Hi all bought my first bandit

[rich118]

Hi all,
I have been reading the forum for some time and finally decided to join. I've just bought my first one arm bandit, a Sega Bonanza Star (I really like Sega machines - I like the way they look and the fact it's Sega makes me think of all the time I wasted on the Megadrive). The jackpot works, as do all the payouts. The only problems I can see at the moment is the mech doesn't always stop before the arm moves from the pay slides. It works fine with help. I plan to strip clean and lube. The escalator is the wrong one, well, I think it is - doesn't line up with the window. This doesn't really bother me, but if I see one cheap, I might replace, and all the lights are blown or starters gone - I'll investigate this soon. Overall, I'm very happy and already enjoying my machine. Seems like a fun project and I'm sure I'll be picking your brains soon.
Rich

[badpenny]

Welcome on board, help yourself to a biscuit.
Congrats on your new baby.

Post photos, we love photos and can often offer suggestions from what we see.

Apart from being the same company that made The Megadrive, Sega also designed the engines for the Space Shuttle.

BP ......... I might have got carried away with that last bit.

[coppinpr]

Hi and welcome,
I like Sega machines as well, something about that classic bulky shape. Sounds like it has a Shefras escalator fitted either because of the coin it's using (what coin is it on?) or because of the poor reliability of the original. Well worth replacing with the correct escalator if you can. I've always found the lights to be restoreable. Don't buy the tubes in a DIY store at £3 each, you can get them online for £8 for 10! What color is it and what color are you going to spray it? Photos please, we get withdrawal symptoms if we don't get photos

Sega did not, of course, make the engines for the shuttle; they were made by Russel Hobbs, steam powered of course. They did use Sega Continentals as ballast on the Titanic which is the real reason it sank. No man-made item (or indeed man) can stand the weight of a Sega Continental.

[rich118]

Hi,
Thanks for the welcome. I've never seen any Sega Continental in the flesh but, by the images I've seen, they look pretty huge.
My machine is on Sixpence play, so hopefully it hasn't been too hacked about. Thanks for the tip about the tubes. From what I can see looking quickly, there seem to only be two sizes I'm not too sure what colour I will go for - possibly the same, or a blue and white maybe.
Some pics below.

[coppinpr]

I think the bar is a manual payout lock, could be wrong
The original blues would be nice but don't go too light on the blue. For my money, light blue always turns out naff.

Here's my last B/star.

bonaza.jpg (36.79 KiB) Viewed 3955 times

[treefrog]

The proper escalator has two horizontal coin detector bars, the Shefras only has a single bar. A lot of proper escalators have the second top bar removed as well as the lever you mention, I assume to improve reliability.

Your machine was at the Elephant Auction as I bought the Mad Money next to it I believe... They were a fair price, as the same machines were sold at the Elephant last June, yours for £240 +commission. If you notice the picture of the June auction (link below), your machine had a proper escalator and has been cleaned up a lot, with new top box sign and award Arrow. Suspect the cash box door was added as well. Mine was the same..... Odd, as proper escalators sold for £30 at the auction, so easy to change back if preferred.... It certainly looks a lot cleaner and maybe the handle has been changed as well.....

URL+REMOVED+BY+SITE+ADMIN# ... p?lot=1610

I like the Blue colours on these, always a pain as the ally case always corrodes and lifts the paint.....

[rich118]

Yeah, I have had a look at lots of different colors and agree some really don't suit. Just need to think about what I want.

Your machine looks really smart. Was it in that condition when you got it??

Thanks for the info on the escalator. I was a bit confused as I know some machines have 2 pulls for one coin and assumed they use nearly all the same parts, just some add on, so didn't know if it was to do with this.

Yeah, I thought it was a fair price. I had looked at the previous auctions and some on eBay to get a rough idea of what I wanted to spend, so I was happy with the price. Now you mention it, and looking at the pic again, it must be the same machine, as the corrosion on the casing lines up. I think the handle is probably the same. It has a lot of surface rust. Yeah, I think I might change the escalator back. I will just have to see what is at the next auction. The current one works perfectly, so there is no rush. How is your machine? Mine has started to free up and pays 99% of the time now, with help. The corrosion is a bit of a pain. Doesn't look too deep but, annoyingly, is on the lines going across the machine.

Out of interest, do you know anything about the other Sega that was there, "President", I think. I haven't heard of that model. Only thing that put me off, was the fact it didn't have a visible jackpot.
Hope you're enjoying your machine as well.