Quoted from Electrocute:Coin door keys are left in the coin door. Backbox keys are left inside coin door.
+1
All of my games have their keys with their corresponding key fob, in the coin door at all times.
Quoted from Electrocute:Coin door keys are left in the coin door. Backbox keys are left inside coin door.
This. Would be a PIA to figure which go to what..
Quoted from TKDalumni:This. Would be a PIA to figure which go to what..
That's either sarcasm or I'm miss understood
3M command hook on the back side of the cabinet on each game. I know where they are and they won't get snapped off if they were left in the lock.
Quoted from Electrocute:That's either sarcasm or I'm miss understood
I believe TK meant above picture would be a pain in the ass and that "this" being the coin door key in coin door is what they do.
Quoted from MRudowsky:3M command hook on the back side of the cabinet on each game. I know where they are and they won't get snapped off if they were left in the lock.
That's a good idea, little ones are often about and I can see that happening!
I keep 'em in a wooden box on a shelf near the games. I don't like to have them in the coin door because I'm afraid I'll bend one with my leg. And if the key is a bit further away I'm more motivated to go for a replay. My box of coins is easier to get to than the keys. The laundry area is in the next room.
I've thought about getting combination locks. Anyone tried that? Marco is always sold out but I've seen them on Amazon.
Quoted from PopBumperPete:all my games have the same lock
one key rules them all
Same for me. Life is much easier. 1 key in my back pocket.
Quoted from dsuperbee:All keys inside the games. I switched to thumb locks long ago
Yep , keys & locks are in the coinbox on all my games
Keys always left in the coin door lock for both that lock and the backbox. A second set of both keys is kept in my workshop for all the games incase the other keys come up missing. Two totally separate sets for the same game. I always think leaving the backbox key locked inside the game is silly but that's just me.
John
All machines keyed the same. Keys kept in liquor cabinet. Years ago I had keys taped to the top of my arcade machine and one of the kids friends took them. Lesson learned.
I buy keyed alike locks so all games use the same key. New game comes in it gets a new lock. Old lock is kept if the game ever gets sold. One key hangs on a hook in the gameroom. Backbox keys hang on a hook behind the respective game's coin door.
Quoted from MRudowsky:3M command hook on the back side of the cabinet on each game. I know where they are and they won't get snapped off if they were left in the lock.
I put my hooks on the back side of the front left leg.
I have all mine on a key ring and have memorized which keys go to which machines. ID/color/and double bitted or not help narrow it down.
Quoted from Electrocute:Coin door keys are left in the coin door. Backbox keys are left inside coin door.
Never felt comfortable doing this. With guests over, I'd hate to have somebody getting hurt by opening the door or even worse... pocketing a key. (Little guests, obviously) With all machines from like the 60's to the 2010's having the power switch right there, it is a "real" threat.
Quoted from dontfeed:I put my hooks on the back side of the front left leg.
I do the exact same thing, easy to get to, but hidden from the hobbits in the house...
I keep my keys hidden in a sock under the bedroom mattress. I then use those to access my secret stash of money I have hidden inside the back box.
I use a small inexpensive key rack that I picked up on Amazon to store my pinball machine keys. I installed the key rack in a closet in my game room.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001J8C8L6/ref=od_aui_detailpages00
Gord
Quoted from Electrocute:Coin door keys are left in the coin door. Backbox keys are left inside coin door.
I leave the backbox keys inside the coin door, but I quit leaving the coin door keys in the lock. Nothing worse than having an epic game going and having coils disabled because you hit the lock with your knee and the door opened......instant drain.
Quoted from GRB1959:I use a small inexpensive key rack that I picked up on Amazon to store my pinball machine keys. I installed the key rack in a closet in my game room.
amazon.com link »
Gord
Gord, you have 14 keys on your key rack, and 12 games listed in your collection. I see you used to have TZ in your collection and a key for it (presumably picture taken before you sold). Which other key no longer belongs?
Quoted from Manimal:I leave the backbox keys inside the coin door, but I quit leaving the coin door keys in the lock. Nothing worse than having an epic game going and having coils disabled because you hit the lock with your knee and the door opened......instant drain.
Bend the tab of the lock a little bit so that it still stays shut.
John
Right at the bottom of the basment stairs. In a locked box. The combination is 3-44-21. Also, the combination to disable my house alarm is 4-65-8. Have fun!
Quoted from KozMckPinball:Right at the bottom of the basment stairs. In a locked box. The combination is 3-44-21. Also, the combination to disable my house alarm is 4-65-8. Have fun!
Combination, we don't need no stinking combination. A address would be good though.
Quoted from Dayhuff:Bend the tab of the lock a little bit so that it still stays shut.
John
I've done that, and I've still opened the door, or worse yet, broken the key off in the lock.
Quoted from Travish:Combination, we don't need no stinking combination. A address would be good though.
63 We have A Doberman On Alert Road.
Quoted from mittens:Gord, you have 14 keys on your key rack, and 12 games listed in your collection. I see you used to have TZ in your collection and a key for it (presumably picture taken before you sold). Which other key no longer belongs?
Hi Mittens,
Slot 1 (AFM keychain) are the keys for my Super Chexx bubble hockey game and slot 2 (SS keychain) contains keys for my candy machines and vintage Pepsi Slider machine.
I still have my TZ as it was my first pinball machine. The only machine ever to leave my collection was a TAF. Good catch though.
Gord
I used to be a Letter Carrier for the USPS. Temp. Regular on vacation stand-in. They would give you a morass of keys like those pictured, and send you on your way with a good luck! Oh yeah, we allotted to you the same exact amount of time the regular guy takes to do the route.
I keep both of my sets of keys in a mug near the games. Out of sight, but easy to get to if I need them.
Anybody have a preference of the type of key they use? My TAF has a barrel style lock and key and feels WAY more solid and well built than the normal key for my TZ. That thing feels like it's going to break at any moment; hard to insert, hard to turn, etc.
I have magnetic key boxes on each game with the games keys in the boxes. That way they're available if needed but not TOO accessible either. I don't like to have the keys in the coin doors 1 because little fingers are attracted to them and they could end up missing this is also the reason I don't care for the thumb lock ones...makes it too easy for curious kiddos (or anyone else that doesn't need to be messing around inside my games) to open coin doors and get into them...there are too many electrical hook ups and the speaker and transformer are not that far from the coin door, kiddos could get a good shock then we would have mad parents blaming us for their kids getting hurt. and 2 They tend to hurt if you are playing and bump knees into them, not to mention that they can get broken off in the lock and 3 I take my games to shows also why I don't do thumb locks...I'm not swapping for a real lock everytime I take my game to a show so they get put in the storage box so if we need them we got them but they're not in the coin door for everyone at the show to help themselves!
Phoebe
Quoted from moto_cat:Yep , keys & locks are in the coinbox on all my games
I'm kinda leaning towards "thumb locks". Thanks Moto, like the idea
Keyed alike is the way to go. I don't want some giant janitor-style keyring or a huge wall of key hooks like an off-the-beaten-path motel. You don't have to fumble for the right set of keys if they all match :p
I have all my pinball/arcade machines keys on key-chains. They are cheap plastic ones that have a color printed photo of the pinball backglass on it. I have them all hooked on a board that has Asteroids Deluxe side art on it (I removed the art off of an Asteroids Deluxe cabinet and replaced it with new Phoenix Arcade side art) I used the old Asteroids Deluxe art to cover a piece of hardboard for holding all my keys. The board looks great and I can find all my keys quickly. The board is placed behind my bar for easy access.
And of course, I have one "Master" key that fits all of my machines.
Keyless locks (thumb locks as pictured above) are the way to go in the home environment. There is no need to have locks. No worries about losing keys.
Mine all have the same lock, for $3 each, I am not sure why anyone would try to keep track. I switch back to the originals when I sell the game. Keep on set of keys on the gumball machine and one key on my car keys
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