
Starting up my own business.
Moderator: Moderators
Got another crazy project on the go!
It's a fortune telling machine believe it or not. Very 'Thunderbirds'. Was
once a feature at Scarborough Fairground during the 70's.
Took a bit of a risk on this one as I bought it as 'non working'. Not only that but it was full of electrickery which I know nothing about.
However, one MMA member (who may make himself known) has taken up the challenge. And I can confirm that although he likens it to 'the work of the Devil' has made significant progress
It's a fortune telling machine believe it or not. Very 'Thunderbirds'. Was
once a feature at Scarborough Fairground during the 70's.
Took a bit of a risk on this one as I bought it as 'non working'. Not only that but it was full of electrickery which I know nothing about.
However, one MMA member (who may make himself known) has taken up the challenge. And I can confirm that although he likens it to 'the work of the Devil' has made significant progress

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"Nah!"
- autofetish
- Posts: 5599
- Joined: Sat May 21, 11 6:43 am
Thats gonna be an impressive bit of kit when it's working Jem! Seeing something that size in a fairground you'd half expect some unlucky carny kid to be inside working it
I wonder whether the mystery member who's fixing that would fancy a go at fixing a 50's Wurlitzer for a mate of mine?

I wonder whether the mystery member who's fixing that would fancy a go at fixing a 50's Wurlitzer for a mate of mine?
No-one will believe you...
- Cannonball
- Posts: 17242
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 04 11:26 pm
- Location: crewe, cheshire
- Contact:
that will sell somewhere would look cool in a modernist house thats got some big rooms right good talking point along with a raleigh chopper hung on the wall........
www.dwatts80.fsnet.co.uk
WATTS RACING TRANSMISSIONS, CLOBBER THE COMPETITION ITS CLOBBERIN TIME
OFTEN OUTNUMBERED NEVER OUTGUNNED,
HEY WHATS THE TOP END ON THAT SUPERSPORTS. UNLIMITED,
I HAVE A NVQW
LIFE GOES PRETTY FAST, IF YOU DONT LOOK ROUND A WHILE YOU MAY JUST MISS IT,
THE PASS IS THE JUICE,
LOVED BY FEW,
HATED BY MANY
RESPECTED BY ALL
WATTS RACING TRANSMISSIONS, CLOBBER THE COMPETITION ITS CLOBBERIN TIME
OFTEN OUTNUMBERED NEVER OUTGUNNED,
HEY WHATS THE TOP END ON THAT SUPERSPORTS. UNLIMITED,
I HAVE A NVQW
LIFE GOES PRETTY FAST, IF YOU DONT LOOK ROUND A WHILE YOU MAY JUST MISS IT,
THE PASS IS THE JUICE,
LOVED BY FEW,
HATED BY MANY
RESPECTED BY ALL
Its a massive and evil thing... 
take ye hand off
a robust box full of sharp cogs, siezed motors and stuff to cause interferance on ya telly.
They used one at the end of the new oceans 11 to put out all electrical appliances in vegas
basically has a draw that you put a sample in.
I belive its supposed to be of your handwriting
haven't tried submitting anything else just yet
you set your star sign using the knob on the front
adjust the offensivness of the noise it makes with the knobs
it squeals at you
the lights in some places light up
the tapes spin
the guages wiggle
and the pen holder on the left side moves and draws on a slip of paper like a heart monitor or seismograph.
no coin slot so i guess it was, Just-for-fun
the mother board was burnt due combustion of a few key components.
quick trip to see mr Maplin and a bit of drilling and they were replaced
luckiliy the 40 odd wires to the board are all nicely labeled
the fuses were all blown
the fuse holder was adrift from the board
all now back in place
not gonna get much done for the rest of this week as My wife is away on buisness and i can't risk busting it or my car by moving it on my own so will concentrate again on JohnS' circuit (at least i can sit in doors to do his
) but his takes more concentration so i like a good run at it.
next steps
take out all 50 odd bulbs
sort into 2 piles
good and bad
replace either bulbs or complete lights on the front.
the main unit lights won't come on
both side units work about 50% of the lights
will be stuck if the lights don't come on due to missing parts as no indciation what they were or what they did, much of the stuff is industrial intrumentation
i.e I need to find something to stick into the hole in the front where another guage or some such sat. that will be the hard bit, lets hope it was not something that triggers the full light show.
all good fun
i'll have a crack at fixing anything but keep in mind that my electronics knowhow is more common sense and learning from my own mistakes (i once shorted out my watch and it burnt through the strap) than any great knowledge or skill
i'm not taking anything else on just yet until i get JohnS Sun tach trigger finsihed and we prove one way or another that i can or can't be trusted to fix stuff
but a 50s Jukebox will be busted due to dried out capacitors, (easy swap) busted valves (pull out and plug in new) or a mechanical malady rather than much else.
they usually die due to being switched on with the volume up and the speaker wire getting pulled out. thats a 50s and 60s guitar amp killer as well.
valve amps do not like NO speaker, the exact reverse of the way transistoir amps don't like being shorted out.
fizzle pop silence
will have a crack later at that if he wants
Dave

take ye hand off
a robust box full of sharp cogs, siezed motors and stuff to cause interferance on ya telly.
They used one at the end of the new oceans 11 to put out all electrical appliances in vegas
basically has a draw that you put a sample in.
I belive its supposed to be of your handwriting

you set your star sign using the knob on the front
adjust the offensivness of the noise it makes with the knobs
it squeals at you
the lights in some places light up
the tapes spin
the guages wiggle
and the pen holder on the left side moves and draws on a slip of paper like a heart monitor or seismograph.
no coin slot so i guess it was, Just-for-fun
the mother board was burnt due combustion of a few key components.
quick trip to see mr Maplin and a bit of drilling and they were replaced
luckiliy the 40 odd wires to the board are all nicely labeled
the fuses were all blown
the fuse holder was adrift from the board
all now back in place
not gonna get much done for the rest of this week as My wife is away on buisness and i can't risk busting it or my car by moving it on my own so will concentrate again on JohnS' circuit (at least i can sit in doors to do his

next steps
take out all 50 odd bulbs
sort into 2 piles
good and bad
replace either bulbs or complete lights on the front.
the main unit lights won't come on
both side units work about 50% of the lights
will be stuck if the lights don't come on due to missing parts as no indciation what they were or what they did, much of the stuff is industrial intrumentation
i.e I need to find something to stick into the hole in the front where another guage or some such sat. that will be the hard bit, lets hope it was not something that triggers the full light show.
all good fun
i'll have a crack at fixing anything but keep in mind that my electronics knowhow is more common sense and learning from my own mistakes (i once shorted out my watch and it burnt through the strap) than any great knowledge or skill
i'm not taking anything else on just yet until i get JohnS Sun tach trigger finsihed and we prove one way or another that i can or can't be trusted to fix stuff

but a 50s Jukebox will be busted due to dried out capacitors, (easy swap) busted valves (pull out and plug in new) or a mechanical malady rather than much else.
they usually die due to being switched on with the volume up and the speaker wire getting pulled out. thats a 50s and 60s guitar amp killer as well.
valve amps do not like NO speaker, the exact reverse of the way transistoir amps don't like being shorted out.
fizzle pop silence
will have a crack later at that if he wants
Dave
The Greater Knapweed near the Mugwort by the Buckthorn tree is dying
- Don
- Posts: 1844
- Joined: Mon May 09, 11 8:06 am
- Location: DONNY SCOTT IN LANCING, ON THE SUNNY WEST SUSSEX COAST
Hey Gem, was looking at your thread of things you like to re-condition. I just got an email from a bankruptcy company i deal with, as i buy a few vans from them, and there was a couple of things i thought you may be interested in, just under the van pictures. I dont know how to add the link but you could just click on "Gloucester Salerooms (Brighton) Ltd". They are based only 200 yards from me so could go and have a look if it helps. Cheers, Don
......9 SECOND SUPERBIRD .......