Mills extraordinary project done.

[oldslotman]

This was a tabletop machine that someone built a cabinet for. It is not a cabinet that would have come from Mills but based on the construction it looks like is was made sometime ago. It was beat up pretty good and originally painted first a pink color and then a brown color. I put new wood veneer on the front and side panels and stained the whole cabinet. Someone had put a 2/5 payout reel bundle in the machine which I changed back to a 3/5 as it should be.

[JPCass]

Very nice. That looks like a somewhat later version of the two-half casting, with the jackpot reserve hidden and a minor change to the center top section (the horizontal bar that goes just partway across under the vertical lines, asymmetrically). Did it come with the square 10c badge, which is a departure from the round 5c badge with stars?

And what did you do for an eagle plate? That's not a repainted etched one, is it? Or did you find new old stock of the silkscreened repros?




JP

[oldslotman]

The square 10 cent badge was on it. Don't know if it is original or not. The eagle I believe is a old silk screen repo. I don't think anyone is making them anymore. Most likely not a big demand for them anymore. Have to take what you can get. Picked it up from Squires.

[doc]

Another great looking restoration. Congrats!

Steven

[oldslotman]

Another great looking restoration. Congrats!

Steven

I wouldn't really want to call this a restoration, since it was never offered or sold this way. It's a project that someone put together back then. I thought about just keeping the machine without the wood cabinet, but then what would I do with the cabinet so I decided to fix up the cabinet and use it. More along the lines of a fixer up than a restoration. At least the machine is alive and well though not truly original.

[Midcoast Vintage]

LOOKS GREAT!

[Chkita]

The Cabinet looks outstanding. Where did you get you Wood Veneer? I have Two Cabinets that is in bad need of New Veneer, but I've had no luck finding it locally. I've just kinda been pushing them back and using Solid Wood Cabinets, but now I'm out of those. Can you tell me a bit about the process? Was it preglued, like with a peel and stick on the back, or did you use wood glue? About how thick is it and what did you use to cut it with? Sorry for all the questions, but I've yet to mess with any Veneer.

Thanks, Vance

[oldslotman]

I purchased a 4 x 8 sheet of maple veneer. It is paper backed and I used contact cement. Much the same process as doing laminate. Did the trimming with a razor blade and hobby knife and sandpaper. I bought the veneer on line, but I cannot remember the company. It was done thru Amazon. I think it was Cabinet Hardware Etc. in Hebron Ky. but I'm not sure. The cost was about $75.00 plus shipping. They have many different woods at different cost. I believe oak is the cheapest.