Everything Candlepin

Hi Folks. Steve Miller from Chicago here. I've got a question for anyone who can help regarding how Candlepins were set in older days. I posted this on another forum, but am looking anywhere I can.

I know originally Candlepins (and other bowling games) were set by hand by pinboys/pinguys. I know that the 10-pin industry had a time where mechanical but manualy operated machines and semi-automatic machines were used, before the automatic pinsetters became the standard.

I am wondering if, between the pinboy/pinguy era, and the automatic era (Bowl-Mor, Jayne and a rare AMF model), were there ever special manual/mechanical pinsetters for Candlepins? Did the CP industry have its own? Did they use and/or modify the manuals and semi-automatics that Brunswick used to make? If they did use the old Brunswick's, what did they have to do to make it work?

I was very fortunate in mid-January when I finally went to an old-time vintage 1922 ten-pin bowling alley here in Chicago that still uses Manaul and Semit-Automatic Pinsetters, made long ago by Brunswick. Perhaps you've seen some of my and/or Urb's YouTube videos.

Currently, the house is letting me bowl Candlepins on request, when the lanes are not already booked (it is a 4 lane specialty house.) The manager and staff are quite enthused about the possiblity of having something unique to offer on request or special occasions. However, currently, the pinsetters, unmodified, are not able to handle the narrower Candlepins. Therefore, the pinboy/pinguys have to set their racks to a wide open position, set the pins in the larger holes losely, and then stand each one up by hand (we're using old wooden pins too, so they're beat up, a little warped and sometimes fall, until we're done with testing at least.) I'm currently able to bowl 4 candlepin games in an hour with their special handling, when I have a pinguy to myself (they handle two lanes). When I have to share a pinguy, I can get in 2 to 3 games maximum.

To be able to make it beter for the pinguys, myself, and hopefully others who would like to bowl Candlepins in Chicago, we'd love to be able to improve on this.

I have thought of some ways it might be possible to insert self-made adapters into the pinsetter spots, that make up for the different sizes of pins, and inserting the candlepins inside, with the hope that we can keep the inserts from falling out and getting set up as well. Also, we absolutely want to avoid damaging these classic, vintage pinsetters.

While I've been trying to come up with something, I thought I'd ask the forum and find out how things were done in the past, and if any adapting of 10-pin mechanical machines were done - and if so, how. And if not, well then I can learn more about the history of Candlepins.

Thanks In Advance Everyone!

Steve Miller, aka StatManSteve on Youtube

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