CoinOpCollectorForum.com

Slowly I am getting my Watling taken apart and refurbishing it as needed.

The base on my machine was split in two places, someone years ago nailed the base to the sides to stabilize it. I pulled the nails and glued and clamped it together and have a problem.

I always read there were NAILS in the fron and back of slot machine bases. Not so in this case mine are full length rods like a carriage bolt with another carriage bolt head at the other end?!?

Now that the base is together again the bolts or rods can be tapped forwards and backwards and they are not tight against the front and back edges of the base.

How can I fix this and make them tight again? Anyone have experience with a busted base and know if they are friction fit or threaded or??

Rol-A-Tops never had nails in the front and back edges of the base like Mills and others. Instead they have a long carriage bolt that runs through the base front to back. On the front are or were dowel plugs which covered up a hole where a round brass nut was screwed tight to the carriage bolt and that's where the problem begins. Wood is always moving, expanding and contracting slightly. The top of the base is sealed and the bottom is left unsealed. The wood can no longer expand and contract because of the carriage bolt which isn't a problem until the bottom comes in contact with moisture. The wood can't move and therefore cups and cracks. The amount of cracking or splitting depends on how wet it got and the humidity and temperature of the location. Southern states are much worse than others. I'm confused by you saying you have a carriage bolt head at both ends. Should be a carriage bolt head in the back and threads in the front for the round brass nut. Those two nails in the bottom, going into the sides were done at the factory and not by someone else. I use those nails holes to make sure I have the sides in exactly the same spot they originally were, otherwise your back door may not fit correctly. The back edge of the wood base over the years get compressed from the tight carriage bolt and that is why the bolts get loose. The bolt was only there for security and no longer needed for that so I remove the spline in the bottom, cut the bolt to 6 or 8 inches, put glue in the spline groove to hold it in place and reglue the spline. Whatever you do, don't put the brass nut back on and tighten. Replace the dowel plugs in the front edge and the base now looks completely original without the risk of it splitting again.

Watlingboy

Wow what a detailed and thorough response thank you so very much! I say carriage bolt heads at each end because I have not looked at them real close. Since its brass now it has probably tarnished over the decades and looks like old steel to me. I will put on my glasses and get a bright light and look real close this time.

This is the best forum ever with the most helpful and positive people! I have a vintage 1911 pistol business I shut down a few weeks ago because of all these operations and medical problems in having so I belong to many gun forums.
Those are no where near as friendly and encouraging as this site! Everyone there trying to out do everyone else blah blah.

Richard

Hello Watlingboy, my neighbor helped me get mechanism out of cabinet and we set up
The mech and cabinet in different tables. I worked in the splines and carriage bolts and
You are absolutely right. The wood buttons on my machine are actually tapered wood plugs.

Had to take lower casting off and coin tray and found more Mercury dimes stuck in there whoo hoo.
Letting some penetrating oil soak in on the slotted top brass nuts and will try to take them off as
you suggested.

Will post photos when they are out with the bolts.