Automatic Palmistry

Building a slot machine from scratch? You're not alone in your madness.
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JC
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Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

I was talking with a slottie friend (and fellow forum member) a couple of days ago about my latest project, so thought I'd chart its progress here. It is being built purely as an operating machine, and is not intended to be an accurate reproduction of any particular model (although clearly influenced by the classic 1930s Ahrens machines).
The picture below shows the basic shell built over a couple of days in October. Unfortunately, work came to a more or less grinding halt during November, as I was otherwise occupied with the Coventry auction. There has been little progress since, but I'll update over the coming weeks (or months - depending on how long it takes).

Jerry
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Palmistry 1.jpg
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gameswat
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by gameswat »

Jerry, there is a simple and very effective way to make the hand piece rather than using the pins with roller underneath like Ahrens and many others did. The US made machines from the 30's or 40's called Mystic Pen have a similar hand casting with drilled holes but just a blower motor underneath, and the effect is fantastic! I restored one of these years ago with missing motor and was able to find a replacement that worked really well. Actually feels like pins are touching your hand.
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badpenny
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by badpenny »

.......... and doubles as a hand dryer. :cool:
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JC
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

Thanks for the info Gameswat. I'm familiar with the American machines, a sort of cross between a Palmistry and a Green Ray, but didn't know they had blowers (presumably operating at fairly high pressure)? I have a Wizard's Pen down at Brighton, on loan from another operator (currently not working). That just has a red lightbulb shining through the holes in the plate. When I get a chance, I'll check to see if there is any evidence that there was ever a blower in there.
For ease of construction, I was going to go down the lightbulb route, although I've dragged myself into the 21st Century by using six LED strips running off a 3 channel chaser to give a 'scanning' effect. I'll give it some thought, and see if I can also incorporate some sort of blower - although to be honest, I need to keep it as simple as possible, and get it finished as soon as possible!
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JC
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

Well, there was some progress in December, although the Christmas and New Year festivities have brought the project to another grinding halt. Anyway, the case is now more or less finished and has had its first coat of primer. I've also painted the inside black. The bottom door and top door frame are also more or less finished. There is some touching-up to do in places, and then the case will get its second coat of primer. There is also some work to do on the sloping front before than is stained.
I now need to start thinking about the 'works' !!UHOH!!
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Palmistry 2.jpg
pennymachines
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by pennymachines »

I'm sure you could find an unemployed, underfed student of chiromancy willing to sit inside for half the takings. ;-)
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by badpenny »

Provide a bucket and I'll do it for a quarter ........... !THUMBS!
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JC
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

Provide a bucket........
To turn upside down and sit on.......right? Please don't say it was for any other use :shock:
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by badpenny »

If I'm sitting hidden inside that cabinet all day ...... then I'm going to need to carry my lunch in something.
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JC
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

Well, there was some considerable progress in January and early Feb. (before the storm) - in fact, looking back I'm amazed how much I did actually get done. Here are some pictures of the card mechanism, which dispenses 'criss-cross' cards. This system tends to be more reliable than thicker push-out cards.
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Palmist card carousel.jpg
Palmist card mechanism 1.jpg
Palmist card mechanism 2.jpg
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JC
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

I said in an earlier post that I intended to use LED strips mounted below a perforated plate to give a scanning effect.
I used six strips wired in pairs, 1 - 4, 2 - 5 and 3 - 6, driven by a 3 channel chaser. Although it worked well, I found that where one's line of sight made direct contact with an LED through a hole in the plate, there was a considerable glare. It was therefore clear that I needed some sort of defuser. Fortunately, I had a large sheet of semi opaque plastic sheet in the workshop, so I cut out a piece and taped it to the underside of the plate. That solved the glare problem, but I then found that the scanning effect was largely lost and became more a sensation of flashing lights. So the next job was to build little 'compartments' for the strips, thus containing the light from each in a specific area. I assembled dividers between each strip but was careful to ensure they weren't quite high enough to reach the underside of the perforated plate, thus allowing a certain amount of light 'bleed' from one compartment to the next.
I am extremely pleased with the end result, even though it did take a while to get there.
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The perforated 'scanning' plate.
The perforated 'scanning' plate.
The scanning plate, showing the plastic defuser taped to the underside.
The scanning plate, showing the plastic defuser taped to the underside.
The underside of the LED board, showing the six strips wired into three pairs.
The underside of the LED board, showing the six strips wired into three pairs.
The LED board showing the individual compartments.
The LED board showing the individual compartments.
The LED board assembled onto the underside of the scanning surface.
The LED board assembled onto the underside of the scanning surface.
The control box, showing the 3 channel chaser module in the centre.
The control box, showing the 3 channel chaser module in the centre.
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badpenny
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by badpenny »

I don't care what everybody else says about you JC, I think you're damn smart and no mistake! !THUMBS!

If someone had a tattoo like a bar-code would it tell them their best by date? !PUZZLED!
I think we'd like to see a video of it please and we demand it now!

A technical question, is Sharon still talking to you after she'd drilled all of those teeny holes?

BP
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slotalot
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by slotalot »

badpenny wrote: I think we'd like to see a video of it please and we demand it now! BP
I second that!! !!YIPPEE!!
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moonriver
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by moonriver »

Looks great! I thought you'd be using those Ahrens cast feet you were selling to put on your cabinet?
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JC
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

badpenny wrote:I think we'd like to see a video of it........
Yes, I can probably do that.......but then what do I do with it? The favoured method appears to be bung it on youtube and then embed a link here. But I don't have a youtube account and don't particularly want one. So if J or S or anyone else wants to volunteer to take receipt of some short clips and edit them into a nice little video, then let me know.
moonriver wrote:I thought you'd be using those Ahrens cast feet you were selling to put on your cabinet?
It was always my intention that the machine would be of a 1930s art-deco appearance, which I think I've achieved (you can all judge for yourselves when I eventually get around to taking some pictures). So I think the cast feet would have looked out of place...........anyway, they're sold now.
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by slotalot »

JC wrote:if J or S or anyone else wants to volunteer to take receipt of some short clips and edit them into a nice little video, then let me know.
No problem Jerry, if you send them to my private email address !!JUNK!!
I will see if I can remember how to do it !PUZZLED!
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JC
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

OK Stuart !THUMBS!
slotalot wrote:I will see if I can remember how to do it
And all I have to do is remember how to take videos with the camera. !PUZZLED!

Anyway, I've finally downloaded from the camera some pictures I took back in April - and they were all rubbish! However, this is quite a nice one of the top pediment (guess what colour the machine is). The machine has been on site down at Brighton for the last month - I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow....... and just hope they're better than the last lot.
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Palmistry pediment.jpg
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by JC »

Forgot to mention, the machine is sited in the Sealife Centre, Brighton. I went in yesterday to take some pictures - took three and the batteries ran out (I really don't have much luck with cameras). Additionally, the light is pretty poor where the machines are situated, so they're not particularly good pictures anyway. I'll try to get some better pictures next week.
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Palmistry machine 1.jpg
Palmistry machine 2.jpg
Palmistry machine 3.jpg
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badpenny
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Re: Automatic Palmistry

Post by badpenny »

Very smart chap and no less than I'd expect from you. !THUMBS!

BP
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