Plastic part to aluminum

[Andrew1289]

So I have a flyboard set up. It has the wireless remote. Using the cable to handle bar mount around stock throttle lever.

The simple cable set up costs $275.

The small plastic cable holder cracked. I can’t buy individual parts. I was wondering who I could sent it too; I’d like to get the part make in aluminum. Maybe make a run of them.

Or just get it 3D printer in plastic again

Any advise?

 

[Mdavies_02]

Share some pictures here with us to better understand.

Get some pictures / dimensions to a local machine shop and leave it with them (Or better yet the broken one). I have a local guy that will make me pretty much anything if I give him a week to fit it into his schedule. Bushings, bolts, brackets etc.

Everyone loves small cash jobs.

Best of luck.

 

[Andrew1289]

See the small part on the top left?

That’s what I need

 

[khaos]

If you mean the eye. Are there any complications that are not easy to see? On second glance it looks like the cable has a route. Better pics would be required. If there is any movement it should also be highlighted.

 

[Vumad]

Look up the Davinci Pro 1.0. It's a great choice because it comes assembled. No BS, plug in, calibrate, print.

Look up Fusion 360. Very powerful. Definitely free for students.

Calipers from harbor freight are sufficient. Extrusion 3d printers will only be accurate to 0.5mm anyway.

You will not be able to make the part exactly OEM because a 3D printer is not going to print a thread that fine.

However, I do 3d print router patterns. I use a bosch 3-flute trim bearing bit to cut up to 1/4" aluminum (after cutting it close with my bladerunner, a jigsaw table). So you could try that technique to make it in aluminum from a plastic pattern.

As for plastic to metal at home... PLA liquifies at 600 degrees, meaning you can 3d print it in PLA and investment cast it into aluminum if you are into that kind of thing. Also they do make wax filaments which melt much lower than 600 degrees for casting.

It's a fairly simple part. You could measure it yourself, draw it and then ask someone local to print it for you from craigslist. Also people here do some of that. My pole pad was printed by a X-h2o member before I had a printer.

My suggestion is to draw it in Fusion 360 using harbor freight calipers and print it on a Davinci Pro 1.0 printer using Hatchbox brand 1.75mm PLA filament.

 

[te4250]

I just feel like if it broke out of a molded plastic whatever it was, nylon, abs etc. Its def gonna break again out of pla.
You could cad it and request it as a demo part from one of the metal 3d printer companies
If you wanted to order like 20 I could make them out of aluminum for like $50 each most likely, would have to see the part to confirm. Like was said though u might be able to get a local shop to do just one for a reasonable price - keep in mind it will probably cost the same for two as one.

 

[Vumad]

I just feel like if it broke out of a molded plastic whatever it was, nylon, abs etc. Its def gonna break again out of pla.

It's a logical argument but not necessarily accurate. Aluminum frames crack while steel frames have some flex. Skys scrapers sway, they'd fracture if they were more rigid. PLA having less rigidity does not necessarily make it weaker than ABS. Injected molded ABS fractures all the time and companies regularly make the parts too thin to save a penny per part in plastic. I 3D printed a door latch that has vastly out performed the stainless steel one. I use PLA over ABS because ABS rigidity results in more delamination.

For example, My daughter's power wheel is currently running on 3d printed wheels. The fully 3D printed wheel delaminated from the pressure of the 12" bike tire pushing outwards at 20PSI, but the new design, which is a composite design using an aluminum cake pan for tensile strength and 3D printed spokes for compressive forces / rigidity is holding up very well.



Design is a potential factor. Yes, 3d PLA plastic has delamination and lacks tensile strength. BUT, If you 3d print a router pattern and cut 2 pieces of 1/16" sheet aluminum and sandwich the piece of plastic between them, the final part is beastly strong.

I'm not saying the part will hold up in PLA, but don't think of a 3d printer is a one stop shop for parts making.

My 3d printer makes parts, components of hybrid parts, fiberglass molds, custom shaped sanding blocks, custom filler tools for specific radius, router patterns and some day investment castings.

 

[Andrew1289]

Wow, awesome responses! Sorry for the delay in my response. Been really busy trying to get my boat sold so I can move up to a bigger one with Diesel engines.
I don’t want to invest my resources in figuring it all out. I’d rather someone else with the knowledge to do it.
TE- How about a run of ten of them? I’m going to put a feeler out with some flyboard people. See if there is a demand. I think parts are getting harder to come by. Also others will have the same cracking issue I had.

 

[te4250]

Wow, awesome responses! Sorry for the delay in my response. Been really busy trying to get my boat sold so I can move up to a bigger one with Diesel engines.
I don’t want to invest my resources in figuring it all out. I’d rather someone else with the knowledge to do it.
TE- How about a run of ten of them? I’m going to put a ************ out with some flyboard people. See if there is a demand. I think parts are getting harder to come by. Also others will have the same cracking issue I had.

See how many people are interested and send me the part and I can send you a real quote, the more you can buy the cheaper they will be. Its usually not worth it for us to set up a job for less than $1000 unless its really simple

 

[Andrew1289]

Can you pm me your address and contact info.
thank you

 

[Andrew1289]

I have found out there is actually a company who just made a run of these. There waiting to be anodized. I wonder if he just stole my idea and the three weeks are to make them and anodize them. Whatever, I can buy it from him for $100. Save me the hassle of trying to sell 20 of them.

You can see he blacked out something on photo. The photo may be the plastic stock one.

 

[te4250]

Possible, 3 weeks is kinda slow for anodize

 

[Andrew1289]

Te. I might still make the run with you and then sell the part at cost. After he spends time making his.