What parts would be best to 3D scan or print?

[Jfcouper]

I've got access to a prosumer 3D scanner through work and I've taken it home a couple times to get more practice using it. 😉

Yesterday I spent an hour or so scanning around sunset and here's how it looks so far! I hope to get a whole model to print and post on Thangs/Thingiverse. I've also messed around with 3d prints for molding parts. What parts could we make new tooling for?



Eventually this scan will be used to model fitment for a tube frame and Hemi 😎

Once I get a good scan of the whole truck, I'll start scanning my smaller parts like Taillights and Tow mirrors.

[Jfcouper]

If anyone wants to learn more about this stuff. SuperfastMatt has some awesome videos on the process with the exact scanner I'm using. 

 

[jpnjake]

I have an idea and I have no idea how hard it would be to make, but an adapter to close the column hole on the 95/96 dash bezels to fit around the 84-94 ones. either closing the hole entirely, or adapt it to fit the older bottom part 

[Jfcouper]

That sounds pretty reasonable. I'll see what I can do!
The small features of it are definitely beyond what the scanner can capture meaningfully. I'll change the title to 'Scan OR Print'

Is this the difference on the dash bezel?
95/96 top and 84-94 Bottom?

 

[Car Enthusiast]

I would like to see some B-pillar lights

[Jfcouper]

16 minutes ago, Car Enthusiast said:

I would like to see some B-pillar lights

My B-pillar lens is foggy and cracked. That would be a good idea!

 

13 hours ago, jpnjake said:

I have an idea and I have no idea how hard it would be to make, but an adapter to close the column hole on the 95/96 dash bezels to fit around the 84-94 ones. either closing the hole entirely, or adapt it to fit the older bottom part 

If you have a 95/96 Dash, could you measure this width? It looks a little bit wider to me on those

[Pete M]

5 hours ago, Jfcouper said:

My B-pillar lens is foggy and cracked. That would be a good idea!
 

 

if it doesn't need to be an exact copy, these are remarkably close in look and function.

 

Euramtec

 

 

[Jfcouper]

25 minutes ago, Pete M said:

 

if it doesn't need to be an exact copy, these are remarkably close in look and function.

 

Euramtec

 

 

I saw that posted in the DIY writeups master list. That's a great find. maybe there's some room for improvement/customization to the insert where you could keep the chrome or eliminate the need to trim the pillar at all.

[jpnjake]

16 hours ago, Jfcouper said:

That sounds pretty reasonable. I'll see what I can do!
The small features of it are definitely beyond what the scanner can capture meaningfully. I'll change the title to 'Scan OR Print'

Is this the difference on the dash bezel?
95/96 top and 84-94 Bottom?

 

Yes it is all in the highlighted part of the bezel, but it is also wider on the sides and a little on top I think to fit the bigger steering column, I gotta dig around to find mine to measure but anyone else with one readily available can feel free to chime in as well 

[DesertRat1991]

How about sliding window latches?

[Jfcouper]

2 hours ago, DesertRat1991 said:

How about sliding window latches?

Funny enough, I just bought a 3 pane rear glass from a local junkyard. Once they have it pulled for me, If it has it, I'll see what it might take to recreate it. Hopefully I won't have to recreate one for myself without having a reference. lol

[Pete M]

doesn't someone on CC make those already?  I swear I remember that.   

[Jfcouper]

5 minutes ago, Pete M said:

doesn't someone on CC make those already?  I swear I remember that.   

Maybe the DIY master list could do with a pintables link? Maybe this threat will be worthy enough to be it one day.  

[Pete M]

4 minutes ago, Jfcouper said:

Maybe the DIY master list could do with a pintables link? Maybe this threat will be worthy enough to be it one day.  

 

feel free to start gathering them all together  

 

stuff currently being printed for sale should be in the Vendors section. 

[howeitsdone]

Don't believe he makes the latch. Don't see it anywhere, but does sell a few other odds and ends.

[Dzimm]

36 minutes ago, howeitsdone said:

Don't believe he makes the latch. Don't see it anywhere, but does sell a few other odds and ends.

I don't currently make the window latch but it is on the list to design.  I've got a decently long list of requested parts, just going to take time to make them all available.

 

I do like the idea of 3D scanning and would be interested to see how that comes out, how high end of a scanner do you have access to?  I've dabbled with some scanners and scanned files on small parts before and they rarely have come out good for an actual manufactured part.  The tolerances are somewhat close but just not as good yet compared to manually modeling it.  I've so far found it faster and easier to just model smaller stuff from scratch. 

[Jfcouper]

2 hours ago, Dzimm said:

how high end of a scanner do you have access to? 

We've only got the new Einstar $1,000 scanner, but might get the Pro or HX in the future. Einscan does well with large things to scale down and print or to use as reference. I think it would get good use scanning the dash panel for fitment around the curves. If you're interested in some scan data, I can share it with you. It might work really well for recreating something like the mirrors or referencing the taillight housing. I think you've nailed it on the head, Its often easier to remodel small/simple parts from scratch and with a fillet gauge.

That's what I've done to make this test-fit part so far...
It fits very snugly. I'll publish the files on Thingiverse once they're ready

[pizzaman09]

I would pay to have center caps nicely printed for my eliminator wheels.

[Jfcouper]

I'm jealous of those eliminator wheels for sure! I think there are some old posts about bulk buying new stickers. I'll be making some printed caps for my knockoff Elim. wheels that I got for $130. If that's your style, I could redesign them for other rims, but I don't have any Elim. wheels. One day! ha.

[Dzimm]

28 minutes ago, Jfcouper said:

I'm jealous of those eliminator wheels for sure! I think there are some old posts about bulk buying new stickers. I'll be making some printed caps for my knockoff Elim. wheels that I got for $130. If that's your style, I could redesign them for other rims, but I don't have any Elim. wheels. One day! ha.

 

21 hours ago, pizzaman09 said:

I would pay to have center caps nicely printed for my eliminator wheels.

Conveniently I happen to have Eliminator wheels I could make a copy of the cap.  I'm curious if the center caps for the Eliminators are the same as the non-studded ones.  Would be nice if we could make one cap that fits both.

[pizzaman09]

30 minutes ago, Dzimm said:

Conveniently I happen to have Eliminator wheels I could make a copy of the cap.  I'm curious if the center caps for the Eliminators are the same as the non-studded ones.  Would be nice if we could make one cap that fits both.

That would be fantastic.  I have wondered if they are the same but have not found proof.

[Pete M]

41 minutes ago, Dzimm said:

 

Conveniently I happen to have Eliminator wheels I could make a copy of the cap.  I'm curious if the center caps for the Eliminators are the same as the non-studded ones.  Would be nice if we could make one cap that fits both.

 

I do believe my nos cap was for the studded Es but it is sitting in a nos non-E.

[boxyjeep]

Do you have the ability to make injection molded ABS parts?

[Dzimm]

4 minutes ago, boxyjeep said:

Do you have the ability to make injection molded ABS parts?

Unfortunately no one here will have open access to make parts on an injection molding machine without paying the tooling cost and machine time.  The machines are just not something you can have at home like 3D printers.  They are much more involved and far more expensive to operate.

 

You can definitely find companies that do custom injection molding jobs but you have to either have enough part quantity or set pricing high enough to offset the costs of making the parts.  It's a bit of a risk for someone to put up the amount of money to have that done with no guarantee of a return. 

 

For example I got a quote for 100 custom springs for a part I was working on that I could reasonably sell to someone for about $5 each, but it would have cost like $67 each to have those made for a quantity of 100.  I would have had to order somewhere around 5k-10k springs to get the price low enough people would actually buy them but there is no way I could sell that many to get a return on the investment.  The same goes for injection molding except the prices and quantities there are much higher than my spring example.

 

There is just not enough of a market left to make high volume injection molding feasible for the XJ/MJ, it can only be done by setting really high prices on the parts with lower production quantities.  Borderline unreasonably high pricing for most parts.

[boxyjeep]

1 hour ago, Dzimm said:

Unfortunately no one here will have open access to make parts on an injection molding machine without paying the tooling cost and machine time.  The machines are just not something you can have at home like 3D printers.  They are much more involved and far more expensive to operate.

 

You can definitely find companies that do custom injection molding jobs but you have to either have enough part quantity or set pricing high enough to offset the costs of making the parts.  It's a bit of a risk for someone to put up the amount of money to have that done with no guarantee of a return. 

 

For example I got a quote for 100 custom springs for a part I was working on that I could reasonably sell to someone for about $5 each, but it would have cost like $67 each to have those made for a quantity of 100.  I would have had to order somewhere around 5k-10k springs to get the price low enough people would actually buy them but there is no way I could sell that many to get a return on the investment.  The same goes for injection molding except the prices and quantities there are much higher than my spring example.

 

There is just not enough of a market left to make high volume injection molding feasible for the XJ/MJ, it can only be done by setting really high prices on the parts with lower production quantities.  Borderline unreasonably high pricing for most parts.

 

Thanks, this is helpful.  I've been dabbling in metal parts and custom decals, which have a much lower cost of entry.