Bryans Grand National

Building a slot machine from scratch? You're not alone in your madness.
fruitbowl
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:08 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: Birmingham

Bryans Grand National

Post by fruitbowl »

No prizes for guessing what machine this started out as yes a Bryans clock,
I've been collecting slots for a number of years now and always thought my clock is the most boring machine in the collection so I decided to do something about it and make it more interesting, so out went the clock face and fingers and in went the horses,
6 in all paying out 2d 4d 8d & jackpot 24d.
Yes I'm happy with the finished job looks good and plays well no problems.
DSC02190.JPG


DSC02191.JPG


DSC02192.JPG


DSC02193.JPG


DSC02194.JPG

User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2191
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 13
Location: perth, australia

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by gameswat »

Normally I don't like to see machines getting played around with, but in this case I don't think anybody will miss one less Clock in the world! Just a case of coin-op hotrodding really, looks good but a little too shiny for my taste. I have a Yank friend who even turned down one for free because he thought so little of them. I did try to get that machine myself to ship home to Oz but was long gone by that point.
User avatar
john t peterson
Posts: 1332
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
Reaction score: 7
Location: USA

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by john t peterson »

Super job, Fruit bowl! I love it. For your next modification, I'd like to see the Clock with the same presentation but adding a gun so that a clever shot knocks over the rider and pays out. Just like fox hunting but the reverse where the prey is now the hunter. You could even put an orange wig on one of the riders and call him "The Donald."

J Peterson
Hunting for sanity in America '!'
Last edited by john t peterson on Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by pennymachines »

I agree with Gameswat - there are enough Clocks about to allow a bit of imaginative revamping. I was tipped off about one on ebay last night, in Southampton, around £50 with a couple of hours to go - I didn't bother to check it out. :o

I think yours is very much in the spirit of a showman's revamp and certainly adds a bit of spice to the old game. It looks cool, but I'd have preferred the oak cabinet. Maybe it wasn't oak?
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by badpenny »

Nice idea, and well executed.

I think The Clock is one of the most unappealing games.
I have only ever played one once in anger, and that was at Dave Hooper's portable arcade at The NEC American/Juke Box show probably in the early 90s. He gave me a free pot of pennies to play with.

Crazily over the years I have owned 4 I think, they always came as part of job lot and I moved them on asap.

Your game looks a lot more appealing, however I'd lose the Bryans tag on the label.

BP
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by pennymachines »

On the other hand... although the unmodified Bryan's Clock is commonplace, the first one I saw fascinated me and launched my lifelong obsession with vintage coin-op. I still find them attractive, especially early ones with nice figured oak veneer fronts. The design may have been primarily a disguise, but seeing time speed up (accompanied by the wonderful ratta-tat-tat of the inertial escapement) as you await the outcome is quite surreal and appealing. Place next to a Bryan's Tick Tock to complement the theme.

I don't think they're any more boring than a one arm bandit :shock: once you've mastered that skill button. !?!
13rebel
Posts: 588
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:03 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by 13rebel »

I thought I was the only fan of the much maligned clock. /Hi5\
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1178
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by brigham »

I'd love a Bryan's Clock. It combines two of my childhood obsessions!
Are those Escalado horses, by the way?
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by badpenny »

Hello Brigham ....

Welcome to the best corner of the planet.
It's a very small corner and we're all happy to hunch up a bit to make room for you.

I've never seen a horse on a Bryans Clock and would be intrigued to learn about what you've experienced.
Tell us about yourself, have you machines?
What were your other childhood obsessions?
What's your PIN number?

Again welcome ...

BP
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1178
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by brigham »

The horses are on a homebrew machine called 'Bryan's Grand National', there's a thread on it.
I was obsessed with slot machines, clocks, cards, television and just about anything mechanical, obsolete or both.
Traces still remain to this day.
I have some Jamieson's wall machines, Sega 'high-tops', a couple of Ozzy Starlights on tanners, plus some floor-standing electric types from ACE, Bell-fruit &c..
...Oh! AND a Peter Simper!
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by badpenny »

brigham wrote: Wed Nov 01, 2017 11:13 am The horses are on a homebrew machine called 'Bryan's Grand National', there's a thread on it.
Oh yes so there is, I even commented on it and then promptly forgot ..... apparently !PUZZLED!
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1178
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by brigham »

Conversions were quite a business in the '80s onwards. Last season's AWPs used to re-appear in twopenny form, with all-cash (lower) payouts.
Future collectors will find it difficult to obtain an '80s Line-up or Adders and Ladders in original form.
We'll probably end up with tips on how to re-convert them back.
The Bryan's Grand National is the first enthusiasts conversion I've seen, though.
User avatar
badpenny
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7202
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 12:41 pm
Reaction score: 24
Location: East Midlands

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by badpenny »

I'd have said machine conversions were quite a business in the 30s/40s and onwards. Never mind the 80s
Caille, Tom Bolland & Firman later Günther Wulff machines were victims, and all before decimalisation lead to many being hacked about to further their lives.

Of course I'm talking about operators changing a machine's look to modernise it and give it more appeal and keep it earning.
We've all seen fantasy machines which may have had a mountain of clever work put into them, yet will always be no more than that. :cool:
User avatar
brigham
Posts: 1178
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:37 pm
Reaction score: 2

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by brigham »

Oh yes! I'm forgetting about Tom Boland conversions of what are now sometimes rare machines. One of my favourites was the Greyhound version of the Caille Commercial; I've only just found out that it was a conversion.
I've just spotted the give-away on the Bryan's Grand National re-vamp:- 24d!
Nobody EVER wrote 'two shillings' like that!
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6634
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 54
Location: The Black Country

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by pennymachines »

I believe the Greyhound game you're thinking of was made by Clement & Whales. Some of these may have been conversions from Caille machines but most, if not all, were probably manufactured by Clements. See this thread for more: Caille / Clement & Whales Countertop disc machines
thebentpenny
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2019 8:36 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by thebentpenny »

Hello, I think the Bryans clock conversion is fantastic. Great idea - you have done a brilliant job! I love the paint job. Is it the same fleck that they used on the red Bullion? If so, where did the paint come from?
fruitbowl
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:08 pm
Reaction score: 0
Location: Birmingham

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by fruitbowl »

Hi, it's just standard oil-based red gloss paint, left to dry, then with a stiff brush flick on the black and white paint. A little practice required beforehand.
thebentpenny
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2019 8:36 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by thebentpenny »

Hi, I didn't have a clue as to how you achieved the fleck effect, so thank you for letting me know. I will get some paint and give it a go. As you say, it will be best to practice first. If I can get it to look anything like yours I would be more than happy.
User avatar
arrgee
Posts: 1586
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am
Reaction score: 5
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by arrgee »

Interesting conversion fruitbowl, how about a video of it in action?
perana5000
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:20 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Bryans Grand National

Post by perana5000 »

Looks very nice indeed.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests