Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker

fourfive · Post by **fourfive** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:25 pm

Hi, I am currently restoring a Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker, but instead of it having the usual "stocks" on the disc it has the names of cricketers circa 1932-33 from the infamous "Bodyline" Ashes series. My question is this, did it leave the factory like this or has someone converted it?

daveslot · Post by **daveslot** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:08 pm

It's a conversion. They were converted from the boring stocks and shares. I have seen other variations - I have one featuring car manufacturers. By the way, I think I was the under-bidder on yours on ebay.

fourfive · Post by **fourfive** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:21 pm

(Topics merged - site admin.)
Can anyone offer me any tips or guidance on how to set up one of these machines.

pennymachines · Post by **pennymachines** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:38 pm

Full patent for Bradshaw's Little Stockbroker: Patent 288,744 This gives a detailed description of the mechanism - maybe it will help.

As I'm sure you know, the payouts operate on a predetermined cycle, and are received only after inserting another coin and pulling the trigger (future payout system). Coins held in the sleeves corresponding to lose positions on the dial are released sequentially to the cash box.

silverbitz · Post by **silverbitz** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:04 pm

(Topics merged - site admin.)

Hi Everyone,
I have just taken delivery of this Little Stockbroker which was, I believe recently entered in the Elephant house auction. Not sure what happened but I ended up with it via eBay. And now the work begins. The question is... I have used 'plus gas' to release the nut which holds on the large disc to the rear. Unfortunately, that's where it all 'stopped'. I can't for life of me work out why the disc won't come off? Anyone come across this one before?

silverbitz · Post by **silverbitz** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:25 pm

Hi again........
Panic over!!... A little more force and I managed to convince it to come off!! Now look at the state of that! Wouldn't mind but the thing doesn't fit into my 'shot blaster', so it's all by hand now!

pennymachines · Post by **pennymachines** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:31 pm

silverbitz wrote:Wouldn't mind but the thing doesn't fit into my 'shot blaster', so it's all by hand now!

A bit messy, but maybe you could put some goggles on and bead blast it in a large cardboard box?

silverbitz · Post by **silverbitz** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:00 pm

Mmmm... not such a bad idea! I've stripped it down and have managed to blast everything except the outer case which missed fitting the blaster by about an inch! I've just read the patents about it and found that quite useful. I couldn't really see how it worked as everything was locked solid but I'm now starting to get the picture.
The handle is proving difficult to get off. It had a metal 'holding peg' to the rear which eventually I had to drill out, only to find it's still locked solid. I think the axle has been hammered slightly over the operating bar, so this may have to see a grinder and perhaps a friendly mechanic may have one of those push-rod gadgets.
Was there ever any original colours for this machine? There's only a few pics out there, one light blue, the other gloss black which doesn't look too bad.

silverbitz · Post by **silverbitz** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:46 pm

My scrap metal looks a little better now?

treefrog · Post by **treefrog** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:07 pm

Wow

It looks great, compared to what we saw a while back, I assume it is all working now as well.

slotalot · Post by **slotalot** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:21 pm

Now that's a job well done.

The chrome has come up well. You must be well pleased with the results.

So then, what's your next project going to be?

silverbitz · Post by **silverbitz** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:05 pm

Only a Mills Melon Front to do now. Similar to the Bursting Cherry. Need some more projects! Don't like building my hopes on things via eBay as we know they get removed half the time. Anyone with any scarcer bandits that they wish to part with? Or perhaps the odd Buckley Bones!

coppinpr · Post by **coppinpr** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:29 pm

Very very nice indeed. Bringing machines back to life is so much better than just owning them. Well done.

silverbitz · Post by **silverbitz** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:39 pm

Totally agree...
Andy.

coppinpr · Post by **coppinpr** » Sun Apr 14, 2013 2:08 pm

Topic merged - Site Admin.

As most of you know by now, what I like doing in this hobby is taking a machine that's past looking "used" and is more like "scrapped" and restoring them. This way, I get to do the restoration without feeling I might have ruined a machine that should have been left alone.
Today I picked up a machine from a very nice guy in Margate which certainly meets my requirements (see below).
While I was there looking at other machines he has for sale, I saw he had 6+ little Stockbrokers, 4 working, 2 in need of work and loads of spares. He told me he had sold the lot to one guy for a ridiculous low price that he now regrets. I persuaded him to sell me one of them - a Cricketers, in working condition, with original keys and lidded cash box for £150. I've never had one of these, so:
1. Did I get a good deal or not?
2. In the condition it's in, should I restore or leave alone?
3. Do we have pictures in the archives of what it originally looked like?

Your views and advice on restoring please

gameswat · Post by **gameswat** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:02 am

Coppin, I find about 95% of the time all the finish details you'll need should be there to find under layers of later paint, grime and age. Just means taking the time to carefully try different methods to remove and find the clues. And often while doing this I'm sometimes actually able to find salvageable finishes that i thought must be ruined, which means an even better restoration in the end! Especially exciting to find screened graphics, lettering, decals etc.

pennymachines · Post by **pennymachines** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 11:59 am

Sound advice, as ever, from Gameswat.
Of course, its original appearance would have been that of the Little Stockbroker from which it was converted. Unless they have been ground off, the original name and stocks, with their values, are in the casting behind the "Cricketers" plate and the right and left instruction/payout frames. Many Little Stockbrokers were revamped in this way, either to ring the changes or to further disguise the gambling intent and I'm not suggesting you should erase history by returning it to its original form. Presumably there are famous cricketers of the day on the disc?

coppinpr · Post by **coppinpr** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:09 pm

Topic merged - Site Admin.

OK, so I don't usually work on machines like this, but I always wanted one and I'm giving it a go, BUT I opened it up and haven't got a clue how it works. I know they are pre-determined payouts. I believe this one is complete, well almost (see below), but I need to understand just how it works from coin entry to payout. Help please.

As I'm planning to return it to a Stockbroker from a Cricketers (should I or shouldn't I ? any views?) can any one tell me the order of the stocks on the reel?

Anyone got any clues on original colours? All the photos I can find don't look like original colours.

Please forgive the photos - I have no editing software here at work (so BP no comments about there being a machine growing out of the top).

I believe there is a spring missing in photo 3. Is this the case? If so, is it a strong spring like all the others in the machine?

treefrog · Post by **treefrog** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:16 pm

Cannot help you with the mechanism as yet to own one... Interesting, I see there are four for sale at the Elephant next time round, three of which are Cricketers, all from Margate Pier... I think the one you got was from a well known seller from Margate..... How many of these machines could have been based there....? Depending on the state of them, I may have a go at one, depending what they go for... There is a thread of a member restoring one of these about a year ago with lots of pictures... (now merged above - Site Admin.)

coppinpr · Post by **coppinpr** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:24 pm

Mine did come from Margate. The guy had six, all of which he had sold (too cheap) to one guy. I managed to get him to sell me this one out of the six, complete with original locks and keys, for a little more than the other guy was offering (but still cheap). I'll be very interested to see how much they go for in the auction. Fancy putting four in at the same time! Seems like cutting your own throat to me.

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