Wurlitzer 5250

[Scudie]

Have had this 5250 for a while and initially had hooked up to my test box.

Decided a while back to try to build something more aesthetically pleasing with some integrated speakers, made a start but other things came up so got put on the shelf.

Had bit of spare time since Christmas Day this is what I have come up with so far, still a fair bit to do as want to try and polish the stainless up.

[Randy]

That looks pretty cool.  A nice wallbox to start with as well.  How did you create the metal extension?

Randy

[Scudie]

Hi Randy

As you can see in the 2nd photo the body of the extension box is wooden, a piece of 3/4 ply cut to the shape of the back of the the 5250.

Then glued & screwed pieces around the edge to form the sides using  very basic hand tools & sand paper  shaped the sides &  radius’d the corners, this is where the problems began, later while wrapping the box with the strip of stainless steel it became apparent that my wooden box is far from perfectly symmetrical in shape and the radius of the corners needs to be parallel across the width of the box & my box isn’t. Also by cutting the speaker slots in the .75 mm stainless steel caused the metal to firstly distort and secondly become springy which was a real P.I.T.A as every time I tried to straighten out a distortion in one direction it then when tried around the box would spring  out of shape somewhere else.

I am going to add a metal reject button to the top of the box, also currently looking for a suitable gland fitting either stainless or chrome for the 240v power cord to enter through the lower  side of the box. My intention is to screw the extension to the back of the wallbox using the original wall mount holes.

Have got a lot more polishing to do to try to remove as many of the hammer marks as I can and try to achieve a shiny finish.

Cheers Scudie

 

[Randy]

Nice work Scudie!

So no mention of a credit button, you are going to use the slug rejecter/coin switches? As you know, I prefer that method.

Also, I see you have wired the ear phone jack, this is one of the earlier emulators with audio problems?  Intend to use that emulator or swap to a upgrade?

I see that this box is fitted for U.S. coins, is that common for units in Britain?  I would guess there are versions adapted for Brit coins, which ones are more common/cheaper?

Randy

• This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by Randy.

[Scudie]

Hi Randy

When I got the 5250 it was missing some components, coin box, key & the top right price window glass. Also one of the title strip pages was broken & all of the page springs were missing.

I wasn’t able to find a blue pricing glass for English currency so bought a US one along with a key and coin box from Bill Buterfield in California. I was able to repair the broken page & fitted rubber orthodontist bands to the pages to replace the springs.

So it has a working slug rejector that accepts old English coins both pre decimal and decimal but a pricing glass for US currency.

I was intending on using the modified emulator as I have had it a couple of years & since adding the separate amp the audio is good.

The wallbox’s in general in the UK are much rarer than the US, it wasn’t until a chain of American style diners opened here (Ed’s Easy diners) that I had seen multiple wallbox’s at one site. Ed’s diners closed down two or three years ago now.  I assume that most of the ones that come up for sale on the internet over hear have been imported fairly recently from the US.

As to the price I don’t know if it makes any difference, all the conversions I have done for friends and family  have all asked for them to be free play.

Happy New Year.

Scudie

 

 

[Klaatu]

Well done Scudie !
Of course you notice the default, but can’t see it on photos, you can be proud, that’s neat with the louvers on sides for speakers.

[Randy]

Ahh yes Bill and his Musical Fun For Everyone stockpile.  He has supplied many replacements parts for me as well.  I would be interested to learn how he came by all those parts.

Randy

[Scudie]

The guy I bought my 2100 from has been involved with jukebox’s since the swinging sixties he told me that he has known Bill for many many years,& that untill he became seriously ill a few years ago travelled all over the states buying  machines.

Cheers Scudie

 

• This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by Scudie.

[Scudie]

Hi Folks

The main reason that I have left the Wurlitzer 5250 working on coins as it was intended to be, is because I could not figure out a way of getting several  selections for one press of a coin switch.

I had initially considered mounting a small  momentary push switch behind a coin in the coin aperture as I have done on my 3W1, but due to the design characteristics of the 5250 which uses a credit system that mechanically uses the size and weight of the coin that has been deposited to actuate the credit unit accordingly.

Actuating the single electrical coin switch without a coin sitting on the mechanism that’s directly under the slug rejector achieves just one credit.

So unless anyone can suggest a way to replicate the depositing of a coin that will actuate the credit unit and achieve multiple credits I will leave it on coins.

Cheers Happy New Year

Paul

 

[Randy]

I thought the 5250s had a service switch for free play like my 5220 (at least it is shown in the manual I have for 5250).  Is that not what you are looking for?

Randy

[Scudie]

Hi Randy

Yes it has a service switch but if remember correctly it just turns off the unit.

I can put it into constant freeplay but that was not my aim.

My initial intention was 1 press of the switch to give 5 plays.

Scudie

[Randy]

Ah, I had not tested mine I had just assumed it was the same as on some pinballs so the tech could troubleshoot without having to constantly deposit coins.
Adjusting the number of plays per coin doesn’t help when actuating the single switch?

[Scudie]

Hi Randy

The mechanism that establishes & subtracts credits on the 5250 & 5210 are mechanical and from what I can see in the manual entirely different to that in the later 5220.

Just before the coin fully leaves the slug rejector it drops onto a metal plate, this is on a fulcrum so as the weight of the coin presses down on one end the other end triggers the single coin switch which puts the machine into the credit position, when a selection is made the mechanism moves the plate that the coin is sat on, before the coin falls into the box the mechanism turns a sprung loaded wheel that is then held in place by a ratchet mechanism the amount the wheel is turned is dependant on the value of the coin, the higher the value of the coin the further the wheel is turned, this wheel and its associated mechanism hold the coin switch in its closed position, further selections cause the wheel to return as the ratchet allows until it returns to its home position and the single coin switch is allowed to close.

Cheers Scudie

 

 

[Randy]

Well nuts, might have to go free play in the end.

[Scudie]

I think for  now I will leave it on coin operation, when I have the extension piece finished and secured to the back of the wallbox I am going to check the feasibility/ possibility of wall mounting the whole unit, (I have been advised that it may stand to far from the wall) & depending on how easy or difficult it is to then remove the front cover to empty the coin box will determine if I go free play with it or not.

Still it’s a challenge !

Cheers Scudie

 

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