Hard to get parts

[Ken Cross]

Clearly, my part isn't hard to get, but I came by it in a way that's new to me.
My son heard me saying I needed a couple new fairleads. The idea is to keep the outhaul line from sagging below the boom if I release tension on the line. He suggested rather than ordering them he could just print them on his 3D printer. The photo is the raw fairlead before I clean it up to mount it. I thought it turned out well. other small parts like the supports that hold an st4000 to the wheel could be done the same way. I'm wondering if others have been doing the same?

Ken

 

[rgranger]

That is very cool. I saw an article the other day where they are using 3D-printers to make 3D-printers. Now all we need to do is add A.I. and we are heading towards Terminator time.

 

[victorhoisington]

That is slick. Now the big question, how much did it cost you - time and materials? 3D printing has a lot to offer but I've often wondered about the actual economics of the whole system.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,
How long do you expect that part to last? What material was used? My company plastic prints prototype parts all the time. But they are fragile and not UV protected. They don't last very long, but that's OK.

Good luck,
Barry

 

[Ken Cross]

It took the printer just under 3 hours to print it. The ABS filament is (I think) about $23 for a kilogram (2.2 pounds). This makes the material cost really low. I have no idea how long it will last, but the fill is solid. In terms of UV, for direct sun exposure, it should be painted, but I'm hoping the black color will help prevent UV from passing through the outside surfaces. For my purpose, it doesn't need to be strong and it will be under the sail cover when we aren't sailing, but I think I'll still paint it. The biggest problem is it needs to be designed on a CAD program then transferred to a printable file. My son did that. If you look online at https://www.thingiverse.com/ there are a ton of files others want to share for free.

Ken

 

[Meriachee]

ABS without uv stabilizers won't last long in the sun, and darker colours absorb more light.

 

[jon hansen]

nice job ken. looks great.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Very nice, great idea.

https://www.i3dgear.com/online-store

He's on Saltspring Island, right across Satellite Channel from our house.

 

[Ken Cross]

nice job ken. looks great.

That looks smart. 3D printing has a huge potential for low volume parts.

Ken

 

[DArcy]

I like to make stuff with 3D printers and I've been using them for about 12 years at work. A lot of the standard plastics used in 3D printers are not great with UV, some better than others. I have a car phone holder that I printed about a year ago using PLA that is starting to warp. It was one of the first things I printed with my home printer and PLA is easier to use than ABS. This holder is about end of life after a year and I'm going to try it using ABS to see how that goes. As a comparison between plastics, I've been using the bracket for this holder (black part in the photo below) for about 6 years and just changing out the holder when I get a new phone. The black part is heat formed sheet, Xenoy X5300WX, which is a UV stabilized plastic and shows no sign of degradation. The red part printed in PLA is done after a year.

At work we have an industrial machine that prints ULTEM 9085 which is much better than PLA or ABS for many properties including UV resistance. Black, although it does absorb heat, actually stands up better than lighter colours because it blocks more UV transmission to the part interior. Even so, you won't get as long a useful life as parts made with UV resistant plastic. Another consideration is the initial strength of the part. Most home 3D printers fuse layers of plastic together by melting in a process known as fused deposition modeling (FDM). These parts just are not as strong as molded or machined plastic parts especially in the Z direction (height when printing).

Here is a 3D printed RC car I made recently.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Seems a lot of work to print, clean up and paint a fairlead that you can get for $3-$4 made from tougher, UV resistant material.
I get the point though. Some parts are just not easy to find. The modeling will still be the challenge

 

[jon hansen]

back in the day i would have used a scrap of wood and my cub scout whittling knife for a replacement. on my alden the boom fairleads are teak tied to a cable that parallels the sitka boom. on the Ascow the main sheet goes throw a fabric pouch the full length of the boom.

 

[capta]

I have been developing a relationship with a company that does commercial 3D printing for the day I need parts for things like my Lewmar 65st's that are no longer available. I'm also collecting the design plans for things like those winches, which Lewmar is happy to send out. For them it's much easier than trying to stock parts for older gear.
So, when the time comes, the company can just scan in the plans, make the part,and empty my bank account! But it's still got to be cheaper than replacing an 8g winch!

 

[jon hansen]

some of the boys have planned an alden rendezvous this summer out east. i was thinking that would be a place a fella could grab some of those hard to locate items for an old alden. just bring a screw driver. Arrrrrrrrrrrr...

 

[capta]

some of the boys have planned an alden rendezvous this summer out east. i was thinking that would be a place a fella could grab some of those hard to locate items for an old alden. just bring a screw driver. Arrrrrrrrrrrr...

lol
Unfortunately, at my age, I can run fast enough while carrying those older, bronze boat parts.