Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

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Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

Postby klsmith007 » Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:11 pm

I just recently purchased a 50c Castle Front and I'm in the process of getting it to work right. I'm putting myself out to the group, but my main hope is to find someone near me in San Diego that would be willing to work WITH me to resolve some of the issues I've identified.

#1) The Main Operating Arm will often get stuck in the "down" position. There are no coins stuck in the mech. It just looks like there is something not 100% tight that is causing the operating arm dog to lock up. I can release it by working my screwdriver behind the Main Operating Arm spring to release it, like Dave Burritt shows in his video #2 on Youtube for unjamming a Mills mech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZirU6dA25hQ, but it's not obvious what I'm moving when I have my screwdriver in there, since it looks like there is a slightly different Main Operating Arm than what Dave shows in his video. See the main operating arm spring and what little is visible behind it:
IMG_5451.JPG


See where it sometimes gets stuck
IMG_5450.JPG


#2) The obvious issue I'm having is that the mech needs a good cleaning. The reels are spinning fairly slow, not to mention that the check detector and coin detector levers are somewhat unresponsive. I'm not saying that they don't move, its just that when I press them in, they take about 2 seconds to return to their original location. I did want to mention that it looks like it's paying out correctly, so that's a good thing in my book.

#3) The escalator looks to be operating correctly. The coins are moving across the escalator and are not binding. There is one thing I can't figure out.
IMG_5445.JPG
This lever that is in the rectangular slot at the top part of the escalator is "sometimes" preventing coins from traveling down to the bottom of the escalator to allow the coin to be detected. It's called the Coin Holding Lever Assembly (MLB-3171-CSP) Is the issue related to the "gunk" on the escalator detection levers (check and coin) noted in #2 above? I see on a lot of machines in Youtube videos that this part is not there. The Geddes book says most "home use" machines have this part removed because it can cause playing issues. I guess I just have a more complete machine. I'd prefer to keep my machine "stock" if possible, but do want to have it operate reliably. Hopefully a good cleaning will resolve the issue. When I was able to play the machine a few times before it locked up, a coin did fall into the jackpot, so that was cool.

#4) This brings me to my next "what is going on here" question. See the image to understand what I'm talking about.
IMG_5444.JPG
What is that "wire" doing in that hole? I also see quite a few spring connection points that don't seem to have a spring attached to them. Am I missing something here that might be the cause of my cycling problems? Close-up:
IMG_5456.JPG


#5) The payout disc closest to the reels seems to be loose. It also looks like the gap between the discs is not consistent, which makes me wonder whether there are more loose things that I can't see.
IMG_5455.JPG
Will this affect the operation of the mech? If/when the mech is disassembled, I would imagine that this problem can be addressed.

#6) This question is more a curiosity question... The wingnuts on the brake wires are brass/bronze. I've seen only one other machine with wingnuts that were not steel and that was I think a "Diamond Front" that Dave showed in one of his Youtube videos. He described it as completely "untouched". Is this something a repair person used or did some machines come from Mills with the brass wingnuts?
IMG_5454.JPG


As I said at the beginning of this post, I'd really like to work WITH someone to help me understand my machine so that I can perform maintenance on it myself. I have purchased Marshall Fey's Complete Service Manual for Mills Slot Machines (I also had a short conversation with Marshall and he was just the nicest, most pleasant individual) and I also have the Geddes/Mead Owner's Pictorial Guide for Mills Bell Slot Machines, but there is something about watching (and working with) someone perform the work that you can't get from a book. I am also more than willing to pay for that privilege of watching and even participating in the process.

Thank you all for an awesome forum. I've been lurking for quite some time, but now that I have a machine, I feel like I'm really part of the group now.

I look forward to hearing from some of the more learned members.

Take care.

Kevin
Last edited by klsmith007 on Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

Postby Bally Bill » Tue Apr 19, 2022 4:42 am

Hi and Welcome to the forum! Good Call on the Fey book which helped me greatly, Iam not any expert on these slots but maybe I can help with my experience so far on my Mills 5 cent castle
Question# 1 Look on Pg#45 lower bottom and check to see if OP fork pin is not loose and is adjusted correctly (2nd tooth)
#2 Yes light cleaning and 3-1 but if they work leave it alone until you get more time to understand its functions
#3 No clue its missing on mine but check the spring if it has one
#4 might be broken old spring but I will send you all my pictures after work to see if its missing springs to compare
#5 no issue looks normal and the same as my reel gaps
#6 maybe original but no issue used to adjust the speed of reels

I have a contact in San Diego that you can talk too about your service and possible visit at your home

Have a Good Day!
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Mills 5 cent side view.jpg
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Re: Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

Postby klsmith007 » Tue Apr 19, 2022 4:58 pm

Bally Bill wrote:Hi and Welcome to the forum! Good Call on the Fey book which helped me greatly, I am not any expert on these slots but maybe I can help with my experience so far on my Mills 5 cent castle
Question# 1 Look on Pg#45 lower bottom and check to see if OP fork pin is not loose and is adjusted correctly (2nd tooth)

I did not see anything on mine that was loose from Pg#45. In looking at your picture, there is quite a bit of a difference behind the main spring on mine. Again, I question whether the difference is from a slightly different vintage (Mills was always modifying/updating the mechanism) or whether it's related to my machine being a 50c. Your image looks a lot like the video I referenced in my post.

#2 Yes light cleaning and 3-1 but if they work leave it alone until you get more time to understand its functions
#3 No clue its missing on mine but check the spring if it has one

I await the extra photos

#4 might be broken old spring but I will send you all my pictures after work to see if its missing springs to compare

Yeah, More photos of machines will help a lot.

#5 no issue looks normal and the same as my reel gaps

This is good to know.

#6 maybe original but no issue used to adjust the speed of reels

This wasn't an issue. I should have identified it as an observation with additional input requested.

I have a contact in San Diego that you can talk too about your service and possible visit at your home

I "know" of a "San Diego John" from San Diego Antique Slots, but have not tried to reach out to him. I saw his contact information on his web site. I haven't noticed him on this forum, so I figured I would reach out to others here before going to him. Some of the wording on his site tends to scare me a little.

San Diego John has spent 29 years fine tuning his skills as an artist and slot machine Mechanic creating a name for himself known world wide from converting nickel, and dime machines to quarter, or completely stripping and repainting to original standards, to adding new chrome and restoring wood work to original quality. Your machines will look as good or even better than new.

I really want to approach my slot with a "light" touch. I think there are other machines out there that would benefit from his "skills". This is just an observation at this point and I could be way off base here. He may provide those services for truly "hard luck cases", of which my machine is not.

Thanks for the info Bill.

Have a Good Day!
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Re: Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

Postby Bally Bill » Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:03 pm

Hi so when you play the machine it locks up in the down positions and then you have to remove the mechanism? regarding pictures let me know which angle/area you need, and I will remove the mechanism and take those photos. John only works out of his home, and he usually picks up the phone but he has health issues so try to schedule him in advance.
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Re: Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

Postby klsmith007 » Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:00 pm

Bill, I haven't actually figured out what part I'm releasing when I unjam my machine. Because I can't see behind the main spring, I just kind of hold down the main operating arm (like Dave recommends in his video), then using my screwdriver, I kind of hunt and peck around behind the spring until the mech releases. CORRECTION: I just had a jam (or two) and I can now see the dog that is getting stuck. It looks like it's caught on the 2nd groove of the sprocket, whereas the photo from the Fey book shows it might/should be on the 1st groove. Also, if your question was about having to remove the mech from the cabinet when it locks up in order to free it, that is correct, but it will also lock up when sitting on my turntable and cycling it with my "big" screwdriver.
IMG_5466.JPG
IMG_5464.JPG


I guess the thing to try is to remove the main spring once the MOA is stuck and see if I can see what is really wrong. I just don't know if when I detach the spring whether holding the MOA down will still allow me to find the dog that is stuck and then allow it to release.

As far as other things you can help with... if you can take a picture of the area on your castle front below the payout fingers where I posted a photo of that "wire". A side view and a front view would be great. That would show me any attached springs and their attachment points.

You also asked about the lever on the escalator (which is not on your machine). There is a small spring that you can see in the attached photo.
IMG_5462.JPG


Thanks for the additional info about John. The plan would be to bring the machine to his shop anyways, since he would have all the tools he would need and working in your own shop is a lot easier than trying to figure out what ones you should bring to some else's house.
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Re: Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

Postby jmisatu » Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:50 pm

That small lever on the escalator prevents more that one coin from being inserted by holding back any additional coin about halfway into the coin opening. It is rather fragile and can be damaged and problematic so many are removed. It works well if nobody tries to force a coin past it. The lever retracts as the arm is pulled and the fully accepted coin enters the escalator to allow the waiting coin to enter.
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Re: Mills 50c Castle Front - My First Machine

Postby Bally Bill » Wed Apr 20, 2022 4:35 am

I had the same jamming issue on my 10 cent castle after about a month of ownership and the Operating fork pin was loose and not set in the correct position. I would measure or take picture of the pins location and loosen the jam nut and adjust it back or forward in small increments and cycle the mechanism until it cycles jam free.
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Mills Back.jpg
Mills Back 2.jpg
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