rourkefan

Hi, was wondering if anyone could help. I bought a 3ttt stem that hinges (a 3ttt evol I think) but the seller broke the faceplate! I felt bad as he said he had had a stroke so didn't kick up a fuss, but now I'm dying for that little piece!

The cheapest they seem to go is 15 on ebay, which is more than I spent on the stem! I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to get parts like this printed out? Perhaps even in different colours etc? I have no 3d modelling experience or a copy of the original piece unfortunately.

Alternatively, rate my bodge jobs out of 10.


What it looked like on fleabay

The broken piece

Like this if you cry every time

Red electrical tape?


Latex tube?


At least this cap is still present

Andrew R Stewart 

So the faceplate referenced is just a snap on cover of the metal hinge? I sure hope so because I don't have a good feeling about using a 3D plastic on an otherwise vital safety device (safety as in keeping your handle bars secure, who here has seen the results of a handlebar breaking away from a stem while riding?)

My concerns with these types of questions is less for the OPs (sorry to sound like I don't care) but more for others who read this type of stuff and have less abilities to assess the situation and forge ahead (sort of pun intended), making their load supporting part out of a material with far less strength.

As long as the thread makes clear what the 3D part is for and what it isn't I'm OK with cosmetic bits being plastic; 3Ded, machined, cast/molded independent. Andy

rourkefan

You're absolutely right - I guess it keeps muck out of the hinge, but otherwise cosmetic.

I feel like I could probably measure the important dimensions, or even send the stem out to a maker. I'd rather spend more money on a craftsperson and get something cool and unique than pay over the odds for NOS stuff on fleabay.


Hinge mechanism

The two little hinge pins are recessed, that's how the plastic part clips in

dedhed

From my limited experience, the expense has come from creating the file, not the actual printing.

bboy314

Wouldn’t having this 3d printed cost more than $15, unless you were making a whole batch?

Crankycrank

My take is that you got a screaming deal on that stem for under $15 and spending another $15 for a faceplate still makes it a great deal and saves the time spent finding another solution.

rourkefan

Y'all are no fun. I've decided to buy some thermoplastic and smoosh it in there to make a frankincense monster of a front nugget.

Is this a special stem or something? It's going on my '67 Holdsworth dressed as an always-outdoors fixie. Steal is reel.

Crankycrank

Well, it's not legendary but still a good stem and used ones are selling for a lot more than you paid in these times. The cover is mostly aesthetic so any solution you come up with I'm sure will be fine.

Camilo

Maybe I'm missing something. Wouldn't epoxe hold the two halves together and you could clean it up to easily pass the "invisible at 6 ft" test?

rourkefan

My first thought too. but he only sent the middle bit, no edges! I tried (unsuccessfully) making new sides and epoxying it on before my thermoplastic arrived...


Dunk it in hot water for a minute and it goes all goopy

Pinch off what you need

1st attempt - not bad!

Moulded well around the bar

Created its own grippy nurdles

I imagine you can get this stuff in bulk for peanuts but I was happy to shell out for my box of pretty lolly sticks. Can make more now, with things attached, patterns, shapes - comes in celeste to match the michelin cyclocross tyres I just ordered.....

If anyone's interested the brand I used was called Fix Its and I think is based here in the UK.

Troul 

Is that goop for casting of a part to repop a part or for recreating a permanent decorative part out of the goop, rendering it as a consumable material?

rourkefan

It's plastic that goes soft at 60-100 degrees-ish. It's reusable, so you can just re-melt the part in hot water and reform infinitely. I would only really use it for stuff where you'd trust any other plastic - perfect for a stem cover like mine, or I suppose a valve cap. Small parts. It's easy to form a pretty accurate impression in, so I imagine you could make impromptu mounts and even form a screw thread on it.

rccardr 

Yes, and you can file it and paint it as well. Only real downside is that in a hot day it can…deform.
I’d be tempted to make one that’s as nice as possible by hand and then find someone to scan and 3d print it. Or several.

zandoval 

Ok... I'll print one out for ya but I need the dimensions...




Need the dimensions...