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Old 12-09-2021, 03:39 PM   #1
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3D Printing Misc Parts?

Does anyone have experience with 3D printing? I have tried google but today it does not appear to be my friend. When 3D printing do you need some sort of software to print or can you take several photos of the existing broken part and use the photos to print? Somewhere on one of the threads I remember someone printed parts for a broken freezer door hinge and other misc parts for our campers. Are there small commercial offices that offer printing services or does anyone on the forum do printing ....for a fee of course?


thanks...jon
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Old 12-09-2021, 04:15 PM   #2
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3D files

Quote:
Originally Posted by jon carpenter View Post
Does anyone have experience with 3D printing? I have tried google but today it does not appear to be my friend. When 3D printing do you need some sort of software to print or can you take several photos of the existing broken part and use the photos to print? Somewhere on one of the threads I remember someone printed parts for a broken freezer door hinge and other misc parts for our campers. Are there small commercial offices that offer printing services or does anyone on the forum do printing ....for a fee of course? thanks...jon
You can start here, but be sure to use the correct plastic. What works fine in the house will melt on the dash of the car.
https://www.thingiverse.com/
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Old 12-09-2021, 06:31 PM   #3
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Might check local libraries. Ours has a 3D workshop where a bunch of teens will 3D print your part if you bring in the STL file on a thumb drive. Many files are already available online, or create your own.


https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/our...-print-request
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Old 12-09-2021, 06:38 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by jon carpenter View Post
Does anyone have experience with 3D printing?
I 3D print a lot of spare parts for a lot of things.

You cannot just take photos of a broken part and print a new one. You need the 3D geometry of the part before printing it.

That might mean that someone else has done the geometry and uploaded it to a 3D part repository like thingiverse or it might mean you need to have someone do the 3D geometry for you.

What part do you have that's broken?

I can take a look and maybe to the design for you if it's fairly obvious.

Probably the most complicated replacement part I designed was this pump housing and impeller.
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Old 12-09-2021, 09:27 PM   #5
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what Al said. I work at a local Machine/Fab company and we've delved into 3D printing. I love it, BUT, it's not an easy "hobby".

The greatest concern for the average user will be undoubtedly- 3D drawings. We use Autodesk "Inventor" and I'm versed enough in it to design what ever I want to print out. But the 3D drawings ALONE separate the 'men from the boys' when it comes down to it. You can get a 3D printer and there's PLENTY of items out on the web to print, but if you have an odd part, you have no choice but to draw it or hire it out. Drawing/designing in 3D for complicated parts and assembly is a steep learning curve. Learning 3D printing isnt exactly a breeze either. It takes ALOT of patience and learning how to use the printer AND material. I use PLA mostly as we're making parts for a trade show that we manufacture inhouse. But for stronger/longer lasting parts, there's ABS (and others) that require another round of knowledge and printer setups to print.

I havent even scratched the surface....
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Old 12-10-2021, 08:52 AM   #6
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3D Wiindow Louver

About a year ago a fellow posted a photo on the forum of an exterior window louver he 3D printed for a friend who owned a camper and wanted to know if anyone was interested. Since the Max(?) louvers are no longer manufactured I thought it might be something to look into. So long story short, I was first in line and we worked out the measurement details. I received a louver for the side window above the 2 person dinette which fits like a glove. He had to print it in 3 parts apparently due to his printer size. The middle section was glued to the bottom section with small printed U-shape tracks. The pieces slide into the window track and the glass slide into a track on the louver to make it watertight.



I would like to get one for the rear window but he won't return contact to me. He told me this was a hobby and that his other side gig picked up big time. Hence, because of my total lack of 3D printer knowledge, I thought this would be a good place to start.



I have no experience with CAD files and pretty much computer illiterate. When he was first posting, there was quite a bit of interest from members who were looking for window louvers, but the guy just kind of dropped out of the forum. Is there someone who could make a file for printing more of these or...any suggestions.
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Old 12-10-2021, 08:53 AM   #7
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I have been using 3D printers for the last few years and I would agree with the above comments that there's a bit of a learning curve. I'm currently on my third printer. The first was a $200 Chinese knockoff kit that didn't even include all the parts in the box. My second was a Prusa kit, from a Czech company but it kept having problems and I finally ended up giving it away. Kit 3D printers seem like a bargain but I would strongly suggest that a beginner find a unit that has been already assembled, (and most importantly) fully alligned, and tested. My current printer, a Pulse from Matterhackers, cost about $900 but it has proved very reliable.
Yes, it takes a while to figure out how to 3D print but there's a great deal of information available, especially on YouTube. PLA is the common starter plastic but it's not very strong and can melt in hot environments. The plastic figure on your car's dashboard could turn into Jabba the Hut on a sunny day. I use PETG, which is the material that plastic pop bottles are made from. It's very strong stuff.
Designing parts is difficult but not impossible. Again, there's hours and hours of tutorials on YouTube. If you plan on making parts with exact dimensions, make sure you use a "parametric" modeling program. The commercial programs are usually better but the free versions they make available are limited in what they can do. I currently use Autocad's Fusion 360. It's a fairly easy, intuitive program but it takes a while to wrap your head around. There's also issues with the free license. So I'm transitioning to an open source program called FreeCad.
Hope this helps and feel free to PM if you have questions.
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Old 12-10-2021, 08:55 AM   #8
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Louver pics

I thought a couple pics were attached in my last post. Hope they are attached this time. They were upright when I downloaded them. Sideways, but you get the idea.


Told you I am not good at computer stuff.


thanks....jon
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Old 12-10-2021, 09:58 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by Terry G View Post
I'm transitioning to an open source program called FreeCad.
If you're a Fusion 360 user, you might also like OnShape. (onshape.com)

It's free and the best feature I think is you don't have to install ANYTHING. Just open your browser and start designing your parts.

Once you login you can go to the Learning tab and start watching tutorials with exercises.
(I don't know if this link will get you anywhere since I'm logged-in.)
https://learn.onshape.com/catalog?la...5B%22All%22%5D

Also, you can look up any of my designs, copy them and start modifying. That's the deal with the free offer.
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Old 12-10-2021, 02:03 PM   #10
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If you're a Fusion 360 user, you might also like OnShape. (onshape.com)

It's free and the best feature I think is you don't have to install ANYTHING. Just open your browser and start designing your parts.

Once you login you can go to the Learning tab and start watching tutorials with exercises.
(I don't know if this link will get you anywhere since I'm logged-in.)
https://learn.onshape.com/catalog?la...5B%22All%22%5D

Also, you can look up any of my designs, copy them and start modifying. That's the deal with the free offer.
I checked out OnShape and the prices range from $1500 to $2100 a year. A bit steep for a hobbyist, don't yu think?
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Old 12-10-2021, 02:55 PM   #11
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Not that I'm not willing to learn, but I don't want to invest a lot of time, $ and effort into a one time thing. Nor do I really have a lot of time to learn the programming and/or CAD stuff. I was hoping someone with programming or design and a 3D printer would say....."hey, easy peazy. Yeah, I can do it no problem."



If someone did have the design file to print a louver, is the plastic material very expensive?



thanks....jon
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Old 12-10-2021, 03:18 PM   #12
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I checked out OnShape and the prices range from $1500 to $2100 a year. A bit steep for a hobbyist, don't yu think?
Like I said in my post, Onshape is free if you make your designs public.

"At no cost, hobbyists, makers, and others who are willing to freely share their designs can pursue their projects without the hassles commonly found in old CAD systems. Onshape is accessible from any device, never loses data, and makes sharing and collaboration easy."

https://www.onshape.com/en/products/free
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Old 12-10-2021, 03:25 PM   #13
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Not that I'm not willing to learn, but I don't want to invest a lot of time, $ and effort into a one time window louver thing. Nor do I really have a lot of time to learn the programming and/or CAD stuff. I was hoping someone with programming or design skills and a 3D printer would say....."hey, a louver... easy peazy. Yeah, I can do it no problem."





If someone did have the design file to print a louver, is the plastic material PLA or PTEG very expensive?





I do have a louver which maybe could be used as a template.



thanks....jon
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Old 12-11-2021, 04:50 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by jon carpenter View Post
Not that I'm not willing to learn, but I don't want to invest a lot of time, $ and effort into a one time window louver thing. Nor do I really have a lot of time to learn the programming and/or CAD stuff. I was hoping someone with programming or design skills and a 3D printer would say....."hey, a louver... easy peazy. Yeah, I can do it no problem."





If someone did have the design file to print a louver, is the plastic material PLA or PTEG very expensive?





I do have a louver which maybe could be used as a template.



thanks....jon
Jon, the plastic is very inexpensive--$20 for a kilogram. The problem is that your louver doesn't look like you could duplicate it on a 3D printer. Most of these printers work by laying plastic down on a flat surface and there's no way to do that with the item you show with your pictures. Good luck, but I think you need to find another solution.
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Old 12-15-2021, 11:16 AM   #15
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Lots of good responses here. (I think I might be the freezer door guy.). Anyway just a couple of things to add. I like TinkerCAD as a free, browser-based way to get started with 3D design. I've used onshape and fusion360 but always come back to TinkerCad when working with inexperienced students. The other thing is that I often find folks trying to use a 3d printer way more situations than it is appropriate. 3d printers are great for certain, unique parts that do not need to be too strong. It is often easier to use stock or even up cycled junk to make parts like you are describing.
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Old 12-15-2021, 11:41 AM   #16
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Before spending a lot of time designing a part, check out Thingiverse.com and see if someone has done the heavy lifting by designing one before you. That's were folks from all over the world share their designs for free (or a donation if you feel inclined). I was going to design the spring pockets for the dometic freezer door but found ones that had been done by someone else. Those were shared out to the Casita forum. I did design some reinforcement pieces for the door shelves on those fridges and they are posted on thingiverse as well. I just posted up a replacement handle for the bathroom fan in the Casita 17 as those are pretty weak. There are a number of members on the Casita forum that have purchased 3d printers, including Gene the webmaster. Word of warning; THEY ARE ADDICTING!!! I have 2 sitting in the basement , a MPCNC (Mostly Printed CNC) and a laser engraver in the garage. At one time I had 5 printers sitting here but sold off 3 of them.
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Old 12-15-2021, 11:46 AM   #17
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3D Printing

I'm 3D printing butt ignorant. But Texas Custumz produced some parts for my trailer project without a lot of fuss. You might check with Chris what he can do for you. Tell him I sent you. Stephen
https://texascustomz.com/
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Old 12-15-2021, 12:32 PM   #18
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3 D printing

I have used "3D" printing for over 20 years in industry. I have modeled my own "parts" using Unigraphics and Solidworks 3D CAD programs. They were called Stereolithography patterns back then. You can use a "service" bureau and have them "print" a parts for you. Not exactly cheap, but they can recommend the proper polymer to use for the application it is intended for.
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Old 12-18-2021, 09:52 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by jon carpenter View Post
About a year ago a fellow posted a photo on the forum of an exterior window louver he 3D printed for a friend who owned a camper and wanted to know if anyone was interested. .....long story short, ..... he won't return contact to me. He told me this was a hobby and that his other side gig picked up big time.
I also received no reply when I (Jon MB ) wrote him through a WRC, LLC address I found by searching for an alternate contact means last spring. Can you request that he send (sell?) you the files so that someone else does not have to start from scratch?

WRG's prior posting:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...nts-93317.html
WRGLLC's last activity (under that user name) was November 2020.
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Old 05-25-2022, 11:35 AM   #20
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Wayne Pavalko

Around the fall of 2020 Wayne Pavalko started a post inquiring if anyone would be interested in 3D printed louvers for campers. I was his guinea pig and ordered a pair for the driver side window above the 2 person dinette in my 2012 Casita SD. It fit like a glove.....but ended up selling the louver with the Casita. Fast forward, I purchased another SD and wanted another louver. Last November/December I sent about 4 or 5 emails to Wayne, none of which he responded. In January he did respond and I was able to purchase another louver.


His email is wrg.corporate@gmail.com



Good product if you can get him to respond. Apparently this is a hobby and does this when he has time.


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