Bell Fruit Three Penny Supreme

[madmickshere]

Great stuff, have a good holiday, travels one of my favourite things, just wish I could afford to go more often, Rome was the toughest holiday I've ever been on, by that I mean we were up at dawn and late to bed for 2 weeks solid, just so much to do and see, it was endless we overdosed on Roman history / artefacts then came back exhausted. Feel free to find me any old Lambretta's or Fiat Dino's while you are out there.

[coppinpr]

back from vacation and started on your glass again, so much damage I cant believe it survived.
Just the reel window surround,the outlines of two of the words and a general check to go

[madmickshere]

Excellent, it only survived because it was packed away safely though even then the flakes were falling off. I hope you enjoyed your holiday?

[coppinpr]

Well it's done It's not perfect but it's pretty good even though I say so myself. It was a big challenge and I enjoyed doing it. A lot of the damage was at the 1 and 2 pixel level and was so mixed up few of the tiny areas had the same colour numbers, dozens of shades of grey for the worst parts. Rebuilding the missing parts was fun as was restoring the payout chart. I'll be interested to see the finished product. Ask advice from others on the site as to printing - I know little about what is the best place to go etc. Will you clean off the old glass or have new glass cut? Always nice to keep the original around although this one is pretty much shot. I've put straight and flipped versions in the resource section. I have also changed the top glass version to match the better background colour of the belly glass.

If you need me to send direct let me know. Doubt anyone will ever need a copy other than you. 3d machines are very rare and I don't think I've ever seen one with a custom glass directed at 3d like this one.

This machine better bloody work in the end after what it's cost you in chrome fees and me in backache.

[coppinpr]

Looks like an added bonus for your machine... It might take the new £1 coin.

[madmickshere]

That would be good as I will be quids in then, as I have a bag full of thrupenny bits somewhere.

[lucky_twins]

WOW.... that is a real credit to you

[madmickshere]

Well it's done It's not perfect but it's pretty good even though I say so myself. It was a big challenge and I enjoyed doing it. A lot of the damage was at the 1 and 2 pixel level and was so mixed up few of the tiny areas had the same colour numbers, dozens of shades of grey for the worst parts. Rebuilding the missing parts was fun as was restoring the payout chart. I'll be interested to see the finished product. Ask advice from others on the site as to printing - I know little about what is the best place to go etc. Will you clean off the old glass or have new glass cut? Always nice to keep the original around although this one is pretty much shot. I've put straight and flipped versions in the resource section. I have also changed the top glass version to match the better background colour of the belly glass.

If you need me to send direct let me know. Doubt anyone will ever need a copy other than you. 3d machines are very rare and I don't think I've ever seen one with a custom glass directed at 3d like this one.

This machine better bloody work in the end after what it's cost you in chrome fees and me in backache.

Do you know I looked on here at dinner time and didn't even notice your excellent finished work, just that £1 coin. Both glasses look amazing, I am extremely grateful to you for doing this? What do I owe you?
There won't be any point in me saving the glass to keep as the bits are falling off everywhere and I don't have anywhere to store them, however I will reuse the glass with the new prints.
Do you suggest I start a new post to find out what to do next? Many thanks again.....Mick

[madmickshere]

Well heres an update, the vinyl stickers arrived today and are now on the machine, a certain Paul should be congratulated here
It's now looking good, however I can't do anymore on it for a while as I pick up another for the spares I'm missing next week.
Mick

[coppinpr]

looks very good,the expensive chrome makes all the difference LOL. like to see ity when the lights are done

[badpenny]

Smart ...or what?
Well done coppinpr!

[madmickshere]

Final update on my machine, it's now finished apart from getting new barrels and keys for the three locks. It fully works and pays out (with a terrific force), everything seems to be made of an over engineered quality. It works without electricity and with it all of it's three lights work, as can be seen in the fourth and fifth pictures.
I know the vast majority of you prefer the wooden machines but for a very heavy metal one I think it's turned out well flash, some of which I wouldn't have achieved without the help of members on this forum.
Can anyone tell me the age of this machine?
Two clues are, it does have Nevada USA embossed inside (does this mean it is not a Nottingham machine? and the other, it takes Thrupenny Bits.
Thanks again
Mick

[coppinpr]

You have done a great job and saved another machine from the scrap heap.
Easy to see this is your first machine, if you think it's heavy - it's one of the lightest!!!

[coppinpr]

The build quality is almost always very good on bandits, Many a Mills mech is 80+ years old and still going,Aristos are pretty much indestructible,even the German wall machine mechs which were built to last three years are still around. Im currently dismantling a Jennings mech for cleaning(on 3d as it happens) its filthy,oxidised grease half an inch thick but the wear is practically zero,the only part with any wear is the rubber stop that protects the handle return,and if I reverse that it will be as good as new!

your machine is almost certainly mid to late 60's, the 3d goes out in early 1971,some late machines were made to be easily converted but clearly this was not so it is unlikely it was made later than 69. TF will know the date im sure.

I suspect the castings are all the same and dont reflect where the machine was made, perhaps the the cases came in ready made from the USA and the distributor added the glass and the payout parts, which did happen.

if you need any 3d coins let me know,I bought a couple of hundred at Coventry on Sunday for my Chinese Front but the machine is full so Ive got some spare.

Whats your next machine going to be

[madmickshere]

Thanks for the info. I did think it was about that age but the 3d did confuse me a bit. As for the coins I'm probably alright. I have 8 in the machine and a bag full somewhere plus old pennies, that's when I can find them.
As for my next machine, who knows? I'm always looking but those in the auctions in the West Midlands are too dear for me, so I guess it will be whatever turns up locally on my travels.

[quadibloc]

I found this machine to be very interesting.
On this site, I had learned about British machines with payout schedules very different from those of American slot machines in order to cope with the legal limitation to a maximum payout of 12 pence (one shilling, 5 new pence). This one follows the conventional payout structure, coping with the small allowed payouts by also paying on two symbols the same.
Apparently merchandise prizes of a higher value were allowed, given the Gold Award Token for three sevens on this machine.
The photo of the fully-restored machine with its front opened showed that the sevens were overprinted on other symbols on the wheels. Both that photo, and the earlier ones in this thread, showed a strawberry on the third reel. That had me incredulous, as it did not seem like there was any need to have a non-paying symbol on the machine to reduce its percentage.
However, that also made me wonder. Did that strawberry replace a lemon, with the overprinted sevens meaning that these machines used the repurposed mechanism, complete with unchanged perforated disks, of a Mills 21 Bell slot machine?

[coppinpr]

I think all these mechs were purpose built by Bell Fruit using tooling bought from the dead Watling Co and imported into England, Bell fruit made a host of variations (mostly for use in pubs) my favourites have the beer label reel strips, I was lucky enough to have this one for a while. a detailed history of the company can be found here if you want to know a little more https://www.penny-arcade.info/the-bell-fruit-

flowers finished 3.jpg (26.76 KiB) Viewed 3241 times

[brigham]

I have the Double Diamond one, in the console cabinet.
The payout glass is just-to-say acceptable, until you turn the light on.