I usually don’t bother to paint my chipped or damaged vending machine heads. Typically by the time a head gets enough damage to warrant a paint job, it usually needs a couple coin mechanisms and a new plastic face plate or head, so it just makes more sense to buy a whole new head, but every now and then I’ll break out the spray paint to freshen up a head and keep it looking good.
It’s a pretty quick easy project and the results are good.
Materials Needed
You just need a spray paint for metal surfaces, tape and newspapers.
I don’t use filler, so even after you spray paint you can still see where the chips were, but once they’re painted over, it looks good enough to suit my needs. By all means get crazy with filler and sanding if you want, but count me out, I’m all about the quick and easy.
These are a couple jobs I recently did on the trays of a couple triples. I’ve also done repairs on vending machine bodies and been happy with the work. You can definitely see that a repair has been done, but that doesn’t really bother me. Some people who are pickier might not be happy with the end result, but I’m not about to replace every head that gets a little scratch.
Repair Examples
(it was hard to get good clear pictures due to the light and high gloss paint, but I think you get the point. The spray paint is actually a good match)
Before (patch repair)
After
Before (whole tray)
After
Note: I don’t waste paint spraying the part of the tray that goes under the machine.
The longer you can keep your vending machines in service, the more money you’ll make, so don’t hesitate to whip out a can of spray paint.
FYI – I haven’t needed to paint any bases/stands yet, but from the looks of some of mine, I’m guessing they’ll need to be painted every 5 years or so to keep them looking glossy and fresh. Honestly with a fresh coat of paint every few years, I think my stands could last 100 years give or take, they show virtually no signs of wear.