model t front grill

[tacklebox455]

anyone know where i can find the same pattern metal that is used for the model t grill or something close to it?

[pickinatit]

I don't know what all they make exactly,  but this would at least be on the right track I think....checking perforating companies like this one.

http://www.mcnichols.com/products/perforated

[tacklebox455]

checked with the pref companys have to buy in bulk in large sheets ive been checking around the local steel yards to see if i can just find 1 sheet


thanks for the info thou

[pickinatit]

Yeah,  it figures about the minimum quantities for the Perforating Companies.   
Some Home Depots have decorative metal grill type materials....usually kept where they have rod and all thread....not much selection though....don't know if there would be anything suitable for a Model T grill.  Just trying to "spitball" some ideas at you.

[wildbill96]

Ditto for your local ACE hardware store based on my experience about a year ago when I had the bright idea that I was going to make some metal speaker grills for a pair of floor monitors I had acquired.  ACE carries small sheets of perforated metal in different patterns and in different types of material (steel, stainless steel, aluminum) as I recall.  Still wasn't too cheap and since I didn't have access to a brake to bend the edges for a nice finish look I decided to replace the original grill cloth with new cloth.  You should be able to purchase a piece at ACE large enough to cover a head.

[pickinatit]

For future reference:  You can rent little sheet metal, manual press brakes from Home Depot.
Don't know what they charge or if that would be worth it to you if there's a next time.

[wildbill96]

Thanks for the tip...

[tacklebox455]

just found some metal thats really close and of all things its on a old fridge thanx for all the replys

[hosebeaster]

anybody ever find anything? i got a line on a red knob but it has non original grill on it and I would LOVE to have it looking as close to original as possible.

[jaywalker]

I have not seen the original louvered style anywhere. Look at what is offered at http://www.reliablehardware.com/
Look in the full line catalog pg.28-29 for all the speaker grill offerings. I think the small hole would look best in the smallest gauge thickness they offer which looks to be 20 ga. IIRC that is similar to what the Fender era T's use.
I think that they will cut to your dimensions (and even make bends if needed).

[DearBoss]

You can check http://www.mcmaster.com

they sell all sorts of metal mesh and perforated sheets, as well as just about any hardware you may need. you just have to spend some time looking through all the stuff to find what your looking for.

[hosebeaster]

Thanks so much! After spending about 15 minutes sorting through though I didn't have any luck. It's weird because it looks like something that'd be a relatively common pattern, until you try to find something similar and yeah there's pretty much nothing like it. I'm just thinking of commissioning one from someone but that's not ideal as it's gonna cost like $60. It just seems like a material, or at least a pattern, that you should be able to find pretty easily. This is bumming me out.

[hosebeast]

this is going to kill me.

I;ve checked with two local, and two non-local perforators and none of them can do this, which just seems insane to me. it's awfully similar to the back plates on a lot of mat amp stuff and they're somehow getting it done, i just don't understand how this is seemingly so impossible.

maybe going to a scrap metal place is a good idea? short of using a dremel and cutting each individual 200 holes i just don't know. this really sucks.

[GrannyGremlin]

I found a local place that did this, but the min qty would be enough for 8-12 grilles.  I was building an 8x10 so that was fine for my purposes.  That's the issue; you can get it, but you need to buy a lot of it so it only works for amp makers and not end users.  Things might be easier if you ease up on matching the perf pattern exactly to the original; then there's a few things at Home Depot that would do the job (at least as a hold over until you can find an original on ebay or something).

One last suggestion, have you checked out http://metalsupermarkets.com/ ?  Not sure what their min qty is, or if they have the exact pattern, but they're worth a shot as they are gearred more to retail vs wholesale like most other places.