Has anyone asked these guys about early Pig dash pad reproductions?

[Delancy]

Spoke with Jeff, at length. He thoroughly described the capabilities and limitations of his business, along with 3D printing and imagery.

Interesting concept for a business, to say the least. He has a hand held scanner that can scan an entire human body, that he can print in a smaller scale, for wedding cake toppers, or any other number of items for the creative palette.

I asked if he could scan nude bodies and print life sized, but answered "no", so rules out my Vday gift idea.

Anyhow, his facilities aren't suited for scanning to the degree of accuracy required or size, but he did offer advice on a means to see this through, which is to have a take off done, input to Solidworks, which would open the doors to many potential processes to achieve the goal.

Going to call a few locals to get an idea on cost and limitations.

 

[PabloCruise]

any other number of items for the creative palette.

I asked if he could scan nude bodies and print life sized, but answered "no", so rules out my Vday gift idea.

Exactly where my mind was going!

 

[PabloCruise]

I bet he could just scan the "third member"...

 

[Delancy]

I bet he could just scan the "third member"...

He's limited to 8"....

 

[PabloCruise]

He's limited to 8"....

He'd have to scan twice?

 

[davegonz]

Give me some dimensions and I can model it. If you're really interested in getting low volume molds going, take a look at Proto Mold. We've used them at work with great results.

http://www.protomold.com/ppc-protomold.aspx?ls=AWPMBRANDED&gclid=COiMlvOnubwCFVFk7AodDnAAmA

I've also had good luck with RedEye which is owned by Stratasys. They have great rapid prototyping capabilities and can give you a quote based on a 3D model in a matter of minutes. They also do cast urethane rapid prototyping.

https://www.redeyeondemand.com/

 

[Delancy]

Dave,

By dimensions, are you asking for 3D CAD files?

I hope to have next week or the following, all dependent upon the '72s glove box door condition, receiving the lower dash pad I purchased from Gary, and locating a mint condition upper dash pad to do a take off from.

3D scanning isn't feasible, so it'll have to be done old school, but herein lies the problem.

The plastic SOR replacement panel, I'm assuming, is all correct, dimensionally, yet both the other gauge clusters I have are substantially smaller. Once again, an assumption they've shrank.

I'm thinking the the glove box door could be a copy and paste of the SOR gauge pad, with modifications address the recessed area and deletion of the holes.

The lower pad shouldn't be that big of a deal, could ask someone who has a good one to measure installed length, then transfer the roll from the SOR piece, or at least use to check.

Clueless on the dash pad, as far as how to ensure it's the right size as it would've come, not 40 years of contraction.

If need be, thinking of cutting out the donor metal dash to use to mock up.

Would it be model able from that, do you think?

Another question that you may be able to answer, of this makes sense.

The SOR pad, which I think is a good way to address, structurally, isn't what I thought on the inside (yes, I nicked it).

It almost looks like expansion foam, internally, yet the face is textured and the back is a solid plastic.

Does this elude to a particular plastic process?

















Honestly, if it were possible to replicate this finish for the entire dash, I could live with it, without the need to cover in vinyl....on the '76 at least.

The thermo vinyl would be about $400 for all the door pulls and all 4 dash pieces, though.

 

[tucker74]

Honestly, if it were possible to replicate this finish for the entire dash, I could live with it, without the need to cover in vinyl....on the '76 at least. The thermo vinyl would be about $400 for all the door pulls and all 4 dash pieces, though.

Now you've got me confused, you can buy a dash cap now for the '76 from several vendors? I though this was all about the early cap for the '72, though I'm interested in the surround and door ...

Please clarify -

Tucker

 

[Delancy]

Simply seeking a holistic solution that's in line with the construction technique of SORs gauge surround (as an example), being solid core plastic, not vinyl covered foam.

Matching construction type and finish, whatever the final finish may be, for the gauge surround, glove box door, interior door pulls, upper and lower dash pads.

An added benefit being the experience with the repro process that may lead to being capable of reproducing other tidbits that aren't available, or aren't available in a consistent fit and finish.

Here's the current options that exist, as I see it:

1. Search the globe for NOS or components that come from a Pig owned by a vampire, that have never endured the light of day or any UV exposure.

A.) I've searched for months, to no avail, as either situation only exists in the Land of Unicorns....or Vampires.

2. Buy a dash cap to adhere to the 35-45 year old foamed OE dash for $90.00 from SOR or CC.

Issues, as I see it and painfully obvious in pictures of a lot of nice Pig's interiors:







A.) Doesn't match the gauge surround, glovebox door, or lower dash pad and there's no current options for a holistic approach to all said pieces.

B.) Adherence to a deteriorated foam base and cracked vinyl OE dash pad seems an improvable condition.

It's hard to polish a turd.

C.) No options for earlier dashes.

3. Send all components to Just Dashes, or any similar, and have the foam core rebuilt to exacting OE specs, with new vacuum formed, thermo vinyl, in OE fashion, for all the aforementioned products.

A.) $3k, and up. Enough said.

4. Buy just the gauge surround, just like I already have, and the glovebox door that, in a phone call, SOR stated was constructed in the same manner and finish as gauge surround.





A.) Great solution, if the balance of aforementioned components could be purchased, too, especially at $90 for surround and $160 for glovebox door.

I say "eveyting haf ta match!"

4. Search for a holistic solution that matches, is built to withstand the test of time, does net all the components needed, all hopefully, for less than the going rate of a kidney.

A.) Finish options are endless, be it patterned in the mold, then painted by the owner to match whatever determined, or a thermoplastic vinyl cover that, now since a good solid core is achieved, wouldn't cost a fortune and could match the door cards.

Could gold plate, if so desired, but all could be subjected to the same coating process, therefore all matching.

B.) Modern advances in plastics, paints, or vinyls could feasible outlast the Pig, regardless of UV exposure, so a "do it once and done" deal.

C.) I become legendary as a Pig interior savior, immortalized for all eternity by offering back to the community.

D.) A final product that's so gorgeous, women will not be able to resist immediately taking off their panties to wipe it all down.

Win, win, and win again....... once financial feasibility is determined, after determining how best to even accomplish the goal, so a lot of variables that can't be factored yet, and reason for the inquest.

 

[PabloCruise]

I would be up for a set of door pulls!

That has got to be the saddest look gauge surroud I have ever seen...

Have you verified that the SOR gauge surround fits & bolts up to your Pig dash no problem?

 

[Delancy]

Have you verified that the SOR gauge surround fits & bolts up to your Pig dash no problem?

No, but was a concern to be addressed before any renditions were commissioned.

Alignment of the studs on the back were cause enough for concern, as to overall accuracy, so planned a little one on one time with the '72 long before drafting.

Had a very nice, lengthy meeting with Katie, the daughter of a notable local plastic product producer, since on the route between destinations in this mornings cross town travels.

Gained more insight into this process in thirty minutes than hours of eye bleeding Google queries, with a few pointers on better ways to address overall feasibility.

Pretty much, injection molding is the only way to produce an SOR similar product, but no economically feasible, based on her observations.

Machining poses challenges, as well, primarily the suggested material weight and it's inherent trait that absolutely nothing sticks to it. (Same material cutting boards are made from).

Her suggestion was to explore all possible methods to repro the repro, then explore methods to repro the OE from (metal backed with filler, not solid like SORs) before investing in take off.

So, strike one, but still up to bat, at least....

 

[tucker74]

D.) A final product that's so gorgeous, women will not be able to resist immediately taking off their panties to wipe it all down. Win, win, and win again....... once financial feasibility is determined, after determining how best to even accomplish the goal, so a lot of variables that can't be factored yet, and reason for the inquest.

Sign me up for a set of those pieces

Tucker