[sdiy] Reproductions of Vintage Synth Parts (how are they made?)

[ASSI]

On Tuesday 09 December 2008, Ken Elhardt wrote:
> I'm wondering how it appears so easy for the Technology Transplant
> guy on ebay to make reproductions of vintage synth knobs, buttons,
> switches and so on.  I was under the impression that getting some
> custom plastic part fabricated from scratch was expensive, but he's
> got all kinds of stuff.  Does anybody know the process a private
> individual would have to go through to make a reproduction of a
> Jupiter-8 knob in quantity for example?  Are the costs reasonable?

Making the mold is most expensive (especially if it requires more then 
two pieces), then comes keeping it in storage and setting up for 
production.  You would probably look at low four-figure numbers for 
simple knobs.  Once set up for production the shop will probably 
require you to make a few hours worth of production or else charge 
extra for setting up and taking down.  Assume one shift worth of 
work, setting you back another $1000 or so and landing several 
thousand knobs in your lap.  Most shops will have a few mold makers 
at hand to fork that work out.  You can skip a few dollars if you 
don't specify too long of a mold life, which is generally measured in 
how many shots you expect to get from it (this allows the mold maker 
to use cheaper and more easily shapeable material).

For most knob designs resin casting (into silicone or powder casts) 
would probably be a cheaper alternative especially if you only need a 
handful.  The downside however is that the form is much more 
restricted and the parts need more work to get the surface finish 
right.  If you expect bubble free results you also need a vacuum box, 
otherwise you can easily do this in your garage if you don't mind a 
few chemical smells.


Achim.
-- 
+<[Q+ Matrix-12 WAVE#46+305 Neuron microQkb Andromeda XTk]>+

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