restoring a little duke

[aviator300]

Hi new to this forum but i have a little duke i want to restore myself and have a couple of questions 1. stain color of the cabinet 2. paint to use for the face I do have the orginal color and scheme just need to know what kind and manufacture. where can i get it. do i polish the face. I need the rubber stoppers for the arm on the inside of the machine are they available or do i make them myself? Is there a service manual for this machine. Thanks for your help Ron

[SLOT DYNASTY]

Hi Ron:
First of all, welcome to our Forum.
As for your "Little Duke" restoration, my suggestions may be different from others, and hopefully your machine is in good condition
to begin with. As for the wood case, I have been using "MINWAX" products more than others, for many years, with excellent results.
If you can work with the original patina of the finish, first clean all dirt & grime, then just lightly sand with a 600 or finer grit paper,
then spray on a coat of satin finish polyurethane. If refinishing is required, I like the American Walnut stain best, on this machine.
With the front casting, after washing it down with soap & water, lightly sand, as needed, before buffing the highlights. As for paint,
I prefer "1SHOT" Lettering Enamels, that has excellent results. The closest color choices for the Little Duke, are the following:
132-L Lemon Yellow
124-L Orange (which is slightly darker than orig.) Other option is 724-G Orange (which is a tad closer).
104-L Bright Red
144-L Medium Green
199-L Black
The 'L' numbers are the Lettering Enamels, and the 'G' numbers are the Gloss Enamels. It is probably best to call C.P.F., makers of
1Shot coatings, in Gary, IN at (219) 949-1684, to find out who might carry their products in your area.

There are some later models, that had blue painted areas. Also, the lower right area, where the patent # is, was painted black on
most early models, but there are some that were painted blue as well, and I am not sure which serial range had that color.
It is also best to not overdo. I've seen many Little Dukes over-restored. Meaning a wood finish, that you can comb your hair in, and
too highly polished or plated castings. The only items that should be plated, are the coin head, handle, bushing, bolt, and award card
frame. They should be plated in Watts Nickel, not Chrome.
Because of the different models, perhaps it's best if you can send me pix of your machine, so that I am sure of giving you the correct
color scheme, as above. You can send pix to: (slotdynasty@sbcglobal.net). In the meantime, I will check to see who might have the
rubber bumpers, and the service manual.
All the best with your restoration, Bill

[terick2104]

Weren't the coin head, handle and handle hub originally nickel or chrome and not Watts nickel?