3D Printing plastic parts.a shimano plastic part no longer available. Clutchcam

[Fishgolfman]

Any experience with services and how do you go about it
Don't want to for a .99 part but critical clutch cam to fire yoke on my Calcutta Te 400

[Keta]

My high $ Calcutta TE 401 is in a box due to Shimano parts BS.  At one time I recomended their  reels to others  but now I warn them.

[alantani]

lee, let me take a look at this one, also.

[jurelometer]

You need a 3D image file of the part.  Once you have that, there are a gazillion services out there that range from relatively inexpensive freelancers using hobby printers  to professional shops with high end printers that charge big bucks.

But your main hurdle is getting the a 3D image file of the part that is accurate enough for mechanical use.  When I need a part, I do a bunch of measurements with some calipers and some trial and error going back and forth between a CAD program  and a printer.  Getting a good parametric file from a 3D scan requires some fancy scanning equipment and a non broken part, and still usually requires some fixing up in a CAD program, especially for a small part.

If it is a plastic part that is in demand, you might find someone is already hawking 3D printed copies on the auction site.  I haven't bought any of these, but the photos and descriptions of most seem kind of amateurish. They are often printed with a hobby printing plastic instead of something tougher like nylon.


Hope this helps,

-J

[oc1]

I couldn't get past making the file.  I had a program and it was a really simple shape too.  Now, I'm sad to hear that a 3D scanner isn't the answer either.

My style would be to try to whittle it out with a rotary tool.  Or do a greensand-like mold with poured resin.

They'd all probably require forty hours invested before it's over.  That''s $5 per hour to salvage a $200 reel.  Cheap entertainment.