3D printing wheelhorse parts

[JUSS10 250]

So while I was out mowing for the first time this year on the 314-A, I looked down and saw that the transmission belt activation lever was missing the little end pieces that make up a handle. I hopped off the tractor and started to look around in the grass. All I was able to find was half of one of the pieces. Looks like with time it just fatigued and cracked. Seeing how simple it was I got an idea. 

 

I am a designer/engineer by trade and do lots of model making and prototyping where I work. I looked at the part I quickly modeled it up in solidworks (3D cad software) and ran over to my 3D printer and knocked it out. I made it so one of the pieces can hold a lock nut so it should never work its self loose again. Attached are some photos of the printing process and final parts on the tractor. Everything is back to normal and it works great!

 

I'm trying to think of other common parts I could model up and print as the old plastic starts to fail on these great machines!

 

Justin

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

Headlight bezels perhaps? Jeff.

[JUSS10 250]

3 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

Headlight bezels perhaps? Jeff.

 

Like for the 300, 400, 500 series? I do ave a set sitting around that i could model up and try. Interesting thought...

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

1 minute ago, JUSS10 said:

 

Like for the 300, 400, 500 series? I do ave a set sitting around that i could model up and try. Interesting thought...

Yes those very ones, Toro quit making them...

[Jerry77 1,218]

27 minutes ago, JUSS10 said:

 

I'm trying to think of other common parts I could model up and print as the old plastic starts to fail on these great machines

If you are interested in making and selling the handles you just made, put me down for a pair of them...very nice job..

[classicdmax 190]

I'd love to see one of those printers in action in real time 

[neil 2,410]

So how difficult is it to work one of those 3D printers? 

[AMC RULES 37,141]

[JUSS10 250]

2 hours ago, classicdmax said:

I'd love to see one of those printers in action in real time 

Its not that exciting. Its really rather slow. That said next time I'm printing a set of these I'll take some video and post it up

 

2 hours ago, Jerry77 said:

If you are interested in making and selling the handles you just made, put me down for a pair of them...very nice job..

I can make a few sets if people are interested

 

1 hour ago, neil said:

So how difficult is it to work one of those 3D printers? 

In theory its really simple. However, there is sort of a black magic to them to get a really great print. Different materials have different properties, even different colors of the same material can print drastically different. Knowing what is/isnt good for printing is also key as well as how to orientate and tweak the settings to get he best results for any given part takes a lot of practice and experience. There are at least 5-10 settings that I tweak for each print to get the best results.

 

The other thing that is a huge disconnect is that unless you have the skills to model and design something in 3D cad, all you can really print is trinkets and random "junk" that you find online. I honestly think that's the biggest reason they aren't a household item yet. You essentially need that middle step between "I have an idea" and "I have a physical part in my hands" which is the ability to use a cad program.

 

Then finally there are certain atributes about 3d printing that just isn't great. They are really only "strong" in 2 of the 3 axis'. When it a print fails its usually due to layer separation. Once again, you can avoid some of this with experience and designing a part that is specific to 3D printing that you may not design that way it it were injection molded. 

 

So is it difficult? Yes and No  

3 hours ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

Yes those very ones, Toro quit making them...

Well I thought I knew where my set was, I'll have to keep digging for them. I did find a set for the black hoods. I would think those are also no longer available? 

[Jerry77 1,218]

1 hour ago, JUSS10 said:

I can make a few sets if people are interested

I am interested..mine are missing and I have just used a bolt thru the hole - would like what you have..pm me if you want to do this..

[KC9KAS 4,741]

Glen Pettit (one of our vendors) has the knobs for sale...just saying............

[Jerry77 1,218]

43 minutes ago, KC9KAS said:

 

Glen Pettit (one of our vendors) has the knobs for sale...just saying............

 

Ok...didn't know that   ...JUSS10  belay that last - I'll go ahead and get them from Glen....

 

[bds1984 1,453]

Interesting... I have a 3D printer in my classroom that is nearly the side of a refrigerator, I cannot believe I have never thought of printing out the plastic bits before!  What kind of model and support material do you use?  Does your printer heat up on the inside or just the nozzles?

[JUSS10 250]

On 5/6/2017 at 3:06 PM, KC9KAS said:

Glen Pettit (one of our vendors) has the knobs for sale...just saying............

 

Quite aware he has them, but when I have the tools and the means I'll try it myself! Also, I'm assuming Glen just makes molds of existing parts. I wanted to add the lock nut to mine so it will never work itself loose from vibration. Thus I had to redesign and print it. 

 

On 5/6/2017 at 9:17 PM, bds1984 said:

Interesting... I have a 3D printer in my classroom that is nearly the side of a refrigerator, I cannot believe I have never thought of printing out the plastic bits before!  What kind of model and support material do you use?  Does your printer heat up on the inside or just the nozzles?

 

This part was printed in PLA as its nice for quick prints. I'll likely print another in ABS when I get the chance. No support material. I always try and design my prints to have no supports. This is primarily due to the fact that its a single extruder machine which means any support material is the same as the regular print material which makes supports more difficult to remove. Also, no supports mean less print time!

 

Printer has a heated bed. It is enclosed but I haven't added an ambient heater yet. I plan to do that soon as that will greatly help with warping caused by uneven cooling of the parts. 

 

Justin

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,519]

I'm a mechanical designer/engineer also, and we use NX for our 3D modeling.  We also have a 3D printer in my building, and we use it some to make development type parts.  In another building within our company, we have 3D printer that makes metal parts.  A good 3D cad program are pretty expensive, so that's big obstacle for those seeking to do 3D printing.

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

Justin, great job on that knob, I often wondered if I broke it. Thumbs up.........

 

 

Glenn

[Texas Todd 1,025]

On 5/6/2017 at 10:22 AM, AMC RULES said:

+1 on  a hood ornament!

[bds1984 1,453]

On 5/8/2017 at 10:18 AM, JUSS10 said:

 

 

This part was printed in PLA as its nice for quick prints. I'll likely print another in ABS when I get the chance. No support material. I always try and design my prints to have no supports. This is primarily due to the fact that its a single extruder machine which means any support material is the same as the regular print material which makes supports more difficult to remove. Also, no supports mean less print time!

 

Printer has a heated bed. It is enclosed but I haven't added an ambient heater yet. I plan to do that soon as that will greatly help with warping caused by uneven cooling of the parts. 

 

Justin

I have a Dimension 1200es.  This is the first time I have ever had a 3D printer in a classroom.  It has a pretty slick set up; model material and support material heads that are headed, plus an environment heater so the whole unit gets hot.  Print time is a bit slower for larger parts and they usually have to take an acid bath to remove the support material, but I'm certainly not complaining one bit!  

[JUSS10 250]

23 hours ago, bds1984 said:

I have a Dimension 1200es.  This is the first time I have ever had a 3D printer in a classroom.  It has a pretty slick set up; model material and support material heads that are headed, plus an environment heater so the whole unit gets hot.  Print time is a bit slower for larger parts and they usually have to take an acid bath to remove the support material, but I'm certainly not complaining one bit!  

 

Impressive machine! My personal printer has about the same build volume but is definitely not a professional model. I actually got it from a local model shop that I do a lot of work through for my job. It was broke so I got it cheap. I redesigned the whole XY gantry and built a custom hot end for it. The one I showed in the photo up top is the one on my desk at work. 

 

I did manage to find my headlight inserts for my 300 series tractor. It might take me a while to model up as its actually a rather complicated geometry. Will post up something once I get to it. May also look over the other parts of the tractors and see if there is anything else I can print that isn't currently made by a vendor or available through toro. 

 

Justin

[wheelhorseman 3,211]

On 5/6/2017 at 8:30 AM, WVHillbilly520H said:

Headlight bezels perhaps? Jeff.

If you need headlight bezels I have them. http://www.wheelhorseman1000.com/product-p/00011.htm

[DavidP 9]

@JUSS10

You still 3D printing?

Print these...

 

 

[The Tuul Crib 7,338]

Excellent!!

[bc.gold 3,403]

Free plans for the RepRap 3D printer.

 

Build a RepRap Machine If you are new to RepRap, you should probably start with Prusa Mendel (if you want a big build volume) or Huxley (if you want a small machine).

 

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[bc.gold 3,403]

Open source cad software.

 

1. Open Cascade

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Have you heard about Open Cascade? You can use Open Cascade as a Free AutoCAD Alternative. It’s an open source platform for software development. Open Cascade comes with a complete package of simulation software like CAD/CAE/CAM, PDM, GIS, and even AEC, different components for visualization, 3D surface and solid modeling, rapid application development, and data exchange. You can create both 2D and 3D models using modeling algorithms with this software.

[bc.gold 3,403]

Open source software that will run your cnc equipment. http://linuxcnc.org/