On Mon, 27 Jul 2015, John Wilson wrote:
On Mon, Jul 27, 2015 at 11:58:36AM -0400, Noel Chiappa wrote:
Saw this auction for a pair of H960 blank front panel clips:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/391207099375
and though I'd pick them up... until they went for $30 (including
shipping),at which point I decided I'd go back to my previous plan to
fabricate some out of some scrap wood, and a pair of screws.
Time to find someone who can do injection molding... (I don't think
these could be 3D printed, the necks of the bulb-heads are under a lot
of stress when removing panels, they often snap off; will 3D printed
parts be that strong?)
This is a great idea! I feel bad for never getting around to
investigating injection molding, since it seems to be one of the few
surviving industries (that and making wire) here in Western Mass., and
I'd love to be able to fix (or build from scratch?) lights-'n-switches
front panels. I only got far enough to find that there are eBay vendors
who will make molds for you.
The only thing here is, it's a *terrible* design. Those damn nubs snap
off so easily (I'm sure decades of outgassing haven't helped), even when
you're expecting it and being super careful. Making more of the same
seems like just more heartbreak. So I'd be inclined to do a better
design where the posts are made of metal (or at least have a screw or
stud through them for extra strength).
Are the original parts made of nylon? If so, that might explain the
tendency for them to break. Nylon 6/6 is hygroscopic, and over a long
period of time, it could very well be swelling up just enough so the bulb
portions are more likely to break off.
