trawest Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Help! The company that I have been using to produce the Photo Etched Brass products from my CAD artwork has let me down recently to the point where I would like to try some other company. However, my knowledge of who else is out there willing and able to provide the quality product that I require is very limited (The company I have used was gleaned from the pages of the railway modelling press). Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Trawest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 I've mostly used PPD and found them good although their quality is a fraction more variable than Chempix who still do some of the Ultima stuff. Chempix variability seems much lower but they are slower, have a large minimum order and don't do little custom jobs. A couple of more obscure bits we do happen to be with PEC and they've delivered as promised on time both times it was run (so not a big sample). I've had the odd problem with both but no problems getting it sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trawest Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Cheers "Etched Pixels" for your response. Any chance of answering the following questions? What, in your opinion, constitutes "quality being variable"! My issue was that the recent delivery disappointed in as much as the many of the items had not etched correctly and a small amount of the original artwork had been altered in such a manner that the etch provided did not mirror the artwork produced. What constitutes a large minimum order and custom jobs with Chempix? Excuse my ignorance but what is "the Ultima Stuff"? Trawest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted May 2, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 2, 2011 I've used Grainge and Hodder in Birmingham and they are very good. They don't have a minimum order and have helped me as an absolute beginner to get my etches right before they produce them. I got my first test etch done at 9" by 6 on 0.3 mm brass and have just sent the artowrk off for the production etch in the same material but 18 by 12 with lots more elements on it. I can thoroughly reccomment them but ahve no connection with them. Jamie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jol Wilkinson Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Cheers "Etched Pixels" for your response. What constitutes a large minimum order and custom jobs with Chempix? Trawest I suggest you contact Chempix directly for their Terms and Conditions. They are part of a larger company, PrecisionMicro Ltd http://www.precisionmicro.com/ as their website shows. I have dealt with Chempix and PEC in the past and have found them both reliable and efficient. PEC are sometimes a bit slow with turnround, probably as they the "preferred supplier" to lots of model railway kit suppliers and get very busy at certain periods. You could also try David White at Slaters Plasticard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trawest Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 Thank you "LNWR Modeller" & "Jamie92208" for your responses. I now have a few other companies to try in future. Trawest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Cheers "Etched Pixels" for your response. Any chance of answering the following questions? What, in your opinion, constitutes "quality being variable"! My issue was that the recent delivery disappointed in as much as the many of the items had not etched correctly and a small amount of the original artwork had been altered in such a manner that the etch provided did not mirror the artwork produced. What constitutes a large minimum order and custom jobs with Chempix? Excuse my ignorance but what is "the Ultima Stuff"? Trawest Chempix minimum order went up recently but including VAT & PnP which aren't in there base prices its now around £200 or so. Variable means the etching depth. If I take a pile of Chempix etches then they are almost exactly the same depth and in every other detail identical. With PPD there is sometimes a bit of variation between sheets. If your parts are all within the etchers published tolerances all is fine but if you are poking at the limits a bit - as you have to for some 2mm stuff - then its more of an issue. I have had three bits from PPD that were problematic (over several years and and a lot of orders), one rather heavily overetched one with pinholes in (bit of dirt or similar in the processing somewhere), and one they managed to flip the artwork to mirror - all were sorted/replaced without problem. And 'The UIltima Stuff' would be the Ultima Modes coachl kit range in N/2mm fine scale. If your existing stuff was not etched properly and was within the limits specified by the etcher I'd send it back and ask them to sort it out. It could just be a one off error. Etches should be leaving the producer having been inspected and checked. They might not spot every tiny error but a sheet which is somewhat underetched or overetched to the point bits are missing not etched through ought to be caught in all cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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