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I spoke with the foundry again.  Aluminum shrinks approx 1% when it kools. Therefore the reproduction pieces will be one percent smaller.

Do you believe this will be an issue?

The price will be $400 unchromed.

What are your thoughts.
Thank you

If its aluminum you wouldn't be able to chrome plate it anyways, one would need to have it polished .

If you polish or chrome it is up to you but I just called a famous chrome plating company in Fresno to verify and they stated they can chrome plate aluminum.  

Please keep focus of this thread on the shrinkage , though small, and if project should still green light.

Thank you

We'll just tell everyone that it was in the pool!!! :biggrin: :blush:

Could soak it in a mild solution of diluted Viagra

If it were ground beef, 1% shrinkage would be considered very good  :biggrin:

If my calculations are somewhat accurate, the bezel is approximately 9.5" long, shrinkage would be 0.095" or 1/10 of an inch which is between an 1/8" - 1/16"
This could equate to mounting holes not lining up correctly, the coin return slide not correctly in position or even the sold out window size/location...
Is the mold being created from computer or cast from an original bezel?

As far as chroming them, I have had several pieces chrome plated; however, one piece that had decorative grooves/lines would not plate a couple of small sections inside the grooves...

1%.  That's significant shrinkage.    :biggrin: 

Jim,
Thank you. The mold was going to be made from an original. But after you're input it sounds that one percent will make a difference. Cad drawing and metal molds is probably going to stop this idea $. I do have a friend who is on the professional level for cad and I've emailed him. He might do it as an interesting project on the inexpensive side but that still may be not worth it money wise.

        The guys and gals that make our reproduction soda machine parts are very knowledgeable & they are certainly aware of the demand for bezels.
        I'm sure they have been studying this for a long long time.

Glen

thank you for your point of view and encouraging words based on years of experience. You often remind me of a cross between Vince Lombardi and Alice Cooper

Would a 3-D printer do the job?  :hopefull:

That is true though. Both Funtronics and Soda Jerk Works make outstanding reproduction parts and a lot of them. I have been buying from both for years. They seem to carry almost everything now, but the VMC bezel. That tells me it is a very tough item to reproduce or can't be done to keep it affordable for consumers.

Don't think you could chrome the 3D printer item once made.. as I believe it's made from some sort of plastic... but if you could reverse it and make a mold perhaps... way out of my league, just thoughts.

current 3D printers use plastic.

Could the foundry mold be made 1% bigger to allow for the shrinkage?  I understand that the fit and alignment of the repop may be an issue when mounting it to an original door....but I'm thinking it might be difficult to tell the difference walking by a machine....be great if you could get a proto-type made before going into production.

I think the 3-D printer to create an exact replica in plastic then an accurate mold could be created.
This is unfamiliar territory for me and cost could still be an obstacle...

Problem with the 3-D printers, unless you have access to a top of the line model they will not have the detail required here. Doubt a usable mold could be made from even the expensive 3-D output.

Looking at a large door Vendo unit, appears it was injection molded using pot metal in at least 12 fill points. Any luck pic attached. Ground off posts are the fill points. Really big money to set up this type of mold process.

On the quite a bit of money side :-) If your buddy can create a file/scan that is readable by a CNC machine that could be done in aluminum. Those would polish to near chrome finish just fine. You would still need to drill and tap the mounting holes...

Out of the loop these days, what does a VMC bezel bring?
Thanks!
Creighton

I've seen them bring $850

I know somebody who paid $750 for a VMC bezel and it still needed to be replated. Big money!

Money is not there to reproduce this part. Repo on a good day is 1/3 value of a crappy original.
Just as well. Some things should be left to source original. This can take years. When found great joy.

Creighton

 

So beautiful and shiny when redone!

Polished or chrome

As odd as this may sound, I believe there may be a way to have plastic "chromed," that someone on this board is aware of. I'll do some research. Stay tuned... :hopefull:

         I can't help but wonder why so many VMC machines are missing bezels?  :Oo:

Your  right  Glenn. What  happened to  them?

Chromed - my spare for now.

The little monkeys like shining things.

It is possible to chrome plastic.  There is also some chrome paints that could be put on plastic. 

In theory, you could 3D print a new bezel and chrome paint / plate it.  Maybe a nice looking plastic one could be molded?  I think either would be a good option.  No way to confuse a repo for a real one and it might be affordable.

I can't help but wonder why so many VMC machines are missing bezels? 


when i read this i wasnt sure if it was said tongue in cheek, like there is

some easy explanation that most know but some dont....well i dont......


so if there is an easy answer....


if there isnt an easy answer......  [what do i know over the pond here!]


firstly,

are they actually missing off a machine or been replaced with a vendo bez

if replaced, was there a manufacturing overlap between vmc and vendo?

or did the combined company maybe only supply vendo replacement option

as spare part after production of both models eventually stopped............


i know...after all this.......theres an easy answer....................................


GP

         I don't have an answer, just a guess.  If indeed they come up missing.......maybe they were donors for embossed VMC 81 Orange Crush machines?  :laugh:

I personally haven't come across many VMC's missing the bezel. It's a tough part to replace yes if it is missing. But all the Vendo 39's and 81's sometimes are missing as well but because there are so many more of those machines floating around it is a easier bezel to replace, and cheaper. The VMC was just made in lesser quantities so it's magnified more if missing,