Looks really good, this is a great idea.
Location: NYS
Posts: 2,511
My VIN: 4519
Looks really good, this is a great idea.
Location: Leonardtown, MD
Posts: 9,008
My VIN: 03572
I ordered some hex bar stock to make the insert for the new gear ball. Have been thinking I like the letters not tilted flat to surface of the ball. If you think about it, looking straight down on the letters they will look perfect but looking at the ball tilted the letter looks stretched. I did figure out a way to tilt the letters (make them very thin so they rotate almost on the surface, then make them thick again when ready to print).
The next ball I 3D print will probably be a finished part. Depends on how the fit of the insert goes.
My gear stick has a pretty thick nut used to adjust the ball rotation position. I think a better solution is to adjust with a stack of thin washers so the ball sits lower on the stick than with the OEM nut adjustment.
Also thinking maybe having a small set screw in the back of the ball could be used to prevent someone from stealing the ball at a car show.
Location: Leonardtown, MD
Posts: 9,008
My VIN: 03572
I printed a 1.00" hex blank with a 0.500" hex hole just to test the accuracy of the result. Two sides of the outside measure 1.000" and the last side is 0.002" under. Two sides of the inside hex are 0.004" under and the last ID is 0.003" under.
I want to have a tight fit on my steel hex insert into the shift ball. So I plan to do a few of these test "disks" to test the breaking interference size. In other words how much this plastic can expand. I have to wait to get my hex stock to measure it's exact size. It looks like all the sizes on the OEM ball were done in inches and the only thing metric is the 8mm 1.25 thread of the insert.
Location: Leonardtown, MD
Posts: 9,008
My VIN: 03572
Got my hex bar stock today (SS-316). It measures almost 0.001 under the half inch. It pressed right into my hex test disk no problem. Just pressed it by hand, no hammer or press needed. So the 0.003 interference fit looks just about right for the tight fit I wanted. I'm going to machine a little grove in the insert and print a grove in the ball which will be filled with epoxy to keep it from pulling the insert out.
Location: Leonardtown, MD
Posts: 9,008
My VIN: 03572
I messed up my resin tank because the ball fell off the print platform. So I'm shut down till I get a new tank ($60). Live and learn that you need a larger printed surface on your base layers. It printed about 1/4 of the ball before it shut off. The resin tank has a clear plastic layer on the bottom and when it fell off it continued to print so it glued itself to that plastic layer.
Location: Yardley, PA
Posts: 245
My VIN: 16795
Try pouring some resin cleaner in the tank, let it soak for a minute or two, and then gently prying the failed print off bottom.Originally Posted by Bitsyncmaster
Location: Leonardtown, MD
Posts: 9,008
My VIN: 03572
FYI:
The SLA/DLP type 3D printers place a thin layer of resin building from the print platform (BASE). After each layer the base moves away from the resin tank to pull the last layer off the bottom of resin tank. So you need more "stick" to the build platform then the "stick" to the resin tank. That is why the auto placing of your build tries to reduce the area of each layer by placing it at an angle to reduce the area in each layer.
When printing a ball there is no angle to reduce the area so you need to print it on a platform (boat) to lay down enough surface area on the base. Now it sticks much better to the print platform than the plastic clear sheet of the resin tank so you don't need the same area or more on your platform. But so far I think that is just a guess on my part.
I would also think building the part a little offset from the center of the resin tank would pull one side off at a time since the resin tank plastic would flex from the edges when the part is lifted on each layer.
Location: Leonardtown, MD
Posts: 9,008
My VIN: 03572
I could not tap that 316 SS. That stuff is just to hard to tap. So I found some "extension" nuts that are long enough but I have to machine a small indent so the glue holds it in and machine them a little shorter.
Location: Leonardtown, MD
Posts: 9,008
My VIN: 03572
I think I did get my resin tank cleaned without any damage. I will have to try a print with it. After I found out the resin tanks for the Form 3 printer are $150 each, I'm glad I did not throw out the one I thought was NG. I did order two new spares. You need another tank when you change resins or else you would have to clean the tank each time. The resin stays filled in the tank so I just leave it in the printer.
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 45
My VIN: 6895
Hey there, Don’t leave the tank in the printer when you’re not actively printing. Store in in the orange and black storage case that it came in. I’ve been STRONGLY advised this by the Form3 team from when I was originally beta testing the printer to the final model today.
That’s why they give the storage cases with the tanks now.
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Dave M vin 03572