This is a nice simple cd vending machine.

Step 1: Why?

Why not? These would be great for a library, internet cafe, or anywhere else you might need just 1 blank cd.

Its about the size of a gum ball machine and works similar to one.

I am not a carpenter, these aren't the best cuts on here.

This was a concept project, it is not final.

Patents pending.

Just think, if you're in an internet cafe and need a cd to burn some files on or something like that, instead of going to the nearest store and buying a whole package of discs you could just have one in a convenient vending machine.

According to my research you can sell each disc for $1 each and make $115 from selling 200 cd's .

Anyway onward to the building.

Step 2: Materials Needed

In my mechanical version (electrical version still in progress) I needed very few things.

Materials
Coin slide in amount of desired cost/cd
Wood
Machine screws and nuts
CD Case
Gasket Material
Misc pieces of metal
Plexiglass
Tools
Drill
Saws
Screwdrivers
Brains

Once you have all the materials gathered up you're good to go!

Step 3: Cut Your First Piece

I started cutting the front piece. I wanted some room for the CD cases could move around a little and not bind up, so I cut the front pieces to be 6 3/4 inches wide, and it is a little overkill. I also wanted a decent sized coin box in the bottom and nicely sized hopper for the Disc so I cut the piece to be 14 1/4 tall.

I don't recall what how big the hole for the coin slide was but it sits centered and 2 1/2 inches from the bottom.

I was using 1/2 inch wood so I cut the wood about 3/4 above the top of the coin slider. This cut is for the cd exit slot. I just cut the whole piece and cut out about 1/4 inch of the wood.

Step 4: Cut/mount Cd Shelf

I cut a U shaped piece to to act as the cd shelf that way the cd moving mechanism has room to do its work, but yet it is big enough so that a cd case cant fall through it.

You can see it in the first picture on the left with the corner brackets already attached.

I cut the board as wide as the first one and it goes back 6 1/2 inches.

The sides of it stick in about 1 inch.

The 2nd picture shows the cd shelf attached to the front.

To attach it I just used 2 wood screws, 2 corner brackets, and 2 machine screws/nuts.

Step 5: Attach Sides and Other Front Piece.

I cut the side pieces to be 9 3/4 by 14 1/4 and attached very carefully into the front piece using small wood screws. If you're not too careful you will split the wood.

The back of the hopper just goes from the cd shelf to the top of the box and theres nothing special about it.

Step 6: Grabbing Mechanism

For the grabbing mechanism I used some gasket material that I had laying around. To mount it to the coin slide I used some extra pieces of an erector set that I used to have. I just bent part of it to make an L shaped braked and mounted 2 of them to the coin slide with intention to use both of them but just ended up using one. I took the gasket material and cut a rectangular piece that was plenty tall enough to hit the cd and then some. I took and cut an elongated notch in it that way it could easily be adjusted to grab the cd.

Step 7: Test It Out!

This was my prototype so I was done, it will get remade and have a lock and probably be metal and tougher and include a security device to keep the cd's from sliding out.