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Don Y[_3_]

On 11/9/2015 6:23 AM, wrote:
On Sun, 08 Nov 2015 20:38:51 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 11/8/2015 5:18 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 08 Nov 2015 12:51:56 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 11/8/2015 11:24 AM, wrote:
On Sun, 8 Nov 2015 07:51:19 -0500, Retired wrote:

Maybe the enclosure from a small stereo speaker ?
Or make it look like an air outlet like used in some central air
conditioning systems?

I'd like to build on a standard round Jbox (for ceiling mounts)
or a 4" square (for wall mounts). This gives me a place to stuff
"bits" as well as a scheme that would be familiar to installers.
Get your hands on a Maiko TK of the appropriate size and see how it
is made. I believe the plastic bits come off of the metal bits quite
easily, and you could very easily make it fit on a JBox

I'd like not to have to go into business making "covers".
So, would prefer to find something that can easily be repurposed
(and, if part of someone else's product, just approach them
to buy that component from them directly)
Check with Maico (or a similar manufacturer) if, after checking their
product for useable parts, you find it could be useable. Often you can
buy the shole thing for way less than the cost of the parts and just
drill out a few rivets or spotwelds, or cut off a part with a band-saw
and have what you need.

As I said, I'd not like to have to go into business making covers.
Making two or three (or even ten) "by hand" as a "one time deal"
is not a problem. What *is* a problem is having to make hundreds
at a time -- and having to do so for "the foreseeable future".

It's much easier to find someone who is already using a "component"
(cover) that is suited to my needs and then approach them to just
"add X units" to their next purchase (as most folks don't do their
own injection molding but, rather, contract that out to a "supplier").

The downside (for this "someone") is that they have to deal with my
added needs, billing me, separating "my" part of the shipment from
*theirs*, etc. So, they should expect to make a bit of money on
the transaction.

The upside for them is they look like a bigger customer to *their*
supplier and don't have any real "obligations" to me (as their
customer) beyond just passing along the items.

The upside to me is I can get the benefits of hard tooling without
having to incur that cost. And, avoid even soft-tooling costs as
well!

The downside to me is I'm captive to a particular "supplier" -- who
may opt to redesign that product (or, this *part* of that product)
and leave me stuck looking for an alternative supplier.

OTOH, I can always take a sample piece of the cover (with or without
their consent) and create tooling from it. It's not like they'll
have any (legal) protections against that (assuming I don't incorporate
any patented features or any corporate logos).

[But, then I'm back with the tooling costs to address]