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Some of you may have seen my original post a few years ago on this topic. At the time I was trying to identify when the little loop that protects the handbrake release mechanism was changed from metal to plastic. The consensus at the time was that it was somewhere around 1962. I have since sold a number of stainless steel replica lever rings on Ebay. Feedback has all been very positive. You can see photos on this Wiki I have set up.
http://amazoniac.wikispaces.com/Handbrake+lever+ring (you are welcome to join and edit the wiki if you like).
Late last year I had a batch of lever rings investment cast in 316 stainless steel. The as-cast surface finish is not great and the casting shop typically finishes their castings by shot blasting. This process removes all the casting ceramic and heat stain and gives a rather rough but reasonably uniform finish. I can then file and polish the pieces to the same mirror polish that I had been doing for the fabricated parts.
My question now is - how far do I go with finishing these things? As cast they could be offered relatively cheaply. Polishing takes ages and this means I can't really reduce my pricing for a polished part. If I leave them rough shot blasted, I don't think the finish is satisfactory. Not many buyers would have the equipment or patience to polish these themselves. Some of my customers have asked for a finish that would suit painting (so they look like the original). I suspect that the number of people interested in this option would be pretty minimal.
I am looking at other options. I am working with the casting shop to try and improve the surface finish. It may be possible to have them electro-polished. They would still be rough textured but electro-polishing would make them shiney.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
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