Newbie Questions Regarding Vendo 44 Resto

[jeff740]

Hi everyone,


Im new to these forums and soda machine restorations in general.  Im sure I will be here countless times over the course of the project and appreciate everyones patience in asking my questions as we move along.  I have a Vendo 44 that I will be restoring and have a few questions to start out with

First, does anyone happen to know if lead paint was used on these machines when they were produced?  Also, I've never seen asbestos before so I wouldnt know if I saw it but is the insulation inside the machine safe to tear out using a mask and gloves??  Sorry I know, its just a little paranoia

Second. have there been any good books written or manuals produced that summarize the resto process and the various products used when doing one of these projects?  I did see a manual on Ebay for the vendo and wondered if it was any good or if it was more or less an owners manual with a couple pages of tips added by someone else?

Lastly, the machine I purchased appears to be complete to the best of my knowledge.  It also runs and cools just fine but it did come with one loose part that was just sitting down inside the bottle rack.  I had a look around but Im not sure what its function is or where it goes??  Im sure someone will recognize the part from the pic I've posted.

Thanks for reading!

[MoonDawg]

       Welcome Jeff. That piece hangs directly above the wire bottle chute, separating the left and right chutes.

      Yes, the old insulation is a little nasty to be breathing in, but your mask and gloves will work well until you can dispose if it.

      The manuals online are usually useless in a teardown situation like this.
Your best resources will be right here on this site.

      These old machines are quite simple. You can remove the bottle stack, compressor and coin mech in your first hour. After that, lift the main door up off the hinges and proceed to recondition each section of your machine one piece at a time.
      If you have a problem ...you know where to find us. 

                                          Go for it!   

[Blind1968]

Welcome Jeff ! Just so you know we love pictures, some of us have to feed our addictions vicariously threw others projects and collections. Like Moondawg said there is a wealth of knowledge on this board. There is not much these guys have not seen or owned at one point or another.

Bryan

[cohammer]

The paint does have lead in it but I decided a long time ago no matter what you are sanding wear a respirator any dust is bad for you they just have not told you yet.

[johnieG]

Regarding insulation removal, I use a spray bottle with water in it to mist/dampen the insulation before I go tearing the stuff out of the machine plus a dust mask, it is after all fiber-glass and the "dust" is in fact microscopic shards of glass. Also, some of the earlier versions of the mat/fiber type insulation boards used in the bottom of some chest machines may contain some asbestos. so always wear a mask when sanding paint, galvanized metal, working with insulation, etc. 

[jeff740]

Great info guys, the responses are much appreciated and will be put to great use.  I should be starting the tear down in a couple of weeks so I will post lots of pics here in the forums.  I'm really excited to get going on the project and look forward to a finished product.  I havent even started yet and I can see that this could become a bit of an addiction for me 

While Im here, one question that comes to mind is what sort of cleaning product or process are others using to clean the metal of the bottle rack.  I have been reading in the forums and see that a lot of people seem to use powder coating or Hammertone paint to refinsh the rack but I was wondering if just a good cleaning would suffice?  Is it a cosmetic thing, or is it more about protecting the metal from future degradation and wear?

Thanks.

[Creighton]

Welcome to SMC!

>>"clean the metal of the bottle rack."

Depends on the end result you want and how bad it is start with.
The rack is steel that has been galvanized.
I'd start with hot water and sponge. CLR with an abrasive pad will clean further.
Gloves/mask good idea.

If the original coating has rust through to the steel prep and powdercoat or paint.

Some pics of what you are dealing with will help.

Creighton


 

[sledworks]

Since I have a question related to a Vendo 44, thought I could add it to this fresh thread.

I'm getting ready to put on the new "Insert Coins/Sold Out" decal I bought from Funtronics. There is a "No Quarters" line in the middle of the label. I understand mechanically how the flag pivots from "Insert Coins to Sold Out" when last bottle is dispensed.

But what positions the flag to "No Quarters" instead of "Insert Coins"?

[johnieG]

I'm no expert on mechanical mechs, but would this is the flag-label for a change-giving coinmech? (which would have the middle position for the flag & armature that moves the lever through it's positions?) it would indicate that the coinmech was out of nickels to give back as change for a quarter.  or it could be a reminder that the mech only accepts nickels & dimes. I'm thinking the later.

[MoonDawg]

      From the pictures you have released, that 44 looks a little bit too nice to need restoring.