SMC Discussion Areas

As most of you know I am wanting to get into making reproduction parts for vending machines. First i want to say that I do not want to in any way get into selling parts retail. I just want to be a manufacturer selling to our wonderful parts suppliers on the site. I have already discussed can conversions for V81's and small door and large door mechanical coin mechs but what else needs to be made. I cannot get into extremely complex parts or anything that requires a mold to be made due to the high initial cost of the molds. But anything made of sheet metal or anything electrical can be made.

An idea that I have is to make weld in louver panels for round top machines. Right now there is no solution for kicked in or rusted out louver panels. I could make weld in sections with the louvers pre punched in the panel.

I am also looking into the original textured kickplate for V-81's. (By the way does anyone have an old unusable one that you would be willing to part with?)

Anything that I am going to make is going to have to be something that is either usable for multiple machines or something that is going to be popular. I cannot make parts for small quantities unless you are willing to pay for the cost of making a one off part.  Please brainstorm with me. Any ideas are welcome. 

Josh,

Just off the top of my head, how about replacement cabinet liners?  I know these are a larger item, but they seem to be in need of repair quite often.  Maybe come up with a design that has a reinforced (thicker, coated, etc) area around the belt and bottom for the water that tends to lay.

Wayne

Wayne,

that is a good idea but they are just too big. Shipping for something that large would be more expensive than having it hand made in the USA. Shipping a pallet would run about $400 so something like that you could only fit 3 or 4 on a skid. But shipping small parts makes it cheep per piece when the quantity goes up. Like if you can ship 100 coin mechs on a pallet that same $400 is now only $2.66 each so the shipping isn't an issue. Bottle stacks are about as big as I want to go and that is even pushing it.

Hey Josh,

Just a brainstorm, and I know it may be pushing the size issue unless stacked well, but how about Jacobs 26/35 drums?  Nearly all the machines seem to be missing these, and they don't seem to be all that complicated.  My buddy looked into getting one done by the metal shop guy at one of the Air Force Bases I was at.  He said it would be easily done, but have to have been done in his off time.  You might also have to make the associated mounting hardware, but that is small and easy.  Just another idea!

       Cabinet liners don't need replacing, just the floorpan to fit inside the old one.
Flanged edges could be sealed at the corners to retain water and a similar drain
channel stamped, leading to the drain hole.

How about light-up signs?  These are tougher to find for some of the less-common machines.  Even for the common ones, being able to make ones with different logos/designs would be cool.  That way, some one can make a theme machine or a machine of a specific flavor.

Shipping a sea land container is an affordable alternative. Especially now.

I am getting stainless steel liners made locally for $85.00 for a master and $55.00 for a junior. I haven't yet looked into redoing an up-right liner. I normally just patch and repaint them.

I most like the drum idea. I need two drums now an I anticipate that need to rise as I get more into the restoration of these old machines. VMC 27 and vendo-39.

But I bet with the economy being what it is now, what ever you make, minus the few that we here buy, will sit on shelfs for a long while before they move.

But I bet with the economy being what it is now, what ever you make, minus the few that we here buy, will sit on shelfs for a long while before they move.

DITTO Parts sales right now are crawling. a few months ago I had a hard time keeping up mailing out 20-40 packages a week. Last week I mailed out two!

Josh im sending you an email.

Joey