OFF TOPIC ALERT Arduino help fairly big project

Hi All,
As much as I try I just cant get my head around this stuff, if this is to far off topic and not suitable please delete or move post as deemed necessary,
I have a project in the pipeline for a customer of mine ( I'm an Electrician) hes a good customer and the work is mine if I can deliver, he had had commercial quotes of 20 grand upwards,
basically what I want to do is use an Arduino and various interface boards to run a vending machine.
basically a simple run pumps, fill tanks, control solenoid valves etc , Generic coin op mech, controlled by customer selectable buttons to vend a liquid in various amounts and control onboard storage of the liquid.
I can get my head around all the relay boards and interface wiring etc, just not the actual programming.
I'm looking for someone in Brisbane who can assist with this ( read do the programming and show me at the same time ) theres is a bit of coin to be made here as the project is for 105 units once its up and running
I figured there must be someone on here that's fluent enough to do this who wouldn't mind a bit of extra money to buy more xmas lights LOL
there would even be a bonus if you could teach me to do my own xmas lights for this year LOL
dosent have to be limited to an Arduino I just chose that as it a cheaply available processor that easy to program and easy to expand I'm open to suggestions,
I'm not against the idea of a totally new designed board with processor relays and every thing built in.

look fwd to hearing some thoughts

 

have you loaded any of the arduino examples.. as they will give you the starting point..
arduino's are very easy to program.. so long as you start at the basic's first
im in S.A. but can help you out along the way if you need help or assistance..

 

smartalec
thanks for the reply, I just don't have the time to sit down and teach myself, I feel it would be quicker to watch someone else do it and pick it up that way LOL that's how I have learnt stuff most of my life and I'm to old now to learn a different way lol
it would be far easier if the person was here in Brissy as the machines are all here in Brissy and its easier to explain how it has to work face to face when there is a machine in front of you.

currently the machines all have a system in them but the company that makes them no longer supports them and wants a house deposit to supply a new version
so the old system is also available to reverse engineer if need be

 

have you tryed the arduino facebook group then?
it aint hard to learn arduino.. easp when what you want to do is allready there in the examples, you just have to rip sections you want an make your own

 

I'm sure I can learn eventually, but theres a reasonably short time frame involved and I think it needs someone already competent rather than my learn as I go back yard effort

and I'm a bit of a dinosaur and don't do facebook LOL

 

As someone who does embedded systme design for a living. $20k sounds cheap. Dont' underestimate the complextity of a job like that.