tiger1964 

While I have two Simplex 543 rear derailleurs, on one the small decorative pull-chain cover fell off. I presume the one I still have could be used to spec a replacement for the other derailleur.

AdventureManCO 

26 posts in and I'm the first to mention Simplex fd delrin housings? What is this forum coming to.

EDIT: Actually, if someone can please 3D print of copy of the Nivex copy that Jan is doing, I'll be satisfied

obrentharris 

Perhaps you're the first one to think that derailleur is worth it! I must admit I'm just as foolish: I'd like to see reproductions of the equally fragile plastic Simplex quick release cap/wing nuts.
Brent

clubman 

I need one of those too!

elcraft

The very first thing that popped into my head about 3D Printing applications, were adapters for the previously mentioned Huret derailleur for use with standard drop outs. Additionally, an adapter for more standard design derailleurs to be used with a Huret drop out, as well!
If metal printing is really a thing, I could see a use for an updated version of the Dacon converter for Sturmey Archer splined drivers. Instead of the Suntour freewheel cogs it was intended for use with, the update would be for using Shimano HG style cogs from an 8 speed cassette. More cogs could be used and it would benefit from the shifting gates of the HG cog design; Plus using a narrower 8 speed chain will allow for more cogs in less space. Think of it as a modern replacement for the old Cyclo-Benelux cog block for Sturmey Archer IGHs. It would be a huge boon for commuter cycles or city bikes.
Another metal or plastic object for C&V that could be beneficial would be an adapter for use with Carlton made frames that utilize a rear brake bridge for the rear centerpull brake. The cable ferrule would slip out of a slot to act as a quick release for wheel changes (imagine the front cable hanger on a Mafac centerpull- for inspiration). I currently fabricate these by hand from aluminum.
I could also foresee printed plastic headlamp or reflector brackets for the old Blackburn racks that have neither a reflector bracket nor amounting hole for a headlamps! Similarly, a bracket for saddle rails to mount lighting would be beneficial.
A more elegant and less destructive ( to the frame and paint) reaction arm clamp for hub brake type applications, or rack support clamps could be crafted.
I suspect more things will come to mind….

Lattz

If I had access to some proper 3d printer the first thing I would make is some quick clamp for the side of the dropbars of road bikes for handling grocery bags and keeling them parallel with the wheel. Maybe stupidity shouldnt be cured by tech but for me it is - and it will always be as long as I can pedal a bike - a real use case. With the Campy Ergos or aero levers i can at lest hang the things on the bar so i just have to use the free fingers to keep the bags off the wheel. With non aero or with really heavy bagas holding a bag with two fingers is painful.

Apart from the above the Geman Railway is 3d printing a lot of obsolete parts for their aging trains which are not available anymore (from coat hangers to propulsion parts), but for other areas of their ops like the signs on handrails for visually impaired people.

fliplap great job!!

billytwosheds 

I found a couple of them on the bay not too long ago, but they are otherwise tricky to source.

Bianchigirll Would 3d printer resin/plastic be sturdy enough for this application ya think?

Lattz

Maybe some differentiation between "what is possible for cheapo at home" vs. "what a paid service with semi or fully industrial machines/materials is capable of" is needed here. Dont forget there are even shoe soles 3d printed today... its a different thing if one buys the 150k usd machine and the several hundreds if not thousand dollar silicon-like material for it for fooling around in the garage.

iab

I thought we were talking about a proper printing service, not diy crap. Guy down the street has one of the largest print services in the world. I have had them print me dozens, maybe over 100, rubber bits for work. Shoe soles are under compression, not shear. There is no way no how you are you are printing a rubber hood and having it work.

Also, this all starts with a CAD file. All these "ideas" listed need to pay someone to get the ball rolling.

Printed stainless head lug.

Lug01 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Retoocs

Resin prints are about as strong as the weaker direction of filament prints.

The serrations on that part is what's going to break if you print it. Printing that part out of metal would probably be $50-75.

Keep in mind that a 3D printed part might not stand up to actual use, but you can use it to print molds for other materials.

Lattz

OK on the rubber part then, yeah of course the CAD files are a must and no one should expect to find the files for every weirdo or purpose built idea on thingiverse.
Bada55 lugs you have over there btw.... saw them a few times on flickr and was always wondeing if the model is done in Modo. Seeing the finished product thought it must be some real CAD app.

I could work with those printer guys on my grocery hanger i guess... nicely done!

iab

I use a program called Rhino for surfacing. I don't care much for surfacing module on SolidWorks or the one in Creo. If I had real money I'd get Alias.

sbarner 

In my last job I had access to what I will call "better" consumer-grade 3D printers, in the $3500 price range. I did quite a number of projects with them, including custom light and fender mounts. What I learned is the people with the grandest ideas of what you can do with 3D printing usually have no real experience with them. There are new materials coming out all the time, but many are very difficult to work with and mishaps can be quite time consuming and sometimes costly, like when nylon filament backed up and ruined a $400 printhead--twice. Most materials exhibit some degree of shrinkage and this is often at different rates, depending on the orientation. Overhangs require support material that will need to be removed after printing. Some types can be dissolved, but not all. There will always be some post-processing work to be done and this can be extensive, based on accuracy and aesthetic goals. Most of my projects had to go through many prototypes before I was ready to put them into service and some eventually failed, due to the strength characteristics of a part made with layered plastic. I didn't do any work with 3D printed metal, but anyone who has any experience at all with metal fabrication knows the difference between cast vs stamped vs forged metal and should be immediately skeptical of the idea that you can 3D print a replacement for just any metal part any more than you can cast a part and not have to machine it afterwards.

My hat is off to the guy who sells replacement 3D-printed wingnuts for the early Simplex skewers. This is the perfect application for this technology and he does a wonderful job with the post-processing. These were easily lost and original replacements are both rare and expensive. His versions work as if they were new and no one is going to notice they are not original unless you point them out. I've experimented with extremely flexible filament and it proved very tough to work with. It would take many hours to print hoods and I shudder to think what they would have to sell for to make the project worthwhile, and how long the hoods would last.

A friend who owns a shop contacted me recently, looking for a spring carrier for a Campy 8-speed Ergoshifter, as replacements have dried up. From what I was able to learn online, there is at least one model available on Thingaverse and this has been successfully sent off to a company that does 3D printing in metal. The resulting part required some finish work with drill and file, but as I have already explained, this is to be expected. This is the route I expect to follow when I eventually need this part, though by then someone else will have had a hundred printed up and will offer the finished part at an attractive price. It makes a lot more sense to do up a batch than just the one you need. In this case, the original was not all that durable, and I expect a 3D printed metal replacement could prove superior to Campy's own part.

3D printing will continue to improve and innovative applications I am sure will be amazing. However, when Cousin' Jim shows up over the holidays with the handgun that he 3D printed, stand very far back and insist that he do the actual firing. You probably won't miss him after you regain your composure.

sbarner 

I had many years experience with AutoCAD 2D and 3D programs such as SketchUp, Creo, Inventor, and Fusion 360. Eventually I came across OnShape and found it met all my modeling needs for 3D printing. The platform is entirely in the cloud, yet it is quite responsive, and I think it is easy to learn with lots of effective yet free tutorials. It is quite powerful and continually improving. I've never felt the need for a SolidWorks subscription once I found Fusion 360 and then OnShape. The free version should meet any non-professional users' needs. OnShape is solid, not surface modeling, though for 3D printing surface modeling is fine.

repechage

the project moves forward.
very good
a bit like if Gloria was a standalone company making bikes today

Bad Lag

Maybe this helps a bit, maybe not.

Brake lever hoods used to be made of molded latex (natural rubber).

The reproduction hoods I have appear to be molded polyurethane.

The polyurethane is holding up much better than the older latex hoods in the smog and "wear and tear" environments. Polyurethane is available in many colors, if that's your thing.

I have no idea if polyurethane is a printable material but I would guess it is.



P.S. - I am stunned by that stainless steel lug. I had no idea metals could be printed like that.

fliplap

Same, I mostly use the free version of Fusion 360, though I briefly used OnShape when the future of the Fusion 360 hobbyist license was in question.

Fusion 360 and Onshape are unbelievably easy and perfect for anyone that has never 3D modeled anything in their whole lives. If you used Playdough as a kid, and can watch YouTube now, you will sort out the basics and be 3D printing something useful in the span of a weekend.

iab will call it “diy crap”, but you’ll get a tool, a skill, and a weekend of entertainment for under $200.

iab

Yes, my apologies for being flippant.

But a lot of this thread thinks 3D printing is magic. You get this CAD model of your obscure to the world part (from magic), hit print and you get this perfectly finished part (from magic). There is no reverse engineering of the part (I'd like to know who got that right on the first go). There are no hours of CAD work (don't forget the hours it takes even to learn a program). There are no crashed print heads (most print shops have that risk factored in their price). And most important of all, there is no finishing of the printed part (hours of sanding).

This thread makes it sound easy when it most certainly is not easy.

Lattz

iab it's not the thread which makes it sound easy, its Youtube and the web. OP asked "possible use cases" in a general manner, people with various knowledge answered with possibilities and wishes.
This is exacly why I suggested some separation at least with "home brew" and 'semi- or full industrial" as a start although you are right there is a lot more to it than equipment or software.
Since OP's knowledge is not known either, and also not if he asks because he is about to get into 3d printing to offer parts, or plan to design parts and have them printed, his question will most likely remain open until clarification.

There is a learning curve to this just like to everything, but for those who admittedly consider themselves laymen, maybe a few more hints would be helpful, since think Youtube and the internet in general are the faulty ones here. It is too easy to see the "happy case" examples all over the web, how marvellous things are being produced in all areas of our lives...... "melt these few soda cans and boom, here's your new Corvette block" or "stir some epoxy and..... we sold the ocean themed 7 meter long dining table for 12k", I guess you know what I mean.
Only a few youtubers take the time to seriously explain the "full experience" including the learning curve, software and other tools needed, downs, trials and errors, time and money invested and possibly lost as well, at least in freely available videos in any topic - actually hats off to them, since they lose money on these.

4-5 years ago, when consumer grade 3d printers reached the affordable level, many thought, one day, they will pop up in every home, just like printers migrated from office equipment to office and home ones.
Many bought 3d printers to print 1-2 freely available models like the tiny ship and maybe the Jade dragon, just to realize:
1. they can't make an own model
2., printing itself alone takes a lot of time
3., it is actually still somewhat costly just to try and fail
4., printing alone is a skill to learn, but "post production" is another
5. they don't even know what to print, even if they could model it, it just seemed a cool idea to try

so plenty of these machines ended up in the classifieds soon after Xmas.

The tech itself is one thing, the dedication (and the financial possibilities) of the person is another.
(sorry if its way too long for 1 post, especially if read on mobile )

seagrade 

Having gutted some first-generation Ergopower levers to use as brake-only levers on my Bianchi, and found them to be just ok, I’m interested in trying the same with some Veloce Quick Shift Ergopower levers as pictured…

Having stumbled across a thread containing a reference to 3D-printed blanks for Ergopower to improve this modification, I can of course no longer find it.

Anyone here seen or heard of such a thing? I’ve yet to research whether QS Ergopower can be gutted as easily as other versions, which would of course be step one in such an adventure.

nlerner

Arr you saying I’m currently unable to 3-D print a time machine that’ll take me back to when could buy Campy parts really cheap?

Lattz

Everything is cheap today. We just cant print the time machine to see how much more expensive they will be in the future

billytwosheds 

The use of the term "magic" in this thread seems to imply that the actual concept-to-production specifics are being overlooked. I don't think that's the case, or the more important part of this thread.

This discussion thread (emphasis on discussion...) *is* useful for a range of things, including enlightening others to what's currently possible (both theoretically and through examples), the limitations, things-you-may-not-have-considered, etc.

Maybe I've just seen "magic" used enough times by experts who are unwilling or unable to translate what they know into what will be useful to other people. Or do so while complaining about it, which isn't much better.

gugie 

If you're looking for the strength of a cast part, 3D printing in wax for lost wax printing is an option. Finish is the same as most 3D printed plastic parts, meaning you'll see "sedimentary" layers. Shrinkage is an issue, so if you're trying to get a tightly toleranced part, some post machining is required. If you want it to be smooth, post processing by hand would be required. Jewelers are starting to use this method.

iab

Well, you don't need to be mean about it. I would say that in previous posts limitations of printing were clearly stated.

I would also add, there is something to be said about self-starters. This ain't rocket science. When there is a new idea on the table, talking about it is pointless. "Experts" can guess if the new thing will work or not but they truly don't know until you actually get off your ass and make the damn thing. If you want something, roll the dice, spend the money and get it done. There is no need for 2 pages of discussion.