We wanted to let everyone know that we are making plastic reproduction Erie Model 70 / 71 tops in limited quantities. We took an original glass top and very carefully (very!) made a mold from it. We used high precision mold materials that captured all the fine detail amazingly well. All the rippling and small spots in the original top are identically reproduced in the mold.
We then experimented with many different resins to cast the parts in until we found a formulation we liked best. It’s made of UV stable clear urethane that is meant to simulate glass. We added white colorant to create a milk glass look. We are also playing with different colorants so that we can make colored tops too; working on a red top right now actually. If you want something special let us know, we’ll try to help you out if we can.
The tops aren’t perfect, but they really came out well in our opinion. Our starting price is $325 each, little more for colored ones. We’d appreciate orders if you are interested, like to understand demand as the materials are expensive. Please call 920-224-2500 (Walter Bell) or private message me (Paul Bell) if you want to place an order.
Hi John, been lots of interest in tops last month or so. I’ve been looking into making more. Unfortunately the urethane I use is out of stock. Apparently there’s a worldwide shortage on the material due to COVID. I’ve been speaking with the resin supplier about alternatives, need to try it out and see how well it works.
