Vendo H90B - Case - Dent Repair

[SRock]

Hello, I'm new to soda machines... I found a 'nice looking' Vendo H90B... brought it home vacuumed out the mouse nests etc, disassembled, cleaned, power washed etc and now I'm at a loss as to how to repair the dent in the right side of the case.

The repair doesn't have to be perfect but I'd like to get it as close as right as possible.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks!

[aspbear]

If you can get to the back of the dent you should be able to push that out with a little force.  Just try a wide wooden block and a rubber hammer, as long as it is not creased this should work.

[SRock]

I'd assume that I should lay the case on it's side to get at it more easily?

[SIGNGUY]

Your gonna have to take the liner and insulation out in order to properly "push" that dent out as the earlier post mentioned.. if it's creased then you'll have a harder time Hiding the dent. You won't get it completely gone unless you stripped it down and did some body work on it and then filler, sand, prime and repaint. But for the casual everdya machine,, hey some dents give it character!
Good luck!

[SRock]

I like the brute force method best, wooden blocks and hammers are my favorite.  One person I talked to told me that I would have to 'shrink' the metal to remove the dent... he's a car guy is there any thing to this and if so how would I go about 'shrinking' the metal?

[Jim]

In the car industry, shrinking metal to regain its form/shape is accomplished with extreme heat and cold or wet rags to work the metal back into a particular form or shape. This technique will damage your paint so unless you're planning a complete re-paint, I would go this route.

As previously mentioned, your best bet is to remove the refrigeration system, vending rack/shelves, liner and insulation to really expose both sides of the dent to work back to "as close as possible" for a no paint repair...  If you try to pry between the liner and the cabinet in an atttempt to push out the dent, you may damage the liner...

If you're mechanically inclined, breaking things down, provided everything goes smoothly, should take a couple of hours... Flattening out the dent another half hour and re-assembly may take another two hours...  So, it looks like a half days work to get the dent into presentable condition...

[MoonDawg]

        My version is the lazy man's way! 

        Drill a series of 1/8" holes all along the crease line, use an "L" shaped tool to pull the metal as close as possible to level. Mask the side of the machine from the white/red dividing line on down. Fill the crease and holes with body filler and sand smooth with a longboard, then paint and decal that top white section only.

[SRock]

Jim & Moondawg,

I have the machine torn down to the point that all I need to do is remove the door and liner, which I am going to do.  I'll attack the dent from the inside to see what I can do with it.  Eventually I will repaint the whole thing but for now I just want to straighten the case out. 

Also I have a two dimples where the door latch was cammed into the exteror of the case, these need to be driven back down also... should I heat these or work them cold?  They are about 3/8" high.

One other thing that I 'd like to do while I have the liner out is to fix some minor rust around the screw holes on the bottom and to repaint/recoat it.  Can I do this with a brush, or spray cans with good results or am I better off to have this done by a pro with a spray system?  Also, what paint or coating would you recommend and where should I get it from?

Thanks again for your excellent descriptions and suggestions, they will help a mechanically inclined and super motivated 'new guy' to do the best job possible!

Sean

[SIGNGUY]

when removing the rust, make sure it's all gone.. best is to sand blast it if you have access to one? otherwise I'd look into some of that rust inhibitor paint that they use on old cars. it neutralizes rust and stops it plus coats it for future protection...
Make sure to redo the insulation as well..
Good luck!

[SRock]

SIGNGUY,

Thanks for the tips!

Does anyone else have any input on the following:

Also I have a two dimples where the door latch was cammed into the exteror of the case, these need to be driven back down also... should I heat these or work them cold?  They are about 3/8" high.

What kind of paint or coating would you recommend for the liner and where should I get it from?  Should this be applied by a pro with a spray system or can I do it at home?

Thanks!

[SIGNGUY]

For the inside liner, and other parts you wish to refinish... I'd save the money and do it yourself if you know how to use spray paint, you can do it.
Go buy some Rustoleum Hammerite or Hammertone (can't remember the exact name) paint, it's a textured paint that gives a nice looking finish and is very durable..
Clean the surface with some scrubbing pads, soap water and or whatever else you like to clean it with.. let it dry good then start painting...
Many others here have use the same process for the "Home" projects with great results.

Good luck

[SRock]

Well I am sure glad that I pulled the liner out of the machine.  The bottom of the case below the liner is badly rusted and the insulation there is shot, it's a mess.  I can now get to the dent in the side of the case from the inside.  I may attack it tomorrow.

Question:  It appears that water probably seeped between the condensation catch line and the bottom of the liner to cause the rust in the bottom of the case.  How do I prevent this rust from happening again over time?

[SIGNGUY]

99.9% of all machines had this same problem, and you can only find it when you take out the liner and insulation,... which is good that you did, now you can fix it.
to prevent in the future, you can do two things.. reinstall a new drain tube and just make sure to seat it right and seal it so it doesn't leak... or if your not using the machine on a daily basis, I've seen some just close off the drain completely , lay a rag down on the bottom pan and just let that absorb any moisture that accumulates as long as you check it every other day or so...
your choice.