Ordering your plates is easy. We need as much information as possible to produce plates to your satisfation. Drawings, Photographs etc. will all help. Measurements and shape are naturally important and we must have some idea of the style of text you need (pictures are ideal for this). Most computers have a version of MS Word which can be used to make a mock-up of a plate to the desired size using the many fonts available. A template posted or Emailed to us is also a very good idea although in the case of raduised splasher plates (or any kind of curved plate) we need at least one of the major radii to work with. We don't charge for doing the initial drawings because we cannot price the job in terms of machining time until that has been done. We can research the style, size and lettering of original (prototype) plates but that has a cost. You might choose to do that yourself - It can be a very enjoyable process. To get some guidelines on the information we will need, go to the Required Dimensions page How Much do Plates Cost? We can't tell you that until we know what you need, how much material and machining time the job will take. What we can say is that our bespoke plates not cheap. To offer you the best possible quality we invested a lot of money in machining facilities, software, enamelling equipment and all the other things that go into making a business. With that investment now made we produce the best plates available anywhere in the world but we cannot complete with cheap, mass-produced items. When considering if a good set of plates is 'worth it', it helps to consider other items you buy to build a model. When set against (say) a set of cylinder castings, our plates don't need hours of work from you, they are supplied fully finished. That alone makes them very good value, along with being totally unique, unlike a casting. Also remember that name or works plates are seen by everyone who looks at your Model. You never get a second chance to create a first impression. Our Plates are sold as they are produced - Singly, not in pairs or sets. This helps simplify requests for Smokebox Banners, Stationary Engine Plates and Traction Engine Plates which are often 'one off's'. Actually, every plate we make is a totally unique 'one off.' The cost of our plates is made up as follows; Raw Material cost Machine time Finishing e.g. Polishing and / or Enamelling. Click here to see a finished example. Click HERE to see the enamel colours avialable We do not charge for the first job drawn up in CNC software or making small changes afterward. We do charge for drawing (£25 / Hr) if you change your mind on plate style / design after we have followed your original instructions. View Your Drawing Before production begins, your drawing can be viewed in 3D by clicking this link View Drawing Drawings can be seen by anyone on any computer connected to the internet. You can also send a page link to anyone, anywhere in the world. This is especially useful for people who do not have internet access. They can see their plate preview on anyone's computer. Once the drawing has been approved your completed plates will be sent out using your chosen postal method, normally within 14 days. Payments We no longer accept Cheques. Banks have downgraded their cheque clearance services recently, they are trying to phase out the use of cheques altogether. It now takes up to 6 working days (spreading across 2 weeks) to get a cheque cleared, and to get this 'service' one must go and stand in a queue in a bank to pay a cheque in. Credit and Debit Cards are accepted by us, they are much more convenient for both sides and can be used by 'phone or fax. Note that Credit Card payments carry a 3% levy to recover our costs whilst Debit Cards have no levy. Our Postal and Telephone contact details can be found by clicking here Sending Dimensions To send us the dimensions and other details of the plates you like made, click HERE