Thinking about setting up a small biz manufacturing fan grills (steel, aluminum, acrylic) in various designs custom made. Would you folks be interested in something like that? Is there a market for it? I would be able to make standard fan grills as well as custom made (you're ideas or mine).

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I am interested, could you make a design like the one in the link?

but first, have you anywork to show?

Unfortunately, no work to show. Let me play around and see if I can make a file that looks like that and show it to you. The machine that makes the grills read .dxf files, so it is just a matter of design.

And if you are not satisfied, refunds can be made. But no need for that as I am not yet near prodution at all. Just an idea we came up with.

how much would u be charging?? i expect a bit more than most places because your doing custom work..but maybe a rough idea of you prices...and s&h

Sounds like a cool idea. Do you have the CNC mill in your basement or something?

I would deff be intrested if i had money would u be able to do like brushed aluminum stuff?

A buddy of mine just got the mill. He's a model ship builder and nautical archaeologist (as I am), but since he dropped mucho dineros on this milling machine, he wants to see if there are any side-businesses he can create to help pay for it. Being me, I immediately thought of computer modding.

Don't know about prices yet, need to look into it some more. I don't think it would be much higher (maybe even lower) then mass-produced ones. S&H would be reasonable as well (cost or slightly above cost). We're reasonable folks. Right now I'm just feeling out the market.

if this idea goes, would you be shipping to Canada

I'd be interested, if I can scape up some money. And for custom designs, would you accept just a picture or would it need to be a .dxf file?

Canada shipping should be okay, just might cost a little more.

Maybe we could work something out with the .dxf files. Discounted pricing in return for submitted files. And the files become our property (or at least usage rights).

you should anodize them too

Hey

I think if you will be able to find a market for them. I would buy some for ya
Just try to keep them in the price rage of other fan grills. Being higher is not bad, since they are custom made, but if you stiff ppl them you'll get no business. Otherwise you should do fine.

what do you mean anodize?

Anodizing!!

That would be pretty cool, I'm just getting into designing myself. I might try a few designs for the fun of it.

Once you get some prices and designs up, I might buy some. I hate paying $7 at CompUSA for one. I'm wondering if you could put perhaps a word or two into the design. Like, the grill part would be "Project Falcon" in sort of a slanted design (Project on top, then Falcon halfway down the Project part, but more towards the bottom). I could use one of those for Project Falcon (not so super secret computer )

I'd most definitely buy. I'm in desperate need of some new a cool fan grills.

Excellent, i'll talk to my friend about it and see what we come up with in terms of cost basis. There will definitely be a tiered cost system of pre-designed, custom-designed and user supplied custom-designed (for folks who can deliver to us a .dfx file).

Thanks for the interest, hopefully this will help everybody out!

I would be interested too.

If you like perhaps I could take a LOT to mm4 and stompfest and see if they sell.

I could probably move some for ya.

Also add to your menu neon tube bending for the grills.

I could use some fan grills so I stop hurting my fingers... great idea!

wow! what an idea, fan grills that would prevent harm to ones fingers... YOU COULD be on to somthing there not only do they LOOK good but will prevent a potentual loss of digit!

my panaflo chopped my middle finger 3 times in the first week i got it... :S evil fan ...

Yeah this would be good for me.

Good job it wasnt a tornado or you would have only done it the once

If you start customizing anything, I think you should just go full out on customizing EVERYTHING. I think it would make more money and attract more customers if you would customize cases/fans/monitors/keyboards/mice + anything else you could possibly customize .

I would definetly be interested in buying a custom grill.

What program do I need for dxf files? Where do I send them to get my Grill made and how much will it cost?

I'm interested as well.

The guy that did my cutting before seams to have dropped off the face of the earth

i have autocad but not currently installed due to lack of usage and the whole formating thing - lazyness syndrome - will autocad R14 make those files since cad is basicly an industrial drafting proggy wont dwg files work on a cnc mill aswell?

if i can make the files you need for your mill then hell yeah ill make the files for people and send them to ya - i got a few custom mill working jobs i need done ---- one quesiton tho - whats the size of the mill? will an antec server tower case door fit ?

Sounds really cool id deffinetely be interested in getting custom grills. that would be awesome.

oh oh oh oh!!!! hey btw - i know this should prolly be posted in the sell forum but it only applys to this post - i have milling bits and tooling for sale - bout 20 or so double sided bits, heavy duty tool box, measuring instruments, blocks and a whole bunch of stuff - if your interested PLEASE contact me and i will make a formal list of the tooling and the "new" and "will sell for" pricing everything is in great to excellent condition