Retro Vending Machine Hack

I just found an old, scratched vending machine in the scrapyard, its metal frame dented and a single cracked plexi panel letting the cold air in. It still runs on a 1970s microprocessor that I can re‑program with a soldering iron, so I can make it dispense hot soup or any other item I write into its firmware. The way the gears clank, the faint ozone smell after a short, and the light flickering when I hit a wrong button is a puzzle I can’t ignore, a tactile reminder that convenience is a crime. I wish I had a copy in my lab so I could keep that manual code flowing and prove that a hand‑crafted solution is worth the effort. 🛠️ #tinkerer #handcode