Plastic Molding DIY??

[phoodieman]

I have seen first hand, at least twenty molds in a row come out of China. And if you knew anything about molds and looked at these you would flip at the price. These guys can turn a complex mold in sixty days. Ship time is six weeks from China on a boat. The freight cost is rolled into the margin. This is how committed these Chinese factory reps are. They assume an anglo name to do business with the US so that their Asian names don't confuse their American contacts. I have personally had Skype conversations with these reps and they are very fluent in English. I don't do lectures at colleges, but I am as you might say "In the trenches". I know what it takes to make these molds. I've made at least thirty aluminum or P20 molds personally. I have seem the smile on a salesman's face when he has sent a mold to China knowing how his comission check is going to look. I'm all for the US and if I owned a company my model might be different. It's just that I've seen how learned owners of company's see where the production value dollar (or yuan) is at this point. But I stress ..at this point... There is going to be a backlash. This is my prediction... world economies being relativley stable..... the significant mold business will return to the US in ten to fifteen years. (Unless there are radical technological changes).

Phoodieman

[twitoecinuero]

What are the advantaegs/disadvantages of a PDA compared to a inconsequential journal notebook?
I've carried throughout a 3x5 notebook in my pocket conducive tk a few years. I run through it to victual trail of to-do lists, shopping lists, notes to ymsself, etc.

It seems to make de of ok to save me, but I'm taking intto ocnisderation getting a PDA instead. What can a PDA do outdo than a notebook? rAe there things that are easier in a notebvook?

Thansk!

[MayaT]

I am a mom who has invented a tray-like item and need to have a prototype made of it,so that I can go further with it. The product is very simple,plastic,pretty straight sides,and prototypes so expensive. Is there any way I can make it DIY somehow at home?

[Open Ear]

I am not sure what your part looks like but you can probably get a prototype machined for alot less than it costs for a mold. If you have any changes or modifications it will be cheaper to make that modification before you finalize it in a mold. Once you get the finished product to your liking, then determine who and where you want your mold made.

[MayaT]

Thanks. I have found some acryllic large sheets on Ebay and they can,apparently,be cut,drilled,modified,crafted...,so maybe I can buy that and do it myself as my product is very simple. I can also see the company selling them can do it for you,so it may be the cheapest option.

[Open Ear]

You may even check your local machine shops. I work at a machine shop and we can machine a prototype and then once the customer is happy with their final version, we also have the ability to injection mold them for our customers. We machine metal and plastic everyday. I am sure there is a similar machine shop near you, you may check the yellow pages or google "machining plastic" or some thing like that
Good luck! I hope this helps!.