(Topic ID: 151585)

Gottlieb Score Reel Brackets

By Model237

8 years ago


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  • 42 posts
  • 12 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by cadmium
  • Topic is favorited by 4 Pinsiders

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#29 8 years ago

Amazing how you find a thread just as you need one. I just received email from Pinball Resource about this very topic - I need 16 new reel guides for a machine I'm restoring, which also happens to be a Big Top. They don't have them.

The originals are effectively dust; I don't have a single guide that's fully intact. If I did, I was going to try casting some using molding materials from Smooth-On, but the kit that would do what I need is going to cost about $70. Kind of steep for making a handful of card guides.

The problem with using the Newark guides is that in the middle mounting plate, you've got guides attached to both the top and the bottom and the guides mount with a stud that fits in the hole. It's not possible for both the top and bottom rails to mount in the same hole, so you'll have to offset one of them slightly.

After checking the item at Digikey that Model237 mentioned (PCG-4A-48), I found this, which looks like a very close approximation of the original Gottlieb part:

http://us.essentracomponents.com/en-US/pcb-electronics-hardware/card-guides-pullers/card-guides/horizontal-card-guides/horizontal-card-guides-adhesiveno-mount/pcg-3a-48

It's adhesive mounted, and has an offset mount like the original part. It comes in 4 foot pieces, so it will have to be cut down.

The problem is that hardly anyone keeps that part (Richco/Essentra PCG-3A-48) in stock, and many that do have ridiculous minimum order requirements. Allied Electronics told me I'd have to order 1000 of them.

Bisco (Biscoind.com) stocks them, but they've got a $25 minimum order. Plus shipping. Plus handling. I needed two four foot units that retail for $4.38 each, and ended up having to spend $37 to get them. I bought some, and if they work out, I'll post the results.

PBR really needs to reproduce these...

Charlie

richco_pcg-3a-48_(resized).jpgrichco_pcg-3a-48_(resized).jpg

#32 8 years ago

On this machine, the Player One score reels are directly above the Player Two reels. The lower rails for Player One mount in the same mounting plate as the upper reels for Player Two. The upper and lower rails were attached to that plate using common holes - one set of rivets were used to attach both the upper and lower rails. That works fine with rivets or screws, but not for rails that have pins. Once you mount a bracket that uses pins on the top side of the bracket, the holes will be filled...with pins. That means that there are no longer available mounting holes on the bottom, because the holes have pins sticking out of them.

The PCG-3A-48 should allow mounting with screws (or rivets, if you're particular) using the original mounting holes. Or adhesive, if you want to go that route.

Due to an odd combination of stupidity and good fortune, I'm going to have 32 feet of this stuff coming in the next week. I need about 6 feet of that for my own uses, so there will be a lot of extras.

I will receive them. I will check them out. I will see how well they suit my/our needs. If they work out, and I expect that they will, I will report back here and I'll gladly make the extras available to those who need them.

Stay tuned.

Charlie

4 weeks later
#35 7 years ago

Sorry for the delay; I've been down with the flu and it has turned into pneumonia.

The rails from Essenta (PCG-3A-48) make an acceptable substitute, and they are self-adhesive. In my case, I went ahead and drilled them out and used #4 nuts/bolts to secure them further, as I'm not sure how the adhesive will hold up over time.

The rail channel isn't quite as tall as the original, so drilling holes for the hitch pins is a bit tricky. Still, I haven't found a better substitute.

I had a few extra pieces, but a couple of other members here bought what I had, so I don't have any more spares.

You can purchase them from Bisco.com, though you'll have to buy a minimum of 6 four-foot pieces. That ran me about $37, shipped.

I cut them into 4" sections; photo attached.

Charlie

essentra_guide_rails_(resized).jpgessentra_guide_rails_(resized).jpg

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