3D printed parts

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Claydart

MOPAR to the very bones
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Is there anyone else that got so fed up looking for hard to find parts so they got a 3d printer to try and make some?
 
Today I started the process of creating a file for the chrome ring in the center of the 1964 Dart tail light.
 
When the raw part is done, I will post pics of it. Then I will try and find a way to chrome it.
 
Yep, there's a few here that do that sort of thing. New technology!
 
I am working on a gauge cluster for my Duster right now. Not sure if I am going to buy a printer or use a local place that is already set up to do it. If it works out I'll post about it too.

Cley
 
Been considering it. With 23 years of SolidWorks under my belt I can model anything. A 3d scanner would be sweet too. I'd love to redesign my 69 dart Dash panel to hold round gauges. Finding one that isn't a small fortune that can make large-ish parts is tough. From what I've seen through out the years with rapid prototypes is they always require from fit and finish work then enter UV stability and structural rigidity.
 
[QUOTE="toolmanmike, post: 1972874659, member: 2106" New technology![/QUOTE]

Yeah, except in 1994 I sent a 3D file of 2 parts to a company in Michigan I saw advertised in a trade magazine.
And by sent, I mean I MAILED a 3-1-2" floppy through the U.S. Mail. I had SLA prototype parts in my hands 4-5 days later. Drilled and tapped them and used for product testing before committing to die cast aluminum parts.

Been doing it ever since with in-house printers that run practically around the clock. First one we bought in 2003 was about 45K. 20 years ago I used to dream about using our 3D roamer arm to digitize the bottom of my Barracuda and then develop suspension parts in 3D CAD. I was at a seminar about 15 yrs ago where one of the Rahal Racing team engineers showed us how they would be testing at a track, make changes to a part on a laptop, send the file to their shop, and have a new part delivered 48 hrs later.
The concept isn't new, but the cost has always been prohibitive. I see some of the high end Hot Rod shops are finally doing stuff today that I used to imagine doing. I think it was XV Motorsports that finally digitized an E body and used FEA to develop their chassis parts.
Recently, I worked for a NASA contractor that had a million dollar printer that printed really nice stainless steel parts. It sat there idling for the most part because when the customer is NASA, well, they don't do high production.
 
Well I tweaked the files and printed out a couple of prototypes for finishing.
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The second picture is another idea I had. What do you think about that with chrome on it?
 
You know you dont even have to buy a printer, just send you CAD files to www.shapeways.com and pay them to print it for you.

It's not much.

You can even open up a shop with your designs and whenever someone orders one of your pieces, they print it and you get some of the profits. It's becoming a gamechanger in the model train hobby.
 
I fix classic cassette decks in my slow times , no BPC (black plastic crap) and many have nylon gears, levers and clutches thay crack over time and temperature. I had a tiny spur gear made by a member here and it worked great. Just be aware of the melt temp. The low melt PLA can be 'lost PLA' cast just like lost wax casting. Make something ie. 1 Weber DCOE mount for a 3x2 slant six setup, lay it up in plaster or casting mayerial and then burn the PLA out a drain in a 500F oven forna few hours. Fill with molten Aluminum...repeat, repeat.
 
The second picture is another idea I had. What do you think about that with chrome on it?

It's going to destroy the safety performance of the stop lights (most/brightest light comes out of the central area your "M" mostly covers up) so this is a super extra bad idea unless you're trying to get rear-ended.
 
No, there is nothing such as magical LEDs that will compensate for blocking off active lens area. Most "LED bulbs" don't work safely or effectively, even without the lens blocked.
Then isn't the safest solution to create red lenses with LED boards behind them? They would look very close to the original with the brightness of modern vehicles.

I'd love to have amber front parking/turn signal lights for my '65 Dart Charger that other motorists could actually see on a sunny day. Same with the tail/stop/turn signal lights.
 
I was just messing with making a keychain, and when I brought the ring out to the dart, I put the M in the light and it fit perfectly. Really just playing around a bit. We will check out how much it blocks the light before sticking it in there BTW.
 
Then isn't the safest solution to create red lenses with LED boards behind them?

That can be done, but it's nowhere near as easy as you might think to do right (read the whole thread)

I'd love to have amber front parking/turn signal lights for my '65 Dart Charger that other motorists could actually see on a sunny day.

You're looking for this.
 
I put a new wire harness in my valiant and ended up having a bulkhead plug made. Turned out great!

E8099F6E-382A-4ED9-B2BF-D7C248B59B20.jpeg


1A6AA906-A319-4CE9-A53E-B91FF6F74853.jpeg
 
I fix classic cassette decks in my slow times , no BPC (black plastic crap) and many have nylon gears, levers and clutches thay crack over time and temperature. I had a tiny spur gear made by a member here and it worked great. Just be aware of the melt temp. The low melt PLA can be 'lost PLA' cast just like lost wax casting. Make something ie. 1 Weber DCOE mount for a 3x2 slant six setup, lay it up in plaster or casting mayerial and then burn the PLA out a drain in a 500F oven forna few hours. Fill with molten Aluminum...repeat, repeat.

Good to know. If my Nakamichi LX-5 ever needs some TLC, Ill look you up....
 
Good to know. If my Nakamichi LX-5 ever needs some TLC, Ill look you up....
Nice deck! I have a Sony TC-K71 Discrete 3-head. Looking for a -K81 with the built in test tone oscillator. I fixed my -K96R auto-reverse with the 3-D spur gear.
 
This is what I'm going to get printed. The place that is going to print it for me is busy making masks for healthcare during this whole Covid 19 thing. Once the world gets back to normal I'll have a 3d printed dash bezel.

Cley
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