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RE: Tank parts
> "Ron Barter" (Perth, Ontario) <mistnfrost at superaje_com> wrote:
> I too have been trying to find a source for plastic tank trim
(as well
> > as the plastic hinge used to connect front and back sections of glass
> tank
> > covers) without any luck. Anybody know if we can get our hands on this
> > stuff, or is it's distribution controlled by some clandestine tank
> > manufacturer's cartel <g>?
>
I've been looking for a good source for 10 years. My conclusion
is that yes, manufacturers have the parts made and don't want
to distribute the parts because the margin is in the assembled
product. (Tanks are very easy/cheap to make, and cost an
unreasonable amount of money, IMHO.) I can get the lid hinge
over-the-counter, though.
It's actually pretty easy to have a plastics company make the
die and provide the parts to you (our company does this all
the time). It's hundreds of dollars start-up, but then you can
get a zillion of the things pretty cheap. I'm thinking about doing
this myself since I've made a lot of tanks for me and friends, and
I think a few custom tanks for plants would be neat (I'd like a tank
that exactly fits the top of a file cabinet. My 29g is up there now,
and it sticks out a little and is too thin.)
I have a day job and don't want to go into the tank business,
because shipping assembled tanks is expensive (heavy,
issues of breakage). However, if I ever get around to it, shipping
the plastic parts would be cheap and easy if anybody wants to
help split the cost of the die.
Hey... if we got permission, we could even have the AGA logo
molded into the tank's frame. ;-)) Does the AGA need a
fundraiser? This is how REI got started.
--charley
charleyb at cytomation_com