Wanted to share very specialized info with DIY forum

[guitarleeman]

   I had some information I wanted to share with all you DIYer's. I have been looking for a source for die cast enclosures for a long time,actually some one to make them custom made. Here's what I have discovered. I got in touch with an artist who does sand-casting of aluminum. I explained that I was looking for custom made diecast aluminum enclosures for guitar effects that had to be a certain dimension and thickness. He explained to me that the process to manufacture such enclosures takes a factory full of equipment to melt the aluminum,create molds that cost $10,000 apiece using a vacuum process etc.He told me that the process was very popular in the 60's but the equipment was purchased from China and sent overseas,so the U.S. no longer has the equipment. So,now you know why we only have hammond and BUD enclosures to choose from.

[markm]

......or NSC 

[Meanderthal]

 Hey, dosen't the Moonrock guy sand cast his own aluminum enclosures?

http://home.mindspring.com/~wylo/

[amz-fx]

Doesn't the Klon guy cast his own enclosures as well?

-Jack

[Dan N]

We did aluminum sand casting in high school metal shop. Oily sand, talc, molten aluminum and viola! Ash trays, silhouettes of Abe Lincoln's head, gear shift knobs... we was wild!

I wouldn't want to get as thin as a Hammond, but a cool clunky box would be pretty easy with not too much of an investment.

[Gilles C]

How about them

http://www.kineticdiecasting.com/index.html

[brett]

Hi
I wonder what 1000 boxes of 75 (W) x 100 (H) x 38 (H) (3 x 4 x 1 1/2) would cost?
They could include the stompswitch (13mm) and input/output (10mm) holes.
cheers

[R.G.]

I wonder what 1000 boxes of 75 (W) x 100 (H) x 38 (H) (3 x 4 x 1 1/2) would cost? They could include the stompswitch (13mm) and input/output (10mm) holes.

Well, taking the numbers from the first post, it costs you $10,000 to get a die (mold) made. If the boxes were made at 0 cost per box, 1000 boxes would cost, in all, $10,000. That's $10 per box. If you were charged $1 per box for actually casting the aluminum and shipping them, they'd cost $11 per box.

Does the economics start to make sense? Another way to look at it is that the first box costs you $10,001, and after that, they're $1 each.

Die casting is great stuff if you make a lot of identical things. But you have to be really sure you're going to get enough volume to make up for the big up front investment in the mold.

By the way, $10K is a simple mold at bargain prices. One reasonably complicated injected plastic mold we had made on a project I ran was $250K for the molds before we got our first part.

[Gilles C]

It seems quite true...

http://www.kineticdiecasting.com/sandcasting.html

$$$$$$

Gilles

[toneman]

U know..couldn't the enclosures be made out of clay 
Cheap and Easy to cast.   
U could make ridges in the sides for basil seeds!!!   
Chi-WAH!!!        
Have your WAH and Basil too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     
U heard it here FIRST 
 

[JimRayden]

It seems quite true...

http://www.kineticdiecasting.com/sandcasting.html

$$$$$$

Gilles

Ooh, they seem to make Damage Control pedals' enclosures. And in the bottom of the photo section there is also a Hammond-style box. Oh goodie.

----------
Jimbo

[Processaurus]

wonder where the mold for the old morley pedals went?  I'd flip if small bear could offer that box...

[amz-fx]

The prices have gone down since the work moved to China....   I just finished a project where I commissioned a mold for a fairly complicated plastic part and it cost $6000. I suspect that a simple mold for a box would be half as much or even less. 

The next time our saleman for the molding company comes by, I'll inquire about having aluminum boxes made.

regards, Jack

[Hfeisnteverything]

$6000 for a plastic mould in China is outrageous, even for a hot-runner mold.  I work with mold makers in Shenzhen and Hong Kong all time. You really should PM me....

Sand-casting is an awfully out of date way to make an effects box. Alloy injection into high-temp steel would be the way to go now for best results.  Just look at the metal mold cylinder of your trust Shure SM57 or SM58 for an example of this kind of mold-work being produced by Chinese mold makers at great prices and high-quality.

[puretube]

this thread reminds me of one of the saddest days in my life... 

[Hfeisnteverything]

Something I said??  Its good to talk Puretube, let it out...

[puretube]

not you, H_fe...
it goes back to my old days of dumpster-diving...

[Hfeisnteverything]

@Puretube,

Hope your healing, my friend.  Never hit dumpsters, but a car boot sale or too have been attended.

BTW, the way you wrote my username is mucho cool - care to share how its done?

[MetalGod]

I work with mold makers in Shenzhen and Hong Kong all time. You really should PM me....

why not post this info for ALL our benefits - I'm interested in this as I'm sure lots of others are.

[puretube]

@Puretube,

Hope your healing, my friend.  Never hit dumpsters, but a car boot sale or too have been attended.

BTW, the way you wrote my username is mucho cool - care to share how its done?

when you post a message,
you got these "Add BBC tags" lines above the "smileys" lines above the "Message"-field:
a.o.:

play with it here...
ooops, sorry, here!