For those metal fab guys out there --- how hard would it be to produce?

I was thinkin about it on my way to work the other day, 'cause it wouldnt weight much more than plastic, and it would never break. Getting it to match stock interiour in color could be difficult, but meh.

 

I've been thinking about this too, after my handle broke on me a month or so ago. My dad's old boss just bought a huge mill to make motorcycle wheels. He owns an engineering firm so getting a cad drawing of the handle won't be hard. I'm gonna propose the idea to him soon. I would think powdercoating might be the best bet on the finish?

 

Are you talking about the recessed (non-moving) piece in the interior door handle, or something else?

 

I mean the whole piece, from the heater vent back. Making it from aluminum wouldnt cost too much in weight, and it would last forever, plus it wouldnt feel 'cheap' (assuming you got it to fit right).

 

I would be happy to make both a 3d model and drawing. CNC'ing it would be easy from the model, but probably a lot of expensive machine time. I just need a broken handle to work from - fortuantely mine are good.

Actually, the handle itself might be easily made from 3 pieces of 6061 aluminum welded together. That might go a whole lot easier.

[edit:]
Whoa, fabbing the whole assembly? That's going to be very hard to do and actually beat Mazda's price. I thought it was just the plastic handle part itself that breaks (?)

Dave

 

i broke my handle a year ago, but it didn't matter because the car doesn' run. But I design my own door handle out of steel. I had nothing to lose so i tryed it out in my welding class about 2weeks ago. By flame cutting the shape then hammering it a little bit so it can be flush with the unit, then i flame cut the two arms. drilled holes and mig welded then on. It took about 5 hours. Once i got home I tryed it and the handle just as well as a stock one. all i need to do now is paints. The only thing that will suck about having a metal handle is in the summer, trying to open it. But at least it will never break again.

 

or you could make the part on the out side door handle that always breaks (the handle part) Its small and could be painted to match. it wouldnt take a whole lot of time to make.

 

Yeah I was thinking just the plastic handle part. I agree that doing the whole assembly there is no way to beat mazda's price.

 

My brother has a machine shop with computer controlled machining tools, but he lives in Mississippi, and Im in Washington and still drive my car :P I am going down there this summer for a week and Im gonna take the whole door piece with me, and see what I can do with it.

 

Any updates ?

Mine just broke!

:-) neil

 

garco motorworks was working on this. hes not able to get online right now. . . ill check with him to see if he has any advances.

 

I don't think he's talking about the same parts everyone else is talking about. He' talking interior, you guys are talking about the exterior part of the handle you pull to open the door. The black plastic gets hot enough, I'd sure hate to touch a black aluminum piece after it's heated up in the blazing sun. Jack