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Old 02-09-2017, 06:23 PM
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Gauging Interest in a Custom Part Rebuilding Service

Hi, all. So I'm currently enrolled in George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and I'm a member of the maker lab here. We've got 3D printers, sewing, and we've been dipping our toes into rubber casting with the goal of being able to color match new parts. Anyway, we're looking for ways to make some income to support future development, and I've been pitching the possibility of reproducing custom parts (rubber to start, but I could see working in the 3D printers as well) for a small fee.

I know Ed Schutz does some, so I'd want to avoid producing the same parts he does so I don't step on his toes. We'd avoid keeping any inventory, but we'd hold onto the molds so future productions are cheaper and faster.

So essentially, you'd send the part in, we'd cast a new one (and color match if necessary) and we'd send the new parts back.

Is this something anyone would be interested in? If it takes off, I'd like to explore reproducing larger plastic parts and grille cloth as well. Maybe even looking into injection molding if such a thing could be done.
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Old 02-09-2017, 06:45 PM
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I bet there would be interest in those zenith clover things that always break.
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Old 02-09-2017, 09:27 PM
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Injection molding isn't terribly difficult to start up. Not unless you want it automated, anyway.

Personally, I just bother my machinist friend if I needed some custom bit made. Rubber can actually be machined (you freeze it first). I tell you what though, I bet that folks around here would be happy to part with their cash for reproduction knobs. The only problem is, you might not get a physical knob to copy. That, and you might want to look into finding a plastic that could pass for bakelite. Or figure out how to do bakelite.

I suppose it wouldn't be terribly difficult to 3D print knobs, as opposed to injection molding them. Low production numbers anyway. But you'll probably need to hand-finish each one. And it'd probably be preferable to print it solid, instead of hollow honeycomb on the inside.
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Old 02-09-2017, 10:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMan View Post
And it'd probably be preferable to print it solid, instead of hollow honeycomb on the inside.
From what work I've done with the 3D printers, you can do a solid fill rather than a 3D print. And we'd have the tools to do a hand finish no problem.
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Old 02-09-2017, 10:08 PM
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Quote:
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I bet there would be interest in those zenith clover things that always break.
I found a post from awhile ago about those saying they'd need a 3D scanner to make replicas. We have a 3D scanner.
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Old 02-10-2017, 08:26 AM
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One thing that would have broad interest is Zenith linearity and convergence plastic coil forms...The lin. forms tend to melt or crack, and the convergence can crack if bumped. I've been tempted to find someone with a 3D scanner to ask them to run off a few dozen copies of my one intact original spare.
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Old 02-10-2017, 11:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M View Post
One thing that would have broad interest is Zenith linearity and convergence plastic coil forms...The lin. forms tend to melt or crack, and the convergence can crack if bumped. I've been tempted to find someone with a 3D scanner to ask them to run off a few dozen copies of my one intact original spare.
I approached a plastic fab place near me about those "snap-in" Zenith horizontal and convergence coils. The ones I had were baked dry, and they recommended some high-temp plastic - and a minimum run of 50. I passed.

Still, NOS JW Miller versions are readily available, so no worry right now.
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Old 02-10-2017, 01:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Findm-Keepm View Post
I approached a plastic fab place near me about those "snap-in" Zenith horizontal and convergence coils. The ones I had were baked dry, and they recommended some high-temp plastic - and a minimum run of 50. I passed.

Still, NOS JW Miller versions are readily available, so no worry right now.
Depending on price I'd have likely had them made if I was in your shoes. I've had need for at least 3 such forms in as many years...Extrapolate that out to everyone here that has one or more Zenith, and does not want to unwind a NOS coil for a different application just to get the form, and I think one could sell out in 1-3 years.
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Old 02-10-2017, 08:29 PM
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I have a GE console radio from about 1939; the plastic dial bezel is badly shrunken/cracked. I've thought hard about making a reproduction out of wood. A 3D printed replacement could be great but cost gets to be a factor. For $30 or so I'd do it in a heartbeat....but at some point it just gets to be too much. Some might be interested in those control panel covers that tend to be missing from early 50's Admiral sets.
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Old 02-11-2017, 06:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M View Post
Depending on price I'd have likely had them made if I was in your shoes. I've had need for at least 3 such forms in as many years...Extrapolate that out to everyone here that has one or more Zenith, and does not want to unwind a NOS coil for a different application just to get the form, and I think one could sell out in 1-3 years.
$270 for the mould design, and $380 for the material and labor.
>13 bucks just for the form/50pcs, and then have to buy wire to wind one or two would have placed them in the ~15 dollar range.

By the way, with the flange, hollow core and thin walls of the core, it makes it impossible to 3D print. Injection moulding is the way to go.

Me? I'd just pay Moyers, Vetco, or Talonix for one and move on. JW Miller H-162 and H-163... They do show up on ebay often, but co-mingled with other coils - I got lucky and got one each in an eBay buy that also got me an efficiency coil and horizontal phase coil for most RCAs, including my CTC16.
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Old 02-11-2017, 10:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M View Post
One thing that would have broad interest is Zenith linearity and convergence plastic coil forms...The lin. forms tend to melt or crack, and the convergence can crack if bumped. I've been tempted to find someone with a 3D scanner to ask them to run off a few dozen copies of my one intact original spare.
I'd absolutely be interested in looking into doing this. I think it'd make a great trial run to see if the idea is feasible for us. Can I PM you for more information on the part to see if I can initiate a trial run?

I'm going to look into all of this and see what we can do. We're set up for 3D printing anyway, so plastics are a definite possibility. Injection molding may happen, but it'll take time. We could start up rubber casting and 3D printing almost immediately, but I know some plastic parts really need to be injection molded to look correct.

I'll update once I have more information, but I'm cautiously optimistic that this stuff can get off the ground.

If there's anyone with a specific part that they want to ask about, feel free to PM me. I'm not going to make any promises yet, but the director of the lab was very enthusiastic about trying this out. I think money, time, and equipment are going to be our biggest enemies, but a lot of that can be overcome with experimentation. Right now it's gonna be a case-by-case basis to get stuff done, but it doesn't hurt to check.
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Old 02-11-2017, 11:58 PM
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Sure PM me .
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Old 02-12-2017, 10:21 PM
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Update: I've learned that we have an injection molding machine already.
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Old 02-13-2017, 03:33 AM
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I like where this is going
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Old 02-13-2017, 07:46 AM
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I like where this is going
Me too - only if to see what the price of the new parts fall versus the NOS stuff. Maybe I should snap up the NOS stuff that is out there. That way, if the newly made stuff is enormously expensive, I can cash in........
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