We acquired our first nickel slot machine yesterday and I'm already OBSESSED. Huge thanks to contributors to this forum from whom I've picked up a TON of history, HOWTOs and insight already. I already broke and successfully repaired the escalator. It was only a dislodged spring, but please just let me feel cool about it for now, okay?
As a total newbie it's been super interesting learning about the history of Caille Brothers, all the various models and discovering prolific historians like Mr Bueschel.
I have SO MANY questions, but first, here's what I picked up:
It was advertised as a "1936 Cadet," but I'm confident it's really a Commander from what I've learned here.
It's VERY clean looking and it's in pretty good working order. Someone did a really nice restoration it seems, and wouldn't it be SO COOL if someone on this forum recognizes it and takes credit!?
The teeth marks on the clock seems like an obvious indication that the clock has been tuned up. I see some fluid seeping up through the top, which tempts me to attempt a replacement of the top internal rubber O-ring and top off the fluid. It was barely moist when we got it, but the pooling slightly increased in volume after a few hundred pulls over the last 24 hours.
There's a "Bonus Mystery" mentioned on the payout card which I think has revealed itself as Lemon, Cherry and *any* Combo; where the lemon on the first wheel is the one with grape above and jackpot below. Is that what is meant by "Bonus Mystery?" I caught it on video while shooting a demo to post here:
https://youtu.be/3V4ClabSCQ4
I don't have much to compare it to, but I'm wondering if the reels should normally spin longer? ...and is that something governed by an adjustment screw OR managed by the clock, which in my case might require a fluid top-off?
Maybe this deserves it's own post, but I have observed that the jackpot reserve does not replenish when cherry + cherry is hit. This behavior is also included in the YouTube video above. I've identified a tab that governs the escalator escape, which can be pulled out and locked fully open; but normally kept closed by a fairly strong spring on the opposite side of the escalator keeping all coins traveling upwards.
I haven't identified how the "escalator escape tab" (excuse my rookie lack of proper vocabulary) is triggered to allow the coin to roll into the jackpot reserve.
There's a cool Watling diagram glued to the inside of the door pointing out intricacies of that mechanism. Wondering if a similar map of the Commander mech exists which would help me better grok the internal operation.
Okay, that was a lot, sorry. But I'm super EXCITED!
Thanks in advance for your insights everyone!