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I am a newbie who just got 2 slot machines, and I’m having a great time with them. One machine is a 10-cent Jennings Black Hawk. I got a pretty good deal on it. It wouldn't pay out when I got it, but I removed the dead spider in the coin tube and fixed that. Most of the machine is in good antique shape. It's even better now that it's been lubed (thanks, Herb!), and it pays out perfectly now.

There are 2 castings that make up the chrome front. The lower one looks pretty good. The top casting looks bad: The chrome on it is peeling in several areas, and it has an overall rough or bubbled surface.

There is a date on this casting of 7-6-48. There is also a number of V1-205. To the left of that number are 3 other numbers 2, 1, 3 -- so that it looks like this:

2
1 V1-205
3

My question is whether to have this top casting re-chromed or try to replace it. Please, experts, if you know of a reputable re-chroming place, give me the information. Also, if you know of a source to replace this top casting, please give me that.

Many thanks in advance,

Steven

p.s. I doubt that it matters much for a re-chroming discussion, but this 10-cent Jennings Black Hawk is in a case that says TIC-TAC-TOE STANDARD, 50 cents. Matching case or not, everything works fine together.

p.p.s. I'm going to upload 3 pictures. I'm not sure the pictures really show the chrome peeling, but it's pretty bad.

have you tried this person? http://www.mrslot1.com/
I have gotten a number of Mills parts from him and he does Jennings as well.

IF you decide to re-chrome, here is the contact info fot THE BEST PLATER i have come across.
you will not be disappointed.
www.spacecoast-plating.com/

Thanks, Keith and Midcoast Vintage for your information. It's still early, but I haven't found any original chrome top casting. I'm still looking around, but it sounds like I'll need to go the re-chroming route. Another new adventure. I'm learning a lot and eager to get more slots.

Steven

Every Black Hawk machine I've seen and or worked on has always been with a black wrinkle finish on the castings. This was done to hide the casting imperfections. The case was trimmed in gold around the rosettes and tear drops on the bottom casting and all the red areas that are pictured. Back bonnet and door were the same. What it looks like is someone took a standard chief and replaced the standard chief plate with a black hawk one. Also its way cheaper to do wrinkle finish than chrome plating

Hi mechanic,

Thanks very much for your information on Black Hawks. It's hard to find information on this model, but there is a black wrinkle finish Black Hawk picture on page 473 of Dick Bueschel's 2-volume Jennings Slot Machines 1906-1990. On the other hand, I found a couple of pictures on the internet of "Black Hawks" without that finish. Can anyone explain what I am seeing?

I might just get a "Standard Chief 10-cent" top marquee for this slot, since that's what it seems to be. Can anyone recommend a source for that? Maybe my best bet is Dave Berten?

I'm going to attach the 2 pictures of non-black-wrinkle finish Black Hawks I found by googling.

Steven

Here's my 2c: I wouldn't rechrome unless it is really bad. Especially on a 10c machine. I was going to weigh in on the "Blackhawk"--all I've seen have been painted. Is the inside paper there? If so, it should say "Standard Chief" or "Blackhawk". If it says Blackhawk, I would not change the marquee and would personally leave the plating alone. If it says "Standard Chief", then I would change the marquee. I thought I had one, but looked and I have an original 10c Sun Chief marquee (anyone need one?). Lou Adler of Slots of Montana has the 10c Standard Chief and most other marquees for $15.

Good luck. Tim.

Hi Tim, thanks for your 2 cents.

My 10-cent Jennings Black Hawk (or Standard Chief) is in the cabinet for a 50-cent Tic-Tac-Toe, so who knows what its history really is? To me, it looks more like a Standard Chief. I am guessing that the difference between the two is whether the castings are chrome or matte black. (If anyone knows any other difference, please enlighten me.)

The odd thing is the chrome. The top casting looks awful (bubbling, peeling, and little shine). The bottom casting shines and looks great. I can solve that by getting the top casting re-chromed.

Thanks for the pointer to Lou Adler.

Steven

Another option is take the castings to a plater and have them strip the chrome off and polish the aluminum castings.

It's easy to convert a Standard Chief to a Blackhawk by just changing the upper marquee glass. That just makes it a Standard Chief with a Blackhack top marquee glass. Another thing is the genuine blackhawks were marked as such on the inside tag that also has the serial number on it.