Trying to envision my setup. What started as a simple idea (of vending LEGO from a candy machine) is growing. As the weeks count down to August, I'm truly out of time. So this is turning into a "master plan" for future years. I'll just get done what I can for this August.

I was mainly interested in how all items would fit together - what would tower too tall, what would be too small. This is a fairly accurate depiction - but I had to scale the people a bit [size=3](ps: don't google for images of "10-year-old boy model" - bad idea)[/size].

[b]Phase I[/b]: for this August, I will definitely have done: Box #1 and Box #4, with two 2" machines, one 1" machine, and a bill changer.

[b]Phase II[/b]: might get done this, if I'm lucky, is one a crane. If I attempt it this year, I'll have to fill the crane with items purchased at retail, or close to it. So I'd have to have a fair amount of "losers," which I prefer not to do. But for 2013, the LEGO company will sell me lots of parts cheap, so I can better afford the next stages...

[b]Phase III[/b]: Five more machines, all 1" capsules, with the various minifigure parts, for a Build-A-Fig setup. Each cap sells for $.75 = $3.75 for a fig, including a utensil or two. That's actually fairly cheap as figs go.

[b]Phase IV:[/b] Some type of "direct vend" of LEGO pieces, just like candy. As shown on Box #5.

[b]Phase V:[/b] A second crane - preferably a candy-crane, for direct scooping of LEGO parts dumped inside. But I've never seen a candy crane in real life, so not yet sure how big it is, or how it works.

And with that, I'll have completed this picture drawn.

[b]Future Phases[/b]: - I'd like to research a "coin pushing" machine that pushes LEGO instead. Not sure how that could work. Maybe also a gravity-machine. What else? Not sure. This photo I consider to be 5 "stations": 1) Random capsule parts, 2) Build-A-Fig, 3) Crane (small baggies), 4) Candy crane, and 5) Direct dump/vend parts. I feel that a good, complete "fun zone" would have at least 9 or 10 different [i]things to do[/i].

I'm pleased that all I've drawn thus far fits into 20 linear feet [size=3](drapes are 10' wide)[/size].

Just waiting... waiting... for my brother to allow me into his shop.