OK, the topic that doesn't really have a good home. It all started in a Tech and Restoration thread right here at VBMX, but it quickly spread to back alleys, PM's, EM's, and other sites, and pretty much all over the place.
So, with no intentions of posting off topic, nor with intent of infracting rules of any kind, I shall place the topic where the majority of the interested parties seem to reside, ...with the vintage peeps.
I am being inundated with an unprecedented quantity of PM's and EM's regarding Kool Caps because people have heard that they are all gone. Well, it's true, they are all gone. (aside from the small secret stash of blemishes, and double secret personal stash of 3 sets)
So.... Here's the deal. The answer to, "Why aren't I jumping at the chance to make more?"
Here's why, (and pretty much the whole story on them).
The Kool Caps started in the Tech and Restoration section right here at VBMX over 2 years ago.
http://www.vintagebmx.com/community/index....p;hl=campy+hubs
JB and his Brother had an idea.
I encouraged people to make some up for themselves, and even offered up blueprints and such to work from. But clearly, nobody seemed that ambitious, but everyone had a "someone should" or "I wish they would" attitude about them. I decided to make a few sets for myself and JB. Then, it was clear, that others wanted a set too.
After a lot of e-mails back and forth with JB regarding ethical decisions of making something off of his idea in larger numbers. We agreed that the numbers would probably be small, and that having the ability to make them without a huge capital investment (having the tools on hand) (Which I did have) , was the only viable option, and he was not interested in taking on the project, and paying for all manufacturing costs and equipment up front, just to try out the idea.
So I made a few more. By hand.
And a few more. ...By hand.
And they took a very long time to make, and were far from anything that a bean counter would feel was an enticing proposition. But they disappeared faster than I could make them. (Which I coundn't make them very fast, lol)
And it was all in good fun. And, JB and his Brother will never pay for a set, they get as many for free as they want.
I started working at a place that had faster machines than I owned, and I struck a deal. I would work overtime for free, for the use of one of the machines during that time. So I created a CNC program, and I made more of them. Not too much faster, but with far less labor. .... But I was not earning the time and a half pay that I would have been getting while doing it. And, as luck would have it, EDM machines are like watching grass grow while they cut. ...They are slllllooooooowwww.
So here is the deal, whether I make more is questionable for many reasons, and I know many don't understand why, and are asking me in pretty large numbers. After all, if someone want's something, and is willing to pay, shouldn't you make it? Well, ...maybe.
Some may suspect that I may have made a killing on them. Nope. In fact, it couldn't be farther from the truth. I have really only made them because I like this crowd, and we seem to have had a pretty good time with them, and I like to have fun with stuff like this, but it is far from "big numbers" and "big business".
The quantities: It was over 2 years ago that the idea came to life. I am not sure how many sets I made from spare aluminum I had on hand, but shortly thereafter I had my supplier cut up a sheet of blanks. I do know, that this yielded almost 200 sets of them. (That's 4 caps per set).
The time needed of the project: Each cap needs 5 accurately drilled holes placed in the exact location around a circle. Each of those also needs a large and accurate hole cut out in the middle too. Each of the small holes needs to be countersunk to the correct depth as well. Then the whole outside shape needs to be created in precise location relative to the holes. Then they all need to be anodized. And then each hole needs to be filled with a rivet. So even though the outside shape can be cut by machine, everything else, is still a time consuming endeavor. The bottom line is, that by using CNC milling, CNC wire EDM, or water jet, or laser, they still have multiple processes, and either require lots of loading and fixturing, and they still take lots of time and effort to make them. The only real fast option is die stamping, and even then, there are many secondary operations needed.
The math of the project: Everyone knows I was shipping them for $40 all up. And I know that anyone who has never made parts for a living can easily jump to conclusions, that this must be a "Dream come true" part to manufacture, and after all, I must have sold thousands of them by now, and they only cost pennies to produce....Negative.
The reality of the project:...Not everyone knows that finding a place that would do small batches of these small and hard to fixture parts, and finding a place that has "the matching" orangeish/gold color on hand is difficult at best. Therefore, they were priced to me at 1.21 each for anodizing, and they said that was going up the next run. (Hmmm, that's $4.84 per set just for anodizing)
And then of course, there is the padded mailers at $1.00 each, and postage that was included with the price ($1-5 dollars). Brings us up to $6.84 per set hard cash invested, minimum.( ...And we haven't bought a piece of metal yet, leave alone drilled any holes in them, lol)
So now we are working with about $33 potential net for the time and effort. But we need drill bits, fixture metals, countersinking tools, and materials, and raw materials like rivets and sheet metal, etc... So we quickly start dipping well below $30/set. Still sounds ok though.
Now the kicker of the project: Time and labor. It takes time to drill 200 sets. That's 4800 holes in 800 individual parts placed radially around a center point at 72 degrees apart. ...Countersinking 4000 holes. ...Installing rivets into .....4000 holes. ...Then there is the time working without pay, which could have been pay at time and a half. And the straight time, which is time away from doing something fun with my son (and myself).
In the end, it had to be "for fun". Because after running all the numbers, it took 2 years to sell 200 sets. (plus some more in the very beginning, maybe 30 sets?????) Some were given away to good friends, and given to gracious web hosts, and maybe 6 or 7 sets to JB and his brother, and of course a few sets that "Never made it to the shipping address" (errr, maybe or maybe not, lol) , and were re-shipped for free, and things like that. 20 free sets of 200, That knocks another 10% off the bottom line. lol.
All said and done, there was some incentive (profit) to be had from them. But monetarily, it was just about exactly what JB an I projected it would be in our PM's. It turns out, that on a monthly basis, I could pull down the same amount of money in around 6 hours of overtime. Over 2 years, that's 72 hours of over time. Hmmmm... without a doubt, I have to ask myself if I actually put more, or less, than 6 hours a month of my time into them. ....I'm pretty sure I covered the full 72 hours in the first month alone, in making them. So I could make a heck of a lot more money by simply working overtime, and it would be far less work, lol. Is it any wonder that I declined any "I'll buy 2 sets if you give me the third set for free" offers? Or, "I'll give you $20", offers, lol.
So there it is, ...a labor of love.
So what am I going to do? Am I going to make more? ....I got 4 more EM's tonight asking the same. ... In short, I truly don't know.
I do know this. I wouldn't expect anyone to invest $10,000-20,000 dollars (or way more) into a 2 stage compound stamping die to mass produce them, at a volume of 100-125 sets a year. Certainly not me.
Sure, many of you guys still want them, or want more. Especially now that word is out that I am out of them. In fact, I could probably unload 30 sets in a single day right now, judging from the e-mails. But at the end of that day, the reality is, that it would probably take 2 more years before that "batch" ran dry again. Hmmmm.
Additionally, I don't work where I last made them, and I would have to pay straight up to have them cut that way now. Or I'd have to make them all the hard way, by hand again. (and I ain't doin' that! lol) I still probably wouldn't lose cash on them by paying to have them cut, (since I do still have my sources, lol,). FWIW, ...My lowest quote for "water jet" cutting them (scratch that idea) has been $7.41 each (not a set of 4, ...each.). My highest was $15.72 each. Oh yeah, that's only for the cutting, no anodizing, countersinking, and no rivets... Hmmm.
There is also another issue. It was a "for fun" item, at a "for fun" price. That was a requirement for me to want to make them. However....
....Honestly, more people were getting demanding near the end, more requests for bargain prices, and in general, a few bad apples that demanded service and price as though I am "Best Buy Company". And there were decidedly more "no-shows" for delivery, especially in the UK, and things like that.. That has detracted from the "for fun" part recently as well. It became a "product" in the eyes of some, not a "for fun" item at a "for fun" price and volume as intended.
The heartfelt thank you's, and great photos of all the projects, were more than enough to offset any negatives, make no mistake of that! You guys totally rock, as they say.
No doubt, anyone who rounds up all the materials, obtains all the tools, builds the fixtures, writes the programs, drills and countersinks the holes, takes them to be anodized, rivets them all up, etc...Isn't likely to offer to pack them up and ship them to you for "a few of the prices" I was "offered". lol. (Errr, no thanks. lol. )
The other hard fact is, that my real side business is demanding ALL my efforts right now. But after things calm down there again, maybe, just maybe, (MAYBE) I might feel up to running another sheet of them. But it truly won't be any time soon as it stands.
Let's face it, I've made about a thousand of the little buggers, and installed all 5000 rivets, and countersunk all 5000 holes in them, etc... I've simply had enough of them for now too.
I still totally encourage anyone with good ideas to take the time to evaluate them, build them, and sell them. As making a product that puts smiles on people's faces is rewarding like no other IMO. That's how my side business started, and I've never been sorry for starting it. If I can inspire anyone by telling you this, that would make me happy.
Some may think I'm a fool for not making more, some may think I'm a fool for making 1000 of them already, lol. Think what you like....
. ....I'm just glad so many of us have had some fun with them. I've been exposed to many awesome people along the way because of them, and I still enjoy seeing the pix to no end. Thanks for all that! It's been a true "group VBMX project"!!!
So now you know, it's not a yes, it's not a no, it's a definite...maybe, ...maybe not, ...but for sure not soon. lol
They will still be shown on my web site. I'll keep them on the site, and post any updates that should come up there too.
Post em up!
Cheers
and thanks again 
