Whatever happened to.......?

[Alan Chatterton]

It's not the injection moulding company that's the problem, there are hundreds of those. It's getting an injection moulding tool made to do this. Approx cost, £5-8k, that's the issue.
Perhaps someone knows about 3D printing, I wonder if that is an option?


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[TedTaylor]

Have sorted out my collection of the three types of lens and yes John you are correct - there are markings etched into the side of them as well as the raised number on the front which gives this.

As to which to have remade I am with you on the middle type with the thinner lens - probably done because it looks much neater than the earlier type of thick one - I suspect from the first year of production and change at the end of 1964 along with the other updates. Also it would be correct for a wider range of models and as you say could be used on most of the cars.

As to whether a universal non handed one would work it would required a mock up to be made - simple to do by carving some wood or plastic.

Unfortunately as Alan says the cost of tooling would probably make the project non-viable. It was something I had thought about with the Spares Group but that project unfortunately fell flat on its face.

If it is something that people felt was very important it simply has to be thrown back at the Committee to see whether the use of Register funds could be used to make the tooling. Not sure what our reserve is but if adequate should perhaps be considered for this sort of thing ......... would almost certainly need a change in the Constitution. While we have excellent support form traders especially Chris Witor, it has to be accepted that this is not something that would be commercially viable in the short term.

MUT

[johnnydog]

My personal opinion is that the amount involved (I have no idea of the figure - just an assumption) is likely to be prohibitive for Register funding, especially just on a single item such as repeater lenses. I think there are other more useful uses for Register funds. Obviously, some Register members have wisely 'stockpiled' a selection of new and good used side repeaters of all varieties over the years (who may they be, you may ask...? ), and they do still appear in Autojumbles if you are prepared to rummage.
Incidentally, I have always maintained that if a nos part is found on an Autojumble at the right price, whether or not it is needed at that time, buy it, as there will be a time when they are no longer available, as we are now seeing with many parts, not just the lenses in discussion here.

[TedTaylor]

Can't disagree with anything you have said there!

MUT