SII 'Hockey Sticks' and 3D printing?

[Alpine 1789]

I was contacted via our Facebook page by a SII owner looking for a 'hockey stick' door finisher. While they turn up periodically - a pretty rough set was just sold on eBay - I know these are generally in the unobtainium category. Still, I encouraged the owner to join the club and post on the Wanted forum. At the same time, this got me thinking. While I know next to nothing about 3D printing, this would seem like a pretty good candidate to me. Do any of our members have experience and access to the equipment? I know we could source a good one to scan and imagine it is pretty simple to electronically flip the scan to be able to make both sides. There probably aren't enough SII's out there to make this commercially viable, but it might be a need the Club could fill.

 

[puff4]

I teach 3D Design & Printing, and yes, you could print new ones. All it would take is a CAD drawing, and that’s not too tough to render.

However, the quality of printed plastics still is not as smooth as an injection-molded plastic part. You’re going to have some level of striations in the final product. This can be minimized by exposing the part to acetone vapors or by sanding, but it’s never going to quite look like the original.

Having said that, if someone can get me the CAD file, I can print you a sample.

I would think that making a mold and using casting plastic might yield a more satisfactory result.

 

[Alpine 1789]

I would think that making a mold and using casting plastic might yield a more satisfactory result.

That is an interesting idea. I have a friend who is an artist who like to cast copies of plastic models for his artwork. I'll see if he can do it. You would presumably have to drill and glue the metal pins in, but that shouldn't be too difficult. I'll consult with him and report back.

 

[Bill Blue]

Know nothing here, can a printed object be finished using body putty and plated?

Bill

 

[Alpine 1789]

The originals were bakelite, so platting wouldn't be appropriate - at least from a stock perspective - but some combination of putty, sanding and paining might work.

 

[65beam]

Back in the early years of the SAOCA there was a person that made the hockey sticks in metal. There was an ad in one of the news letters for these. Wonder if he's still around?

 

[alpine_64]

The guy who did the repro chrome and satun black metal hockey sticks stopped making them in 2005.

 

[DanR]

My Guy at Center Line Engineering (Greenwood) does some printing for me.

Just finishing up on the Bonnet Release Knobs Sell for $12.

 

[Rootes 66]

Jim I discussed with Eric 10 or 12 years ago about reproducing them and then again with Tony at this years UK spares day at the Archive centre, both times we concluded there was no significant demand for them, The guy in Cali is possibly the first to ask for them in all that time.
Might be worth his while contacting Al G
A UV protected Gel coat would be the best finish for them if they were to be made, casting polyurethanes tends to bloom and fade with sunlight.

 

[Alpine Addict]

I believe I am missing the ones from my car and would be interested

 

[65sunbeam]

Pete would be the one to know about how to make these! He has cast many nice parts in the past. Originals are very hard to remove without breaking them to bits. So if they are in good shape on your car don't remove them!

 

[Gary T]

My Series II doors are completely apart and the pins for the "hockey sticks" are accessible inside the door if you really need to remove them and prevent breaking the plastic or breaking off the pins. The clips that hold the pins are larger versions of the clips used for SUNBEAM letters and side markers. I was able to get new ones, but the company that had them is in transition, since the owner has passed away.

If anyone wants a set that are good enough for a pattern please let me know. You pay postage and they are yours. Note they are not good enough to be used as is, since one pin is broken off on one side and one side was broken, but was glued back together.

 

[65beam]

I didn't use clips to secure these. I used clear silicone.

 

[puff4]

My Guy at Center Line Engineering (Greenwood) does some printing for me.

Just finishing up on the Bonnet Release Knobs Sell for $12.

Dan, what sort of finish is he able to achieve? And how does he remove the layer striations? We have very good printers and I can greatly minimize them, but not eliminate them completely.

 

[Bill Blue]

Dan, what sort of finish is he able to achieve? And how does he remove the layer striations? We have very good printers and I can greatly minimize them, but not eliminate them completely.

So to restate to my question, can a printed object be given an acceptable finish using traditional body shop materials and techniques?

Bill

 

[65beam]

lots of speculation but no one will really know until someone tries. There are body fillers available that are being used to refurbish fiber glass instead of a gel coat so that might be one answer,

 

[puff4]

So to restate to my question, can a printed object be given an acceptable finish using traditional body shop materials and techniques?

Bill

I see no reason why not. You’d have to be a bit cautious with the amount of thinners you use, since many of the printing plastics are solvable in acetone and toluene, and conventional body fillers should not be an issue as they are solvable in alcohol, so it’s doable.

 

[puff4]

I think your best result would be through creating a mold with Oomoo silicone rubber, then using something like Smooth-Cast Onyx to create the part. You could even cast in the pins if desired, by creating a jig to suspend them in the mold during curing.

I’ve used these molding compounds and resins many times with my Boy Scouts in the teaching of Composite Materials merit badge and in creating their custom troop neckerchief slides. The Smooth-On products are very good quality.

https://www.smooth-on.com/products/oomoo-30/

https://www.smooth-on.com/products/smooth-cast-onyx-slow/

 

[alpine_64]

Kevin,

What kind of printer are you using, the powder printers are not getting very smooth, but depending on base material strength varies.

There is also.metal printing which several classic car suppliers to oem market are using the remanufacture obsolete cast parts

 

[puff4]

Would someone be kind enough to post several photos of this part? I have a Series V and have seen very few early Alpines with these hockey sticks, and of course none off the car. Knowing the internal structure would be helpful.