bought 70's pepsi machine no key. Can I pick it? How?HELP

[paulmart]

i just bought an old 1970's choicevend brand pepsi machine. The guy had it unlocked but told me no to lock it until I got a key somehow. I just bought it yesterday and this A.M. when I woke up my wife had locked it because "she didn't think it would work without locking it. I just stocked it with soda and now I can't get it open. Any ideas on how to pick it? Paulmart

[MeisBarry]

You could try searching, but chances are no one knowledgeable here will give you any direct advice. No offense, but a lot of people come here saying "hi I just bought a soda machine/coin operated washer/safe/helicopter/house and I swear it's mine but I lost the key please tell me how to open it." Advice here is generally only given out for professional/hobby reasons, not for someone to bypass a single lock, simply because most people that ask help with bypassing one lock aren't asking because it's theirs. It may be a tubular lock, but with a soda machine probably older than I am, I'm not positive. I've never picked a tubular anyway.

Besides, if you need a key a locksmith would be the best way to go. They'd open it and get you a key.

[jimb]

Can you post a picture of it?

[Gear Head]

There is bound to be an old service number on it, check around and see if there is a distributor of them. If you do own it, you need a key.

[eric343]

Post a picture of the machine and the lock -- "70s coke machine" doesn't tell us very much.

[jordyh]

All '70s coce machine' tells me is that i would not drink coke from it now, as i'd probably get ill.

Oh, and it might have a wafer lock, being from the seventies.

Okay, i'm kidding....

Umm, i guess you could (if it's there) just call the number for cervicing.
If it isn't there, you could allways try a regular locksmith.

Yours,

Jordy

[Mr. Lock Pick]

try and pick it, the worst you will be able to do is not open it, its an old lock so oil it first

[illusion]

try and pick it, the worst you will be able to do is not open it, its an old lock so oil it first

1: If they knew how to pick it they likely would have already - he/she was asking how he/she should go about it.

2: Don't pick locks that you need/rely-upon/care about.

3: You failed to specify what oil to use, and 'oil' could mean cooking oil for all the OP knows.

[LockNewbie21]

I'd say call a locksmith, some vintage soda machines are really neet my cousin had one wher you put in a dime and the whole door opens and you take out the glass bottle...yes that right glass bottle, very nice and cold but anyway, he somehome just put a latch on it when it needed to be opened, i would say call a locksmith and have him remove the locka nd then just put a handy latch on it for easy access..i mean its bound do be have to be refilled then problem solved, but in interest not worring if its yours or not but post a pic, i am curious t see if its like my cousins.


andy

[Gundanium]

I'd agree with calling a locksmith, if you're inexperienced in lock tampering it' isn't going to happen, especially with a soda machine lock, i'm guessing it's a lock like locks on soda machines today, but I don't know when tubular locks were invented. I know it took 15 years after being created that a tubular lock was finally picked!
Anyways, they are pretty hard to pick, I have a tubular lock pick, and it takes some practice to use, Call a locksmith.

[Wolfman]

I've never picked a tubular anyway.

I have! And not with tubular picks. HEHE... Homemade tools ROCK!

(the truth comes out)

It was a 5 pin tubular lock that is made for COMPUTERS! You wire it into the face and the power supply so you need the key to use the computer....

took awhile but i learned some stuff. LOL

[LostGunner]

Paulmart - Another thought is that if you own the machine, particularly if you're not interesting in learning about locks but rather simply opening your machine, you could always drill the lock out and replace it with one of your own choosing. Granted this forum is built around the hobby and career of opening locks without destroying them, but I think the option should be mentioned.

This post has some information: http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=5336&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=drillbit

If you want help opening the lock without destroying it the most useful thing would be to post a picture though.

As a side note: This site is really about the hobby of lockpicking and if opening this lock is how you get interested/started then I'm sure we'd be happy to help you. You should realize that asking how to open a soda machine on your first post raises flags about your motivations for a lot of people. Your story may or may not be true, I happen to assume the best about people, but take a step back and think how it sounds. I just wanted you to know what assumptions people make/verbalize in order to keep sites like these from being demonized.

[Shrub]

I dont think hes coming back guys, we dont know what lock it is and we havent had a picture.

I guess the breaker bar has come out to play.

[LostGunner]

You're probably right, and that's too bad I would have liked to see the lock... you never know though, it's only been a day or two... ?

[LostGunner]

On a whim I was curious what eBay might reveal and I found this... Interesting that they stated the lock had indeed been drilled...

http://cgi.ebay.com/PEPSI-COLA-170-Can-machine-5-flavor-vend-70s_W0QQitemZ7206962887QQcategoryZ13614QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem