Koolshade alternative?
- Thread starter Ghastlyjeff
- Start date
johnpolacchi
New Member
I've seen that on a YouTube video. I thought it was,"scratch built," and not photo etched? The only photo etched replicated parts I'm aware of are the small photo etched set upgrades you can get or came with the Bandai 1/72 Falcon. I think the hard part is "weaving" the wire. I wouldn't want to be doing that for larger sections of it.
Necronaut
Active Member
I think it was scifimodels.de that was doing this. They were offering DeAgostini Falcon upgrade castings for detailing the inside engine louvred, and a PE set to replicate the Koolshade. That was the result of them weaving some magnet wire into the bent PE they were offering.
I’m unsure if the site is still active. Joe Rau was the member posting this stuff at the Starship Modeler FB group back in the day.
I’m unsure if the site is still active. Joe Rau was the member posting this stuff at the Starship Modeler FB group back in the day.
johnpolacchi
New Member
I'm sure others may have looked up who or where koolshade is currently made or sold. I found this web site to this company in the UK. Metal Fabrics : https://www.smartlouvre.com/metal-fabrics
That being said, I'm presuming that this is the current koolshade which is slightly different than the NOS stuff, but it appears to be made the same? I don't know if they "customized" the metal louvers material so they could make a specific kind like replicating the NOS koolshade? If I remember correctly, the NOS stuff was 23 louvers per linear inch and the current koolshade material is 18 louvers per linear inch? I contacted them and made some basic inquiries. Not sure when or if I may hear back from them? I'm just curious to know what they currently make which may be the only alternative, or if they customize their machines which would undoubtedly cost more. I didn't ask what color it came in and if its always anodized black or if you get it raw and no finish? I personally wouldn't care if it is finished or not, but if it is finished in anodized black all the better.
That being said, I'm presuming that this is the current koolshade which is slightly different than the NOS stuff, but it appears to be made the same? I don't know if they "customized" the metal louvers material so they could make a specific kind like replicating the NOS koolshade? If I remember correctly, the NOS stuff was 23 louvers per linear inch and the current koolshade material is 18 louvers per linear inch? I contacted them and made some basic inquiries. Not sure when or if I may hear back from them? I'm just curious to know what they currently make which may be the only alternative, or if they customize their machines which would undoubtedly cost more. I didn't ask what color it came in and if its always anodized black or if you get it raw and no finish? I personally wouldn't care if it is finished or not, but if it is finished in anodized black all the better.
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JimmyB
Member
Smartlouvre have a wepbpage on their Microlouvre product in the context of Star Wars and modelmakers.
Creative spacecraft since the 1970's
I'm sure I've read elsewhere that it's the slightly larger louvre, but I might be misremembering.
Creative spacecraft since the 1970's
I'm sure I've read elsewhere that it's the slightly larger louvre, but I might be misremembering.
johnpolacchi
New Member
Do you know if they will customize the koolshade or if it is "fixed" at the current 18 louvers per linear inch as shown on the web site?
They won't do that no. I purchased two rolls of their current product a few months ago, and honestly it was like pulling teeth to get it. They claim to encourage its use by modellers, but they really can't be bothered selling anything less than 2 meters square worth, which is roughly a grand in Canadian dollars. I did ask if they could produce the older stuff and, whoever it was that I was speaking to, claimed they've never changed the design of the material, which we all know is false, but they won't listen.
johnpolacchi
New Member
That sucks. It's a grand for the new stuff? Well...it is 2 square meters which is way more than I would need currently. I'm not quite sure what I need at the moment? I'm estimating not more than a 2ftx2ft square section (possibly slightly more) and unless I find further use for it and need or want way more than that? I'd love to get the NOS stuff, but its literally about a $1,000US per square foot. It's something like nearly $3,000US to cover S.S tie wings and you better get it right the first time. There's no room for error.
2m^2 + shipping + import duties cost me almost a grand Canadian. Or, about 500£ or about $700 USD. And this assumes you can get them to actually sell you the stuff. They really are not interested in small cuts like that, their focus is fitting out whole buildings.
johnpolacchi
New Member
I get it from a business standpoint. They are in it for the $$$$ and if they just sold 4ft square sections they'd go broke. Still, that's damn expensive for just a little 4ft. square cut and it's not even made to the N.O.S specs. Cheaper yes than the N.O.S stuff, but it does make a difference when you are building something. I bet when Lucas sold ILM off to Disney and liquidated the model dept. at ILM and most all those guys either went to CG or just retired out that someone there made off with a roll or two of Koolshade. I'm guessing they had loads of that stuff and just bought it by the roll.
johnpolacchi
New Member
Slight update on the Koolshade. So...after talking to the company rep from the UK, I asked if there was an American based company that had Koolshade also. Turns out there is. So, in the event of purchasing any, I can forego the weeks of shipping, the high shipping prices as well as any duty/import taxes. Hopefully that will keep the price to its bare minimum but cutting out all the unnecessary expenses. That being said, I was more or less sold the same story that Koolshade is the same and the louvers per inch were always 18 per linear inch (whatever it is?). I was further informed that the machine that made the N.O.S Koolshade was no longer (which I already knew about), but that it didn't in fact cut the louvers smaller to make 23 per linear inch, but that it "squeezed" or squashed them into shape giving the older Koolshade the 23 per inch that most of us know it used to be. I am not sure if I buy the, "they were squashed into shape" explanation. Flat materials don't get formed that way. The Koolshade louvers are made of very thin aluminum, about .002-.003 cut/formed or chemically etched into the louver slats before further mechanized operations and being anodized black. Perhaps the current machines can't be adjusted to cut the louvers to their original size to make for the 23 louvers per inch, or it is a serious P.I.T.A to reprogram them to do so? I imagine it is a fully automated CNC operation to manufacture Koolshade. It still remains that the current Koolshade product is more or less still made the same way. Just not exactly the way it used to be.
star-art
Sr Member
The material is woven like fabric on a loom. The slats are put in place and then wires get twisted around them. I imagine this requires a certain amount of space between the slats to accomplish. After weaving, the material is then compressed until the proper spacing is achieved.
For whatever reason, the machine is currently set to 18 slats per inch (probably to save money). It would have to be reconfigured to make more slats per inch which they either cannot or will not do. It might not just be a setting that's adjusted. Devices that make products like these are custom designed and purpose-built. The machine might in fact be "hardwired" for the current specs.
For whatever reason, the machine is currently set to 18 slats per inch (probably to save money). It would have to be reconfigured to make more slats per inch which they either cannot or will not do. It might not just be a setting that's adjusted. Devices that make products like these are custom designed and purpose-built. The machine might in fact be "hardwired" for the current specs.
johnpolacchi
New Member
I thought the same(similar). I suspect it might be more a money thing than it would be to re-set the machine. Save on materials etc. For production purposes, I suspect it is CNC programed machine, but the machines as you say are, "customized" for specific machine operations and might not be as versatile as programming a CNC mill/lathe/machining center.
johnpolacchi
New Member
Maybe. I'd think for them to stay up to current manufacturing standards that they have a CNC machine, but I could be wrong?
johnpolacchi
New Member
Well, CNC was around in the early 60's and by the time the microchip was a thing (mid/late 70's) just about everything electronic/production was getting the microchip. I imagine it was suggested and it may have been considered way back when in the 80's, but perhaps they did not go that route due to the expense as it would have been a costly investment at the time. That's just my guess.
Bjorn
Sr Member
The original Microlouvre factory in the US was apparently destroyed by a hurricane in 1989. It mentions this on their website.
Production was eventually moved to the UK and the machines were updated with digital controls by Smart Louvre Technology. Conceivably, all "vintage" material was produced before 1990 or perhaps 1991 as mentioned at the beginning of the thread.
And most likely on a mechanical loom per Charles comments. Despite the apparent complexity of these machines, they are still fairly straight forward in their mechanisms. Metal however provides some obvious challenges over natural fibers.
Here is a picture of the new loom producing the 17 louvre per inch material.
SEXY
The original fabric was made from brass ribon and wire, which despite the new machine, appears to be what is shown above.
However, they apparently now use aluminium instead of brass.
Production was eventually moved to the UK and the machines were updated with digital controls by Smart Louvre Technology. Conceivably, all "vintage" material was produced before 1990 or perhaps 1991 as mentioned at the beginning of the thread.
And most likely on a mechanical loom per Charles comments. Despite the apparent complexity of these machines, they are still fairly straight forward in their mechanisms. Metal however provides some obvious challenges over natural fibers.
Here is a picture of the new loom producing the 17 louvre per inch material.
SEXY
The original fabric was made from brass ribon and wire, which despite the new machine, appears to be what is shown above.
However, they apparently now use aluminium instead of brass.
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Those of you still trying to hunt down the original Koolshade and not the newer stuff offered by smartlouver let me know, there is company that still has a lot in stock. Pricey but it's the real koolshade ILM used or I can post the companies info here...but I will ask the owner first prior to doing so.
Huge rolls between $300-$900
I've personally talked to the owner on the phone who has installed Koolshade on buildings, renovated buildings with it and had a contract with Boeing to install this on several of their buildings, he said the reason it went from 23 louvers per inch to 17 per inch was the fact that this was a decision by Boeing , their number one buyer through this installer, on second floors or higher in these office buildings every time it would rain the water would get trapped in between the slats and office people would complain they couldn't see outside so Boeing had them remove this from the buildings and require new style of koolshade to still help with the sunlight but yet still able to see through the windows on a rainy day so this was solved by making the slats 17 per inch. THIS IS THE REAL REASON. So speculation about why they went from 23 down to 17 has been solved, this contractor I spoke with has been doing this since the 70's and I tend to believe him which makes sense.
Huge rolls between $300-$900
I've personally talked to the owner on the phone who has installed Koolshade on buildings, renovated buildings with it and had a contract with Boeing to install this on several of their buildings, he said the reason it went from 23 louvers per inch to 17 per inch was the fact that this was a decision by Boeing , their number one buyer through this installer, on second floors or higher in these office buildings every time it would rain the water would get trapped in between the slats and office people would complain they couldn't see outside so Boeing had them remove this from the buildings and require new style of koolshade to still help with the sunlight but yet still able to see through the windows on a rainy day so this was solved by making the slats 17 per inch. THIS IS THE REAL REASON. So speculation about why they went from 23 down to 17 has been solved, this contractor I spoke with has been doing this since the 70's and I tend to believe him which makes sense.
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