Need info

[bowlingchick-R]

Hi everyone! I'm new to all of this... well new to this web site. Anyways I'm... well I guess what you call a pinchaser at an 82/70 AMF 10 lane bowling alley in Arizona. I'm currently trying to learn more about the machines. I am really interested in learning more about these machines but I have no money to go to the training programs, Well anyways I've decided to take matters into my own hands and so far i've read the manual, i've watched my head mechanic fix basic problems and i'm starting to learn how all the parts of the machines work together.
Well anyways i was on my own one saturday (head mechanic and manager were out of town) and we have kid leagues every saturday at one. So I get this pile up on lane 5 and I went in the back to go fix it and when I put the pin in the 9 bin the table went down and a pin slipped out of my hand fell down on the deck and knocked the eight pin out and the kid on the lane thought that I was finished so he decides to throw his ball at the same time I pressed the cycle button again to put a full rack down. Well the ball hit the sweep pretty hard and all the sweep did was sit their. So I did a sweep run off of the chassis which knocked down all the pins and then I pressed cycle again and the sweep goes down to guard position (i think thats right) and it just stays their. The table won't go down and put pins in and the sweep wouldn't move to sweep off pins it just went down and did nothing. So i moved the kids to lanes 3 and 4 and I got the manual out and was taking a look at it and I couldn't find anything that seemed like the problem. Well I did find something, I thought it was the timing or the cams were out of wack but I didn't have the guts to take a look at it.
Anyways I was wondering if anyone can help me out and tell me what had happened and how to fix it. So if anyone can help me out that would be so great. Thanks for your time.

[8270king]

Re: Need info

Ok chick......here is an offer you cannot refuse.......you purchase a round trip ticket to the Ohio heartland and I will tutor you for a week on the finer details of an AMF machine in the Palace.

:p

JK

[img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img]

[img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

[Ed Fox]

Re: Need info

For one...don’t look to Queen for training...all he knows is “Jerry rigs”. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

Two...I read your post...Ooo..I guess 5 or 6 times and it sort of sounds like you mite of had the machine on first ball cycle and the cells were closed and the gripper protection switch(which I doubt Queen even uses) kept the table from running or the machine was in an interlock cycle.

Just a guess

Charlie [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[Dan_Hart]

Re: Need info

You need to find another center. One that needs someone that wants to learn.

Age and sex discrimination is illegal, and as you can tell, alive and well. At least thats what it appears to be.

[felix]

Re: Need info

Originally posted by 82/70 king:
Ok chick......here is an offer you cannot refuse.......you purchase a round trip ticket to the Ohio heartland and I will tutor you for a week on the finer details of an AMF machine in the Palace.

:p

JK

[img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img]

[img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img] :p [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

[Toomany10pins]

Re: Need info

Chick, Welcome to Bowl-Tech. This is a great place with great people.
Hang in there. It sucks that the owner and mechanic are not taking you seriously. Persistence pays, keep letting them know how serious you are about learning your 82-70's. Ask questions, and absorb the answers. Keep on your mechanic about teaching you, its to his benefit, the more YOU know, the less he'll have to do.
After awhile if they are still bullheaded about teaching you, find another 82-70 house that's willing to teach you the knowledge you seek.
Good Luck! [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[Toomany10pins]

Re: Need info

Chick, Welcome to Bowl-Tech. This is a great place with great people.
Hang in there. It sucks that the owner and mechanic are not taking you seriously. Persistence pays, keep letting them know how serious you are about learning your 82-70's. Ask questions, and absorb the answers. Keep on your mechanic about teaching you, its to his benefit, the more YOU know, the less he'll have to do.
After awhile if they are still bullheaded about teaching you, find another 82-70 house that's willing to teach you the knowledge you seek.
Good Luck! [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[2424pepsi]

Re: Need info

Well first of all run your sweep switch till your sweep is back too zero--then press your zero stepper switch on your mechanics panel---then press your cycle pinsetter button it should run in a nomal way!! 2nd what center are you at--The one in Yuma, by Kingsmen or by Tulsa- I worked in Chandler--Fair lanes --Kyrene and Mesa Brunswick in the early 90's. 3rd if you want to go too school in June--Stahl's 90 in Minn. has a class for $325.00 you can't go wrong!!!

[Rep]

Re: Need info

Indeed this is a great place with a lot of good, fun, VERY knowledgeable people. There's plenty of centers looking for someone with your attitude and enthusiasm, if they dont take you seriously and want you to learn there's always plenty of other houses with 70's. Good luck [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[scotty]

Re: Need info

i had to learn the hard way bacicly thrown to the wolfs [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] with a general knowledge of how to fix calls pin jams ect. however i learn better this way but one thing that will help alot is this site i learned alot from visiting this site and from watching others and how they fixed things them i read all the manuels and watched the machines and how things moved operated and there function this to me is the best way to learn if you cant go to school if you can go to another center there are always centers that are more than willing to accept people who are wanting to learn that is how i ended up with my job and position and i have only been a mechanic for 2 years more or less. good luck

scotty

[Rep]

Re: Need info

Well said Scotty, never underestimate the powers of observation, I as well have learned a TON by simply watching the machines operate. Another good tip especially for newer people to the machines, if you're not sure whether something is wrong/bad part/whatever compare with another machine that is known to be good, I as well as many others I'm sure have done this a few times in their days [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

[TheGMan143]

Re: Need info

First of all, Welcome to Bowltech!

Second, I find it a crying shame that the higher-ups seem to be missing the fact that they have someone who is honestly willing to learn, and are just blowing it completely off.

You can learn a lot on your own... biggest thing is WATCHING how a machine operates. You can't pick out a malfunction unless you have a good idea of how a working machine moves, how it sounds, and what it does during each cycle. Our old mechanic used to be able to tell if the cams were out of adjustment just by the sound and timing of the contactors opening and closing... it's no BS. More than once he stood there listening to a machine while it ran, then told me to check the cam adjustments the next day during maintenance. Sure enough, they were off... not enough to cause a problem, but if left go too long they would start causing one.

If you have a machine manual, read up on the maintenance and adjustments section... it has a lot of info on what the different parts of the machine are called, how they go together, and how they are to be maintained.

If you have the chance, watch what is going on when a problem is being repaired. You can learn a lot just by seeing how it's done.

And if you're really interested in this line of work, if at all possible, start looking around for another house that will appreciate your efforts and interest, and would be willing to take you seriously about wanting to learn more.

[TheLegend]

Re: Need info

Hi Chick....

First off.... what GMan posted above is good stuff.

Second.... It does sound like the gripper protection switch may have been closed (or one of the wires even might have come off). Even if the cells looked like they were open all the way.

[NCWINGNUT]

Re: Need info

First of all welcome,

Second, I think its great that your willing to learn the machines, i agree with everyone else, but also when you work with the guys, follow them around watch everything they do, when i first started working on pinsetters, i carried a notebook around and wrote down notes that would be helpful. I would write down what the problem was, and then the solution that was performed. As a matter a fact i still refer back to the notebook to this day, and still write down trouble problems.

Third of all, there is plenty of centers out here that are looking for good help, be persistant and always have a good attitude. Always take incentive in doing the job, stay busy, there is always something to do, (or at least there is in my center) I would suggest trying to find another center ASAP if you are truly serious about wanting to learn the machines.

And last but not least, bowl-tech is a great site, you will not be mis-lead in anyway, however it may not be the solution to the problem that you need. If you have a problem post it, and we'll try to help. When you have spare time read on previously post's, this may help too. Stay postive, and good luck [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

[Dutch]

Re: Need info

Hi Chick, Welcome to BT.

Move to another house. Age &amp; gender discrimination are difficult obstacles to overcome. I have a feeling that if you stay where you are your interest in being a mechanic may burn out. That’s not something I’d like to see.

If you’re not tied to anything, come to Reno. 2 of the 3 AMF houses in the Reno area currently employ female mechanics &amp; are in need of someone with your enthusiasm. At any of these AMF houses you’ll get to work with head mechanics that are good teachers. 2 of us have been in the business for 15+ yrs. The 3rd Head mechanic was taught by the other 2.

I can’t officially offer you a job at any of these places but I know that there are currently openings available.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!