Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms 3D printing

I must admit to being sorely tempted by a 3D printer .... my only worry is that,as I struggle to set up a new phone and my only brush with programming was machine code in Hex at least three lifetimes ago, I may struggle to generate CAD files (I would be interested in making parts for specific jobs rather than using pre-made files)

I do, however, have a friend who has more money than sense, loves 'toys' and uses CAD as part of his work! ... I feel a 50/50 partnership coming on.

K

Certainly looks good. I am wondering about making a part for a tap and what people would suggest. I took the handles off to get re gold plated and they came up great. But the little bits that go on the spindle got lost while I was away and I can't get replacements. The shops answers are to buy new taps but I don't want to - especially after spending a heap of money getting these ones redone. Only the cold taps were worn so i put all the levers from the hot taps in one bath room and did the taps from the other bathroom meaning i have the parts in one bathroom to look at etc.

The missing part is in this photo and is brass however looking at other brands of taps plastic is used a lot.



My thoughts are
1, Get a fitter and turner to make something from brass.
2, Buy a small metal lathe and try make them myself.
3, Try make them out of wood as I have a wood lathe.
4, try make a mould of one and make them out of something like melted plastic.
5, Try find a 3D printing place and see if they will do it.
6. Buy a 3D printer and try learn to use it myself.

The toothed bit is a concern for trying to make a new part out of brass as it would have to be pretty accurate, that is one reason i am thinking of wood as I could probably squash some softer wood into the tap handle and have it work.but not sure wood is a great idea in a bathroom as people will touch the taps with wet hands and water will probably get onto the part.

If you have the manufacturer of the tap and model range I'll have a look over here.
We have Franke taps and there are some very good suppliers of specialist tap bits over here. This sort of thing. Or this ?

Hi,

The taps are Dorf Manorhouse. I think Dorf taps have been bought by Caroma taps



I did buy some parts from a UK place paying a lot more for postage than the parts cost and Franke rings a bell. Unfortunately they were much too big. The parts I need have 19 teeth, the outside of the teeth is 1/2inch, the outside of the collar on the bottom is 9/16 and the overall height is 7/32. Inside is sort of square as they go on a shaft that has flat sides but I think if I get some plastic parts with the right number of teeth and external size I can file the inside out to match, even if too high I can cut them down, I think getting the right fit on the outside is the most important thing.



I have looked around lots of plumbing shops here with no luck, if you could have a look that would be great.

Thanks
Chris.

Check out the RepRap project.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RepRap_project

Brilliant, self replicating printers.
Thank you

There's a piece somewhere on t'internet about how we could create self-powered swarms of co-operating robots equipped with prospecting, mining, refining and printing capabilities. Send a load of them off to Mars or somewhere a decade or two before we want to send colonists and they'll have created a whole habitat ready for the colonists to move into.

Or more practically, imagine setting a load of them to explore, extract and recycle useful materials from our massive waste landfill sites.

You could do a good line in corporate sponsored goods like that. Given the social distance options we have Tennis is not such a bad idea this year. They could be corporate give aways.

haha, great friends :-)

Im getting better with simple CAD, slowly !! Have you ever heard of People Per Hour ? So you need a job doing, a CAD file, a render, a logo or whatever. You post your job on PPH and candidates bid for your work and you pick the most suitable, pay into escrow and the job starts. The great thing is, a ton of the freelancers are overseas so much much cheaper than say European equivalent jobs. Ive used them a lot of times for various stuff I can do myself like renders of different things. Worth a look.

https://www.peopleperhour.com/

Bonesie .... thanks for that ... will give them a look ...will be seeing my pal soon so will broach the subject of a joint printer (ha! ... just re-read that .... wouldn't one of those have been useful in the sixties!! )

K