Kevin;
Good to hear from you again;
Not as real high tech process. Probaly close to the same as the factory used.
1) Make Pattern for foundry to their specs
2) Pay for pattern
3) Deliver pattern to foundry, get a price order as many as you can afford to pay for
4) Pickup up at foundry, and now the work starts
5) Grind flash with stone wheel or belt grinder
6) Belt grind flash to your satisfaction
Here the process probably varies from the factory. They probably didn't have a vibratory finisher, they most probably had a sand muller and burnished them this way
7) Placed inn vibratory tumbler for however many hours till the proper texture is acheived.
8) Wash, dry, dip in the paint of your choice.
Actually Kevin, it is relatively simple, but as with most casting proedures, it can be labor intensive. If one would spend less time, the functional result would be the same, but not have the same asthetic appeal. I tried very hard to maintain the original "feel" as the prototype.
Most typically the biggest stumbling block is finding a good pattern maker that can work with you. Generally, a pattern maker wants to work off dimensioned blueprints. Finding one that will work off a part will be more difficult.
After the pattern shop, you need to find a foundry to do the work. All foundries have different requirements, so typically patterns are built to the chosen foundries system. Once you have these two hurdles breeched, all it takes is money!
Seriously, I enjoy taking an idea, old or new, and bringing a finished item to market. I did it for a number of years in the windmill businees, and am now looking for another product line. It gets me going.
Thanks;
Craig Donges
