Bowling Alley Pin Setting Machines - Behind the Scenes

[WCGwkf]

sure is a lot of moving parts. no wonder they mess up so often.

[Gigatone00]

So there are only two sets of pins running through the machine at one time?

[shelllanes]

wow that the 82-30 amf wow they r old

[jerseyboy1995]

That is so cool!

[willscoaster]

how many lanes. it looks like 50

[ckyguy1]

I work on the newer 82-90xli machines. These old ones are built like tanks though

[EdmDude]

Who the hell misses on the 1st ball?

must be a roundhouse swinger, LOL

[petmagnetetal]

thats so cool!

but how does it separate the balls from the pins?

[ke3wh]

the pins roll under the cushion, and there is a plate under a rolling carpet that moves the ball to the ball door for return.

[dfeliberty]

there is an arm that (usually)prevents the ball from getting into the pin wheel. Well thats how it is on brunswick machines anyway. I have a video on it that is a bit brighter that i just uploaded of a differnt type of pinsetter that shows you. Go to my channel(click my username).

[RBell86403]

@petmagnetetal There is a cushion assembly in the pit spaced just high enough above the pit conveyor belt to allow pins UNDER the cushion and into the pinwheel in the very back of the machine. The ball stays in front of the cushion and the bounce plate under the pit conveyor belt is angled to guide the ball into a ball exit in the wall of the pit so a ball lift belt can return it to the bowler. :-)

[ke3wh]

How many lanes?

[bogeyboy1313]

I was a mechanic at the Illini Union bowling alley during my time at school there, and they had brunswick machines. later i worked at an amf house. prefer the brunswicks - fewer moving parts, and a simpler machine system. I really enjoyed working on those machines.

[TheMassAttck]

@bogeyboy1313 so true, the A2 machines are way easier to work with

[hagadaba]

I love the smell at the back of the bowling alleys where the machines are. my dad used to work on them and i wish I could do something like that for a while atleast lol

[emtgregg]

Yes they are huge. Worked on them for 5 years.

[dirtybowlingballs]

30's really! I work on 70's sooo much better also how come so far every back is a mess i think me and my FM are the only ones with an amazing back. As soon as it's fully complete ill post a video than all you can see what its like to where white to work hell were gonna have to wash up so not to get the machines dirty lol.

[Skullcrusher64]

how did u get back there?

[8gub]

0:30 GUTTERBAAAAALLLL

[heavyq]

Those are some old 30s. They look so cool when they go to set pins, what with the next rack just hanging out there.

[seeburg220]

Wow, I've never seen an AMF, but heard the were totally different than the Brunswicks I used to work on. Bizarre-o !

[AMFXLI]

@seeburg220 actually AMF were the first automatic pinsetters. they had so many patents that when brunswick tried to get in on the act they had to do things differently. for example an amf machine uses a split bodied roller at the front of the pit area to stop the transport carpet tracking, brunswick have to adjust the rear rollers. same idea, just a different method

[BrianDavid79]

@AMFXLI I'm an AMF man myself however, I'm pretty sure up until the time the GSX line came out Brunswick machines used shaker tables in the pit. After the GSX came out with the carpet belt they saw how much damage the vibrations from the shaker tables did to the machines and the floor under them and came up with a retro-fit for the A2's.

[battyb1rd]

it seems to me that all the 30's have wobbly pin syndrome ! i work with 70's . how many lanes are there ? i have 26 .

[teeder03]

I thought this was really cool. I've always wanted to see behind the scenes.

[webmanic7]

i always wantewd to see behind the scenes, thanks for posting!

[DTi94i80i76i70i15LV]

Just two pins off a full rack w/1ball.rare!

[coolguy12333]

lol the back of the bowling alley best place to be

[NipkowDisk]

I just LOVE to see these 82-30s still in action 50+ years later- they will run and run and run as long as they're maintained. Got to see some 4400s with open pinwheels many years ago... Thank you for uploading this.

[1matty1243]

wow... i work on amf 82-70's i havent really seen many other machines but different lol...

[bcw757]

Wow this video takes me back to the first center I worked at w/82-30's.. Thanx for the flashback!! You can see the Brunswick A2's in action on my vids...

[chargermopar]

American Machine and Foundry but I always heard, Another Major F**kup! Af for Brunswick, I have two of those as well.

[EdmDude]

America's Machine is F___ked :P Go Brunswick :P

[xlesliee]

What does AMF stand for? Coz I got told it is always means fun except it use to be something else.. something to do with machines?

[GuardianSoulkeeper]

Always Means Fun was their official motto - at work we only ever got to know it as "Another Major Fu**up*

[chargermopar]

Looks like my 82-30 5850 chassis pinspotters. These are the same types they had at Bird Bowl in Miami. The only two left from there are the ones I ran at home for my lanes.

[heavyq]

I love these old school AMFs. So cool to watch.

[sycamorelanes]

wow..talk about some oldies..haha...Waaayy different compared to the A's that I work with...dannggg..lol

[Toomany10pins]

82-30's

[Bowler4Ever]

Yup, 82/30's

A mechanic I know calls them 82/turdies, even though he even calls them the best machines in the world LOL

[Sharkie626]

oh yeah, my bad

[cmp128]

They look like 30s to me

[Sharkie626]

Are Those 82-90's?