Help with a treasure chest claw machine.

homerhurst78

Reputable
Aug 29, 2014
8
0
4,510
Hello I recently bought a used treasure chest claw machine. This is my first machine and I plan on refurbishing and putting on location. The problem I am having is after I coin up machine and play the claw will not open. I have to coin up the machine again and wiggle the joystick to get claw to open. I have been searching the internet for almost a month for a solution with no luck. Any ideas on how to fix it or should I just replace the claw? Thank you in advance.
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
The claw:

Any signs of rust or corrosion? Any gooey crud making the claw stick?

Clean carefully. Use emery cloth to smooth and polish.

Are there springs on the claw - may be too tight and holding the claw closed. Check for some adjustment.

Try some powdered graphic on the claws "hinges" or "axles".

The joystick:

Inside the joystick: look for a faulty electrical connection. Worn loose but still able to make the necessary connection when wiggled.

The next step will be to do a continuity check on the electrical connections involved in the claw's opening and closing components. Could be a problem anywhere along the electrical path.
 
You will need a lot of skills to troubleshoot that problem. Noone can tell you "Check connector CN23, and replace resistor R44".

Find you who is manufacturer of your toy, find part numbers of boards, look for schematic. These machines are not a commodity, and information on them is not widely available.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Among other possibilities, this is a physical cleaning/adjustment thing.
 

homerhurst78

Reputable
Aug 29, 2014
8
0
4,510
Thank you for the pointers. The machine is a United textile treasure chest. The claw itself has no spring or collar rings. The only adjustment I found was a little triangle washer. The manual for it said something about it being magnetized and to install an o-ring to it but it doesn't say where. At least now I have other areas to check. Thank you!
 

homerhurst78

Reputable
Aug 29, 2014
8
0
4,510
Thank you for the pointers. The machine is a United textile treasure chest. The claw itself has no spring or collar rings. The only adjustment I found was a little triangle washer. The manual for it said something about it being magnetized and to install an o-ring to it but it doesn't say where. At least now I have other areas to check. Thank you!