Does anyone know a good source for old school igniter or rocker switches????


 
Bruce said:
That is for the frame and rocker???
Click to expand...
Both. Public libraries and great. Before the pandemic I took a bunch of intro classes that they offered and one of them was on the 3D printer they have at some branches and you can just upload your files, they give you an estimate based on weight, then they put it in the Q and let you know when ready. Better than buying my own for now as I never had anything I wanted to print.
 
Joe Anshien said:
Both. Public libraries and great. Before the pandemic I took a bunch of intro classes that they offered and one of them was on the 3D printer they have at some branches and you can just upload your files, they give you an estimate based on weight, then they put it in the Q and let you know when ready. Better than buying my own for now as I never had anything I wanted to print.
Click to expand...
Anyway, how long do they estimate before you get your parts?
 
Ed Pinnell said:
The flange is wider and about 7mm larger overall and about 1mm thicker, and covers up some of the printing on my panel. I had to do some sanding/filing to get it to start to enter the opening and it fit the opening so closely that there is no way I'm going to be able to force it past the ridges that are intended to retain it. It needs some fine tuning, is what I am saying, at least with my printer and my panel. YMMV

EDIT: I printed the rocker and it fits well without modification. Overall I think it will be very usable and the designer did an excellent job!
Click to expand...
Ed, did you test it for functionality in your grill? It looks great, but how does it work?
 
Steve Hoch said:
Ed, did you test it for functionality in your grill? It looks great, but how does it work?
Click to expand...
No, the frame doesn't fit into the control panel opening all the way, but it could just be the way my printer prints. Each printer is a little different in that regard and there is typically some post-processing work that will need to be done. Again, PLA wouldn't be my choice for outdoors (it's made from fermented plants and is biodegradable). According to this source it breaks down in 6 months to 2 years (in medical applications). I am very interested in seeing how PLA holds up in this application!

www.twi-global.com

What is PLA? (Everything You Need To Know)

Polylactic acid, also known as PLA, is a thermoplastic monomer derived from renewable, organic sources such as corn starch or sugar cane. Using biomass resources makes PLA production different from most plastics, which are produced using fossil fuels through the distillation and polymerization...
www.twi-global.com
 

Attachments

  • 20220202_113440.jpg
    20220202_113440.jpg
    60.6 KB · Views: 2
Last edited:
Ed Pinnell said:
No, the frame doesn't fit into the control panel opening all the way, but it could just be the way my printer prints. Each printer is a little different in that regard and there is typically some post-processing work that will need to be done. Again, PLA wouldn't be my choice for outdoors (it's made from fermented plants and is biodegradable). According to this source it breaks down in 6 months to 2 years. I am very interested in seeing how PLA holds up in this application!

www.twi-global.com

What is PLA? (Everything You Need To Know)

Polylactic acid, also known as PLA, is a thermoplastic monomer derived from renewable, organic sources such as corn starch or sugar cane. Using biomass resources makes PLA production different from most plastics, which are produced using fossil fuels through the distillation and polymerization...
www.twi-global.com
Click to expand...
I would think a couple coats of paint would help with it standing up to the elements.
 
Steve Hoch said:
I would think a couple coats of paint would help with it standing up to the elements.
Click to expand...
Maybe. PLA is a rigid plastic...I wonder how it will do in freezing temperatures? Will it crack? Maybe put it in the freezer and try it. Some R&D is needed, I think.
 
I put the frame in the freezer (0°F) for about an hour to see if it got brittle...it didn't. I put the frame in a glass of water for a couple of hours and then back in the freezer for a hour or so...it still wasn't brittle.
 
Now fire up the grill, get it to temp and throw it on the grates. Let's see how she handles a little heat..

Oh, by the way, keep that glass of water handy.
:cool:
 
This effort is sure a testament to the ingenuity, skills, experience and the willingness to help and share that the people on this forum have. What a Great effort everyone and hopefully Success! Thanks!

Richard.
 
I just picked up the switch from the library for $3.40. It was about 1/16" too long to fit so I took a file to it. Also it had holes instead of little bumps so I had to figure a way to mount the switch to the frame. After playing around at the hardware store I purchased 1/8" nuts and bolts and also a cotter pin. After getting it to fit I used the cotter pin as an easier way to mount it. I tried it out and seems to work OK. I actually had a control panel spare with no switch so it worked out great. I may have the library print a few more to have spares. 20220206_154129.jpg20220206_154206.jpg20220206_154326.jpg20220206_162643.jpg20220206_162651.jpg20220206_162705.jpgHere are some pics.
 
Well, as you can see, they are a little rough after being printed and maybe could use some cleaning up. I'm glad you chose black! It shows all the defects. But the important part is how well they stand up to an outdoor environment...if you put that on a flip grill and it fails in a year or two and the buyer can't find a replacement, would that be a problem?
 
I didn’t get a chance to try myself.

That would be unacceptable for me. In my mind it’s got to be smooth and damn near identical to the OE switch. Now that may require printing in a white or light gray, sanding smooth and painting, I don’t know, but I’ll play with it.
 
The other concern is how well it stands up to the heat. When I print PLA, my bed temperature is 55°C, and I have to wait until it cools completely before I remove it from the bed to keep it from warping. PLA is great stuff and easy to print, but it softens at a fairly low temperature.

{deleted mini-lesson...who cares}
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top