Why does my spinner seem to "stutter" when I spin it fast? (mechanical problem)

[sofakng]

I haven't used my arcade machine a lot in the past few years but I'm getting interested in it again and decided to take a look at a few problems my cabinet is having.

One problem is that my spinner seems to "stutter" (for lack of a better word) when you spin it.

When you keep your hand on the spinner it will spin fine (eg. smooth), but if you spin it and remove your hand it "stutters" and then stops abruptly instead of smoothly spinning and then stopping in a smooth fashion...

Also, how can I tell which spinner I have?  I'm pretty sure it's an Oscar Control's Vortex (with MAME engraved spinner), but I can't tell.

Finally, are there any mechanical settings I can tweak, etc?

[RetroACTIVE]

Sounds like classic "Vortex" chatter... so most likely Oscar... or original tempest.

Last Edit: Link removed HooPZ provided correct link

[Hoopz]

Here is the local mirror to Oscar's site:

http://mirrors.arcadecontrols.com/OscarControls/

[FrizzleFried]

I do believe that is called "OVERSPIN".  You need to adjust your windows mouse sensitivity to the lowest setting and in MAME set the digital accel. to zero...then adjust the sensitivity via MAME...around 15-20% for an Oscars is probably OK...My GGG takes 6%.

[rrcade]

Replace the bushings or lube it with some silicone grease

[SavannahLion]

I do believe that is called "OVERSPIN".  You need to adjust your windows mouse sensitivity to the lowest setting and in MAME set the digital accel. to zero...then adjust the sensitivity via MAME...around 15-20% for an Oscars is probably OK...My GGG takes 6%.

I took the op's problem as being a mechanical problem (hinted at in the title) not overspin. He spins his spinner and it's stable, he removes his hand and the spinner begins to vibrate, destablizes and grinds to a stop. To me, it sounds like something is worn out and needs to be replaced or adjusted.

[u_rebelscum]

I think it's a worn or dirty bushing, too.  I had an old spinning with a copper bushing that physically chattered after saw dust got between the bushing and shaft. 

The worst could be a bent shaft or an unbalanced weight/knob; I hope it's not that.

[RetroACTIVE]

Worn out friction bearings will cause this... but if I recall... there is inherent chatter to the design... it depends upon how hard its being spun... check out the old retroblast review

[sofakng]

Thanks for all of the replies!

According to RetroBlast's review my spinner has dual bearings made of nylon sleeves (or something?)

It's a dual bearing design, but unlike the SlikStik Tornado, it doesn't use ball bearings, but rather nylon sleeve bearings (nylon 642 for the curious).

Where are these located and how would I clean them or further diagnose the problem?

It's REALLY annoying

Also, I can't find anything on that review that mentions this "chatter" problem.  (that's an excellent word to describe it though)

Thanks again for all of the help!

[Fozzy The Bear]

Also, I can't find anything on that review that mentions this "chatter" problem.  (that's an excellent word to describe it though)

It's an engineering term for what happens in a worn bearing as it vibrates.

Take off the spinner knob, and you'll be able to se the top bearing. They weren't the greatest in terms of design. I've not dismantled an Oscar one, so I can't tell you how to get them out or the size you need to replace them. But nylon bushes are available off the shelf from most electronics suppliers. They're cheap and you can modify them to fit if you cant get an exact match. Just make sure the internal diameter is right.

Lubricating them is something else...... They don't take well to liquid lubricants. Graphite powder is one of the better options.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)