Restoring vintage gaming machines isn’t just about bringing old electronics back to life—it’s about uncovering their hidden quirks and making them functional again. In this episode, Lawton Barnes continues his meticulous restoration of an IGT Joker’s Wild draw poker machine from the 1980s.
“This poor machine has been neglected for too long,” Barnes says as he dives into part three of the restoration process. After assessing the machine’s self-test diagnostics, he identifies a few key issues: a malfunctioning hold button, a missing jackpot reset key, and a loose marquee light fixture.
A Creative Fix for the Jackpot Reset Key
One of the biggest challenges in this episode was the missing jackpot reset key. The original hole in the machine was too large for the replacement key Barnes had on hand. Instead of drilling a new hole or fabricating a cover plate, he found an innovative solution—installing an arcade button in place of the key.
“For home use, this is fine,” Barnes explains as he wires the new button into place. The end result? A fully functional jackpot reset mechanism, seamlessly integrated into the existing machine.
Bringing the Control Panel Back to Life
The next major hurdle was a broken “Hold” button, essential for gameplay. “If there’s one thing I dislike working on, it’s the buttons in this control panel,” Barnes admits. He describes the challenge of working in tight spaces with fragile, aging plastic parts that have become brittle from years of exposure to heat.
After carefully dismantling the button assembly, he discovers the culprit: a small plastic piece had snapped off due to prolonged exposure to an incandescent bulb inside the button housing. Luckily, he had a spare button on hand, allowing him to rebuild the component without rewiring the entire control panel.
“That’s going to be a properly functioning button,” he confirms after successfully reassembling it.
A Simple Yet Effective Marquee Light Fix
The final fix in this episode involved securing the loose fluorescent marquee light. With no viable replacement parts available, Barnes found an easy workaround—using foam rubber packing material to hold the light fixture securely in place. “Bada bing, bada boom—we’re powered back up,” he declares with satisfaction.
With all buttons operational and the marquee light secured, the restoration is nearly complete. However, there’s one final challenge left: the aging CRT monitor. In the upcoming fourth and final episode, Barnes will take on the task of replacing all of its electrolytic capacitors to restore the screen to its former glory.
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