New silkscreening on faceplates?
- Thread starter Steven Tate
- Start date
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
So, he restores engraved faceplates? I've seen his new ones with the laser etching. They are beautiful. If I could get an engraved one, or mine could be refurbished, I would be in line for that. Here are a few pics. Read 'em and weep.
Not Marantz, but I was looking at a couple of C-J monoblocks that have scarred faceplates (they have a few nasty gouges), and figured someone around AK might have the ability to recreate new ones and then have them gold anodized. It's pretty simple really--they would need only one cutout for a power switch, and the company name/logo etched onto it. Even if the existing faceplates could be machined down deep enough and returned to the original anodized color, that would work.
So I'll be lurking here, absorbing information...
So I'll be lurking here, absorbing information...
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
I managed to make contact with Tony (TMZ2), and had a very informative conversation with him. For several reasons, a full rehab of an engraved faceplate is problematic -not impossible, but likely very expensive. He gets his faceplates made in bundles of at least thirty, and holds orders until he gets enough to take to the companies involved in the process. His laser etching machine can etch into the metal as much as the operator wants (more power, slower passes) for a price. The next time he does a run, I think I'm going to get a deeply etched faceplate of a different color -- maybe black, maybe bronze. I'll keep the original faceplate to sell with the unit if I should ever decide to sell it, and I may keep researching for reasonable methods to rehab it. So for now, that's the plan.
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
Here's the problem according to Tony. All Marantz face printing does not match exactly. With an engraved face, the odds of having an artwork file exactly match your engraving is slim. And getting a new file of your specific plate is expensive. Also, engraved (actually stamped) faces are different depths. Some are deep and some are shallow. Mine happens to be fairly shallow. Taking a few thousandths off and re brushing can leave you with little engraving. Again, none of this makes it impossible. But in a one-off situation, the cost can rise above any potential value of the unit. Also, no single business seems to do all of the steps needed, and most of these businesses deal in orders of thousands. Most are not interested in working on one faceplate. It's certainly not impossible, but borders on the impractical.
Marantz3650
Active Member
5 places to make a faceplate......
Metal supply
Laser cutting shop
Woodworking shop (Drum sanding machine with auto feed on bed)
Anodizing shop
Silk-screen printing shop
I'll think about that for my two 510Ms in the future....I'm too busy now.
Metal supply
Laser cutting shop
Woodworking shop (Drum sanding machine with auto feed on bed)
Anodizing shop
Silk-screen printing shop
I'll think about that for my two 510Ms in the future....I'm too busy now.
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
That's pretty much what Tony said, and in each case, you have to find a shop willing to do a one off. For most businesses, it just isn't worth the setup effort to do one, or they charge what it's worth, which puts the total job more than most can justify.
Dearslayer
Super Member
Wonder if Tony does a faceplate for the 2330. Love to have a black one for it.
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
I'm not sure, but I know he has the artwork for many models. He has a batch he is getting ready to have processed, so it might be a while before he does it again. He stressed this is a hobby, not a business, so the amount of time he can put into it is limited.
Marantz3650
Active Member
True.
No idea how much cost for 2 faceplates......
If it's too expensive.....then, my plan is to make 10-20 to reduce the costs for my 2 faceplates.
I wanted a silk screen job......like the original.
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
Here's what Tony said about the engraving: if you look at the edges of any Marantz faceplate, the cut edge is not square, it's rolled due to the stamping. Same thing for the engraving. If you look closely, it also has a slightly rolled edge. It wouldn't be that way if it was engraved. Mine is S/N 1306 and the edges of the engraving are not perfectly square. They are slightly rolled. It's more noticeable on the large font "marantz". I can't speak for the entire run, but he has seen a lot of them and he thinks they are all stamped.
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
For my purposes, it really doesn't matter whether it was stamped or engraved. And as I said, for my personal use, I'm going to have him make either a black or bronze deeply etched face. That will leave the lettering silver, which is fine with me. If I ever sell it, the new owner can decide if he wants to reinstall the engraved face or not. I will definitely keep it with the unit, and I can take my time deciding if a complete refurbish of the face is worth it.
Dearslayer
Super Member
Just watched this video and its what my workplace does 24 hours a day. We stamp everything from full size body panels to small PIA's for assemblies for the big three and everyone in between in the Automotive industry. It's an interesting process for someone who hasn't seen it up close I guess but I've worked there for 25 years so it's just everyday stuff for me even though I no longer work in the plant side of it anymore and for the last 15 years work in our warehouse directly across the road. We have everything from gigantic presses in Press Shop to hydraulic presses for smaller parts. The Shear lines and blanking lines are pretty big as well and the cost to even make Dies and put it into production is pretty large and our contracts are for model years and every year of the contracts the customers want the parts produced at a lesser cost so volume has to be huge. Maybe a small stamping plant would take on smaller quantities but I don't imagine the cost to produce would be worthwhile.
Yep...and the problem (for me) is that the more exotic models weren't produced in high numbers. I'd love to get a new faceplate for my 3650, but I can't imagine a scenario in which it would be cost effective to produce them.
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
If he made them, then he has the artwork. For the 2230 that I am interested in, he said he has three sets of artwork because there are slight differences during the production run, and he isn't sure there aren't more.
Awesomeaudio
Super Member
There's always one in every bunchIf all fails you could always use a vintage rotary label maker
Great thread otherwise.
rxonmymind
Super Member
What a timely thread.
I'd love to get my hands on a Marantz 2500 faceplate. Missed my chance by a year or so as I saw one on the bay. I believe that was the last of them. Maybe I'm confusing it with a 2600. Ah, heck forgot which model I saw.
Anyways, the work was amazing. Truly from what little I saw I can't imagine the time involved from beginning to end. Must be some serious hours. Hats of to those who do this.
I'd love to get my hands on a Marantz 2500 faceplate. Missed my chance by a year or so as I saw one on the bay. I believe that was the last of them. Maybe I'm confusing it with a 2600. Ah, heck forgot which model I saw.
Anyways, the work was amazing. Truly from what little I saw I can't imagine the time involved from beginning to end. Must be some serious hours. Hats of to those who do this.
Are you sure the smaller fonts are engraved/stamped? As I recall I looked into some engraved units way back and concluded only the upper model #, logo and component description along the upper left, middle and right edge was actually engraved.
I agree with bberkom's suggestion although it might prove a bit costly in the end. Pretty much all printed surfaces that are etched, stamped or engraved have a masking paper over them which is then knifed, or laser cut digitally then painted. My guess is that Marantz actually pressed these plates instead of engraving given the available technology back then.
I agree with bberkom's suggestion although it might prove a bit costly in the end. Pretty much all printed surfaces that are etched, stamped or engraved have a masking paper over them which is then knifed, or laser cut digitally then painted. My guess is that Marantz actually pressed these plates instead of engraving given the available technology back then.
