B Firman & Co. products

[pennymachines]

More Firman Poinsettias...

Sold as lot 163, EH auction, 04/03/12

Sold as lot 255, EH auction, 03/03/13

Widget2k4's unrestored example

Incomplete jackpot mechanism

[widget2k4]

widgets restored example

[coppinpr]

looks good, well done

[widget2k4]

Thanks mate
Just waiting on door and it's done.

[badpenny]

Nice

[treefrog]

Yes that is a nice job What did you do to clean and polish up the castings?

[widget2k4]

Thanks guys
Tree frog I just used a fine bead blast in sand blaster first then hours of polishing with polishing mops on a flexi shaft hard going but well worth the results, this is by far my fav machine, base and sides have been remade with oak.

[widget2k4]

Another contribution to the thread, a complete working jackpot mechanism.

[pennymachines]

Four metal cased Firman wall machines:

[badpenny]

There was a case at Coventry last month that looked like those?

[pennymachines]

More examples of Firman bandits:

[anglobritish]

Hi Guys,
Bert Firman was an engineer in Nottingham, in the late 1940s. Many of the traveling showmen used to go to his engineering works to get parts made for their Mills fruit machines. Firman developed his large jackpot to accommodate the showmen and converted their Poinsettia bull-nosed jackpots to his large jackpot to take the old English penny. It is said that when Mills first introduced their Chrome Bell in 1949, Sol Shefras, who had taken over the British distributorship, sent Mills a Firman's jackpot and Mills adapted it. The Mills Chrome Bell was also the first machine that Mills introduced with the single cherry payout.

Firman retired in the early 1960s, and opened an arcade on the pier at Skegness.

Freddy Bailey

[tammy]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Just bought this one arm bandit yesterday. Wasn't paying out very well... Found the screw that holds the payout finders was coming out... but now sorted.

It seems a bit of a mixture, ie the bottom casting is Egyptian Bell type and the top casting a diffferent Mills type? The reels have fortune type quotes on them, and looking at them, are replacement ones. I love the handle and goose neck slot. Any comments etc? I would be interested as I know some of you have a greater knowledge on vintage bandits. Also do you think it was made by Firmans? What date if so?
Thank you, tammy

[badpenny]

There's one exactly like that being toted around Lincolnshire described as a Firman.
It strikes me as such.
Firmans didn't really make bandits, they tended to swap bits around and at times did fit a manufactured casting or panel of their own.

BP

[geordy55]

I’m in Lincolnshire and nobody totes anything to me !

[treefrog]

You should head to the McDonalds roundabout on the A15/A17 outside Sleaford on Sunday morning at 5am, you will find BP in a dark coat with his Ford Anglia van and a hoard of exciting goodies.

[moonriver]

That's why they cut down the bushes.

[widget2k4]

This is what it used to look like. ;)

[tammy]

Hi wow! Any history no matter what would really be helpful. I like the machine and wouldn't be put off. Lovely machines all on your photo!! Thank you Tammy.

[badpenny]

Burger King not McDonalds.
And leave my bush out of this.