SMC Discussion Areas

I am restoring a Coke Vendo 81 and I have some questions regarding plating / powder coating. I have the machine completely disassembled including the bottle stack.

Should the tub, face plate and shelves be powder coated?

Should all of the bottle stack parts (excluding bottle gate) be zinc plated? 

Should the main door hinges be chrome plated?

How much does it generally cost for powder coating / plating?

Thanks

Everyone has their own opinion on these questions.  All I can do is tell you what I do.  I have several parts powder coated.  On the inside, these means the tub, the shelves (remove the plastic "wheel" first), sliders, and some of the parts on the bottle stack where thickness isn't an issue.  This includes the face plate (white for the V-81D and red for the V-81A and V-81B), the platforms where the bottles sit, the back rail, and the rotating cylinder piece.  I paint the sliding plates and "vending arms", and other small parts in the bottle stack after sandblasting them.  I start with a 90% zinc primer, followed by Alumi-Blast paint, and then top it with clear coat.  The hinges on the V-81s were painted red originally and that is how I restore mine.  What you pay for plating and powder coating depends on the availability of places that do this work in your area.  I am lucky in that I know a powder coating who does my work for $150-$200.  I generally spend about $125 on plating.  I do a lot of my own sandblasting, but I do have to take the cabinet and main door somewhere for media blasting because those parts are too big for my cabinet.  This costs me another $175.

I have a powder coat guy I use that I pay in cash, he charges me 200 for everything, shelves, liner, and bottle stack parts i have done.  He just waits until he has an order using the color I want then throws it all in.  Everyone wins