Has anyone created a lighted vending machine? I know it would be a little difficult to do. Just wondering.
It has been done, and the results posted on this site in the past (crud, that link goes to the middle of the thread - just scroll to the top).
Try this one…
Well, whatever, the important thing in that thread is Milwhiawatha’s lighted soda machines - they do get into a discussion of which LEDs & what resistors they use, but I am not sure if he ever described how to make the soda machines themselves? He mentions PMing some people, and I suggested submitting a short article for MR’s workshop column (why not), but I don’t think he describes it in that thread.
Later on jbinkley60 posted some images of his that he created, apparently it’s not that difficult, but since a lot of the image is white - ink jet printing on white decal paper of a soda machine front & sides on clear plastic perhaps, with back and top painted black (maybe plain white styrene is transculent enough for the interior (LED) lighting to show). Or something utterly different…
Or even better: jbinkley60 went to Costco, bought a real vending machine, then went online and bougth a shrink ray, zapped his vending machine with the shrink ray, and ta-dah! instant, life like, super detailed vending machine! It even lights up!
Life is boring without something to laugh at…
It looks pretty simple to build, basically a 5 sided box, painted black and a 2-piece clear styrene sandwich that’ll fit into thje sixth side. Take a photo of a vending machine, print it on plain paper and insert it in the clear sandwich.