Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: on February 14, 2006, 03:00:49 pm
Hi all. Curtis from Memory Lane (super-helpful and all around nice guy) recommended this great site. What I have is Universal Vendors Inc. Philadelphia 3, PA - Model M8 - candy machine. What I'm in search of is any info. on this machine and most importantly if anyone knows where I might be able to purchase some knobs for it. The knobs that are on the machine are plastic and not bakelite.
Thanks for your time,
Michael
Thanks for your time,
Michael
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: Creighton on February 14, 2006, 03:10:52 pm
Welcome to the board Michael! Sorry I can't help. Would like to see a picture.
Creighton
Creighton
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: Eric on February 14, 2006, 04:14:50 pm
Please post an image of the machine so we can get an idea of what they look like
so we can be on the lookout for you!
Welcome to the site!
so we can be on the lookout for you!
Welcome to the site!
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: on February 14, 2006, 04:38:28 pm
Hi again. How do I post pictures?
Thanks,
Michael
Thanks,
Michael
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: Creighton on February 14, 2006, 05:20:23 pm
Michael,
You can click on the "Help" button to get instructions on usage of the boards features. Let us know if you have trouble.
Creighton
You can click on the "Help" button to get instructions on usage of the boards features. Let us know if you have trouble.
Creighton
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: bcharlton on February 14, 2006, 06:38:50 pm
I may be helpful once the picture is posted.
Welcome aboard.
Brian C
Welcome aboard.
Brian C
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: www.memorylanerestorations.com on February 14, 2006, 06:56:51 pm
Welcome Michael. I'm glade to see you made it. I'll post your photos for you. I hope someone will be able to help. Brian always finds some cool things in Buffalo, help him out Brian. Thanks Curtis Kauffman Memory Lane Restorations
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: www.memorylanerestorations.com on February 14, 2006, 06:58:05 pm
Two more.
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: bcharlton on February 14, 2006, 10:49:49 pm
Michael:
It looks like a mid 1960s candy machine. Because I doubt it is at all unique, I probuble would not put the time and money in doing a full blown restoration. If the machine has some other value such as sentimantal, then go to town on it. Stoner candy machines from the 40s and 50s have a much better appearence. I would look into replacing the knobs altogether.
Good luck. Of you have some pictures of the inside I may be able to give you some ideas as well.
Brian C
It looks like a mid 1960s candy machine. Because I doubt it is at all unique, I probuble would not put the time and money in doing a full blown restoration. If the machine has some other value such as sentimantal, then go to town on it. Stoner candy machines from the 40s and 50s have a much better appearence. I would look into replacing the knobs altogether.
Good luck. Of you have some pictures of the inside I may be able to give you some ideas as well.
Brian C
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: Eric on February 14, 2006, 11:15:00 pm
Here's where a neat look'n 60s retro character decal or graphics could do wonders though.
Let's see the whole machine...
I agree Stoners are nice... alot of shape and style... Don't need much... but this could look
cool with the right era decals and color...
Let's see the whole machine...
I agree Stoners are nice... alot of shape and style... Don't need much... but this could look
cool with the right era decals and color...
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: on February 15, 2006, 01:23:01 am
Many thanks to all who have replied! If I were to replace all the knobs what kind might I use? What sort of decals might I add?
With this machine I guess you'd have to say that "bland" is beautiful!
Thanks again,
Michael
With this machine I guess you'd have to say that "bland" is beautiful!
Thanks again,
Michael
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: BrianB on February 15, 2006, 07:55:31 am
Michael -
First off, welcome to the boards!! Great to have you around. As you can see Soda Pop isn't our only obsession, I mean, hobby
When I restored my Stoner Junior, A couple of my knobs were in poor shap. The worst had almost half of the knob missing and a few of the others had bad stress cracks and major pitting. They were the original marbleized orange and white Bakelite that was really common for the period. I decided that I didn't want to go with metal reproduction knobs and that I wasn't going to wait a year snooping around on Ebay to find a set of six knobs in mint condition and end up paying more for pull knobs then I did on the machine to begin with!
So, I ended up asking a few of my engineer co-workers for any ideas. We did a little brainstorming and on of my friends who is also a Lionel Train freak had been having great success repairing Lionel transformers which also happen to be made out of Bakelite. He used a substance that we in the electronics world use for molding and modeling small components. It's a rubbery material that melts at a relatively low temperature.
I was able to take one of my good knobs, create a mold, and then use that mold to cast a repair section for my broken knob using fiberglass resin. Basically after you cast the good part, let it cool and then you pull the good knob out of the impression and insert the bad one. You will notice an empty portion inside the impression where the fiberglass resin will be injected via syringe to affect the repair.
I waited about 12 hours after injecting to remove the repaired knob from the mold. I then lightly sanded down any imperfections and then primed and painted it.
Here's a few before and after pictures, they aren't the best but they show how bad the knobs were. Hope this helps.
First off, welcome to the boards!! Great to have you around. As you can see Soda Pop isn't our only obsession, I mean, hobby
When I restored my Stoner Junior, A couple of my knobs were in poor shap. The worst had almost half of the knob missing and a few of the others had bad stress cracks and major pitting. They were the original marbleized orange and white Bakelite that was really common for the period. I decided that I didn't want to go with metal reproduction knobs and that I wasn't going to wait a year snooping around on Ebay to find a set of six knobs in mint condition and end up paying more for pull knobs then I did on the machine to begin with!
So, I ended up asking a few of my engineer co-workers for any ideas. We did a little brainstorming and on of my friends who is also a Lionel Train freak had been having great success repairing Lionel transformers which also happen to be made out of Bakelite. He used a substance that we in the electronics world use for molding and modeling small components. It's a rubbery material that melts at a relatively low temperature.
I was able to take one of my good knobs, create a mold, and then use that mold to cast a repair section for my broken knob using fiberglass resin. Basically after you cast the good part, let it cool and then you pull the good knob out of the impression and insert the bad one. You will notice an empty portion inside the impression where the fiberglass resin will be injected via syringe to affect the repair.
I waited about 12 hours after injecting to remove the repaired knob from the mold. I then lightly sanded down any imperfections and then primed and painted it.
Here's a few before and after pictures, they aren't the best but they show how bad the knobs were. Hope this helps.
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: BrianB on February 15, 2006, 07:56:57 am
One more pic, this picture wa taken before all of the small details were taken care of but the knobs are complete.
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: Eric on February 15, 2006, 09:16:01 am
Great job...
there's a guy in the phone club world that does the same thing with a complete phone he makes rubber molds of the orginal phone bodies and parts then uses big surenges and injects the pastic
into the molds.... it sets in a few minutes.... then he has a vintage phone in about any color
including transparent. and a marble look (injecting two colors at the same time)
his ebay seller name is klenex or kleenex.... anyway you'll be able to see his
work on ebay.... has sold some of his phonesin the past near $1000.00.... awesome work....
contacting him would be a way to go.... heck getting someone like him to repro Stoner handles
and other plastic pieces (Have a Coke Lens) would be great!
there's a guy in the phone club world that does the same thing with a complete phone he makes rubber molds of the orginal phone bodies and parts then uses big surenges and injects the pastic
into the molds.... it sets in a few minutes.... then he has a vintage phone in about any color
including transparent. and a marble look (injecting two colors at the same time)
his ebay seller name is klenex or kleenex.... anyway you'll be able to see his
work on ebay.... has sold some of his phonesin the past near $1000.00.... awesome work....
contacting him would be a way to go.... heck getting someone like him to repro Stoner handles
and other plastic pieces (Have a Coke Lens) would be great!
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: Kevin C on February 15, 2006, 09:16:39 am
Hey
Check out my Lance Machine
Kevin
Check out my Lance Machine
Kevin
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: sodaworks on February 15, 2006, 10:49:38 am
Kevin,
The lance looks great!!
The lance looks great!!
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: sodaworks on February 15, 2006, 10:51:45 am
Welcome aboard thatcanbe,
Another option is to have a machine shop turn some out of billet aluminum. Then have the knobs polished out.
Another option is to have a machine shop turn some out of billet aluminum. Then have the knobs polished out.
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: on February 15, 2006, 03:54:51 pm
Many thanks for all the wonderful replies! Try as I might I still can't seem to post a picture of the insides of the machine - the pic is on my desktop (Mac) and after I've choosen the file (jpeg) and previewed - nothing - any suggestions?
Thanks for all,
Michael
Thanks for all,
Michael
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: Creighton on February 15, 2006, 05:29:12 pm
Michael,
Just type your message and then attach the picture. Then click on send on "Add Reply". Skip the preview step.
Kevin, great looking Lance.
Creighton
Just type your message and then attach the picture. Then click on send on "Add Reply". Skip the preview step.
Kevin, great looking Lance.
Creighton
Title: Candy machine - please help
Post by: on February 16, 2006, 02:14:12 am
You are all so very welcoming and have some great machines to boot! Thanks again. Short of making my own knobs, are there any knob types that might work here as replacements for the existing ones? and how would you get the old knobs off?
Thanks!
Michael
Thanks!
Michael