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Date:         Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:22:16 +0100
Reply-To:     Jaap Nauta <bus.mail@IAE.NL>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jaap Nauta <bus.mail@IAE.NL>
Subject:      Re: Projektzwo Foglight Project - Bad News
Comments: To: damoncampbellvw@YAHOO.COM
In-Reply-To:  <438264.82457.qm@web56809.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Damon,

See for some pictures: http://search.ebay.de/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=nebelscheinwerfer+t3&category0=

It's in German, but you can see some detail on the pictures. You can also see the prices :-( I'm curious at what price they will be sold ...

Jaap '87 Caravelle diesel

> The tooling costs are always the big deal, and vacuum forming tools can > easily be a couple grand. > > I have calipers and CAD modelling software that can likely bypass the > costs of having the parts scanned and modelled in by "for profit" > services. I have access to CNC machines that could potentially make the > mold. I do NOT have vacuum forming equipment. If you can modify your > machine to fit the grills, we might have all the pieces necessary to get > things back into motion? I can't say for sure, and i can only offer my > spare time which is in limited quantities these days (just had another > kid a few months ago). However, it doesn't sound terribly difficult to > model the grill and make a vacuum form tool, from what i know of > vac-form tools (pretty simple, i think). > > Can you give me the height, width, and length of the grill (basically > the "shoe-box" envelope) and maybe send me a few pictures so i can see > what i am foolishly getting myself into? > > -Damon > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 5:07:28 PM > Subject: Re: Projektzwo Foglight Project - Bad News > > > Damon, > > Thanks for the offer to help. > > The first challenge came when I realized the grille units sent as > sample > were too big fit into my own vacuum forming machine. > > Challenge #2 - I went to a a local company who does big projects in > vacuum forming. Together we studied it to ascertain the possibilities. > Not cound the R&D costs which are always up front - they could make a > minimum run of 50 pair of grilles pieces - no hardware - for $50/pair > BUT, the Big Vacuum Forming company said they would need a mold made, > and it needed to conform to the needs of their vacuum forming > equipment. > They could use CNC milling machines to make the molds, but they needed > the numbers to drive the CNC stuff. This would require some of their > staff to generate drawing on their computer to reproduce the grilles. > Big Bucks. They suggested I go to an associate company who had laser > scanning equipment, have the grilles scanned, then bring the numbers > from the scanning back and they would have staff convert the scanner > numbers to CNC numbers for milling. > > Challenge #3 - The associate company was Southern Comfort Conversions, > a very modern company who does sports package conversions for auto > vehicle dealers across the country. They had the scanner equipment. The > was however, a big problem. The new year has arrived, and in > anticipation of the declining economy they were doubling up on their > output to get as much done as possible before ordering began to be cut > back.They didn't have the availability of equipment, manpower or time > to > take on the project. > > So, there it stopped. I don't know where else I can take this. I am not > that well connected to the kind of markets and manufacturing that are > needed to get this done. I really do hate to see this die off, but I've > gone as far as I can go. > > Perhaps you or someone else can pick up the ball and run with it. > > Thanks for our inquiry. > > Regards, > > John Rodgers > 88 GL Driver > > > > Damon Campbell wrote: >> What is the crux of the stalling point? Finding someone to tool up > the plastic parts? >> >> I am a product designer by trade, and have a several contacts of > people who can do injection mold, vacuum form, 3D scanning (although i > can't imagine that to be too necessary). I do not really understand > all your technical challenges, though, so i may be oversimplifying it. >> >> Maybe i could be of some assistance? >> >> -Damon >> >> ----- Original Message ---- >> From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >> Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 6:42:43 AM >> Subject: Projektzwo Foglight Project - Bad News >> >> >> The project is DEAD! >> >> I finally got to see the engineer at Southern Comfort Conversions. > Big >> outfit, their facility here is a city block in size, all under one >> roof. >> >> The engineer there took a look at what I wanted done - the laser >> scanning of the pieces and digitizing of the numbers,, and the >> conversion of the numbers into CNC code for milling of a mold.. He > said >> it could be done, but they couldn't do it because of current demands > on >> them by the market place. They had to much to do to tie up the > manpwoer >> and equipment on such a project. He elaborated, but the bottom line > was >> NO! >> >> With that said, I have exhausted all possibilities here. There might > be >> a place in Nashville, or Memphis, or Atlanta, but at this time I > can't >> devote the time or resources to trying to find someone in those > locales >> to take a look. >> >> So, there it is, I'm done. >> >> I want to thank Ryan Alfonso and Kim Brennan and Daniel Stern of > Daniel >> Stern Lighting for their generosity - and patience - in the loan of >> the >> parts that were to be used in this project. I will be returning the >> parts to them this week. >> >> And lastly, thanks to all you list members for your patience while I >> sought out the possibilities of making this project viable. I just > wish >> I had something better to report. >> >> Regards, >> >> John Rodgers >> 88 GL Driver >> >> >> >> >> >> > ____________________________________________________________________________________ >> Be a better friend, newshound, and >> know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ >> >> >> >> > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Looking for last minute shopping deals? > Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. > http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping


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