borg pricing

Frank Fusco

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Mountain Home, Arkansas
We have two shelf display units built by my father. Both have finials topping them off.
During a move, a couple finials got broken off and lost. I removed a remaining one to even things up. They are small, under 2" high.
Now, the wife wants both units to look the same again. Not a big problem, just replace the finials. If they were removable, I would take one to the shop and just turn them myself. But they aren't.
So, I started looking in catalogs. Found many similar but not identical. However, one of the sources I found some similar in was a well known BORG. The catalogs, like most of us have, priced theirs at well under a dollar. The ones I might order will be 68 cents. The BORG wants between $11.00 and $14.00 EACH for these little thingys. Methinks that is pretty shocking.
 
Hi Frank.

May be it is a bit more work but have you tried to copy the profile of those finials with a profile copier?

The old fashioned way of using two or three decks of playing cards also works pretty well.

Then, just transfer the profile onto a piece of thin cardboard, cut it to make the template, make the necessary adjustments until the template fits the original ones and there you go, right to the lathe.

Making a mold with alginate or silly-putty would also work and you could cast a plaster model to have it in front to measure and check when you turn the copies.
 
Hi Frank.

May be it is a bit more work but have you tried to copy the profile of those finials with a profile copier?

The old fashioned way of using two or three decks of playing cards also works pretty well.

Then, just transfer the profile onto a piece of thin cardboard, cut it to make the template, make the necessary adjustments until the template fits the original ones and there you go, right to the lathe.

Making a mold with alginate or silly-putty would also work and you could cast a plaster model to have it in front to measure and check when you turn the copies.


Good tips. Thanks. I like the playing card thing. Simple. I like simple. ;)
 
Frank,

while you're at the borg, go to the tile aisle. There you'll find a little device, made of wood or resin, with several dozen retractable pins. Does the same thing as the playing card trick, but you won't be finding yourself playing 52 pickup... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Frank,

while you're at the borg, go to the tile aisle. There you'll find a little device, made of wood or resin, with several dozen retractable pins. Does the same thing as the playing card trick, but you won't be finding yourself playing 52 pickup... ;)

Thanks,

Bill

Will do today. Need an excuse to get out of the house. Shop is cold and I'm getting cabin fever.
thanks for tip.
 
I didn't think it got cold that far south. :rofl:

Erm, if this idea gets you in hot water I will blame someone else for it (where's Ned, is he looking? :rofl: ), but how about just turning and replacing all of the things? Or just buy enough at $0.68 to replace the lot of them?
 
I didn't think it got cold that far south. :rofl:

Erm, if this idea gets you in hot water I will blame someone else for it (where's Ned, is he looking? :rofl: ), but how about just turning and replacing all of the things? Or just buy enough at $0.68 to replace the lot of them?

Yep, it can git cold. But, I tell folks, winter comes later here, doesn't stay long, and leaves earlier.
As for your idea, I thought of that also. But there are problems.
1) It would be real work. :eek :;)
2) The existing are glued in with tenons and it really would be labor intensive to cut off and redrill.

Yesterday, I purchased a contour copier at the borg for about $8.00. It will do the job and I can turn the new ones myself. Plus, I have a feeling I will find uses for this in the future.
 

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