P.F.E. Brass stirrup steps.
The response to the offering of these parts was dismal. I had about 12
inquiry's after I posted them on the list. Half of those inquiry's were asking
if I would give them a: quantity discount, group discount, club discount or
the good ole buddy discount. When I said I couldn't do that I haven't heard
another word from them. At this point I've sold a whopping 120 sets of them
and I have about 50 hours total time in making these so that equates to big
profits???
I made these not to be a total replacement for all of the steps on all of the
cars someone might own, and some out there have a very large amount of them!, I
made them to be as close to the original plastic ones as possible so they
didn't look different. I was asked to make these. I personally don't have a
need for them so that should have been a clue for me to not get involved in
them. They don't look like much but they are difficult to produce in quantity
with out changing the current method of production. Injection molded with
acetal plastic and then converting them to brass is the best way to do them.
That would be great if some one would buy about 10,000 sets at half the price I
-WAS- asking. I use that word was for a reason. I am not going to make any
more. Not at this time. The drop out rate was about 15% on these One of the
problems is there are 3 different styles needed for each car, 2 of each pattern
or 6 parts total. You would think things would even out over a run, they
didn't. To solve the problems I would have to make up new patterns in a
different configuration and start over with a different alloy and change the
process method. They would still not sell for $3 a set.
My next project is to finish the F-unit replacement step for those that broke
off of Bud Rindfleisch's Wabash Valley F unit shell. I know going into this
that I am never going to sell more than 2 or 3 of these. I don't have any
diesels at all but I do know someone else who also needs this part and I owe
him some big favors.
Then I'll be making patterns for Heavyweight and some Streamlined passenger
cars. The Canadian National baggage door steps and ends steps are first. These
will be from my patterns or Dave's patterns and not some one else's. The
previous Harriman baggage door and RPO door were not our patterns. They were
ok, but just ok. I did some rework to them but I should have thrown them away
and made my own, or get Dave to make new ones.
Yesterday I sat and starred at the Allied Full Cushion truck project, the GSC
express truck project, the 4 and 6 wheel Heavyweight passenger truck project,
and the other freight truck projects. I didn't do anything. I just sat there.
SHS sold trucks for $9.95 a pair. I can't buy decent wheel sets for less than
$12.95 a set of 4. Something tells me SHS must have had 100,000 of those truck
sets made in China. Me thinks the next chapter under MTH will see the price of
a pair of trucks double.
When Fred at SSL&S gets his new wheel sets up and running that will change
things in a big way, for the better. 303 is less expensive than nickel silver,
machines about the same as nickel silver, isn't magnetic, wont rust. It's
called stainless for a reason. The only blackening I've seen done was by
painting.
J Rustermier
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
