When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Dyna Glide ModelsSuper Glide, Super Glide Sport, Super Glide Custom, Dyna Glide Convertible, Super Glide T-Sport, Dyna Glide Police, Dyna Switchback, Low Rider, Street Bob, Fat Bob and Wide Glide.
Mad scientist? Dunno 'bout the scientist part but I'm definitely crazy!
These are now "officially" the most expensive tail lights in human history. LOL! I don't know what's wrong me sometimes...
Seriously, tho, if it was just the lights, I wouldn't have bought a printer. Push come to shove I could just print them at a nearby maker workshop but I'm not a member at any and the closest is about 50 miles away. I have a raft full of miscellaneous other projects (and ideas for them) that can benefit from this tech. I started looking into printers back in about 2014 but the cost was exceptionally prohibitive then. I quit looking in about 2016 before I lost I my job where I had them available for prototyping. Now, a couple years later, the price of the entire ecosystem has gone done tremendously while the quality has gone up. You can get a hobby-grade printer from China for less than $200 that will outperform some of the commercial machines from 5 years ago.
Depending on how my material and geometric test prints go, I may or may not invest in a bigger machine. We'll see. I'm not certain this technology can produce larger parts with the strength I want.
Specifically, I'm planning on testing carbon fiber reinforced nylon, ABS, polycarbonate, acrylic, and probably a couple other blends.
The billet tail lights were never quite the shape I had in mind but were close enough to consider...then I started working on mods and brackets and such only to get frustrated by my limited fabrication tools. Compound curves are difficult to do in a garage with just a bench grinder and welder. Possible, yes, but not really where I want to spend my time and energy. I'm a capable wrench, but at heart more of tech guy.
I had these bumping around in my bag and thought I'd share.
These are some of the material samples I've been evaluating for lenses.
Left column are Macrolon Lumen XT, in a couple different specs, which is an acrylic designed specifically for diffusing LED light sources. The dark one is covered with a shrinkable tint film I had left over from another project.
The center column is three shades of Plexiglas bronze Solar Control. I can get the specific color numbers if anybody is interested.
The right two are oddballs. Top one is a tempered glass textured diffuser and the bottom one is the lightest bronze Plexi but sanded on one side with 2000 grit emery.
The idea was to hot form the acrylic into a shallow dome myself and have it diffuse the LEDs while lit and obscure while off, without affecting the color much. Abandoning that now. Gonna print a proper 3D lens mold and then cast it.
Like the presentation. It reminds me of the time I was trying to pick a plexiglass colored cover for the monitor on my TRS80. Went with yellow instead of green.
Well, changing direction again on this tail light project. Been mulling over various current and future projects (bike, car, guns, audio, etc) and decided it's time to get into 3D printing.
The tail light housings and much more will be redesigned and fabricated in some type of composite. Maybe pre-preg carbon fiber or carbon fiber filled nylon.
I ordered the printer today and have dozens of things already planned for printing.
It's a Prusa i3 MK3s and I'll be doing a host of upgrades. Probably be a few weeks before I receive it.
I'll obviously update when I get some CAD models slapped together for comparison/comments/opinions/etc.
The Prusa i3...
Thermal printers are cool but I've not been impressed with the surface finish of the output. Maybe it's gotten better?
Last edited by Max Headflow; May 2, 2019 at 08:30 PM.
Reason: Maybe it's gotten better?
That's pretty cool that you can go to finer construction at the expense of longer run times. 0.02mm is pretty fine. I did not think that this type of thermal printer would have that resolution. The surface you show in black is more of what I would expect.
So you can sand this stuff? Paint it? Wonder how well it holds up to UV. Chemical smoothing? Dip it in a solvent to get a better finish.. Doing complex shapes are definitely easier than manual machining.
Like the presentation. It reminds me of the time I was trying to pick a plexiglass colored cover for the monitor on my TRS80. Went with yellow instead of green.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
