Another unique 3D printed part for Mr.H

[Sidecar Bob]

When I replaced Mr.H's instrument panel and added the speaker/wiring box a few years ago the only place I could find to mount the keyswitch was on the side of the box and even then only if I changed to a CT70 repro one. It originally stuck out pretty far but I didn't like that so I changed it to this

Old mount.JPG (82 KiB) Viewed 332 times

The gray spacer is a piece of plumbing pipe that I machined out with a step drill to fit over the keyswitch so that it was flush with the surface and since that put the mounting lug quite a bit behind the side of the box I had to bend a couple of brass strips to clip over the back edge and bolt to the box.

Plastic pipe mount.JPG (61.03 KiB) Viewed 332 times

That was OK for a couple of years but the box is pretty flexible (it started life as a plastic toolbox) and over time it started to deform where the clips were bolted on. When I sit on the seat I can't see it so I I sometimes fumble while putting the key in and a couple of times last year I ended up getting the key between the keyswitch and the side of the hole. Something had to be done.

I was looking for a block of something to make a mount for it from when I thought about Lee looking for projects for his 3D printer. I gave him a sketch with the outside dimensions and a spare keyswitch and a few days later he handed me this

Mount from Lee.JPG (60.46 KiB) Viewed 332 times

But I didn't have time to take it apart last fall (it took about half an hour to get it apart far enough to take the first pic in this post) so it sat in the glove box until this afternoon.

Once it was apart I used a heat gun to soften the box around the hole and squeezed it between a couple of pieces so it would flatten out. Then I drilled pilot holes for the screws and

New mount.JPG (87.86 KiB) Viewed 332 times

It looks pretty much the same as before but it is definitely more solid now

Keyswitch installed.jpg (92.88 KiB) Viewed 332 times

[Jonesz]

Nice job. Can't wrap my brain around "printing parts". I am from the pre-scientific era when we used to have to carve false teeth out of wood!

[Sidecar Bob]

This is a pretty simple project. I might have been able to cut/carve a block of something (probably hardwood) to fit fairly easily but I would have had to buy have drill bits big enough to bore the hole or spend a lot of time filing it to size and it wouldn't have the ridge that fits in the hole in the box (drilled with a step drill - lots of sizes but you can't go very deep).

If you haven't seen how it is done, the machine uses a 3D drawing to tell it where to lay beads of melted plastic onto a plate and basically builds up the part in layers. If you understand the difference a "3D printer" is really more of a plotter than a printer.

BTW: Lee told me recently that he has come across plans for making a CNC milling machine from (IIRC) a router, some 3D printer parts and some aluminum square tube and asked if there would be stuff he could make on it for me...

[Easter]

Nice solution. I met a man a couple of years ago that has a whole room full of 3d printers including at least one that prints in metal, all in a remote cabin in the mountains of New Mexico. Prints stuff and sells it on ebay!!!