# Fancy Distribution Blocks - Is there a Market?



## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

Not sure where to put this (or if I'm even allowed to?) but:

Been thinking for a while (probably about a year now  ) of designing and making (cnc milled) a fancier distribution block., as pretty much everything on the market (without having it custom made at great expense) is very plastic'y and not aesthetically pleasing.

If I'm going to get one for myself, then all the design and machine work will be done, so I could easily run out a load more if other people are interested (would obviously talk to the mods about this beforehand if I decide to do this.)

Here is a very basic paint drawing of what I am thinking at the moment - but I'm very likely to change it.



It will I guess be solid brass. I could get it gold plated if people would prefer it like that? - but I'm not sure of the price of this process at the moment. Perspex? bottom (and top if people want them)

Could possibly also do different things such as a single fuse boxes or custom ones with 10 outputs or\custom shapes or something (haven't you always wanted a distribtuion box in the shape of your car  .)


Anyway - I guess the price will be somewhere around $150-$200 for something like above.

Is this of interest to people or are you all happy hiding away your distribution boxes and fuses?

Any input greatly appreciated.

Thanks

James


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

updated first post.

any comments please pass this way


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

In my opinion for the price, a majority of the members would probably source power/ground combo blocks cheaper from Streetwires, Audison, and Tsunami. If you are making them for yourself and will have extra, im sure you will sell them but if you trying to make them for profit, I think your market it quite small and would probably commission a machine shop to make it to their specific needs


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## [email protected] (Jun 12, 2008)

We have something like those already, some are hard to find,but they are out there. Audison makes a really nice one. Streetwires made another, but they are not available anymore. Both were able to be had under the price you mentioned. There are other ones also. I dont think you can do small runs of something like that and make it relatively feasible in price. People would want custom ones to match the cosmetics of their amps possibly, but it still wouldnt be a huge demand and would cost a bit more to make than what you were looking at doing.


Mark beat me to it. Slow typing this morning for me.


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

You definitely won't have a market with the general car audio shoppers and car audio stores. You might have a small market here on DIYMA, but even then I don't see you turning a profit or making a career out of it.


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

I wasn't expecting to make a career or turn any great profit. This is my thinking. (and these will be a huge amount nicer than the streetwires/audison ones - they won't be plasticy - will be to show off.

But basically:

Dad designs and makes car parts as part of business. Stuff like this:



So I asked him if he could make me a custom distribution block.

He quoted around $3-600 for initial design (depending how complicated I make it)

and then I will also have to pay for material costs, machine set up fee, tool depreciation and the wage of the worker who runs the machine.

So if people are interested I could get maybe an initial run of 10 made - and then in the future, if a success - could maybe branch into different designs.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

if you could do it for 50~60 bux out of aluminum or something, it would be more realisitc.

but at that price point its just not cost effective. personally i like the streetwires one better. that set screw for use with a ring terminal is real nice.


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

The streetwire ones, in Britain anyway are £120 (=$190)

I don't think you will be able to understand from my drawing how good they will look until I actually make one - but in my opinion will be a lot nicer looking.

I could probably mill out the bits of aluminium as above for $40 - but it's not the same quality of conductor. $40 wouldn't even cover the material cost.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

oh i understand that, but when it comes down to it - the quality of the conductor is really not that huge of a deal in this application. if we are transmitting radio frequency information, maybe aluminum versus gold plated brass would be an issue - but its just throwing amperage through a fuse that is not gold plated brass. you see my point? for your custom block, id say go fancy with it - but if you are out to sell stuff for profit, make it out of aluminum or something inexpensive because it will sell if its around that price point


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

We obviously use different fuses 

Thanks for your feedback though.

I'm making this for myself - was just trying to figure out if other people would be interested too - so I could get back the cost of designing it.

I've just always thought that everyone loves showing off their processors and amps but hides their fusing as much as they can. If I could make it pretty then it's another thing to show off and be happy with in ones install.


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

senior800 said:


> We obviously use different fuses
> 
> Thanks for your feedback though.
> 
> ...


Probably would have been a great idea 10 years ago but with today's car audio climate it would be tough to sell $200 distribution blocks.

Although I would love to see one if you made it for your install


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

It's barely more than the mass-branded distro blocks so I'm sure they're must be a market if there is for them. In reality I only need to sell about 10 before I've broken even on them. Could be worth a risk.

Now thinking: 




Zero wires showing - all the connections happen under the base which makes it perfect for false floors.

Would also add connectors to the amps - which take the wires under the floor and then you would see no wires at all in your install.

Could also do any shape I wanted with this method.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

but it would be required to have a false floor. most people put their amps UNDER the false floor, not above it?

i dunno, i would try to make it as compact as possible, i dont see the need in the large triange shape. could be a simple L shape on each side.


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

If you have them under though - then you wouldn't care about a fancy distro block as you are not showing them off.

Edit: I get what you mean. amps under the floor with all the wiring and just the amps peaking out. - not everyone does this though 

I'm more targeting show installs.

I think I will just make them, show you guys what I produce and then see what you think and if there is any interest in buying.

I could make them a lot smaller if I went under. Also completely random shapes be easy to do if you wanted a picture of your face as a distro block 

If the first lot does well then I can brand into different basic shapes at different price points.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

quick ms paint. 










kind of like that. but could be layed out different. just use less material and make it cheaper


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

Thanks for the drawing.

That is definitely something I could do - Could probably whip 100 of them out, sell them for $50 each and when sold, which I'm sure wouldn't take too long would be a tidy $1/2000 profit.

It's not as up market as I want for my install though and was intending on this post.

Stuff it - I'll make some nice ones and they will sell eventually (please) - if not I've just made a $1500 distro block


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## [email protected] (Jun 12, 2008)

I would want a cover on mine, otherwise I could just buy some and piece it together.


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

There will be a cover. Probably clear acrylic.

Just haven't decided on an efficient way which is 'new' to do it yet.


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## req (Aug 4, 2007)

vaccume molding would be the best way. make a block without a top, then make a block of clay that is the shape of the top you are interested in and fire it with some glaze on top. 

then you have a nice mould to vaccume mould some more plexi on. it would require you to have a heater of some kind (oven?) and a vaccume box. but it could make some nice plexi covers that fit nice and snug.


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## senior800 (Nov 10, 2010)

Problem with that though it doesn't allow the cables to breathe should it get hot.

It is most likely going to be a suspended perspex frame from pillars on each corner.

I have pretty much thought of my design I want to use.

2 tiers, fat blocks, clean lines and nothing like anyone has done before. I'm pretty chuffed with it! (so chuffed I'm not going to show you till I've had it made.)

Saying that dad will probably make it a bit fancier.


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