Fixing Grille Tabs with A 3D Printer
I finally got my 71 Dart grille off my donor car and aside from needing paint and one broken tab it was in good shape. I decided to try to fix the tab using a 3d printed piece and see how it goes. Below is the story with some pictures just in case it may help someone in the future.
First off i copied the tab from the other side and designed a piece to slide on to the existing bracket where it was broken. It looked like just the bottom part broke off so i added slot to give the part some more material to adhere to. Below is the test piece that i printed in PLA.
I did a dry test fit and everything looked good.
Next step was to print it out in ABS. Printing ABS can be a pain in the butt and it took me a few tries to keep it from warping too much. I ended up with a couple of junk pieces so i used them to test plastic welding with ABS and acetone.
Everything seemed to bond pretty well, i used a brush to brush on the mixture and a carving tool to spread the thicker slurry. After curing for a few days it seems pretty darn solid so i think it was time to try it on the grille.
After letting it dry for a couple days it seems to be very solid. I didn't use the carving tool to spread it on this time, instead i brushed the inside of the tab and the outside of the strut and then stuck them together and brushed on more along all the seams.
I finally got my 71 Dart grille off my donor car and aside from needing paint and one broken tab it was in good shape. I decided to try to fix the tab using a 3d printed piece and see how it goes. Below is the story with some pictures just in case it may help someone in the future.
First off i copied the tab from the other side and designed a piece to slide on to the existing bracket where it was broken. It looked like just the bottom part broke off so i added slot to give the part some more material to adhere to. Below is the test piece that i printed in PLA.
I did a dry test fit and everything looked good.
Next step was to print it out in ABS. Printing ABS can be a pain in the butt and it took me a few tries to keep it from warping too much. I ended up with a couple of junk pieces so i used them to test plastic welding with ABS and acetone.
Everything seemed to bond pretty well, i used a brush to brush on the mixture and a carving tool to spread the thicker slurry. After curing for a few days it seems pretty darn solid so i think it was time to try it on the grille.
After letting it dry for a couple days it seems to be very solid. I didn't use the carving tool to spread it on this time, instead i brushed the inside of the tab and the outside of the strut and then stuck them together and brushed on more along all the seams.