Help I'm in big trouble

Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
That case, aluminum casting that it is, can be repaired if a reasonable new one can't be found.. especially if you have the part that broke out.. A good welding shop/machine shop could weld the piece back in then re-machine the face to get it back to flat after the welding is done. .. Don't go to a "marine" shop as previously stated.
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Once it's fixed, i wonder if it could be scanned and 3D printed?? Would the resins be strong enough?
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Once it's fixed, i wonder if it could be scanned and 3D printed?? Would the resins be strong enough?
I'm really interested in this concept myself. I used to do lost wax bronze casting... lots of work but a 3D printed model would take much of the labor out of the task. I'm curious about the plastic resins too... I wonder if they make a specific kind that can be melted out cleanly in a furnace. That's the thing about lost wax bronze casting, the paraffin wax melts out and vaporizes very clean, I'm not so sure a plastic would... but I bet that its not only possible, I'm sure someone has thought of it already.
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Once it's fixed, i wonder if it could be scanned and 3D printed?? Would the resins be strong enough?
Very interesting idea. This particular part shouldn't get above 180f or so, whatever the engine runs at. Serious overheating could get it above that, but that also would do other damage. Also continuous exposure to oil at that temp. I don't know anything about the plastics used in 3D printing or whether there is one that can withstand that, but this might be a source for some of those parts we can't get anymore. Sadly won't work for exhaust manifolds and other things that get too hot.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Could be but I was under the impression the cover is one of the marinized parts on the m25
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Abs plastic would not live up to the repeated heating and cooling cycles, even if the part only got to 180, being attacked by the oil and its additives would finish it off.
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Knowing nothing about 3D printing, is ABS plastic the only printing compound? I have a friend that has a tumor on the front of his brain. They are going in through the skull removing tumor and replacing the skull with a "plastic" part basically 3D scanned/printed. Also, maybe make a 3D part and use it for casting..although, i think that's a one-of...Dont know much about casting either...
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Currently there are two generally available plastics, ABS (the same stuff in the door in your fridge) is the harder and better for something like this, but the home, or lower end commercial units probably can't do a part that large, although, with some creativity, it could form the mold for a wax mold that could be used to cast a real part. A potentially better approach might be to take a "good one", and use it to make a mold and make them from carbon fibre in a "traditional" molding process. That's pretty easy, and carbon fibre is way, way tougher than plastic.
 
Mar 31, 2013
234
O'day 23 Pa
Alu plate from home depot, alu brazing rods, $30 fix
gives an idea of how easy it is.
case is non structural, just file flat after to ensure seal, done many repairs of parts with this method
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
There are lots of 3D printers out there that could make the part. The costs start at 100k and go up. And I'm not talking about the home models that are in 100's or even 1000's. Price for welding would be orders of magnitude cheaper than paying someone to model the part in a decent cadd system

Les
 
Dec 31, 2016
319
Beneteau Oceanis 351 Charlottetown
Alu plate from home depot, alu brazing rods, $30 fix
gives an idea of how easy it is.
case is non structural, just file flat after to ensure seal, done many repairs of parts with this method
OMG, as a welder for over 34+years I can't believe anyone would think that this is an acceptable method of welding!
 
Mar 31, 2013
234
O'day 23 Pa
OMG, as a welder for over 34+years I can't believe anyone would think that this is an acceptable method of welding!
It isn't, but it is a very acceptable way of patching a hole in a non structural guard housing. if there was any weakening of the housing, it would have failed by now, all you are doing is brazing a patch piece to keep the oil inside.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
There are lots of 3D printers out there that could make the part.
That's the problem with any of the technologies, it's not so much about what it could do, but what is the ultimate effort to do it. Assuming the hardware, the real time and mental suck is the effort to get to the point of being ready to print. You can buy a replacement cover for less, more often than not.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
This would be a great application for some JB Weld. After the bracket modification.

It is a mend not a fix but a mend is often an acceptable fix when the fixes cost is prohibitive.
 
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May 1, 2016
15
Catalina 30 Lake Champlain
Thank,s for your advice, I'll think I'm gone a find a good alu welder and repair the cover.....someone in another forum give me the idea off using this product
It's sond crazy but he told he repair a part off his chainsaw few years ago and it's work fine. With this way, I don't have to take off the cover....simply had the new bracket.......
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Tried that product to repair a plastic upright freezer handle - lots of surface area for the adhesive, well cleaned prior to application- lasted about a week before the joint failed, at the adhesive, original material was intact. It may be better on metal but I would test it on some scrap aluminum first.