Restoring a Vintage Slot Machine Cabinet

Antique slot machines are some of the most handsome mechanical objects of the early twentieth century. Ornate cast-metal fronts, oak cabinets, chrome handles and clockwork mechanisms that whir and clunk when the lever is pulled. To collectors they are what an old motorcycle is to a mechanic: something to strip, clean, repair and bring back to life.

A short history

The classic three-reel machine is usually credited to Charles Fey, a mechanic in San Francisco, whose Liberty Bell appeared around the end of the 1890s. Its success led to many imitators, and by the 1930s companies in Chicago and elsewhere were producing machines with elaborate cast fronts in aluminium and other metals. Those pre-war and post-war mechanical machines are the ones collectors chase today.

The cabinet

• Wood: most cabinets are oak or similar hardwood. Strip old finishes carefully, repair splits with glue rather than filler, and refinish to match the period.
• Castings: fronts are often repainted in original colour schemes. Good restorers photograph every detail before stripping.
• Glass and reel strips: reproduction reel strips and award cards are widely available; original ones add value.
• Hardware: handles, locks and coin entries are re-plated or polished.

The mechanism

Mechanical slots are clockwork at heart: springs, a timing escapement, reels and a payout slide. Restoration means cleaning decades of grime, replacing tired springs, adjusting the timing and lightly oiling the right points. It is fiddly work best done slowly, with every step photographed.

Before you buy

Rules on owning antique slot machines differ from state to state in the US, and between countries. Many places allow machines above a certain age for display or private use; some do not. Check where you live before buying. Then look for complete castings, an original or well-matched cabinet and a working mechanism, because missing parts can be hard to find.

A cousin of upcycled furniture

Restored slots sit happily beside other characterful objects: a leather club chair, a jukebox, an oddity like a casket sofa. Our feature on upcycled furniture looks at that crowd. A machine like this is less about the jackpot than the craftsmanship: the weight of the lever, the clatter of the reels and the glow of old oak.