Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

[DerKraken]

Warning: Rant ahead. I'm posting this on my Daft Punk threads, as well as any car forums I'm a part of. I know some of you guys are always looking for vac-metalizing, and anyone looking into this should read the following.



M&M Metalizing is a shop in California that does vacuum-metalization on plastic and other surfaces (http://www.mmmetalizing.com/) Basically, if you want chrome on something other than metal, this is one of your only options.



I ran across these guys originally when searching for places to do plastic chrome refinishing for automotive restoration. Initially, I called them and was quoted $125 per helmet. I figured it would be around there, so I went with it.



A few days before sending the pieces off, I called to confirm they knew I was sending them. The same guy (Mike) took all of my calls and was generally terse and uninterested. Crap customer service, but I've worked with some car guys that aren't people fellows before, no big deal. Mike upped the quote that time to $175 per piece. I was in a time crunch, so I said okay.



I overnighted the parts out to them (this was Monday), and sent an email explaining exactly what I wanted. Mike called me the next day to inform me that the Gold tint carried a $25 surcharge per part, upping my price to $400 total for both pieces. This was after I had mentioned I needed it in gold on three separate phonecalls prior.



Pissed, I told him to send it back to another shop in Atlanta that had quoted me $150 originally. He agreed, but said they only ship UPS and only ship C.O.D. A little while later, I got a phonecall telling me I needed to have a money order ready for $100 for 2-day shipping (overnight had cost me $43.70 a few days before) upon receipt of my items.



I know there are only a few people who will ever need this service, but the less people that use this company the better. I know times are tough, but these guys are just trying to squeeze money out of me every chance they get. I'm out $150 on shipping alone and have lost a week in production time because of their jackassery.



I have a few other updates, other mold stuff being wrapped up, but i'll post that when I have more to show.

 

[Putenschnitzel]

dang -.- sry you had to go through all that. stupid money-sucking company people

 

[Ronster]

There's an M&M metal shop down here in San Antonio that my dad uses to get his parts for his custom intake business... They've always been efficient AND friendly....

Maybe it's just that particular branch?

 

[DerKraken]

There's an M&M metal shop down here in San Antonio that my dad uses to get his parts for his custom intake business... They've always been efficient AND friendly....

Maybe it's just that particular branch?

Its possible, and from what I've seen their work is quality. However, when I told the guy there that I would be going with a different company, he replied "Whatever, its not like its our stuff. Doesn't matter to us."



He also went to great lengths to badmouth the other company I would be sending my helmets to, despite the fact that earlier he'd mentioned he had never heard of them before. Add that to the fact that a 2-day UPS shipment weighing 5lb 4oz is costing me exactly $100 to ship C.O.D.? Red flags everywhere. Might not be the fact for the guys in San Antonio, but as far as the California shop, these guys are sleazebags.



Update: Visor vac-mold finished. Shipping this out today to a friend of mine so he can do some PETG pulls for me. Cross your fingers that this goes well!

 

[Robbymrodriguez]

That sucks pretty hard dude. But the buck looks great. You've done some really good work.

 

[mchammertime]

I agree. That really does suck, but the buck looks tight!

 

[sporgo]

I'm sure that your visor will come out fine. As for the application of the gold I'm sorry to hear things turned out that way. Have you considered using that cosmichrome painting process instead for the shiny gold look?

 

[Robbymrodriguez]

You know, gold leaf should also be an option.

 

[Jimbo]

Your visor buck looks excellent, how did you make it? Have you thought of trying to form the PETG yourself with a homemade vac-former? I did it last weekend and the results were surprisingly good.

 

[Kasinator]

perhaps you should try out of state. Different people different results?

 

[DerKraken]

I'm sure that your visor will come out fine. As for the application of the gold I'm sorry to hear things turned out that way. Have you considered using that cosmichrome painting process instead for the shiny gold look?

Yes, actually - and thanks for the PM. I'm going with a company local here in Atlanta that does Cosmichrome. Even with the screw-up in shipping charges from those rats at M&M, its still costing me far less than vac-metalizing. I'll post the results and some photos as well as a link to their site when the results come in.

You know, gold leaf should also be an option.

Good lord man, as if this hasn't been expensive enough!

Your visor buck looks excellent, how did you make it? Have you thought of trying to form the PETG yourself with a homemade vac-former? I did it last weekend and the results were surprisingly good.

I considered it, but my current schedule doesn't have any time in it for me to build my own vac table. I need to finish about 4 things before DC in 2 weeks, so I deferred the vacuumforming to a friend of mine. I'll likely be trying it on my own once my schedule frees up a bit. We'll see.



Got a note from BatchPCB yesterday - my boards shipped! I should have them in on Monday, then the REAL fun begins... so much soldering... My order from Digi-Key was over 800 items.

 

[Robbymrodriguez]

Gold leaf is cheaper than what you're doing now. No shipping and here is just an example of the first thing I clicked on. 1.978 square feet of gold leaf for $34 dollars. The only other things you would need to my knowledge is some sort of liquid/gel for binding and a red squirrel hair brush(no gray squirrel crap mind you) to apply it. Less time, less money, and less expense unless I am really missing something. I think people assume gold leaf has to be really expensive because gold is. But gold leaf is sometimes beaten to a mere 500 atoms thick.

 

[Roadkill]

Awesome build Daft Punk is one of my favorite bands, Kanye West almost ruined it for me though.

 

[DerKraken]

Gold leaf is cheaper than what you're doing now. No shipping and here is just an example of the first thing I clicked on. 1.978 square feet of gold leaf for $34 dollars. The only other things you would need to my knowledge is some sort of liquid/gel for binding and a red squirrel hair brush(no gray squirrel crap mind you) to apply it. Less time, less money, and less expense unless I am really missing something. I think people assume gold leaf has to be really expensive because gold is. But gold leaf is sometimes beaten to a mere 500 atoms thick.

I'm a little doubtful that I could apply that as precisely and smoothly as the chrome-plating process can achieve, but thanks for the suggestion nonetheless. Here's a shot of another Guy helmet done in the same manner as I'm having mine finished (this was done by a member named "CRTSCTR" on thedaftclub.com):

 

[Kasinator]

I'm a little doubtful that I could apply that as precisely and smoothly as the chrome-plating process can achieve, but thanks for the suggestion nonetheless. Here's a shot of another Guy helmet done in the same manner as I'm having mine finished (this was done by a member named "CRTSCTR" on thedaftclub.com):

you already have this guy beat

 

[Maxphobia]

yeah I agree you have his beat and bravo man for spending so much time not to mention money on a helmet and I must say your doing a heck of a job very impressed. Considering a "real" helmet cost I believe it was 65k.....plus you need permission from daft punk members....and then have to wait a whole year for them to build it. Not only are you out an ungodly amount of money but you lose the pleasure of doing it yourself to show just how much of a fan you really are and not just some rich fanboy.



Keep up the awesome....awesome work can't wait to see the LED ooooooo shineys at work!

 

[Kasinator]

I Gotta wonder what's next? Are you going to make the gravity gun next? At this rate, I'm expecting something huge!

 

[purgedsoul]

This is awesome! Can't wait to see the finished helmet, with the LEDs.

 

[DerKraken]

Thanks for all the compliments guys! Helmets are going to plating tomorrow - and I just got off the phone with the guy who owns the company thats doing the work. Apparently they want to expand into this business a bit more, so they'll be shooting video of the entire metalizing process and posting it to YouTube for me so you can all see how my helmets are going to be plated. Not only that, but they've got some overseas investors coming in to check out their operation, and my pieces are going to be shown to them as a showcase of their capabilities - so I KNOW they're going to be perfect!

I Gotta wonder what's next? Are you going to make the gravity gun next? At this rate, I'm expecting something huge!

Well, I have a TON of other commissions up next - props from Team Fortress 2, more Portal Guns, an Arc Reactor... I do want to build a Gravity Gun, but I'll have to find my own spare time to do that in... and thats hard to come by these days. Also, I'd like to make a Sniper Rifle from the HALO universe as well. All in due time.

 

[Kasinator]

Thanks for all the compliments guys! Helmets are going to plating tomorrow - and I just got off the phone with the guy who owns the company thats doing the work. Apparently they want to expand into this business a bit more, so they'll be shooting video of the entire metalizing process and posting it to YouTube for me so you can all see how my helmets are going to be plated. Not only that, but they've got some overseas investors coming in to check out their operation, and my pieces are going to be shown to them as a showcase of their capabilities - so I KNOW they're going to be perfect!







Well, I have a TON of other commissions up next - props from Team Fortress 2, more Portal Guns, an Arc Reactor... I do want to build a Gravity Gun, but I'll have to find my own spare time to do that in... and thats hard to come by these days. Also, I'd like to make a Sniper Rifle from the HALO universe as well. All in due time.

Awe-some!!! I myself am feeling great today. Because I beginning to sell my rockband stock drums mod.

It will be sold on My website soon. But more importantly, you have really peaked my interest in the team fortress props. On the side, I have been wanting to make custom tf2 pc cases starting with the heavy's minigun (still don't know why they call it that). Would you be interested in collaborating?