Penny Arcade Fix

I was recently contacted through Craigslist by a gentleman who collects old American juke boxes and penny arcade machines. He had an old machine that needed some replacement parts. If you've ever been to a tourist spot and seen the machines that crank pennies into souvenirs, then you recognize the premise. This one is from the 40s, required a dime or two and a penny, then dispensed a pressed penny with the Lord's Prayer and a hole in the top to be used as a keychain.
 

The funny thing about the machine was that it was all a ruse. The wheels would turn, the penny would move, but nothing would actually press the penny. And nothing even pretended to stamp the hole in the top. Rather, the machine put on a show, then dispensed a token from an internal hopper. The gentleman needed to replace the wheels, which had worn out and been repaired past the end of their useful lives. They were just there for looks, so it's merely a matter of replicating the appearance.


He left me with one of the wheels for reference. It's about an inch thick, so I milled down 3/4" pine to make the two halves.


After that, a rough cut is performed, followed by a simple 3d cut to match the appearance of the original wheel. Last, a profile cut gives the wheel its shape.


I made four of these total, then glued them back-to-back to make two duplicate wheels. Painted up, I'm sure they'll make excellent replacements for the penny machine.