Anybody know an aluminum foundry around western Pa. that can cast a small number of club car plates reasonably? O'Briens want a larger number and set up fee. Ago
I thought O'Brien only needed a 10 plate minimum and most anyone will want a set-up fee. Dennis is the pre-eminent source for cast aluminum pieces. He's a top notch guy and his stuff is quality. He's been around this hobby of ours for decades. I doubt you can do better anywhere else.
Obrien wants a mandatory pattern / set up foundry fee . He will do smaller runs but the price is high . I believe it starts at a quantity of 10 plaques.
Do a search for "back yard metal casting" here on the H.A.M.B. That way you can save a lot of $ and not pay somebody else that pesky set up fee.
GO WITH DENNIS=PAY THE MONEY AND GET THE BEST.....This aint WalMart....... ITS YOUR IMAGE THE PLAQUES WILL PROMOTE.....
Obriens.....Not that expensive really...........Great service and product. cant imagine anywhere else wouldn't charge a set-up fee......
San Jose Foundry was THE place. (in the '50s) Later, they had been casting the SHARP heads, and some Baron stuff... They were always reasonable with setup charges...quality was good, but fin ends and letter detail was always a little rough, required some cleanup. Affordable, if you were willing to follow up. But that was then. O'Brien's is the best, bar none. Save some $$, call Dennis back. You will be glad you did.
Try a high school, vo-tech, or industrial arts school. In the mid 70's we made them in high school shop class.
if you have a pattern do as oldolds said....we use to pour them all the time in shop class in the 60's or do as vinnymac44 said. i have a friend that pours aluminum castings all the time with his homemade equipment.....you might even make a few $$$ doing it for others
I agree that Obriens plaques are top quality, but he didn't have a pattern for our clubs plaque and we wanted to stay as true to the originals as possible. We just had extra copies made of our plaque at Creative Casting Company. No set up fee if they are copying an existing plaque...$18.00 each, 2 week turnaround. You didn't specify if your pattern was 3D or just a drawing on paper. There was very little loss of detail from the plaque we sent, but I haven't seen any examples of what they can do from a paper pattern, maybe he can send you some pictures. Check their website for set up costs. Dennis Nyland-owner 3762 So. 60th St Tacoma, Washington 98409 Phone-253-475-2643 Fax- 253-475-1908 E-mail: [email protected]
O'Brien's is expensive? News to me. Dennis is a HAMBer, a hot rodder, an Alliance vendor, and he's cast plaques for a TON of guys on here, he's done 3 runs of plaques for our club. I wouldn't even consider going anywhere else. Are you one of these guys who bitches that small, independently-owned businesses are expensive (and not supposed to make a profit), then complains that American manufacturing and jobs are heading overseas?
O'Brien Truckers is the place to get your plaques . He made Road Angels for me to give to my Dad . Nice plaque.
Thanks zjerry, and in your case you just bought one plaque and there was no setup charge because we had the original pattern from Chicago Metal Craft as shown in your picture, Dennis
Go with Dennis, do it right. Keep in mind the money spent with him keeps a foundry running, food on the table of the guys and gals that work there. It is bigger than just us and our silly hobby.
i used creative casting as well dennis was great to deal with and perfect fot the small club guys.call him you will be happy.
o'brian is a nice bunch to deal with but they can't do everything for everyone---wanted 100 a piece for 2 plaques made from photo...
You do realize that they have to make a pattern, don't you? You can not do a sand casting with a photo. A number of years ago I had someone else make a pattern for these plaques ..... and the price was around $140.00 just for the pattern. That plus the price for the castings makes $200.00 for two plaques sound correct. If you would have ordered them, the next time around you would have only been charged for the plaques because they would already have the pattern.
If you amortize the price and set up fee over 10 members, you'd be surprised how low the price is for each... Right around $25 for unpainted when you order 25... Believe me, if you put it to the membership, most are going to want more than one... and you'll have close to 25... Once you get a plaque, more people will want one or want to join, and you sell them the extra(s). The second batch won't have the fee...
We just had a run of 20 done (again) from O'Brian's. Don't know how they did it but this run was cleaner and sharper than the first two batches. Not that expensive. We only sell to members at what they cost us, about $20.00. (EARLY RODS OF TULSA) Tulsa, Ok. Get what you pay for.
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