The Motor Is The Heart Of The Machine

The motor is the heart of the machine.  Well, that is how I view it - if the motor stops working then interest quickly wanes.  This was also an easy item to focus on as it is minimally coupled to the rest of the cabinet and it's design.  So, I could research and learn and make decisions on motor without much impact or dependency on the rest of the project.

Disclaimer here and going forward - For a lot of coin pusher parts and components I do not know what the official names and terminology are.  I did find some components on replacement parts web sites and I try to use their terminology.  For other components I have made up names that sound appropriate. So, that is my excuse for inconsistencies when referring to items.

Coins inserted into the machine fall through the coin drop and land on the push platform.  The push platform, continually sliding forward and back, causes coins to get pushed off of it and onto the larger play area.  Looking at different coin pusher videos, both commercial and DIY, the frequency of the platform's movement varied quite a bit and didn't seem to be an influence in general operation.  The push platform's movement is controlled by a motor.

I observed that, generally speaking, there are two ways of connecting the motor to the platform:

• Motor mounted under/above the push platform 
• Motor mounted behind the push platform 

The next decision - what motor?  In my research I found I could buy a commercial machine replacement motor for $80 to $100+.  For DIY machines I found two popular options were automobile wiper motors and microwave turntable motors.

Initially I leaned towards the wiper motor based solely on the assumption that a microwave turntable replacement motor would be expensive.  The wiper motor, however, due to its odd shape and mounting structure would probably need to be installed as a 'behind the push platform' motor.  I struggled with this as I desired the under/above approach.  It wasn't until, out of idle curiosity, did I research microwave turntable motor prices and I was surprised to find them as a very affordable option.  The prices varied from $5 to $30.  I opted for the $5 and decided to give it a shot. (See the Bill Of Material page for more information on this motor.)

It is rated for 4 to 4.8 revolutions per minute.  This is a bit slower than I wanted but felt I could live with it.

It is simple, compact, and easy to mount.  Also, most of the ones I looked at seem to have similar size and shape so if I decide to upgrade to a faster one later it should be quite easy to do.  Here it is in action:

Some observations:

• It took 13 seconds for one revolution
• It seems to have enough torque for this application
• It is VERY quite.  Videos of wiper motors were much noisier.
• As I have noticed in my microwave, each time the microwave starts the motor changes direction.  This motor does the same. This is OK and has no affect on my usage.
• After running for only a few minutes I noticed the casing got a little warm.  I'll keep an eye on this and if it does get hot then I will install a small fan over the unit to help keep it cool.  

Up next:

• Mock up a push platform and see how the motor performs

Brain Storming, Initial Thoughts, And Decisions

For me, the beginning of a this type of project is just an exhaustive list of decisions.  Some decisions I knew early on and others crept in as I researched and learned more.  Below is a list of thoughts and decisions at this point and, as is with Georgia weather, subject to change at any time.

• Tabletop Cabinet - For several reasons - size, space, weight, effort to move, etc - I quickly decided to build a tabletop unit as opposed to a full sized cabinet.
• Appearance - Although classic, and stereotypical with arcade machines, I did not want mine to be covered in flashy colors, blinking lights, and have loud random sounds.  I wanted a more refined appearance to mine - rich woods like oak and walnut.  (While doing my research I stumbled on a build where he made the cabinet from various woods and it looked really nice.  Unfortunately I did not note the site and am unable to find it now.  But I did find a video of the same on YouTube.  It does not include all of the images the site had on it but still is enough to show the idea.  If I do find a link to that page I will post it on the Resources Page along with the YouTube one.)  In place of the random loud sounds I wanted to install a good quality Bluetooth receiver sound system.  That way I could select the music and stream it via my phone.
• Apply my other skills - To tie in with the Appearance notes above, I wanted a project where I could incorporate my other skills and interests - woodworking, CNC wood carving, 3D printing, and electronics.
• No need for security - Since this machine is for home personal use only I have no need to lock doors, incorporate tilt/bump mechanisms, and provide coin doors.

Introduction

Although I have not played them much, coin pusher machines have always intrigued me.  It was not until a recent visit to Chuck E. Cheese, and playing a token pusher there, did I start thinking about possibly building one for myself.

Possibly.  As my wife can bear witness to, when I say "possibly" it is almost always "definitely" and is only a matter of time before the consideration becomes an actual thing.  As is so with this project.

I spent quite a bit of time searching the internet for other similar build projects.  I wanted to see what other people had done, what challenges they encountered, and to gather ideas for my project.  I was quite surprised to find very little in that search.  There were some built from Legos and others constructed with cardboard.  Where those are just fine, they were not much of a help for my needs.  That is not to say it was a waste of time and effort.  I did come across helpful pages and videos and those will be noted on my Resources Page.

The purpose of this blog is to log the journey of my build and, by exposing it to the community, maybe help someone who, themselves, me be doing research for their project.