question on making custom reels/ glass panels

[athomegambler]

Hi  dont know if this is the right area to post my question/idea but saw a guys slot machine where he had made a football theme by making the reels with footballs and other related items and then had the glass done up like a football field and other items from his team,,,,  got me thinking i am a big nascar fan,,, sooo  why not make a race theme     like having different cars and or race numbers on the reels or other related items,,,   then have top glass done up like daytona race track and or bottom one with your favorite driver car or number or anything else that would go along with the nascar  idea,,,,,   now my question,,,, how to  and would anyone have any idea where would i get this done,,, would it be like slikscreen on the glass  or would it be a hand painted or would thier be any way to do a photo transfer to glass and still be able to get the light to show thru it?  i would really like to try this,,,, next would i be correct in my thinking that as long as you  made the payout glass symbols match up to the game glass you had to start with , and of course keeping the same idea on the symbols used on the reels,,,,,         if i am missing something please jump in and tell me as i am new to the slot machine thing,,,   just got a old bally 5000plus working and want to use it for the change ....   let me know if anyone has tried something like this,,,,   if so post some photos and info        thanks

[CVslots]

There have been multiple discussion on this....maybe try a search at the top of the page "Custom slot glass". It's simple enough to do, in theory...local sign shops can usually do most of what you need, as will a Kinkos, for the strips. Many have done it in the past, a few have got busted for copyright issues, so don't try to mass produce or sell any. Doing one for your home is one thing, making them to sell is probably a no-no.

[athomegambler]

Hi  again you have helped and pointed me in the right direction,,,   thanks,,, i did call my local kinkos and had a talk with the manager about what i want to do on the glass decals and the reel strips,,,, sound like they can do what i need to have done,,, however they did bring up the copy right issue,,,, my question is ( and i am talking about a one off,,, no selling of anything i will have done),, just how do i know and prove to kinkos that their is not a problem with copyright,,,, i have been looking at and downloaded some photos/art items right off of a search for nascar and found several that i am thinking would work great for the lower and top glass,,,, attached are the photos i am talking about using.....since these were right off the internet open downloads  are these ok with no problem on the copyright issue???  any feedback on this will again help    thanks again

[rokgpsman]

That's kind of a tough and open-ended question. I'm not a lawyer but pretty sure that just because something is posted on the internet somewhere that does not put it into the public domain for free use by anyone. If it is a photograph by some random guy like me or you on a place like facebook or whatever then you would most likely be ok to grab it & use it for what you want to do. It's very likely the person that took the picture would not even know or care you used the photo.

But most serious photographers, media outlets and sports franchises do object to someone using their property without written consent. Again, for your own home use it is unlikely anyone that cared would know you had the image. I'd bet that many people in various hobbies have "bended" the copyright rules at one time or another, from making a photocopy or pdf scan of a manual to reproducing plastic artwork for pinball machines, etc. Just don't do it for profit, resale or as a business and it is usually not a big deal. But you can look everyday on ebay and see sellers with items that are almost guaranteed to be copies of software in eproms or on cd. If you look carefully at the website where you found these racing photos check to see if there is a fineprint statement saying something about use of their photos.

If I was doing it I'd avoid "official" photos that have the copyright owner written right on the photo and any photo that is so distinct or unique that it would be easily recognized what the source was. Realistically, there should be many generic racing photos for you to choose from that no one will have a problem with. But the Kinko's guy is just covering his butt and doing what he should to protect the company from a lawsuit from some jacked-up lawyer. Can't blame him.

Just my opinion, others may have differing views. In your shoes I'd go ahead with what you want to do, but be smart and discreet about it. And there may be NASCAR fan sites that actually have photos that they welcome race fans to download.

It's nice that you were upfront and honest to talk to the Kinko's guy about it. But maybe if you had just went in and gave them the images to print, told them what size you needed and didn't get into any of the legal aspects they wouldn't even have blinked. When you ask a corporate person if it is legal for them to do something for you that automatically puts them on guard and if they are at all unsure they will balk rather than take a risk on their job. Besides, they probably know what types of images to watch out for, so let them bring the matter up if they have a question about the images once they see them.

[athomegambler]

thanks   i am thinking the same ,,, just now have to get the kinkos  to approve what i take to them... 

[CVslots]

Chances are, the guy you talked to on the phone will not be the same person to help you at the counter. People have been making custom kits for 10-15 years. The hardest part is laying the photos out at the correct reel stops. If you're off by 1/4", the game won't look right when you play it. Kinkos isn't gonna bust you for copyright, Bally WILL, but typically only if you offer them for sale.

[athomegambler]

Hi  thanks for the reply,,,  i will not be selling ,, only want to make one for my home machine,,,  i am thinking the best way to match the reels will be to get another set of reels and lay them out next to each other ,,, the new set  will be used for the new style and i will keep all the oem glass pcs and reels,,,  i will use the stock reels to be able to position the new decals in the correct postion,,,, does that sound like it would work,,,   maybe i am missing something but seems like the best way to do it    thanks again

[CVslots]

More or less, yes, that will work. Reel symbol positions need to aligned to the CENTER or the symbol, but the way, so that the symbol land on the payline and is dissected by the payline. Find your centers, and overlay your new pictures as symbols.

[coolwavepic]

If you are good at photoshop I have a template for Bally Alpha reel strips. I made my own Cherry Red strips. What I did was measured an actual strip and found out exactly where each symbols center is. I must say I have done a solid job at it. I have a costco membership and they don't give me a problem printing. If anything, I tell them I made the graphics. I print the entire 5 reels on a 20x30 and cut them with a razor.




I DO NOT SELL my strips.


You can see my Cherry Red strips here:
http://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=3802.0


See them in action here:

<a href="http://youtu.be/IJjjw6MUnec" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://youtu.be/IJjjw6MUnec</a>

I still want original strips but this will do for now.

[athomegambler]

Hi  some great ideas,,,  yours really look great,,, i dont think you template will work for me,,, i have the 5000plus reels,,, thinking on getting another set,,, found some on ebay cheap,, the idea i have is to get the set and turn them over so i can use the backside for the placement of the new decals,,,,  i watched your video,,, again great job,,, one think i really would like is to somehow get some slot music like on yours to play on the old 5000plus,,,,   thinking about putting a small amp inside to power a couple of speakers and do some kind of a loop playing,,, any ideas on that or is there any other way to get some updated sounds    thanks again   will post photos as my project comes together

[coolwavepic]

No idea on the sound. I can be an smart ass and say GET AN ALPHA!...hahaha


The thing is.. I my games, I want the game to trigger the actions... Lighting, sound ect. If the game doesn't trigger an "event" it's not as fun. That is my opinion anyway. Just playing music through the slot is not my cup of tea and will get VERY old after a while.

[athomegambler]

Hi   yes i agree  ,, this is my first slot machine,,,i have got the fever ,,, this will not be the only slot i will have,,, if i had taken more time and if i had really know about the things i have found out here after getting the 5000plus   i would have looked for a different one or even a different make,,,, which brings up a question???   for a low end cost  say $up to around 600 to 800 what would be your choice for a reel slot,,, wife said next one should be maybe a nickel machine or if was great deal another  quarter one,,, dont want tickets ,, could be token but has to be old school  but this time with more whistles and bells on it...     may be taking a trip in july up to ohio area,,,, seems like their are a lot of companies selling slot up in that area for some good prices but the shipping on them are high so if i could pick up and bring back would be time to look for the next one,,,,, give me some feedback on what you would get.... thanks

[ramegoom]

I acquired several Bally E2000 machines and  started customizing a couple of them, with "Automotive" themes. Here's one in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FLuezcU3QY

I made the strips by using a semi-opaque plastic sheet, cut to length of the original strip, then with my laser, printed the symbol strips (3 sections) on adhesive-backed paper. Cut the strips and adhered them to the thin plastic, making three complete strips that went into the reels. The symbols need to match the new images along with the payout panel as shown in the video.

The belly glass (and the payout chart) is an image that I had printed onto a transparency, sandwiched between a clear plexi sheet and a semi transparent white sheet.

[rokgpsman]

forgot to mention earlier, and many already know this, but if you are looking for Kinko's in your phone book or on the internet they are now known as "Fedex Office".

Fedex bought Kinko's several years ago, later renamed the business and gradually converted most of the stores to have new signage that has removed the "Kinko's" part.


And FedEx is a NASCAR sponsor,
so Kinko's should be supportive
of all the #11 car pictures you want! 

[rokgpsman]

speaking of the #11 car, driven by Denny Hamlin, wasn't he the guy that bumped Danica Patrick's rear end at the Daytona 500 qualifier last week, nearly knocking her out of the big race?