3D printing parts

I've got some 40 grit 18 inch belts on a belt sander...
I've got 35-feet of 24 grit, 20-inches wide--bonded to resin impregnated backing. (Bought thinking it was non-skid material! :oops: ) But glued to a 2x4, it cuts through fiberglass repairs quickly. ;)

Save up your recycling: there's a future in free 3D printing materials.

 
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Put it on a waterlogged Sunfish, pull it 20 yards up a
grass incline and report back. I think someone sporting
a pirate hook on one arm would like it.

I guess no one understands why I put the STL file on there. It's for you to make your own and do your own testing to your requirements. :) Just sand it down and make it smoother. If your hand can't handle that, it can't handle the stock handle either. ;)
 
Save up your recycling: there's a future in free 3D printing materials.

I've seen people show videos of recycling waste filament into new filament. I just don't generate enough waste for that so I let the city's contractor do it. :)
 
Although possibly not as much fun, Intensity sells bow handles already made for $19.99. I’ve never broken one in my years of sailing, and hopefully I won’t!
 
Although possibly not as much fun, Intensity sells bow handles already made for $19.99. I’ve never broken one in my years of sailing, and hopefully I won’t!

It would be nice if we all experienced such good luck. Mine corroded and broke. It cost me about 80 cents to print a replacement, including filament and electricity. To each his own. :)
 
Does anyone know a good source for designs for 3D printing replacement parts for Sunfish boats? I've checked a few like Thingiverse but so far, nothing.

What parts are you looking for? I just finished designing and printing a mast bottom cap. I've been experimenting with printed tiller side plates but they will probably prove useless for actual sailing unless I use a much stronger material. I would be willing to take suggestions for parts that people need. Mainsheet hangers and a mast hole cap are next on my list of things to design.
 
Printed mast bottom cap. This will end up on Thingiverse in the next couple days. I doubt that I would be able to produce usable versions of the newer style boom and gaff end caps though.
 

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Can you flex it or (break it :confused: ) using your fingers?

A bead of silicone around the base would keep water out of the mast. (Helping to keep the Sunfish readily "rightable" after capsize).
 
This particular part was more of a test run, but using a more stable material (ABS or Nylon) I would be confident using this cap, like you said, with a bead of silicone around the lip to seal it.

Even using better materials though, I would be skeptical of something like the mast top cap with the halyard passthrough being printable though. I'll probably try at some point, but I'm banking on an almost immediate failure.
 
This particular part was more of a test run, but using a more stable material (ABS or Nylon) I would be confident using this cap, like you said, with a bead of silicone around the lip to seal it.

Even using better materials though, I would be skeptical of something like the mast top cap with the halyard passthrough being printable though. I'll probably try at some point, but I'm banking on an almost immediate failure.

I made simple replacement oar lock inserts out of PLA+ and they are going on their 3rd season out in the sun, but a mast top cap would be dicey if you just replicate the existing design.
 

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I have a 1962 model so I can't design a new style rudder cheek plate because I don't have one and it isn't economical to upgrade. However, I have lots of C.A.D. experience and would be willing to prototype with my ender 3 if someone could provide dimensions. I could easily print the cheek plate though it would look different because it would have to be a slightly reinforced design to be strong enough given the layer adhesion of plastics with FDM printers. The cost would justify itself as a new style rudder cheek is really overpriced for the material that it is and shape. 3D printing could be easily used to make it, I have successfully printed Nylon parts that are very strong and durable.

The other thing is lost PLA casting, you could make aluminum or any other castable material into a cheek plate with that, but only if you didn't want plastic really bad as it is more expensive to do. I do not have experience with Castings but it would cost a lot less than those molds mentioned earlier on the thread. I really think Nylon, PETG, or ABS would be a good material for printing the cheek plate.
 
3-D printing has a future, but
I'll take a 2nd-hand aluminum bracket, thank you...;)

I would agree about 3-D printing. I probably should have included more info about the link. The cheek in the link is not a 3-D printed part but is class reinforced injected molded. The cheek has many strength improvements over the LP one supplied over the years (More ribs, more surface area around the blade, and a much beefier area around the pintle pin).
 

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