Make your own reel strips

[cfh]

I have been making my own reel strips lately.
Often the crappy games i buy have bad strips
or are missing. So i have been archiving the reel
strips as i get them. scan them in, clean them
up in photoshop6.

Lately i have been printing them at Office Max.
They are running a sale right now. use their
large format roll printer for $5.99. So you get a
new set of strips on glossy photo paper, and
they look great. the backlite thing isn't quite as
good as original, but it's still pretty good.

If anyone needs a photoshop scan of a williams
model 40x game reel strips, just email me.
I have most of the dotmation slot reel strips
archived, and some of the non-dotmations too.
And if anyone has Piggy Banking reel strips i
can buy or borrow for scan, i would appreciate it.

[toplas]

HI, I CAN HELP YOU OUT. PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR ADDERSS. THANKS DAVE.

[knagl]

That's great information, Clay.  Is their printer wide enough that you get all three strips on one sheet and then just cut them apart?  How do you cut them precisely?

[jay]

We just bought a HP Design Jet at work.

46" wide roll paper. I figure I should be about to get at least 12 strips wide per run.
I will probably have to buy something other than the low cost draft grade paper we have in place now.
to do reel strips.

Anyone have all the IGT reels imaged yet ?

[Brianzz]

Good idea of starting an image library Jay. Any tips on the size and resolution to scan them at?

[a69mopar]

Maybe I'll try out my scanner that I never use.  Does anyone need any specific reel strips?

Thanks,
Wayne

[Brianzz]

I think it may be better to scan individual images as opposed to entire reels, some chips use different reel strips and such

[cfh]

Below is a picture of how i scanned them. i have a large format A3
style scanner so it's easier for me to scan. but they have to be scanned
in two parts and stitched together. I scan at 300 dpi and enhance the
contrast to make the colors "pop". then i clean up all the crap on the
images.

i put a 1 pixel lines down the image (and along the bottom
edge), as this make cutting them a lot easier. i use a straight edge
and a raror blade to cut them. Don't put a line at the top though.
I use an original reel strip as a guide to cut the top edge so i make
sure i get the overall length exactly right. I use a paper cutter for
that cut and the bottom cut.

I save the images in Photoshop6 format, as this is the most 'generic'
high-res format which maintains size components. When you take the
files to a printer they all have this program, it's a generally accepted
standard. Do not use JPG. The only problem is the size of the files
is in the 10meg to 50meg range.

Another question... is Wms or IGT gonna be pissed if we have a
public library of these?

[Brianzz]

better to be pissed off than pissed on I always say

[Slotmaster]

Below is a picture of how i scanned them. i have a large format A3
style scanner so it's easier for me to scan. but they have to be scanned
in two parts and stitched together. I scan at 300 dpi and enhance the
contrast to make the colors "pop". then i clean up all the crap on the
images.

i put a 1 pixel lines down the image (and along the bottom
edge), as this make cutting them a lot easier. i use a straight edge
and a raror blade to cut them. Don't put a line at the top though.
I use an original reel strip as a guide to cut the top edge so i make
sure i get the overall length exactly right. I use a paper cutter for
that cut and the bottom cut.

I save the images in Photoshop6 format, as this is the most 'generic'
high-res format which maintains size components. When you take the
files to a printer they all have this program, it's a generally accepted
standard. Do not use JPG. The only problem is the size of the files
is in the 10meg to 50meg range.

Another question... is Wms or IGT gonna be pissed if we have a
public library of these?

Just from being around the slot ind. a few years the short answer should be that it's not a problem.  They have not supported the 4xx series for years and the game have no casino life at the current time since they do not support TITO.     

my 2cents

[cfh]

why did they go after Express Imaging then when they were
repro'ing the top and belly glasses for dotmations recently?

[idesign]

why did they go after Express Imaging then when they were
repro'ing the top and belly glasses?

Copyright Infringement

We aren't going to keep any of those images on NLG either.

[cfh]

Not asking to keep them here. But if they don't support model 40x
machines, why are they so worried about reproductions by others?
I mean if these machines are not TITO compatible, why is it a problem?
just trying to understand the thinking...

[uniman]

Just my thoughts;

1. Corporate lawyers just need something to do.
2. If a corporation begins to ignore obvious copywrite infringements for whatever reason, (in this case, obsolete items) then they feel vulnerable to infringements on all of their products including the items they are making money on now. In other words, it is all or nothing. Can't just selectively enforce.

[PWRSTROKE]

Well, as a small reply to cfh's orginal post about often getting crappy games/strips etc. .  I know where you got 21 of them from.  some complete and most in-complete and you got one hell of a deal and bought them from a really good man.  Wish I would have known about the deal.  Heck you out-right stold them!!.  When I found that out I see why your interest peeked here a while back such as what themes etc. do you think are the best etc. etc..  I also was notified you got your monopoly stuff you needed.  Guess that is why you did not call me back?.  No problem I sold mine as well.  As in another post I made here this evening I still cannot blame a person for looking for a basement-bargin.  Those strips you want are out there and probably my guess is you do not like the prices- Just my 2-cents.  Thanks Barry.

[cfh]

I never did get the Monopoly stuff. It's the firmware that i really
need (monopoly advance to boardwalk). I have the reel strips.
I can make the upper and lower glass. but that is all meaningless
unless I can find the ROMs to run it all. I had a $100 reward out
for the ROMs or info leading to them.

I'm sorry we couldn't get together on the parts. Just very
busy time of year for me, and the phone calls always came at
exactly the wrong time when i had 4 things juggling!

On the 21 games, i wouldn't call it a great deal. With
the shipping it made things a lot more expensive. Also there's
only enough parts for 9 games (not including glass). now if seller
comes through with more parts that would be great. but right
now it's not really 21 machines, it's 9. and that's a lot of money
to spend for glass-less, reelstrip-less, non-working parts games.
And to boot most of this stuff is what i would call, "stuff i couldn't
fix easily so now it's your problem."  Meaning the issues with the
games are strange and not easy fixes. At least that's been
the case so far.

[PWRSTROKE]

Well Clay i still think you got a good deal and you are down-playing it- .   You got all that stuff for what -say about 2 mint condition games of that nature goes for WITH shipping -here's a rough guess on your shipping to your area 4-1/2 pallets from and to your area -aprox 1100.00.   You have to admit it seems to me you have a LOT to work with! .  Shoot I would have bought them for that even if I did have to put them back to their glory.  (21 games/shells etc.-yea).  I have no beef with you but envy you on your buy.  I can never find a good deal it seems not here or e-bay.  I get out-bid on everything as I guess I am not quick enough in my old-age- .  I would have better luck buying one of those "used" blow-up sex dolls on e-bay with a " buy it now" then maybey I could get some satisfaction out of a purchase/buy by getting my " rocks" off!!!!!----   Thanks B.

[Slotmaster]

My take on EI was the issue from WMS had nothing to do with the old stuff, but the newer NXT / BB stuff.   They got a letter and just said they don't do WMS anymore.       Was more overhead then it was worth etc.

EI is not the only game in town that makes WMS glass. 

[cfh]

You got all that stuff for what -say about 2 mint condition games of that nature goes for WITH shipping

mechanical reel wms model 400 machines sell for $300 to $600 where
i live. so i think you're off the mark here. There were no dotmation
parts (no Dot controllers for example, 3 working dot screens).   so basically
i bought a big load of parts. enough complete glass (upper and belly) for
about 4 or 5 games, and some of that non-descript titles.
to really make this work i need a bunch of 16 and 9" glass/reel kits. and
some more boards and power supplies and hoppers. then i can turn this
stuff into something.  There's a lot of work ahead.

This load of glass-less games is the key reason i started this thread
about making reel strips. Because i need a bunch of reel strips for
these games. And upper and lower glass. Maybe i'll start another
thread on how i'm handling repro'ing upper and belly glass.

[PWRSTROKE]

Clay,   I will take your word for that as you have the stuff and are looking at it.  I still think in the long haul you will be ok with that deal.  I am sure a few  here have some of the stuff you need. 

[a69mopar]

You are also gaining knowledge and experience that you likely wouldn't have if you bought the shopped out machines.  I always enjoy tinkering with things, it gives me a feeling of satisfaction especially when I fix something that someone else couldn't.

I may be emailing you regarding images.

Thanks,
Wayne

[cfh]

Clay,   I will take your word for that as you have the stuff and are looking at it.  I still think in the long haul you will be ok with that deal.  I am sure a few  here have some of the stuff you need. 

Well if anyone needs 'generic' model 400 slots, let me know.
i can provide them parts complete and working with no upper/lower
glass an no reel strips for a nice price (in 16" format with dbv145
upgraded to latest software). if you want a particular title
i can do the following in 9" format for additional money,
plug and play:

reel em in
high speed
shootin stars
short circuit
jackpot stampede*

* IF i can find an upper glass to repro!
Does anyone have a 9", 16" or RT upper
JP Stampede (non-dot) glass for sale???

[PWRSTROKE]

It looks to me as if you are already doing ok with some of your games.  I have seen the stampede top glass off and on at numerous sites.  It is quite common in any type top.  Sure that will pop up here if it hasn't already as well as some of the reel strips you are wanting.  Just have to shell out a few  .   Have a merry X-mas -B.

[JRR4]

I just returned from Biloxi and saw the WMS semi transparent reel strips for the first time.  They look to be printed on milky white translucent mylar.  I dunno if they are a new thing or not but I like the look.  Has anyone tried to print those and what medium would you use?