Three Star project machine

[angrypoet]

Greetings! I'm new here and I recently purchased a Three Star machine from a garage sale for $5. I couldn't pass it up, in spite of it's poor condition. I'm good at tinkering and can fabricate just about anything I need, so I see it as a challenge.

The game board is in great shape, the window frame is heavily rusted and needs to be replaced. The plastic trim that was chromed is corroded, and needs filler and a paint job. The cabinet is loose, so I may build a new one, but all this is ONLY IF i can get the "machine" working.

The back side is missing a large cover piece, and I suspect a couple of parts inside that. Also in the lower left corner of the back, there is something missing - just a couple of rods hanging. The wiring is gone, but the switches are in place. I'm not sure what the second switch does or where that light should be placed.

Does anyone have pictures of the inside of a Three Star you could send me so I can see the pieces I need to make? Any help would be very appreciated. I realize I should probably turn this thing into artwork, but the challenge is half the fun.

Thanks, Jack

[Chris]

Welcome angrypoet and nice machine for $5. I hope you get it working.

[dattia]

Welcome to PachiTalk... that is one nice looking pachinko, it would look amazing if you were to restore it. There are several members here that have done restorations and I'm sure they will be more than helpful.

[fhagar]

Welcome to PachiTalk, angrypoet. If you already have your first machine and have found this place, you're well on your way to the addiction. Don't fight it. Enjoy.

[hanabi]

to PachiTalk Angrypoet!!


Nice Project you have there!!

[dishpan]

This is the only "Three Star" rear photo that I could come up with. Don't know if it will help.

[angrypoet]

Thanks, everyone! I feel so welcome. The picture helps. There is a rubber tipped plunger in the lower left corner that looks like it tips a gateway-thingy up to allow a ball into it. Any idea what's supposed to push the plunger?
Jack

[DrDark]

I bet if you blow the dust out and wipe the rear ball channels then fill her up with balls it will work.
Do you have balls to try it out with?

[angrypoet]

It did come with about 100 engraved balls. They have a very small bit of rust, but I'll try polishing them up. I read in a post here on Pachitalk to tumble them in a can with a rag that has a little silicone. Would it hurt to tumble them with some glass powder (like for sand blasting)? I have some of that, but wouldn't want to take away the nice shiny finish.

The game shoots fine, the balls seem to follow gravity very well, through the pins until they find passage to the back of the machine where they pop out onto the floor. I've tried feeding a few balls into various places - the tulips, the jackpot target, the jackpot tray, and things seem to work individually. The trick will be getting the balls from where they fall out the back, to where they should go.

Dishpan, I blew up your picture and printed it 8.5x11. It looks like I'm missing several pieces. I notice you also have the little plunger thing (appears as a white button in the picture). Maybe it's some kind of a manual reset button for something. (?)

Thanks for all the great help so far.

[dishpan]

This site is a gold mine of information for vintage pachinko setup, play and repair.

http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed...gart/pachinko/

[mrdo]

This is what I did for that chrome trim and rustred meatl on my pachinko. Take some aluminum foil, wad it up, stick it in some wter, and gently rub the chrome or metal. wipe off with dry rag.

[angrypoet]

I finally spent some time last night with the machine. I set it up on my work stand and started dropping balls into the pockets, and studying how it works.

I found a ball jammed inside the cover, alongside the long vertical rod that runs up the right side of the machine, connecting the jackpot mechanism with the won balls lever below. After some poking and rotating and shaking it came loose and Whoopy! the jackpot started working.

Just for grins, I clamped some cardboard pieces over the places where the covers are missing and played a while. I'm beginning to see how pachinko machines are so addictive.

I also took good look at my balls, after reading the past posts in this forum area. It looks like I have several different marks on them. The most interesting has a train that wraps around the ball. Kinda cool, I thought.

Thanks to all of you who freely give out advice - it gives us newbys the courage to dig in.

[hanabi]

Glad to hear you are enjoying figuring out your Pachinko!!

Pachinko 's

[angrypoet]

I'm missing:
1) the dump chute from the jackpot tray to the bottom of the machine
2) The cover over the jackpot mechanism
3) The cover over the back center (covers the ball path)
4) The hook and the arm that pulls it up to reset the seesaw. The whole thing is gone, but i should be able to make one that will work. (I discovered this by watching the seesaw video on "Dan's Pachinko Page".)
5) The inside cover on the lower front door.

There might be more pieces, but so far there are no show-stoppers. A friend from work brought in his 1972 Nishijin Super Deluxe so I can study it and take measurements. Cool.

I'm still happy with my $5.