If you are trying to save your strips, you need to be extra careful not to get them dirty, so a good hand cleaning may be in order before you go any further. There’s really only one part of the slot machine to which oil or dirt can do permanent and irreversible damage, and that’s the reel strips. It isn’t much to look at, and it’s pretty much guaranteed to be covered in oil and dirt. Here’s what it looks like once it’s been removed. After the shaft has been completely unscrewed, grab the end of it and pull. You may want to support the reel bundle with your free hand while you are unscrewing the shaft, just to keep it from slipping down as the shaft comes loose from the other side of the mech.
After we have the screw loosened, we can unscrew and remove the shaft itself. Trust me on this one… you will thank me later. In fact, even if you need to remove a screw as part of the disassembly process, it’s a good practice to replace the screw after you’ve removed the related part. Screws are easy to misplace, and it will be much easier to reassemble the mechanism later if we keep all the screws in their proper place. Although you can remove the screw entirely, it’s a bad habit and should be avoided.
Notice that I said “loosen” and not “remove”.
