# Cheapest place to get gobos?



## muvment (Nov 30, 2007)

What is the ultra cheapest place to get glass and metal gobos? Both custom and stock.

I used to work at a string of clubs and theaters and I remember one of the LDs of a theater stating that he could get custom glass gobos for $17, but I've never found a palce that will do them that cheap and I can't get ahold of him anymore.


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## dj_illusions (Nov 30, 2007)

i got some made at a laser cut/printing press house a few months ago because i needed them quick, i dont remember how much they charged but it was somewhere between 10-20$ they said it wasnt much trouble at all and took them about 10minutes to do...


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## len (Nov 30, 2007)

Apollo stock metal are around $12.50. Glass stock are around $75 - $100, last time I checked. I've heard custom prices anywhere from $75 - $1,000, depending on metal or glass, and complexity.


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## gafftaper (Nov 30, 2007)

dj_illusions said:


> i got some made at a laser cut/printing press house a few months ago because i needed them quick, i dont remember how much they charged but it was somewhere between 10-20$ they said it wasnt much trouble at all and took them about 10minutes to do...



Were those steel or glass? The original post is asking about glass. I can't imagine custom glass that cheap.


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## gafftaper (Nov 30, 2007)

Hey muvment, I've never heard anyone here is Sea-town talk about getting custom glass gobos done locally. It's always ship them to Apollo, Rosco, or Gam. It seems to me you would need some rather unique equipment to do custom glass.


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## muvment (Nov 30, 2007)

gafftaper:
On the immediate need is only metal gobos for trackspots, but I have some requests in for glass gobos. The theater LD who gave me the cost was in Colorado. But I believe he shipped them.


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## Kelite (Dec 6, 2007)

Sorry to resurrect this post, but you've raised a very good point, gafftaper. 

Apollo has converted to laser ablation from the old chemical etch process for a variety of reasons. The chemicals that are used to dissolve the aluminum/chrome coating are pretty lethal to eyes, lungs and etc. Legally, the spent etchant must be returned to the producer by the harmful waste generator for disposal. Acid does work well, but carries ethical responsibilities along with it.

You may find companies or individuals that will produce metal or glass gobos for you, and they may be cheap. Remember that you get what you pay for, and the responsibility for the wastes rest upon someone somewhere. 

The long term goal for us has been responsibility to our customers, and our environment. That's about it. Thanks for your time.


*Steps off apple crate and slides it back under teacher's desk....


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## gafftaper (Dec 6, 2007)

Kelite said:


> *Steps off apple crate and slides it back under teacher's desk....



Don't bother putting it away, just send it down to "off topic" or "the punching bag", it's about time for Van's weekly rant. 


Anyway, Keith. What kind of process is involved in creating the glass gobos. Are they done one at a time by hand, by an old German man with a monocle? Is there a fancy machine that grinds them out one every 10 seconds? Do you leave your order by the fireplace and the elves fill it at night?


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## gafftapegreenia (Dec 6, 2007)

gafftaper said:


> Are they done one at a time by hand, by an old German man with a monocle?



Isn't that how the crushed dichroics are made?


Also, goboman.com has cheap gobos. $8.


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## avkid (Dec 6, 2007)

gafftaper said:


> Anyway, Keith. What kind of process is involved in creating the glass gobos.


Can we see the laser?


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## DarSax (Dec 7, 2007)

More like, can I borrow it for a weekend for my world domination plans? Mine's gone and become kaput.


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## Kelite (Dec 7, 2007)

I just can't get my head around the clever comments that come from the peanut gallery here at the 'Booth. Truly there are some creative minds here that may have missed their calling on stage.  Seriously though, you crack me up!


<Are they done one at a time by hand, by an old German man with a monocle? >

*You are not going to believe it, but one of the owner's fathers is an 'older' German guy that wears bifocals when assembling the Apollo Crushed Dichroics. he has yet to wear lederhosen to the office, but I wouldn't put it past him... Zum Wohl!


<Is there a fancy machine that grinds them out one every 10 seconds? >

*Well there was, but we scrapped it for something a little quicker. 


<Do you leave your order by the fireplace and the elves fill it at night?>

*NOW you're getting into the proprietary secrets held within the dimly lit vault of classified trade knowledge. I would rather not answer that direct question if that's OK with you. (And I've often wondered why we get backed up at Christmas time with gobo orders. Perhaps the little red wagons, dolls and such are of higher priority than our gobos......


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## icewolf08 (Dec 7, 2007)

Kelite said:


> *NOW you're getting into the proprietary secrets held within the dimly lit vault of classified trade knowledge. I would rather not answer that direct question if that's OK with you. (And I've often wondered why we get backed up at Christmas time with gobo orders. Perhaps the little red wagons, dolls and such are of higher priority than our gobos......


You mean you don't actually just lay out a sheet of steel on your laser cutting table and then tell the computer to cut as many patterns as it can fit in the sheet while you go home and sleep? I suppose if it really elves that would explain why patterns of the same pattern number don't all look identical  Darn night shift elves...


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## Kelite (Dec 7, 2007)

icewolf08 said:


> I suppose if it really elves that would explain why patterns of the same pattern number don't all look identical  Darn night shift elves...




Uh oh. 
Have you seen Apollo steel patterns that are unlike other Apollo patterns of like numbers?


(Gotta talk to the lead elf down there before the weekend...)


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## icewolf08 (Dec 7, 2007)

Kelite said:


> Uh oh.
> Have you seen Apollo steel patterns that are unlike other Apollo patterns of like numbers?
> (Gotta talk to the lead elf down there before the weekend...)



No worries. I was just playing on the elves thing  Can you imagine elves with lasers? I as yet have not found patterns that don't match, and I have used many Apollo patterns, and always do custom work from you guys.


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## derekleffew (Dec 7, 2007)

So Kelite, you're admitting you outsource your work to Santa Claus, Indiana? I knew it! Every time I call customer service I get someone with a North Polean accent.


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## Kelite (Dec 12, 2007)

derekleffew said:


> So Kelite, you're admitting you outsource your work to Santa Claus, Indiana? I knew it! Every time I call customer service I get someone with a North Polean accent.




Sorry for the delayed reply Derek, I have a rough time keeping up at times... 

That North Polean accent is quite akin to the Yuper (UP-er) accent we imported with a few of our Michigan employees. Apparently they figured out how to operate the phones.  

Santa Claus Indiana is actually the southern branch of the jolly guy's North Pole operation. Being so much closer to the Memphis FedEx hub than the North Pole makes good sense when in a time crunch. 

(We can spot the southern elves in the shop quite easily by listening to their southern elf drawl and looking for tobacco spit marks near the gobo trees.)


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