on 9/13/02 12:27 PM, Ajhsys@aol.com at Ajhsys@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 9/13/02 2:43:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mvheim@attbi.com
> writes:
>
>
>> That's $50 for a 1-inch piece of plastic. Of course the cost goes down as
>> the quantity goes up (in this case the total universe of applicable
>> vehicles
>> was only about 20,000), but how many MGA grilles does Moss sell in a year?
>> The total possible market is 100,000, divided by the two grill types, minus
>> attrition (probably 25% at least), and minus good existing grilles, and
>> owners who don't care about a few flaws, or can't afford it at whatever
>> price it winds up. The main thing is, tooling for a large, complex metal
>> item is going to be a lot more, possibly by a factor of ten.
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> I knew there was a trick to it!
>
> It seems to me that they can make castings in sand. They make an accurate
> piece, embed it in tightly packed sand, remove it, and pour in the liquid
> metal. When it cools, voila! Just paint it with chrome paint, available at
> all auto supply stores!
>
> I guess it isn't that easy, ...
That's an understatement...<g>... for instance, how do you "remove" the
complex 3-dimensional object from the tightly packed sand without disturbing
it? I know what you're thinking of, but you seem to be a little vague on the
process. Anyway, grille shells aren't cast, at least not for our cars. And
have you ever seen "chrome" paint? Not exactly chrome...
>...but didn't they used to make arrowheads that way?
Who? Native Americans used obsidian, typically. Medieval Europeans would
have forged them, I would think. Cast arrowheads seem unlikely, but...?
>
> Maybe I should bring this up on the shoptalk list.
>
> Allen Hefner
> SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
> '77 Midget
> '75 Midget "The Project"
> '92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the primer red one with chrome wires
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