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I have a customer who has some damage to a plaque. I need to replace 5 plates that appear to be black high gloss lacquer coated brass .020"x1"x2" with .125" clipped corners.
I don't see any individual blank plates this size listed in JDS or anywhere else that I've looked. I don't do many award so I don't really want to invest $200 in a corner cutter.
Does anyone know where I can buy them, or if someone has the material and tools I would be happy to buy them?
Bob - try and find out which company made the perpetual plaque in the first place. Tropar and JDS have very similar looking plaques but have varyioug sizes of plates that work with them. If that's not bad enought AT Designs, CAT and PDU also have very similar plates, but by some cosmic stroke of luck, each seem to have had a differently calibrated calipars for measuring sizes and hole alignment.
Two options - identify where the original came from and get some replacements from them.
Buy all new set of similar size and redrill/re-etch to make it all the same. Althought the most painful, now you have a exact match for all of them. IF you're looking at a 92 plate (or 24) for that matter - I'd do my best to go with option one.
One other note - I always put a sticker on the back with font and size for future engravings to match. It may not be you that has to do the next one, but it might! I might be OCD, but I can't stand when a perpetual plaque is brought to me and it has three different fonts and sizes on it... I've even has some come in that had pantograph plates versus lasered plates. I charge a nominal fee ($1-2 each) to replace them all so they're the same...
Bob,
Trophy shops usually would cut their own plates and shape them as needed with corner cutting tools and hole punchers. If this is an odd size of plates most likelly plates are cut in house.
Can you show us a picture of the plates. Clipped corners is not a term commonly used to describe the plates. They may be rounded with a 1/8" radius or notched or scalloped or chamfered.
Ok, they're notched.
Maybe there is an engraver near you who will make them for you. I do not have the corner notching die or I would offer.
If you are going to be in the business, you need a notcher. They are expensive ($400), but essential. Another indispensable item is a hand punch. (An old engraver's trick... tape the new plate to the old plate, and punch through the holes... slow, but perfect alignment and spacing every time!) Our notcher is used every day. Does corner rounding, scalloping, and hole punching all in one unit.
Mark
Mark,
That would be Main Trophy's 3-in-1 tool, right?
I have one and it is handy tool to have if one is working with metal plates.
JDS does custom cutting. The only thing I have ever custom ordered though is business card size (about there) black coated brass (so when you laser through the black, the brass shows through) with rounded corners. The price was great. Maybe call them and ask what they charge to put the notches in (have your measurements ready).
Lisa
Yes, that's the one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Lenkic
Mark
I have to agree about JDS they have a good price on special cut plates, if you don't have the tools to do it. I recently needed some special plates made and I sent a drawing (CorelX3) to the art and sales department at JDS and they got them to me quickly and at a very good price.
Well I called JDS and the plates were only $0.89 ea. That's pretty reasonable to me considering the alternative. I would have to buy a $400 tool to create 5 small plates.
Thanks for all the help.
Bob
The all in one tool is made by Main Trophy and will become a very useful and necessary tool for as long as you're in the business.
http://www.maintrophysupply.com/presses.htm