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

Cheers Tree. When the game went to auction in 1975 (photo below) the door was already lost so someone added that (rather poorly and using a drawer handle upside down) in the intervening years. The standard Essex cup as copied from Watling would not have fitted such a thin door, so without any photos to work from and based on the pieced together and recycled nature of the rest of the machine I opted for what I guess they'd have used, an Allwin cup.
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HorseRacer (1).jpg
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john t peterson
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by john t peterson »

Outstanding work, Gameswat. You are still the master.

J Peterson
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gameswat
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Re: Essex Flat Racer identified

Post by gameswat »

Thanks JP, but the more I look at the cashbox door the less I like it. I'd toyed with the idea of making a three piece door that would match up with the structure of the upper door that I thought might look more original. But that got quickly left behind when the mechanism restoration moved well past the 100 hr mark with no sign of stopping anytime soon! Working for other people can get frustrating when things don't go as quickly or easily as they (or I) imagined. My friend totally believed the auction blurb that this only needed minor adjustment and lubrication!! :oops:
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