Wonders "Dropacopper"
Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 1:15 pm
Just finished this Dropacopper I bought on Ebay - not the greatest machine ever made but marks a point in British machine history. Trouble with it was, in my view, it was designed to be a poor pay out AND it gave the operator a chance to make it even worse by moving the spacers. The makers of the new electric machine beginning to take over at the time had worked it out that if you give the punter 70% payout he will play it till he's lost the lot anyway. This machine makes you want to walk away after three of four coins. Still it was interesting to work on. The case was pretty much destroyed; I was going to replace at least the top which had large holes in it but decided to see if it could be restored, snd it could and looks great. I replaced the spacers, which was easy as, as you might expect, they are simply 3/4 inch cistern washers. They cost me £1.50 for a pack of 10, just the right number. I sprayed the faces and left the edges black and they look good. Most of these were designed to allow the coin to go left or right. This one is left only so forget 12d win. The payout cup was interesting - it was double sided, so by turning it round I got a brand new shiny one.
A badly thought out design all round really, unless dead level it will either lose every time or pay 6d about 60% of the time. Nothing will make it pay 12d.
The internal payout chute is too flat as designed and coins tend to stick in the chute no matter how much you polish it. On the other side the win coin run on the playfield is too steep not always giving the single solenoid payout slide time to re-set if the machine is trying to pay three times on a 9d winner. Overall the design, workmanship and materials are poor and the whole thing has a sad and desperate feel to it but it does have a place in British slot machine history... just not a good one.
Has anone any idea what the strange engraved part of the Wonders badge is meant to be? A reference to their allwin days perhaps?
A badly thought out design all round really, unless dead level it will either lose every time or pay 6d about 60% of the time. Nothing will make it pay 12d.
The internal payout chute is too flat as designed and coins tend to stick in the chute no matter how much you polish it. On the other side the win coin run on the playfield is too steep not always giving the single solenoid payout slide time to re-set if the machine is trying to pay three times on a 9d winner. Overall the design, workmanship and materials are poor and the whole thing has a sad and desperate feel to it but it does have a place in British slot machine history... just not a good one.
Has anone any idea what the strange engraved part of the Wonders badge is meant to be? A reference to their allwin days perhaps?