Projects Nailhead valve covers !SOON!

Working on patterns to cast Art Deco valve covers for the 264 322,364 and 401 Buick nailheads. I have a few more weeks to go before I start casting. Pictured is the almost finished pattern (cope) next to the bottom half (drag) its a match plate set.
Still debating on how to finish the cover. Crest in the center blending into the fin,or no crest. My patterns are all hand made,no fancy CNC's. Just lots of measuring and shaping by hand..the lost art method.

Pricing will reflect on demand and production. Also keep in mind that I am an artist and not a corporation mass producing. I do everything my self here in the good ole U.S.A I also dont buy my supplies in bulk.


A finned cover will come after.well,...not really finned like what is already out there,but im calling it that. It will have an Art Deco design to it as well...

 

110% would be interested depending on price and quality of finished product

Looks great !!

 

I can guarantee finihed product will be top notch. But kep in mind these will be finished by hand and not machines as youll notice on Offy and other mass produced products...they have quotas to meet and must finish them in such time,.. I will take my time with each one. This dos not inclue machine work,only the cosmetics sanding and polishing. TE="VANDENPLAS, post: 12794574, member: 100245"]110% would be interested depending on price and quality of finished product

Looks great !![/QUOTE]

 

Also,cant expect fancy wine at beer prices. I have bills to pay too.

 

I too am interested, again depending on price.

 

Looks great,can't wait to see the finished product............................................

 

Best of luck. Hope you sell a bunch. I miss my nailhead.

 

Also interested. Depending on price.

 

I like it a lot. Have Offy covers currently, looking for something different.

 

Cool product

 

I forgot to mention these are much wider than the Offy,.,why you dont see any lip on the side,and taller too to fit over roller rockers. They will make the nailhead look more beefy

 

It's wonderful to see old school hand crafted products!! It looks like you'll soon have your hands full with orders! lt would be fun to customize a set for your display.

Keep us posted on your progress and best wishes for success. (P.S. I bought my profile car on Tamarisk in your town in 1991.)

 

For sure.

I started a pattern, for off topic vintage rocker covers.
The plan was to have a local foundry cast them.
Someone else beat me to market, AND they were selling them for what would have been my cost.
I can only assume two things:
A: he cast them himself to save money.
B: he didn't value his time.

 

I cast my self but its not eady labor,not am I those guys working in assrmbly lines for some $15 an hr after 10 yrs of being there. Not me! I value my time and know what I'm worth. Im not looking to get rich,but not underpaid either. Most wont like it,but some will and I'm ok with that.

 

Here is a finned valve cover i made for the Buick straight eight. Most those guys running them are purist and others fkn cheap and want everything for Dollar General prices..not going to happen lol. Im going make a few for my self since Im a straight 8 guru and Alleycat on TeamBuick. The cover is huge and requires a engine hoist to handle the molds. I wont take a loss for anyone,I got bills to pay also.

 

That is a beautiful straight 8 valve cover !!!
When do you expect to have the nailhead covers ready to market ??

 

end of the yr. They dont look atractive right now,not to me. They still have some work left to be done then paint to blend everything . Im confident they will make an atractive cover once there.

 

Good stuff, great to see a vision come to reality.

 

Ok just to be clear , I think theses are great
The straight 8 v/c is cool.
Like you said good wine for cheap beer prices !!

I think no one is expecting you to compete with the generic Mr. gasket sbc $49.99 chrome valve covers ( although that would be awsome ! Lol)

We all know what nailhead stuff is worth ( and it’s not cheap) so I just think if you keep it in the range of what stuff is selling for now, you should make quick businesss with this stuff. Just great looking good luck !

 

I wont offer them at Ofenhauser prices either. I cannot compete with them in pricing,only craftsmanship. They make their money selling in bulk,and save by buying supplies in bulk. Im just getting off the ground here,and barely at that. What i want people to understand and engrave in their thoughts...

Thanks! I can use that luck,might need it at the start too

 

Not hijacking the thread, just want to support buickvalvenut's project. I did something similar several years ago. wanted a 180deg, 4bbl manifold for a 230 Chevy straight 6. Decided to cast my own. Carved the mahogany pattern like he did for his valve cover, cast the wood pattern in plaster of Paris, lined the runners with 1/4" of modeling clay then cast runner core patterns in plaster. Made fiberglass mold of these runners to make the sand cores. Finally made a fiberglass base so the cope could be made for the top sand pattern. Had a local mini-foundry cast it up for me had it works great! Also had to divide the Siamese intake ports in the head with perforated steel sheet and Devcon Plastic Steel.

 

Real nice. Lots of work isnt it?

 

Here is one im doing for the straight 8 Buick

 

Damn. I don't even have a nailhead .... and I'd love to own a set of those.

 

I guess. Going to my shop is my shrink so I don't even consider the work or time involved. Just lots of fun!!!!!

 

Nice you can feel that way. My time is money.

 

i am very anal about my work and even my blue prints have to be done to best of my abilities. I do this for a living so I dont guess anything,for that I have my most important Pattern Makers rule AKA ruler. I like to cut them up once I near the end. I wont be using metal glaze as I did around the fins,the core box will be all Mahogany for durability since it will be used for my other nailhead valve cover patterns.

 

I make my big bucks sitting at a desk all day in my engineering job. If I didn't have my shop to spend 12 hrs on Sundays beating on metal, hacking on wood, etc., I would go nuts.

 

I can imagine. I do this for a living 7 days a week.Shapping by hand for ten hrs straight gets to you after a while...