Duomat restorations

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geofflove
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Re: Duomat restorations

Post by geofflove »

Great collection. Out of interest how do you change it from limited to unlimited clock operation? I have one I sorted a few months back. Sometimes the clock mech is a bit sticky and doesn't start ticking without help though. I avoided stripping this part last time as I thought it was OK but think I might need to go back and clean it. The rest of the machine was seized solid, so no surprise the clock isn't 100% really...
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treefrog
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Re: Duomat restorations

Post by treefrog »

I would say 9/10 machines I have come across have been wired to speed up the operation of their bandit range and machines like Duomat. It has been mentioned many times before, but there were laws in Germany around the time of operation of machines at the time.

Some machines I leave like 3 reelers, but these Duomats look so much better when run on full cycle and it helps to service them first so they run smoothly.

Below I have marked where a thin wire is often wrapped around either the fan tension spring or the base of the metal fans, which effectively stops the fans opening and, as such, reducing the speed they spin. Remove the wire and ensure the copper spring is not buckled to allow the fans to move freely.

I have never stripped the clocks down completely as I have a phobia of strong clock springs. I clean with cleaning fluids and lubricate and try and remove debris or dirt with a fine brush. The fan/governor can be stripped and cleaned as shown.

Lubricate all pivot points on front and back of clock. Do not operate the clock with Governor removed, as it will run very fast, and I have had them break.
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tallstory
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Re: Duomat restorations

Post by tallstory »

As TF says, the machines in Germany had many regulations including the time of play. The attached photo of the label on a Regina Beromat states that the playing time is 15 seconds - which many modern players find too long.
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treefrog
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Re: Duomat restorations

Post by treefrog »

Well after finishing four machines with a parts machine left and a future project machine needing a new cabinet made, I moved onto the next project, a Selecta, or the German name, Prazisa, bought blind 7 years ago... I knew one part was broken after getting into the locks machine after buying, but when starting to disassemble the complex mechanism today (not touching it since I bought it), I find at least 3 or 4 parts broken !!RANT!! . I suspect a catastrophic failure had occurred after a jam happened and force was applied. Big problem is parts on these machines are unique and complex.


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Annoying thing is, it has a very nice condition cabinet and mostly complete mechanism, apart from the breaks, and another poor condition machine finished on eBay last month missing the skill stop button. Damn... so no chance of parts. It goes back into storage, waiting another 7 years, hoping something turns up. :!?!:
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geofflove
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Re: Duomat restorations

Post by geofflove »

Thanks for the info on the govenor tweak. Must take a look at mine and clean the clockwork some time....
tallstory
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Re: Duomat restorations

Post by tallstory »

Like TF, I didn't want to disassemble the clockwork. I put the whole thing in an ultrasonic bath and then re-oiled all the bearings on the outside. Seems to work well in getting the mechanism back to good working order. Of course if there is bearing wear, it won't fix that. Then a clock maker could help sort it out by rebushing.
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