Crew Cab Window Switch Bezel
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 326
Likes: 15
From: near charlotte nc
i know that part mine is a little low but looks pretty good fits fine was just refering that there is no need for all the void area under the part that stock has which will greatly cut down on machine time
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 2
From: Lynnwood Wa.
Josh you couldn't any further from the truth. All the extra voids and webbing is very labor intensive and very expensive. With out all the voids would be cheaper. But that's not why the voids are there. I talked to a guy that had been in the injection and blow molding industry for the last 30 years and to make a mold to almost exact specs is 300 plus hours of machining the mold edm'ing the mold to get all the webs.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: New Sharon, IA
Kinda goin off on a tangent here but since I don't have a crew cab and I have a CNC mill here at home I think ima try to make a set out of billet aluminum and put a high high polish on it and see how they turn out... I'll post up progress!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,403
Likes: 4
From: Charlestown, RI
If that's McMaster pricing, you're paying a lot more for the convenience of buying a shorter-than-bar-length piece.
Granted, for prototyping you don't want to buy an entire 20' length, but if the prototype was successful, material cost will go down once you go into production and start buying bar lengths.
Same idea applies to whatever plastic you bought.
Gotta say though, it's pretty cool to know there's people out there that want to have obsolete parts made. Back when I had my SHO, there were a lot of stock and aftermarket parts that were obsolete. A couple of people stepped up to produce those items, and it worked out great for the SHO community.
Granted, for prototyping you don't want to buy an entire 20' length, but if the prototype was successful, material cost will go down once you go into production and start buying bar lengths.
Same idea applies to whatever plastic you bought.
Gotta say though, it's pretty cool to know there's people out there that want to have obsolete parts made. Back when I had my SHO, there were a lot of stock and aftermarket parts that were obsolete. A couple of people stepped up to produce those items, and it worked out great for the SHO community.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
While that is better than nothing, I am going to make an exact duplicate(looks wise)
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 2
From: Lynnwood Wa.
Now he tells us he has a cnc machine. Hey 1993 f350 If you can make the bezels see if you can make them a brushed finish first. If you can make a set of those consider trying to make the dash and door panel black trim pieces that would help tie it together I think.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 368
Likes: 0
From: Virginia Beach/Wisconsin
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Tuned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 326
Likes: 15
From: near charlotte nc
Brad i agree mine is a little thin compared to stock but the point i was trying to make is that there no need to machine all the open space on the underside which would cut way down on cost
that being said do u really think the bedliner looks that bad now it doesnt look like normal bedliner when applied in light coats looks more like textured plastic
oh and that piece is ove 2 years old and my truck is used daily
that being said do u really think the bedliner looks that bad now it doesnt look like normal bedliner when applied in light coats looks more like textured plastic
oh and that piece is ove 2 years old and my truck is used daily
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Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
The machining costs no extra, the Initial setup of the part is where the expense is.
And the underside of the trim has to be machined to a degree to overlap the door panel.
As for the bed liner, no, it doesnt look like the textured plastic
And the underside of the trim has to be machined to a degree to overlap the door panel.
As for the bed liner, no, it doesnt look like the textured plastic
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 2
From: Lynnwood Wa.
Brad is 100% correct if you look at the factory piece it will overlap the door and has tangs on the inside to help keep it in place. The tangs are integrated into the webbing. The webbing gives the piece more structural support.
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 326
Likes: 15
From: near charlotte nc
your still missing the point there is alot of void underneath and unless ur machine guy isnt charging a time labor rate like most shops do ( ive had lots of stuff machined at work ) it would be cheaper to not cut as much out as the injection molded part i never said to leave it perfectally flat like mine is and brad that stuff look almost identical to the plastic in freightliner m2 trucks which is where we primarily use it at work
actually i made some parts for a prototype dash out of fiberglass and coated it with that and at the pilot review the customer didnt belive it wasnt injection mlded part
actually i made some parts for a prototype dash out of fiberglass and coated it with that and at the pilot review the customer didnt belive it wasnt injection mlded part
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: New Sharon, IA
I'm not sure what you mean by dash and other trim pieces..?
On the bezels I'd just take, say a 1/4 in end mill and cut a channel around where it's supposed to sit on the door and that's most off the milling that would have to be done other than the slots for the switches. After that all that would need to be done would be drilling and taping holes.
I'll pull my bezels and draw them up on cad sometime here soon and hopefully get some 1" aluminum bar.
And we charge by the hour on most products
On the bezels I'd just take, say a 1/4 in end mill and cut a channel around where it's supposed to sit on the door and that's most off the milling that would have to be done other than the slots for the switches. After that all that would need to be done would be drilling and taping holes.
I'll pull my bezels and draw them up on cad sometime here soon and hopefully get some 1" aluminum bar.
And we charge by the hour on most products
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Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
..... and brad that stuff look almost identical to the plastic in freightliner m2 trucks which is where we primarily use it at work
actually i made some parts for a prototype dash out of fiberglass and coated it with that and at the pilot review the customer didnt belive it wasnt injection mlded part
actually i made some parts for a prototype dash out of fiberglass and coated it with that and at the pilot review the customer didnt belive it wasnt injection mlded part