3D printing an old part


 
MarkCuda said:
If the white walls were not coming from Canada, it probably would be way less expensive.
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A model of the whitewalls is a free download at Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3962742

There are also remixes of the original. According to my slicer, it would take around 49m to print, but it depends on the speed of the printer. Because of the size, it must be printed one at a time, so figure a couple of hours to print. Then there is the post-processing time - filling, sanding, painting, if desired. Filament costs per each, again according to the slicer, is about $0.29.

It's a fun hobby, but startup costs can be an issue. Alternatively, there might be a public library nearby that can do the actual printing. I don't think the $33 price for a pair delivered is exorbitant, all things considered. Just curious: what do you think a fair price would be?
 
"Just curious: what do you think a fair price would be?"
I think the shipping from Canada is the main expense, probably not the actual item.
To ship them light while walls in a envelope doesn't cost all that much.


My fair price and your fair price I'm sure are light years apart.
That wheel is only a 6 inch, a 8 inch is what most if not all propane grills use.
 
I made these a few years back (2020)...created the models in SolidWorks, printed them in PET-G. I have a sense of what it takes to make something like this. You are right...my sense of a fair price and yours are lightyears apart.
 

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MarkCuda said:
That wheel is only a 6 inch, a 8 inch is what most if not all propane grills use.
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An 8" wheel would be even more costly to produce, but if you have the file in the right format, you can make them any size you like. This cog wheel insert is about 4" (and made out of wood, but that's beside the point).
 

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What if you figured out how to simply airbrush the whitewalls in. Might look cool finished right into the wheel
 
Ed P said:
Here's the model for the wheel: https://www.printables.com/model/847423-replacement-wheel-for-weber-grill

EDIT: Slicer stats:

View attachment 98371

Again, because of the size, most likely this would need to be printed one at a time. Again, I'm just curious: what would you consider a fair price for this?
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I see the 3D replacement inserts as being VERY helpful, since the originals deteriorate and breakup. The wheels, on the other hand, seem like a lot of plastic and time when usually all you need to do is clean thoroughly and paint with something like Krylon's satin black for plastic. I have salvaged some of the white parts where the lettering was still intact by sanding and painting white. I would be interested in getting more if the insert prices were less than the ones I have seen posted.

Typical rough early wheels:

Unrestored Early Wheels.JPG

One of the above painted and with a new insert:

Restored Early Genesis Wheel.JPG
 
Jon Tofte said:
I see the 3D replacement inserts as being VERY helpful, since the originals deteriorate and breakup. The wheels, on the other hand, seem like a lot of plastic and time when usually all you need to do is clean thoroughly and paint with something like Krylon's satin black for plastic. I have salvaged some of the white parts where the lettering was still intact by sanding and painting white. I would be interested in getting more if the insert prices were less than the ones I have seen posted.

Typical rough early wheels:

View attachment 98386

One of the above painted and with a new insert:

View attachment 98385
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Well, the models for the inserts and wheels are readily available, and I am certain there are many, many more people besides myself that have printed them for their own personal use...but on the surface, it appears to me that there is not enough profit there to entice someone to give Chuck some competition.

This is what it looks like right off the printer. I've never seen Chuck's inserts, but I would expect that a customer would want the extrusion lines filled and sanded. It's good enough for me just the way it is, a lot better than the one it replaced.
 

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Thanks, Ed! Pretty interesting.

I have a friend who has a 3d print setup. He owes me a favor or two, so I am going to see what it would take for him to make me some from the files online. I can see that sanding, etc. makes this not too worthwhile to go into selling them, but if my friend would give me a decent deal it would be worth it to me to trade some labor to make a little more profit on flip grills.
 
The only files I have found online for wheels and inserts are for 6" wheels, not the 8" ones that the gas grills use. I imagine there is a way to scale them up, but I don't know how to do it yet.
 
Steve Hoch said:
The only files I have found online for wheels and inserts are for 6" wheels, not the 8" ones that the gas grills use. I imagine there is a way to scale them up, but I don't know how to do it yet.
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Hmmm, I never noticed that. How are you at reverse-engineering? Are you familiar with Tinkercad? Inkscape?
 
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