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Unread 10-07-2023, 02:45 AM   #3
G.T.
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Default shops, sort of?

Hi Jer, the shop manager told me they have two facilities with over 30+presses between the two! They make knobs and handles in over a 1000 types and variations? He said all presses are running 24/7 so basically, there is no room for the little guy, even though the 2 cavity mold cost north of $10,000.00 to begin with!!! I was very lucky to get the run of parts that I did, but it is easy to tell they are not too excited when my name shows up on caller ID... I had hoped that I would be able to enlist their aid in a Black Widow grip set replacement, but it is looking like a pretty tough haul right now? Just by what I've seen in my quest, I would suspect a four cavity mold (2 sets) would set one back about, anywhere from, $30,000.00 to $50,000.00 for starters, the reverse engineering and prints another couple of grand, and probably $5.00 a part for a minimum of 1000 parts? When you plunk down that kind of cash for an effy project like that, you have to sell a crap load of grip sets to even recoup your initial investment, and probably 10 years to do it... Only thing going for the project, is they would fit, work and last, something no reproduction can claim right now, with the one exception is Nill Griffe which are walnut, but made very, very well. So, my dream quest may not be in the cards, but all of the above, won't stop me from trying.. Best to all, til......lat'r....GT
BTW, when I was still in the Dakotas, 30 years ago, I knew a forman of a plastics plant, and he was making the trucks that held the four wheels for inline skates, a two cavity injection mold he was working on cost the customer $70K and that was a long time ago!
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