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Woah, lots of replies. Thanks everyone for the great ideas.
Looks like the list so far includes:
- door pull cups (if someone isn't already making them)
- screw caps for rear trim (I've never seen these, I don't have any either)
- SA rear plate lights (maybe with "camera support")
- SA chrome door bolt covers
- center console screw covers
- shifter trim
- dash vents and trim
- badges
- center console façade
I should note that larger parts are going to be a stretch for the time being. My printer's build volume isn't all that large, although conveniently ABS can be solvent welded so printing large parts in pieces should be a viable option. Really large parts (like trunk plastics) are definitely out of the equation for now due to their size. Maybe down the road, but for now the focus will be on smaller parts. 3D printing also has it's inherent limits so I'll see how it goes. I started messing with 3D printing about five years ago, but it's only now that I finally have my own machine.
Also, I had a little time this evening so I threw together a quick model for the center console screw covers. Note that I'm prototyping with PLA so the surface finish is a bit glossier than it will be with HIPS.
For whatever reason the photo makes the printed version look larger, but it's not. Tomorrow I'll test fit it to see where we're sitting.
Also regarding the chrome parts, I've stumbled across some products that seem great although they're quite cost prohibitive. I'll continue looking for alternatives, but I think for now any finishing will be left to the end user, we'll see. Still plenty of time to work that out.
I need the two front covers closer to the shift ****
For 84-85 FB: One that would be of great interest I think, but more of a challenge to 3D print, would be the windshield defroster vents along the top of the dash. Nearly impossible to find intact (at least the left and right pieces) since they're usually exposed to sun and get brittle and break easily.
Their length would make them a challenge. But I'd buy 2 or 3 sets personally.
For 84-85 FB: One that would be of great interest I think, but more of a challenge to 3D print, would be the windshield defroster vents along the top of the dash. Nearly impossible to find intact (at least the left and right pieces) since they're usually exposed to sun and get brittle and break easily.
Their length would make them a challenge. But I'd buy 2 or 3 sets personally.
Just wanted to post an update since it's been nearly two weeks since I last was in here. I haven't had time to get other parts made up yet, but the plan is to start printing parts in HIPS (the "to sell" material) on Tuesday/Wednesday. That is if my enclosure setup doesn't throw a fit or fumigate me when I switch over to the new filament. Lots of new things getting tested all at once.
The center console bolt cover clips, window crank bolt cover clips, and SA switch blanks will be the first parts available. After that it'll be the hatch trim bolt covers and probably a few other small parts. Once that is rolling I'll get going on larger components. Also yeah, I like the idea of the defroster vents, although I'm going to wait to do those with a different material. Anything large and exposed to high levels of sunlight (defroster vents, exterior parts, etc.) will be made out of a similar material with greater UV resistance - HIPS should stand up fine for little trim pieces. Unfortunately this alternative material is more than twice the price so I'll be holding off on it for a little while.
Later next week I'll be working on getting a second printer online so that should help (still not sure what demand will be). I'll put a message up with details when parts become available, although between now and then there will probably be a couple more updates. I'm still working out the whole batch process idea so bare with me a little while I get this sorted, I don't want to be sending out flawed parts. Parts will be available, I just want to ensure there aren't any glitches in the setup before I put a certain date on anything.
And thanks again for the support. I hadn't figured there would be so much interest, and I also hadn't thought of nearly as many parts as have been suggested. Another couple that came to mind last week were the sunroof crank mechanism and latch. Those will be further down the road, but I've got it jotted down so I don't lose track of it.
Putting in a suggestion for the rear side window plastic triangle finish pieces. They always crack off and end up getting glued back in place, or their just gone.
Also, +1 for any of the demister vents (defroster): s1 I assume are the same as the s2 and are rather simple. S3 I have a NOS left and right gray set still in the bag, but the idea of shipping them just hurts my brain. They are going to get used on my 84 hopefully soon. I had a post in the development section about printing them for a while, might have just been in the wrong section for views. I can take measurements and model the shape for a trade in parts if it comes to that.
@Benjamin4456 Going to need a kanban board to keep track of everything!
Haha, something, that's for sure. A spreadsheet is filling the roll as of now.
Originally Posted by swbtm
Putting in a suggestion for the rear side window plastic triangle finish pieces. They always crack off and end up getting glued back in place, or their just gone.
Also, +1 for any of the demister vents (defroster): s1 I assume are the same as the s2 and are rather simple. S3 I have a NOS left and right gray set still in the bag, but the idea of shipping them just hurts my brain. They are going to get used on my 84 hopefully soon. I had a post in the development section about printing them for a while, might have just been in the wrong section for views. I can take measurements and model the shape for a trade in parts if it comes to that.
More parts ideas! Criminy this list is getting long... And yeah, when the defroster vents were first suggested I didn't realize S3 was so much larger, now I see why it will be a fun one. I'd certainly be up for some sort of trade when the time comes, although it probably won't be a for while yet. I'll keep it in mind, and thank you for the offer.
As an update of sorts, well, things broke as things tend to do. Replacements are on their way and should be sturdier, but I am a little behind "schedule". I've been busy with the cabinetry the last couple days and it's mostly functional. One issue is that my filter system is a little too powerful and even though it's recirculating, it is cooling off the print bed enough to trigger a false thermal runaway error (which halts/fails the print). I have a solution in the works for that as well, but it's just one of a number of little things that are slowing down the process. In the mean time I'll work on getting a couple more parts modeled.
Putting in a suggestion for the rear side window plastic triangle finish pieces. They always crack off and end up getting glued back in place, or their just gone.
+1 for the window corner triangles! Not too pretty w/o them, and I'd definitely throw money in for the file.
And have you considered MSLA printing? I've had good success with using high detail+durability resin stuff, and it's not terribly expensive unless you're getting a large bed.
+1 for the window corner triangles! Not too pretty w/o them, and I'd definitely throw money in for the file.
And have you considered MSLA printing? I've had good success with using high detail+durability resin stuff, and it's not terribly expensive unless you're getting a large bed.
Window corner triangles are definitely on the list now, I'll get to them eventually . I may end up throwing some files up on sites such as thingiverse and whatnot, but we'll have to see. In that case they would be freely available with non-commercial usage restrictions.
I've considered MSLA, although the extra prep and post processing makes it a little less inviting at first glance. Admittedly I have never worked with an MSLA process so perhaps it's not as bad I think, but for now I'm going to hold off (budget being a major factor as my hobby budget is getting a rather thin right now). I need to focus on getting some of these first parts out the door and then maybe after that I'll begin looking into other processes.
Speaking of getting parts out the door I've been fiddling around with HIPS and honestly, I'm not happy with the results. Parts print fine and feel great, but the material lacks the layer adhesion and flexibility for anything that needs to bend (ie, clips). It looks promising for structural parts, however not much else. As such, I have an alternative on the way that I'll be working with. It should offer exactly what I'm looking for with the only downside being a lower temperature tolerance. Essentially it's more UV resistant, flexible, easier to print, and has far better layer adhesion than ABS and the like, although will begin to deform in temps greater than 160F or so. Realistically that should be fine for interior parts (and I will do my own testing regarding it) with only fringe cases exceeding those temperatures. Worst case scenario you take a heat gun and bend it back, which in my mind is better than the tabs breaking off. Also note that this material will only be used for small parts like clips and whatnot, structural parts will use more durable materials with less flexibility and better heat/UV resistance. Everything is a trade-off unfortunately. Or costs a fortune, but that's a trade off as well.
The most recent part I've modeled are the press-in caps for the hatch trim screws. They still need some tweaks, but the bulk of the work is done. For already completed parts I'm just waiting on material and time.
Window corner triangles are definitely on the list now, I'll get to them eventually . I may end up throwing some files up on sites such as thingiverse and whatnot, but we'll have to see. In that case they would be freely available with non-commercial usage restrictions.
I've considered MSLA, although the extra prep and post processing makes it a little less inviting at first glance. Admittedly I have never worked with an MSLA process so perhaps it's not as bad I think, but for now I'm going to hold off (budget being a major factor as my hobby budget is getting a rather thin right now). I need to focus on getting some of these first parts out the door and then maybe after that I'll begin looking into other processes.
Speaking of getting parts out the door I've been fiddling around with HIPS and honestly, I'm not happy with the results. Parts print fine and feel great, but the material lacks the layer adhesion and flexibility for anything that needs to bend (ie, clips). It looks promising for structural parts, however not much else. As such, I have an alternative on the way that I'll be working with. It should offer exactly what I'm looking for with the only downside being a lower temperature tolerance. Essentially it's more UV resistant, flexible, easier to print, and has far better layer adhesion than ABS and the like, although will begin to deform in temps greater than 160F or so. Realistically that should be fine for interior parts (and I will do my own testing regarding it) with only fringe cases exceeding those temperatures. Worst case scenario you take a heat gun and bend it back, which in my mind is better than the tabs breaking off. Also note that this material will only be used for small parts like clips and whatnot, structural parts will use more durable materials with less flexibility and better heat/UV resistance. Everything is a trade-off unfortunately. Or costs a fortune, but that's a trade off as well.
The most recent part I've modeled are the press-in caps for the hatch trim screws. They still need some tweaks, but the bulk of the work is done. For already completed parts I'm just waiting on material and time.
Damn...those came out nice....I definitely need a set of those for the back hatch trim and the side panels....
It's been nearly another week so I figure it's time for an update.
First off, other responsibilities have been consuming my time as of lately and so not a whole lot of progress has been made. However, I have made the final revisions to the center console bolt hole clips/covers as well as the SA switch blanks. As I'm a bit tight on time for the moment, I thought I would at least get the files uploaded and available for those who may be able to print them. I still intend to offer these on eBay, however I am unsure when that will be.
Most files will be uploaded under my Thingiverse account, which conveniently is also Benjamin4456. I'm hoping this is allowed per forum rules, but here is a direct link to that page (this is just the files, not an online store): https://www.thingiverse.com/benjamin4456/designs
That link is where anything I upload will be available. Do note that I make some things that aren't for the RX-7 so if you see a few random items scattered throughout that's why. Also for some reason the center console bolt cover/clip is not showing up on my page. Hopefully it fixes itself soon, otherwise I may recreate the post.
Currently I am continuing to tweak the rear hatch trim screw covers, as well as doing some material testing.
Guys, you should really send the guy some $$ . He uploaded the files FOR FREE. I don't mind guys selling parts ( those bushings are a lifesaver, but id love to print my own since I own a 3d printer ) but we should all upload design files for free so other people can print them. We could literally rebuild large portions of our interior if we all co-operated and made free files for one another. Like seriously some places will print stuff out for you as long as you have the file.
I do not know if this has already been said but what about GSL-SE choke hole covers? I know that many fell off leaving a hole that might bother some.
Originally Posted by yeti
Oh yeah! a choke cover would be nice! I have a 79 though not sure if there would be a major difference.
I suppose I'm not sure which part you're both referring to. All that comes to mind for me is the choke ****, although maybe I'm thinking of the wrong area. If someone has a photo or even just a general description I'm curious where this part is because I honestly can't picture it.
Also, since I'm replying anyway, here's another quick update. I've been quite busy lately with other things but I do have some parts installed in my car that are being "tested". So far so good and really the next step is just getting shipping setup and the eBay side of things worked out. I'm hoping to get the second half of the enclosure done sometime next week which will help with production since it'll cut down the noise. I also have some nylon filament on the way for another project, but I figure I can make some parts for our cars from it as well. Nylon really shines for things like gears and mechanical doohickeys, so if anyone has ideas throw 'em on up here. What comes to mind for now are a few things in the steering column and then perhaps the corkscrew gears in the sunroof mechanism. Of course that's a ways out, as is evident by the speed at which this ordeal is progressing.
Guys, you should really send the guy some $$ . He uploaded the files FOR FREE. I don't mind guys selling parts ( those bushings are a lifesaver, but id love to print my own since I own a 3d printer ) but we should all upload design files for free so other people can print them. We could literally rebuild large portions of our interior if we all co-operated and made free files for one another. Like seriously some places will print stuff out for you as long as you have the file.
Haha, you must have posted while I was typing my prior post. Thanks for the compliment, although really don't worry about funds, there's barely anything uploaded as of now anyway. I am curious to hear what you think of the few parts that are uploaded though. If you ever get around to printing them I'd love to see some feedback on fitment and whatnot. Of course I also tailored the files to my specific printer (which likely is not 100% dimensionally accurate) but still, I'm curious.
Related only in that this is going to be a 3d printed item. I have to go measure a bunch of s2 and s3 center consoles before finalizing the dimensions, fitment, spacing and orientation but you get the idea. Once it's done, I can do a super high quality stl file. It will most likely be a merged solid shrink wrap from the assembly file I'm using. Exporting steps from assemblies to solid parts usually aren't happy. Occasionally iges fixes that. Anyways, working on this for a friend that would like to hold his 32 oz Dunkin donut iced teas ... Shown could be the s2. The s3 one will only have space for one rotor. The shape of the rotor is a scaled down 13b that I modeled. The wall thickness and cutouts of the compression pockets overlap right now and I'm not happy a few things. If you don't have electric windows or the rear wiper, this might be up your alley.
Related only in that this is going to be a 3d printed item. I have to go measure a bunch of s2 and s3 center consoles before finalizing the dimensions, fitment, spacing and orientation but you get the idea. Once it's done, I can do a super high quality stl file. It will most likely be a merged solid shrink wrap from the assembly file I'm using. Exporting steps from assemblies to solid parts usually aren't happy. Occasionally iges fixes that. Anyways, working on this for a friend that would like to hold his 32 oz Dunkin donut iced teas ... Shown could be the s2. The s3 one will only have space for one rotor. The shape of the rotor is a scaled down 13b that I modeled. The wall thickness and cutouts of the compression pockets overlap right now and I'm not happy a few things. If you don't have electric windows or the rear wiper, this might be up your alley.
Simplified non rotor design.
Haha, those are great . I had planned on making some cup holders as well but nothing quite so fancy, I like the rotor ones. I'll be curious to see how they look when installed.
03-13-21, 06:45 PM
... Shown could be the s2. The s3 one will only have space for one rotor. The shape of the rotor is a scaled down 13b that I modeled. The wall thickness and cutouts of the compression pockets overlap right now and I'm not happy a few things. If you don't have electric windows or the rear wiper, this might be up your alley.
