[TheForge] switchplate

[Ries Niemi]

On Wednesday, January 14, 2004, at 06:19 PM, korineks@rcn.com wrote:

> In response to the technical aspects of this thread...
> I have seen dies made by DiAcro for punching switch plates--
> the screw holes and rectangle for the switch.
> -Rick
>

I think Roper Whitney also makes punch and die sets to do this. 
Probably cost 500 bucks or so. Not justifiable for one, but if you were 
going to do a limited run, might be worth it.
I have a couple of friends on the craft circuit who do switch plate 
covers- one of them buys prepunched copper switchplate covers, then 
enamels them and rivets and solders on various parts pieces and 
knickknacks. The problem with that is that it is hard to get anyone to 
pay much more than 20 or 30 bucks for one, and if the store takes half, 
and you pay for the cover in the first place, you are only making a few 
bucks a piece. I think they are not worth making unless you get the 
software billionaire who wants custom ones for the whole mansion. I 
have made 10 dollar items before, and you gotta make a whole lot of 
them before you make lunch money. We used to make 10 dollar soap 
dishes, 100 or 200 at a time, and even then the overhead costs start to 
eat up your profit- you gotta wrap each one, and if you arent 
wholesaling  em in big batches, your whole profit on a soap dish can 
get spent on packing time for that one item.
I think George is absolutely right- concentrate on doing the best you 
can ( I will leave "excellence" to George, as he has that one pretty 
nailed down) and the money will find you. Try to make commodities, and 
the chinese will eat your lunch.

ries