I just inherited my parents '32/'33 Mills Skyscraper slot

[thejerm]

It's been kept in their barn / basement for the past 20 years, so it's in need of some pretty serious work, but, I'm just excited to have it, and am looking forward to restoring it.

Any ideas on where I can get replacement parts? I know I need at least the bottom cast piece, as you can see it has a big chunk broken off the left side. Then there is the payout plate as well... but, I'm pretty sure it'll function properly as all of it's inner workings seem to be complete... I just need to learn how to tear it down to clean it and lube it up properly.

[tanix]

Cool machine!

You probably want to keep checking eBay for parts, and maybe build a custom search to notify you. I did that when I was looking for the free play mechanism for an old Mills gooseneck machine and finally found it.

Dave, the guy that runs this site, has a cool set of DVDs that document the tear-down of an old Mills Castle Front, and they are really helpful. They would have saved me a whole lot of time if I'd known about them way back when.

I'm working on a site now that documents my own tear-down and restoration, but right now only the disassembly is online. You can check out my own modest efforts at http://www.slotrestoration.com. There are a few parts resources listed on the site as well.

Congratulation on the machine... it will be a fun project project for you, made all the more special since you have a family connection to it.

[thejerm]

Thanks Tanix,

Yes, I've seen Dave's site with the DVD collection but have been a bit hesitant to approach the wife about buying the DVDs as of yet (she already knows it's going to be a lengthy and semi-spendy project.) I visited your site, and it looks like your machine is pretty similar (inside) to mine, so hopefully I can at least get it functioning using the free resources (such as yours) that are available. As I mentioned, it's been siting in their basement and barn for the past 20 odd years, so, the inside is very dusty and has a good amount of surface rust. Should be fun, though.

Jerm

[tanix]

You'll find that the workings of your machine are almost identical to mine. There will be a few differences, but the theory of operation is very, very similar.

Take your time and study your machine before you do anything. If you like tinkering, slot machine restoration is a great hobby and is extremely addictive.