What's Up With Deluxe Innovations?

[MetroRedLine]

I heard a rumor last summer that Deluxe Innovations was about to go out of business. However, half a year later, the website is still up (though sorely out of date) and there has been no formal announcement that the company is shutting down, and someone mentioned that they saw owner Dave Ferrari exhibit at a local train show.  I know they have had numerous problems with overseas manufacturers and dealing with natural disasters (Hurricane Irene apparently damaged their New Jersey warehouse and a lot of their stock).

I own  few of their Maxi-IV well car sets, which left the factory with an acknowledged defect, which has been addressed by the availability of Fix-Kits, which are tiny washers that help space the trucks from the bolsters to allow truck swing. I have emailed Dave Ferrari back and forth several times since January 2017 and have yet to receive my Fix Kits! So I'm stuck with these well cars that won't run!

Anyone know what's up? The last time I emailed Dave, I never got a response.

[Mark5]

Down, but not completely out as far as I know.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=42985.msg545211#msg545211

Mark

[Glenn Poole]

I heard a rumor last summer that Deluxe Innovations was about to go out of business. However, half a year later, the website is still up (though sorely out of date) and there has been no formal announcement that the company is shutting down, and someone mentioned that they saw owner Dave Ferrari exhibit at a local train show.  I know they have had numerous problems with overseas manufacturers and dealing with natural disasters (Hurricane Irene apparently damaged their New Jersey warehouse and a lot of their stock).

I own  few of their Maxi-IV well car sets, which left the factory with an acknowledged defect, which has been addressed by the availability of Fix-Kits, which are tiny washers that help space the trucks from the bolsters to allow truck swing. I have emailed Dave Ferrari back and forth several times since January 2017 and have yet to receive my Fix Kits! So I'm stuck with these well cars that won't run!

Anyone know what's up? The last time I emailed Dave, I never got a response.

I made my own out of styrene. Drill a hole in a piece of styrene and then cut around it making a washer---worked real good.

[Scottl]

I don't know what is happening with Dave and DI, but I hope he can remain in business.

In terms of the fix-it kit, I installed a number of them and they were just etched brass washers.  You could easily fabricate these out of styrene as Glenn suggests.  They were quite thin, perhaps 0.010" or less

[MK]

Sounds like a used credit card (or the fake ones they send you to sign up) may work?

[Scottl]

My recollection was that the metal was half-etched and thinner than a credit card.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Down, but not completely out as far as I know.

I feel like that is an EXCELLENT summary of what's going on.

[ednadolski]

I own  few of their Maxi-IV well car sets, which left the factory with an acknowledged defect, which has been addressed by the availability of Fix-Kits, which are tiny washers that help space the trucks from the bolsters to allow truck swing. I have emailed Dave Ferrari back and forth several times since January 2017 and have yet to receive my Fix Kits! So I'm stuck with these well cars that won't run!

Same boat here.  I was thinking of etching my own,  but I am not sure when I will get around to it.  Offhand I think they are thicker than 0.010" but I need to go check.

Ed

[MetroRedLine]

Same boat here.  I was thinking of etching my own,  but I am not sure when I will get around to it.  Offhand I think they are thicker than 0.010" but I need to go check.

Ed

It would help to find out what the exact dimensions of the DI washers are!

[peteski]

Sheet styrene of various thicknesses (like 0.005", 0.010", 0.015", etc.) is readily available in small quantities. When I make small washers I first make the center hole, then punch the washer using one of the miniature hobby punch/die sets. I have couple of those sets. If the center holes are very small, I drill them instead of punching, then punch out the washer.

[MetroRedLine]

Sheet styrene of various thicknesses (like 0.005", 0.010", 0.015", etc.) is readily available in small quantities. When I make small washers I first make the center hole, then punch the washer using one of the miniature hobby punch/die sets. I have couple of those sets. If the center holes are very small, I drill them instead of punching, then punch out the washer.

Can one use those Hob-Bits brass washers that you find at hobby shops?

[MK]

Soda can material?  Maybe folded once or twice or as how many times needed to match the thickness?

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  I also make my own, but not having a punch set, I use office paper punches.  They (used to?) come in 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 inch diameters, which meet most of my needs.

I've never looked at the DI well cars, but would a MT truck washer work?

[Sokramiketes]

I think at this point we can just hope the tooling pops up in another company's hands.  Deluxe has ceased to exist, a la a parrot. 

[AKNscale]

Didn't they come out with more connexes last year?