Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

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badpenny
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Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by badpenny »

Having decided to take a day of work imagine my disappointment when switching on the TV to find only lithe young blondes in short white dresses grunting loudly at Wimbledon. Why on earth do we pretend to pay for a licence?

Nothing for it but to find something else to do.
Last week I collected a Prazisa Rotamitn I bought through eBay

Prazisa Rotamin.jpg
Prazisa Rotamin.jpg (4.75 KiB) Viewed 4780 times

I bought it as non working so here was an opportunity to scrape dried grease and oil all the little lubrication holes the Germans put in every sleeved axle.
Another thing I like to do with Günter Wulff machines is put them back to their 15 second play. If you like pumping coins into a machine then the chances are you'd keep them on the 4 or 5 second cycle that most operators chose when these machines arrived here in the 1950s/60s.

However as the reels are on ball races they spin well and maintain their speed so I like to see them running.

Just in case anyone has noticed the difference between the two speeds and wondered about it I thought I'd post how to tackle it.

Günter Wulff used quite a well engineered clock governor nothing like the American three reeler with its spinning fan on the top.
You've probably all seen it, compact and originally encased in a plastic cover.
Look for the vertical spinner, that is the governor. At its top it sits inside a drum and centrifugal force throws out a pair of grips that slow the mechanism down as they rub against the inside of the drum.
To speed up the cycle operators wired the copper leaf springs in so they couldn't release the grips consequently there was no braking affect. By cutting and removing the loop of wire you return it back to its 15 second cycle.

Before, showing the loop of wire added by the operator
Before, showing the loop of wire added by the operator


After.  Having removed the loop of wire the governor will now do its job and slow down the cycle.
After. Having removed the loop of wire the governor will now do its job and slow down the cycle.

At this point it's sometimes worth gently straightening out the leaf springs as you can see they have developed a waist where the wire had been tightened around them.
Whatever you do though do not succumb to the temptation to squirt some oil into the cogs. It will result in slowing the whole clock up and may even stop it completely. Only apply thin oil to the bases of the bearings where they protrude through the frame on either side of the external frame of the clock.
After all you wouldn't open up a mechanical watch and pour oil into it would you?

BP
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gameswat
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by gameswat »

Nice work BP, thanks. As haven't had the pleasure of seeing one of these GW governators before. Anyway, it almost seems like you know what you're writing about. If you keep this up you might have a future in coin-op! :roll:
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

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Srewth!.... Sorry about that ........... I must have stopped concentrating for a moment there :o
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by tazmantic »

Nice. Don't think any of mine have been done, but nice to know !THUMBS!
badpenny wrote:Last week I collected a Prazisa Rotamint I bought through eBay
Was this from a guy in Chesham??? as was watching one from there, but got a bit rich for me :(
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badpenny
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

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Yes that was the one.

One of those cases of supply demanding how much.
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by tazmantic »

Was a nice looking machine. The other one he had went for a fair bit as well.....
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by badpenny »

No it didn't. He told me that the bidder of the wrecked bandit also wanted the one I got and wasn't prepared to travel the distance unless he rejected my bid.

All very strange. !PUZZLED!
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by tazmantic »

Oh right. :shock: I did see it was relisted due to some reason and he stated what it had made, so was up for offers, then it vanished. :!?!:
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by tazmantic »

tazmantic wrote:Nice. Don't think any of mine have been done, but nice to know !THUMBS!
How wrong I was :shock: was putting new pay out slides on my Tivoli tonight and while having a little look about I noticed a fine wire twisted round the copper leaf springs !!UHOH!! so removed it :D thing is it now takes approx. 20 secs plus for the cycle to run not 15 as mentioned but the gears do look a little oily and greasy could this be slowing it down :!?!: whats the best way to clean them.....
Thought Id check my primus and sure enough thin wire round leaf springs, and then the princess no wire round springs so thought it was ok but then noticed a thin cord tied round the weights instead, think I will remove these and see how they run :o
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by badpenny »

Without doubt gunge in the clock will slow it down.
Remove the plastic cover or merely slacken it off so you can access the cogs and spray a degreaser on the heaviest soiling. I've stopped using WD40 and found Alloy Wheel Cleaner and/or Brake Pad Cleaner is the business.

Immediately after spraying leave it to evaporate before trying the machine as the weight of the liquid will slow it even further.
Once you get it running smoothly only add light oil to the bearings where they protrude through the base plate. Don't forget the bearings on the other side as well.

The more you play them the closer they will end up to the proper cycle.
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by tazmantic »

Thanks BP, I'll give it a go the second I get a minute. !THUMBS!
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basile
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by basile »

Thank you, I didn't know

speed.jpg

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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by glittering-prize67 »

badpenny wrote:Without doubt gunge in the clock will slow it down.
Remove the plastic cover or merely slacken it off so you can access the cogs and spray a degreaser on the heaviest soiling. I've stopped using WD40 and found Alloy Wheel Cleaner and/or Brake Pad Cleaner is the business.
Be careful what chemicals you mix. WD 40 is not a lubricant anyway. I used to use paraffin to clean old KB Discomatic mechs, but after a week or so when the paraffin has totally evaporated the old grease set like concrete. Spraying or applying any degreaser like gunk is only a mask and the problem will return. Best way is to strip it and clean it all, then re-assemble using light clock oil where needed.
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Re: Adjusting Günter Wulff cycle speed

Post by chris rideout »

glittering-prize67 wrote:
badpenny wrote:Without doubt gunge in the clock will slow it down.
Remove the plastic cover or merely slacken it off so you can access the cogs and spray a degreaser on the heaviest soiling. I've stopped using WD40 and found Alloy Wheel Cleaner and/or Brake Pad Cleaner is the business.
Be careful what chemicals you mix. WD 40 is not a lubricant anyway. I used to use paraffin to clean old KB Discomatic mechs, but after a week or so when the paraffin has totally evaporated the old grease set like concrete. Spraying or applying any degreaser like gunk is only a mask and the problem will return. Best way is to strip it and clean it all, then re-assemble using light clock oil where needed.
Clock repair shops clean the parts in a wire cage that looks like a deep fat fryer. It is then dunked into a bath of alcohol and turns clockwise, then anti-clockwise like a tumble drier on a vertical axis. The heaviest lubricant I would use is 3 in 1 oil for a clock. Enjoy your timing!
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