Restoration Technique: 3D Printing
Sometimes, in restorations, you just cannot get the part or tool required for a project, so what do you do? You make it yourself. I’ve had to design hundreds of different parts and models over my years of arcade restorations. Some for replacement parts, and others for tools such as ones to help know where to drill for dowel pins on the sides of cabinets.
Some of my models are actually available to download for free on my Thingiverse account.
3D Printing at this point I consider an absolute must for anyone looking to get into restorations. Does that mean you have to go out and buy the most expensive printer you can? Absolutely not. I spent 5 years printing on an Ender 3 Pro, which, when setup correctly, can be actually really reliable, but very slow. Which is why, over the past year, I upgraded to a Bambu Labs H2D for more specialty printing. Which while you almost certainly don’t need to go to that extreme, just getting a modern printer will open up a whole new world of possibilities for your restorations.
3D Modeling can look very difficult, and sometimes it is when software decides to mess up, but these days with modern YouTube you can learn pretty much anything and, over time, modeling simple designs will greatly improve your skills.
Quick Tips:
When 3d modeling, try and avoid sharp internal corners as they create weak points more likely to break. Simply applying a fillet to the corners will greatly improve the look but also the strength, making the connection much stronger.
When 3D printing, remember where the layer lines are. 3D prints are weakest along the layer lines, so when at all possible remember to orient the print so that the stress points of your print aren’t on the layer lines.
As you can see, depending on how I print this shelf bracket, the arm could either be held on at a layer line or it could be one solid line of plastic. (Lines enlarged to show easier)
