I hope i have this in the correct forum. How many would be interested in wanting one if I have some reproduced to the exact shape and size as the originals. I took my original knob to a watchmaker reproduction machinist who uses CNC milling machines for his business, and he can reproduce the knobs exactly as the originals. They will be cut from brass stock and will be ready for chrome plating. An order of 10 knobs will cost approx. $115. ea , an order of 20 knobs will cost approx. $ 85. ea., the more that are made the less they will cost, all in Canadian Dollars. Shipping will be added & there is NO mark up for me. Let me know who is seriously interested so I can confirm pricing by how many want to order. Thanks for your interest. Bob
I would be interested in one. It would still need to be plated? The brass is compatible with copper/nickel, and chrome to plate? You would be using an excellent core, one that still has a pointed top?
FYI I saw a used slightly pitted original sell for $175 on ebay a while back. Do you plan to offer them already plated? If the buyer has them plated I'd think cost would be $60-$80 give or take a few depending on shop. Probably cheaper if a batch was done at one time. US customers need to factor in shipping as well. Thats a great service to Buick community that you are considering this project especially with no up charge. You will have a decent amount of time involved. I think if one can get a complete finished knob exactly like original in the range of $130 or under you will sell them. Probably still sell at a higher price but may take longer. There have been a couple different knobs made in past but none was an exact replica of the original as far as I know. The top surface is not flat but slightly domed so make sure that is factored in. Edit - Posted link to AACA ROA forum for more exposure.
Here's a pic of an original knob - if the repros are exactly the same and come already chrome plated they are well worth the $85 price + shipping ! :TU: The chrome plating on the pot metal originals did not stand up well, and the knobs were very prone to pitting. I purchased this decent original from 'evilBay' for $90.00 US a while back - when the US/Canadian dollar was almost on par. The seller would not ship Canada, so a US Buick bud bought it, and was kind enough to forwarded it to me. :beer Original SW knob:
Most knurling tools have a bevel (for lead-in), and that bottom flange represents the edge of the tool. Personally, I'd make them out of either aluminum or stainless... its forever; at least in this life... ws http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/78659125 http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/...08796#navid=12105915&page=250&_=1452108008796 If you didn't have a beveled edge tool to start with then you'd sacrifice one of these and grind the bevel on it. http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/98237969
The thing that needs to understood here is that an original was machined and the rest were cast from pot metal. The machining needs to be done in steps and the set up etc all takes time. I can whip out one of those knobs in 1/2 hour if everything were right in front of me and ready to go... it don't work that way in real life. Somebody should get into casting those, but that's why they didn't last; just like die cast grill emblems. BTW... triple chrome plated brass will look like jewelry and be about the easiest to machine other than aluminum which again, will pit over time and look not so good! Stainless will machine at about half the rate of brass, but polished will look good for a long time. Heres some chrome plated brass with stainless bolts etc for good measure. ws
You can put me down for one. Thanks for taking the initiative on this. For what its worth, polished stainless will have a slightly brownish tone compared to the original chrome plated part. Chrome has a blueish tint compared to stainless. Its hard to see the difference without seeing two parts side by side. If you are going to the trouble of doing an exact reproduction, I would chrome them. Corrosion and pitting won't be much of a problem since I doubt many people are driving their '67 Buicks through rain, snow, and salt at this point.
I had the Stage 2 fender emblems done in brass and chrome plated. They still look perfect 17 years later.
Think of all the chrome plated plumbing fixtures & pieces out there and what they are exposed to daily and how well that chrome typically looks with a little cleaning after 20 years.Brass is a much better option than pot metal in my opinion!:TU:
