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I got a parking meter for christmas. It is an old duncan meter and it is pretty cool and works really well it just needs a new dome because the one it has is all yellowed. My question is where can I get parts for this thing? I first need a key to open up the top of it. Can a locksmith do that for me? The second thing is where do I get a new dome for it? I will post a picture of it soon.

Looking forward to the pic. I had good luck just polishing the dome. Still haven't found a key (5 yrs.) I have two and tried drilling one out. Don't bother with that.
Creighton

What did you use to polish the dome with? Also I did some searching online and found out that you can take it to a locksmith and they can pick the lock then take out the tumblers and then you can use a key blank or a screw driver to open up the lock. I am going to try that if it is not too much money. Here are some pictures. I am going to leave the outside like it is because I kind of like the worn exterior but I do want a clear dome so that I can see the insides. Also was there at one time a coin box like my pepsi machine has? Looks like coins would just fall into the tube but I am not sure.
Front
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/parkingmeter007.jpg)
Back
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/parkingmeter010.jpg)
Dial
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/parkingmeter008.jpg)

I used the stuff to polish car headlight lenses. Dupont polishing compound or jewlers rouge may work as well.
The coins go someplace but not down the tube. Don't turn it upside down. Let me know what you find on a key.
Creighton
 

How come I should not turn it upside down?

Coins fall into the mech and jam it. Sadly this is firsthand information :-)
Creighton

I have the same kind of meter and I bought a new dome a few years ago on ebay.  There are (at least at the time) several dealers there selling Duncan parts.

There is/was a coin box inside thst caught the coins, and these also show up on Ebay.

Domes are available from the dealers on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-DUNCAN-PARKING-METER-LENS-AND-TIME-EXPIRED-DECALS_W0QQitemZ250547053621QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a55c4a435

Parking meter info:

http://www.ionet.net/~luttrell/index2.html

Maintenance manual for mechanical meters:

http://www.duncanindustries.com/support/downloads/documents/MechanicalParkingMeterServiceManual.doc

Ken,

How did you come across the Manual...?
I poked around Duncan Industries' web site but couldn't locate any other manuals from links provided...

Thanks for the manual link Ken.

Looks like you have to go to their legacy site.  When you go to their home page, click on the Legacy Duncan Industries Home Page  (http://www.duncanindustries.com/index.htm)link near the bottom before the page redirects you.  The manuals are under Support section

Gosh, are these types of things worth much?  I have a Miller that I picked up a few years ago just for the heck of it.  Had the lock drilled by a locksmith, paid about $10 for the locksmith and about $20 for the machine.

I have a Duncan... would like to find a Miller one too someday... they seem to always be drilled/tapped and turned into a lamp around here? :Oo:
someday....

Is there another place that I can get the domes from? I had to stop using ebay after they started the paypal only thing. I do appreciate you finding the ebay listing for me. I did think about contacting the city to see if they had some but I am a little afraid that they will think I stole it and will try to do something.

>but I am a little afraid that they will think I stole it and will try to do something
Same problem I ran into with mine. The City of San Fran. replaced all their parking meters with digital. I bought two old mechinical units from a guy that had hundreds of them. Lock smiths wouldn't help. Somebody on the this board provided a contact persn for keys but I never could get ahold of them. I tried drilling one but it didn't work. One works great and is on a pole in the driveway. The other is a mighty fine paperweight :-)
Creigthon

I am actually thinking of spending the day tomorrow seeing if I can pick the lock. Not sure how hard that would be but I don't have anything else to do so I might as well give it a shot. What exactly do the keys for these things look like anyway? I did a search on google but I did not find anything useful mostly pictures of parking meters or some really strange looking keys.

They are strange looking keys. Nasty lock. Wish you best of luck on the lock picking. Will be interested in how that goes.
Creighton

I ended up drilling the lock on mine.  :down:

Well the coin door was allready unlocked so I took it appart to see how it worked. That is a nasty looking lock. You have to pull the tumblers tward the center on both sides. I tried pulling the tumblers out of the lock but those things are in there good. Anyone have any ideas how to take them out?

Ok I have given up on picking the lock. Everytime I get somewhere one of the tumblers snaps back and you have to start all over again. I am now going to try something different. I was thinking that I could make a "key" that will pull all the tumblers to where I need them. I am going to use the coin door lock as a guide because they are close if not the same lock.

Thanks for the updates on your efforts!! I'll be your first customer for a Duncan unlock kit.
Amazed at how much effort went into some of the locks. A Mills "Subway" machine has a V cut grove in the end of the key. Can't get that one open either :-) The engineering to protect 75 cents in the coin box is a lost art.
Creighton

I see Mills and Bellock keys on eBay a lot -  both with the V-cut...no luck finding an original key? No key code?

Well I am sorry to say that my key idea did not work either. I tried but I could not make something that would work. I contacted a locksmith and I am waiting to see what they say. Sorry about not getting the key thing to work.

I got a response from the locksmith saying they can open the lock up and take out the tumblers. They said that they have delt with a few parking meters before I just have to leave it there for a few days. I am now waiting to see how much this is going to cost me.

Well I did not want to spend the money I forget how much it was but I think it was almost more than I paid for the meter so I just sent an email to the department of public works here in town asking if they could open up the back of my meter. I made sure to explain where I got it and what I wanted to do with it so hopefully they don't think I stole it.

wonder if any of the locks sold at crowriver.com  could work....

I got a response from the city public works department and they told me that they might be able to help me! :biggrin: I just have to call someone and they even gave me their phone number. I have never had a city be so helpful with stuff like this.

It is getting even better. Got a response from someone who does the parking meter stuff and he said to contact him to work out a time to meet him and we can open it up. He also said that they have a lot of parts for these meters and they might be willing to give me some if I need them. I am really excited!

Cool, very nice of them.
Creighton

I've always liked this style of meter, some day I'll own one.

Got a time now. Going to stop by friday at 10. Hopefully we get done before I have to start class. Would be kind of strange carying a parking meter into class.  :laugh:

Hey Creighton if we can't find a key tomorrow that will work I will let you know how we get it opened up.

Great thanks for following up on this!!
Creighton

They really hooked me up today. First they tried the key they had and it did not work so they drilled the lock out and used a screw driver to pry the latch open and got it out. They next opened up the top and replaced the dome, then they gave me a coin cup, coin door latch, and the gave me the bracket to mount it to a pole. They even showed me how they have one mounted on a pole and on it is on a piece of wood and the guy is going to email me the contact information for the company who makes the poles for the meters in the city. Today was a pretty good day. :biggrin:

Thats great.. I couldn't imagine getting that kind of cooperation from any of our local towns..

Yeah I was pretty surprised when the actually responded to me and I was really surprised when they said they could get me parts too. They were really nice and they wanted to help. They kept asking do you have one of these? and I would look and tell them no and they would say here you go. They were really nice and enjoyed working on it. They also could not believe how old it was. They kept saying look at this and finding things all over it. I think they had as much fun as I did they even were going to let me help install the dome but the other guy wanted to do it so I let him do it.

Why is it that everytime you get something opened up one way you find a less destructive way to do it AFTER you get it open. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:dA8kucWQY-oJ:forums.signaltraffic.com/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D34%26t%3D2717+duncan+model+60+parking+meter+manual&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Oh well if I did not get it open today then I would not have gotten it all fixed up. But this might help you out with your meter creighton

My "New" parking meter
You can actually see what is inside
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/DSCF1035.jpg)

Outside (did not realize that the dial was reflective)
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/DSCF1033.jpg)

Insides
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/DSCF1038.jpg)
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/DSCF1036.jpg)

Mechanism (that little thing is pretty amazing to watch work)
(http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t357/ScaleBowler/DSCF1037.jpg)

Please don't make a lamp out of it, because then I would have to kill you.
The pole you can get at an electrical store, or a good mom & pop hardware store.
I've seen people use a cool looking  outdoor umbrella base, there is  enough selection and the price is usually under $50. Or  some  pipe nad flanges, and mount it on the wall
Congrats, you have a cool find

Wow I could not make this into a lamp. I just can't do something like that to something this cool also if I do ever make a lamp I am going to use one of the bowling pins I got from the bowling alley (they gave me 2 boxes of pins). At the shop I went to they showed me a meter they had on display where they took a 2" diameter pole with a flange on the bottom and screwed it to a piece of wood. The wood was big enough that it would not tip over and it was thin enough that it was not in the way. Looks like a pretty cheap and easy way to mount it on a pole.

I started messing with the meter again. I think it needs some oil or something but I can't get a hold of the manual that duncan used to have on their website. I also would like to get a lock for the back of the meter. For some stupid reason I did not have the guys that helped me with the meter put a new one in and now I have a hole in the back. If anyone comes accross one of the locks for these and the little metal part that pushes the locking lever let me know.

Got the mech working a little while back. The person at Duncan told me that since it was not going to be used outside again that regular clock oil would work fine. I also had them email me a copy of the maintinence instructions for the mechanisms because they took down the one that was origionally on their website. I also found a new lock and cam and it has even been modified so that I don't need a key. After emailing the public works department a few times they said that they have one that I can have. Going to stop by sometime and pick it up. I will post some pics of it when I do get a lock in there.

Finally got a lock for the back of it and now have a complete meter. Public works department gave me a lock with the cam for free. They even removed the tumblers so I can open and close it with a screw driver.

I know this is a VERY old topic, but does anyone have the manual for the duncan model 60 meter still?

I have the Duncan "Mechanical Meter Maintenance Manual" in pdf format. 

PM me your email address.