Hello from Staffordshire

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grains
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Hello from Staffordshire

Post by grains »

Hello,
I have recently joined the forum and would like to say hello from Staffordshire to fellow forum members and kindly ask for a little advice on sourcing some parts for the Mills High Top that has been in my possession for nearly 30 years. It's probably not the finest example of a High Top but it has the original blue black paint work with wooden sides and base, ball top arm and is set to 6d play with a coin escalator that is working. The reel bands are a black background with over printed black 7s on some symbols. Not sure of the exact model or year but will take some photos shortly and do my best to upload them. I am hoping you may be able to help identify the model and approximate year please.

I don't think it's particularly rare but it has a lot of sentimental value as it was bought for me by family as an 18th Birthday present all those years ago! Here's the bad news - it does need a backdoor, cashbox and a ideally a jackpot unit and chute to feed the coins into it. The machine must have been modified long before to pay a mystery prize token as the Jackpot. It displays a Pays Gold Award sign in the window in place of the jackpot unit.

Looking forward to talking to you and thanks in advance for any help and advice which is greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
Grains

Now with photos added. Thanks again.
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Last edited by grains on Thu Jul 04, 2019 6:40 pm, edited 8 times in total.
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treefrog
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by treefrog »

Welcome Grains,

The Hi Top is the quintessential style of a classic one arm bandit, always been a favourite of mine. I am sure more guidance will come once we see pictures, but the 777 award, if active, would normally indicate it has a token vendor. Some Hi Top models had no jackpot and only token vendors like the Melon Front, but your machine may have been changed when used in Britain.

In terms of the wants I will leave moderators to guide in process, but these parts are always in demand, especially back doors and even the repro ones in the US are not so readily available. Cash boxes come up for sale regularly - I think I saw some repro ones for sale in next month's Derby sale. The jackpot - you would need to check the jackpot glass is there, as it may have been replaced with a thin panel. Also, you need to check you have the jackpot trips, but the unit should come up if requested.
grains
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by grains »

Hi Treefrog,
Many thanks for the reply and help. I didn't realise that some Hi - Top models came with token vendors as standard instead of the jackpot unit.
I do remember this has a separate payout tube and pays a token for the gold award. There is a square piece of glass behind the jackpot window approx 5mm thick together with the award sign it is held in place with a strip of steel with 2 bolts that screw into the lugs in the casting. Looking at the award card above the jackpot window and perspex cover I guess this had been modified at some point in time as it appears hand painted. Probably I will need a new award card as well.
I have added some photos which hopefully will appear in the post now.
Yes, I am really looking forward to the Derby sale in August to get some spares as I have an Aristocrat Arcadian which needs a new award perspex.
Kind regards
Grains
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treefrog
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by treefrog »

Looks a nice Bell O Matic Mills Machine from very early '60s of very late '50s... As has been suggested, been modified for U.K. operation and the award card changed as the original would be a plastic version fitting the whole of the areas it sits in - you will see the bolt holes. The awards have been dropped to max shilling payout, so two sixpences and there should be a token vendor for the 5 shilling payout, although there are two slide levers so maybe there is a big top slide. Perhaps a picture of the mechanism from the front would confirm a lot of questions and inside cabinet. Jackpot glass from memory is around 10 or 11 mm, so thick....

If you want to change back to full operation, get piccies and we can advise on parts list... I love the paint colours.

By the way, I am unable to view that weird app you posted your pictures to*, although managed to see something from mobile, but could not expand. You can easily load pictures onto the site as well.

* Images copied to post - Site Admin.
grains
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by grains »

Sorry for the delay I have taken some additional photo's inside the cab also from the front and side of the mechanism.
Any help and advice on the parts needed is very much appreciated.
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treefrog
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by treefrog »

Ok, so pictures confirm the payouts, as only a single 6D coin slide. You need to decide if you want to leave as is or change to 20 coin payout. If so, you will need a full set of slides, new top cover, additional horizontal fingers (a complete set sold at the Elephant for £5), slide posts and screws, probably vertical fingers if missing and springs also new award plate, the correct wide plastic one. If you want jackpot as well, you will need the unit, jackpot reset arm and jackpot trips. Also your top slide will need to be jackpot type with trip pin. There is no 777 token vendor, I would leave that as getting onto a whole different level.

All parts can be sourced. I have most, excluding slides, but Derby or auctions will sell them.
grains
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by grains »

Thanks for the help Treefrog
I have purchased a part complete donor machine hopefully to use the award card, jackpot unit, top coin feed, base plate, payout slides, side levers, jackpot trip etc or better still the full mechanism. Do you think this is suitable? I have started to clean it up and it appears to be working & paying out.
The donor was badged as a Sega Bell but the mechanism is stamped with MLB in various places.
Have not seen anything like the reel strips before but they have a CC 314 part number. Not sure if the reel strips are from an earlier time period as they have quotes over written on the fruits. The strip on reel 2 has been damaged slightly anyway so if I can use the mechanism I will need to change to reel strips as they dont feature melons but currently display a gold token symbol instead so could I use my existing strips that have melons or swap out the reels and payout discs from my other mechanism possibly?
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treefrog
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by treefrog »

Someone posted a very similar machine a few weeks ago, which has the correct award, although the reel strips were wrong. You will correct parts like the Mills badge above window, reel arrow etc. I think the mechanism in your original machine is an earlier pre Bell O Matic type, probably swapped out when it was modified to token award.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7434

I did see the machine you bought, as you say it is a Mills version. There is no jackpot trip above slides, although there is a token trip arm. Did it have a token vendor on the inside of the front lower panel. As you say wrong strips again, fortune type, never seen on a Hi Top and meant for earlier machines......

Not knowing the fingers and payouts and if correct, difficult to tell what strips should be on the machine without going through and checking the pay disks and active fingers.

The world of collecting is not an easy one :#:
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coppinpr
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by coppinpr »

A pity to lose those reel strips, CC-314-G are from a Mills Extraordinary ,and sounds like the old mech is too, could I please have a photo of the old strips ,I make reel strips for people and dont have these symbols in my files. does your old award plate mirror the new one in payouts if not symbols (ie for 3 GA on the new read 3 BARS on the old)?
grains
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by grains »

treefrog wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 8:01 pm Someone posted a very similar machine a few weeks ago, which has the correct award, although the reel strips were wrong. You will correct parts like the Mills badge above window, reel arrow etc. I think the mechanism in your original machine is an earlier pre Bell O Matic type, probably swapped out when it was modified to token award.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7434

I did see the machine you bought, as you say it is a Mills version. There is no jackpot trip above slides, although there is a token trip arm. Did it have a token vendor on the inside of the front lower panel. As you say wrong strips again, fortune type, never seen on a Hi Top and meant for earlier machines......

Not knowing the fingers and payouts and if correct, difficult to tell what strips should be on the machine without going through and checking the pay disks and active fingers.

The world of collecting is not an easy one :#:
Thanks for the advice I will take some photos of inside the cabinet and the jackpot unit and map out the payout disks and active fingers against the bands.
Very true Treefrog but its is all part of the fun. Looking forward to the Derby Meeting on Sunday. :D
grains
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Re: Hello from Staffordshire

Post by grains »

coppinpr wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 8:06 pm A pity to lose those reel strips, CC-314-G are from a Mills Extraordinary ,and sounds like the old mech is too, could I please have a photo of the old strips ,I make reel strips for people and dont have these symbols in my files. does your old award plate mirror the new one in payouts if not symbols (ie for 3 GA on the new read 3 BARS on the old)?
Yes certainly that's fine no problems to send you some photos over.
Thats very useful to know no doubt I will be looking to purchase some new strips and awards from you in the future if thats ok.
If it is an old mech and strips I will certainly leave it all intact no point breaking something up for spares in that case.
I'm not 100% sure as my old award plate was a non original token conversion so it had Bars, Melons, Bells, Oranges etc paying a 5' Token and other awards as Mystery Payouts apart from 1 x Cherry which paid 1' I will do a side by side comparison when I map the bands against the payout discs. Probably I am being a bit optimitsic that its straight substitute for the GA and Melons.
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