3D printing Alps stabilizer parts?

[Yoe]

Just putting the question out there… has anyone tried this, and if so, was it successful? I need to try this in any case!

[CPTBadAss]

Nubbinator and Mr. Interface have made Alps-to-MX stem adapters but I'm not aware of anyone trying it with stabilizers.

[njbair]

Just putting the question out there… has anyone tried this, and if so, was it successful? I need to try this in any case!

I've thought about it. But the hangup is how? Printing them sideways seems to make sense, but then you can't make the little ears that hold them in place.

[jbondeson]

Definitely doable, but with something that small you'll have to dial in the shrinkage for the material you're looking for. The shape isn't exactly complex so you should be able to run them off pretty quick.

If someone has a model I could run it off in PLA on my printer and test with one of my alps boards.

[Yoe]

Just putting the question out there… has anyone tried this, and if so, was it successful? I need to try this in any case!

I've thought about it. But the hangup is how? Printing them sideways seems to make sense, but then you can't make the little ears that hold them in place.

Hmm… yeh, I'm not very familiar with the issues concerning 3D printing. I always get friends to print stuff for me as I have no such printer of my own. Seems I'll have to do some research..

[Yoe]

Definitely doable, but with something that small you'll have to dial in the shrinkage for the material you're looking for. The shape isn't exactly complex so you should be able to run them off pretty quick.

If someone has a model I could run it off in PLA on my printer and test with one of my alps boards.

I don't have a model yet, but I'll soon have a session with my calipers and some stabilizers, and we'll start from there (if no-one else has done it already)

[BlueNalgene]

Just putting the question out there… has anyone tried this, and if so, was it successful? I need to try this in any case!

I've thought about it. But the hangup is how? Printing them sideways seems to make sense, but then you can't make the little ears that hold them in place.

Hmm… yeh, I'm not very familiar with the issues concerning 3D printing. I always get friends to print stuff for me as I have no such printer of my own. Seems I'll have to do some research..

Have you thought of using one of the commercial printing places such as i.materialise or Shapeways?  Having these printed via FDM rather than layered would probably help them fit better.

[njbair]

Just putting the question out there… has anyone tried this, and if so, was it successful? I need to try this in any case!

I've thought about it. But the hangup is how? Printing them sideways seems to make sense, but then you can't make the little ears that hold them in place.

Hmm… yeh, I'm not very familiar with the issues concerning 3D printing. I always get friends to print stuff for me as I have no such printer of my own. Seems I'll have to do some research..

The one significant limitation you have to remember about additive manufacturing is bridging, or printing unsupported stock. Because things are printed layer by layer, you can't really print a layer on top of empty space.

You can get away with short spans of unsupported material, but accuracy suffers. So I can't think of a good way to do stabilizer clips without some part of it being unsupported.

[Yoe]

Just putting the question out there… has anyone tried this, and if so, was it successful? I need to try this in any case!

I've thought about it. But the hangup is how? Printing them sideways seems to make sense, but then you can't make the little ears that hold them in place.

Hmm… yeh, I'm not very familiar with the issues concerning 3D printing. I always get friends to print stuff for me as I have no such printer of my own. Seems I'll have to do some research..

Have you thought of using one of the commercial printing places such as i.materialise or Shapeways?  Having these printed via FDM rather than layered would probably help them fit better.

Oh, I didn't even know there were printing places like that. Seems like a good idea!

[jbondeson]

The one significant limitation you have to remember about additive manufacturing is bridging, or printing unsupported stock. Because things are printed layer by layer, you can't really print a layer on top of empty space.

You can get away with short spans of unsupported material, but accuracy suffers. So I can't think of a good way to do stabilizer clips without some part of it being unsupported.

My thought was some for of bridging that could be easily removed with minimal knife work. I'll have to pull one out and have a look tonight and see what would be possible.

[Yoe]

The one significant limitation you have to remember about additive manufacturing is bridging, or printing unsupported stock. Because things are printed layer by layer, you can't really print a layer on top of empty space.

You can get away with short spans of unsupported material, but accuracy suffers. So I can't think of a good way to do stabilizer clips without some part of it being unsupported.

My thought was some for of bridging that could be easily removed with minimal knife work. I'll have to pull one out and have a look tonight and see what would be possible.

Cool!:)

Just putting the question out there… has anyone tried this, and if so, was it successful? I need to try this in any case!

I've thought about it. But the hangup is how? Printing them sideways seems to make sense, but then you can't make the little ears that hold them in place.

Hmm… yeh, I'm not very familiar with the issues concerning 3D printing. I always get friends to print stuff for me as I have no such printer of my own. Seems I'll have to do some research..

The one significant limitation you have to remember about additive manufacturing is bridging, or printing unsupported stock. Because things are printed layer by layer, you can't really print a layer on top of empty space.

You can get away with short spans of unsupported material, but accuracy suffers. So I can't think of a good way to do stabilizer clips without some part of it being unsupported.

I see… well, the clips are not impossible to source a number of elsewhere, but those cylindrical buggers are the ones I really would like to make, because I'm always short on those. I bet they would be even worse to print… :S

[nubbinator]

I've tried some, but feel that they lack enough strength.  I'm looking into alternate methods, but they're more of a stop gap than for long term use.

[njbair]

Sounds like what we really need is a stabilizer artisan.

[nubbinator]

Sounds like what we really need is a stabilizer artisan.

I'm looking to get into some stuff like that, but to get the quality and durability I want I need to save up about $700.

[njbair]

Sounds like what we really need is a stabilizer artisan.

I'm looking to get into some stuff like that, but to get the quality and durability I want I need to save up about $700.

Would that setup benefit your cap craft?

[nubbinator]

Ish.  It would let me do simple or carefully thought out single shot caps, but I really want it for high quality MX/Alps adaptors.

[BlueNalgene]

Ish.  It would let me do simple or carefully thought out single shot caps, but I really want it for high quality MX/Alps adaptors.

I think the closed loops of the hooks might give you a little grief. 




Also, let me take a moment to unabashedly plug the IC for Matias Stabilizers.

[nubbinator]

Closed loops wouldn't be a problem if the mold is made right.  It's also not a problem for the adaptors.

[njbair]

Ish.  It would let me do simple or carefully thought out single shot caps, but I really want it for high quality MX/Alps adaptors.

Would these add less height than the 3D printed ones you produced?

[nubbinator]

Ish.  It would let me do simple or carefully thought out single shot caps, but I really want it for high quality MX/Alps adaptors.

Would these add less height than the 3D printed ones you produced?

It would be the same, but I could also make one without the spacer and it would be shorter by a hair.

[njbair]

Ish.  It would let me do simple or carefully thought out single shot caps, but I really want it for high quality MX/Alps adaptors.

Would these add less height than the 3D printed ones you produced?

It would be the same, but I could also make one without the spacer and it would be shorter by a hair.

What about replacement Alps sliders with MX stems? Something like this:



I know there are some points that may interfere, since I think the OD of an MX cap's stem is larger than the opening in the top of an Alps switch, but that could be dremeled out or nipped away or whatever, while you have the switch open to replace the slider. Or you could mod your MX caps to fit inside there, like some people do with square-stemmed artisans to make them fit in a Novatouch slider.

[nubbinator]

You'd have to have Topre style MX stems to make it work.  Thinning them isn't feasible, you have to have the sides completely gone.

[njbair]

But you could modify the switch top to fit it. Something like this:



Kind of hard to see, but it's the best angle I could find.

[nubbinator]

Sure, but you'd have to mangle it pretty good and make it oversized and hope it doesn't affect the feel.

[njbair]

It would be worth a try if I could easily and cheaply get a slider like that made.

How useful would a 3D-printed prototype slider be? I know 3D printing isn't know for smoothness.

[BlueNalgene]

How useful would a 3D-printed prototype slider be? I know 3D printing isn't know for smoothness.

I have some of my own pictures of the surfaces under 10x magnification, but all my crap for my dissertation is on my lab computer.  I can't get up the will to remote access it right now.

There was a good writeup in the mail from Sculpteo though comparing the printing methods here.  Smoothness on a home printer (SLS) would probably be an issue. 

[Yoe]

How useful would a 3D-printed prototype slider be? I know 3D printing isn't know for smoothness.

I have some of my own pictures of the surfaces under 10x magnification, but all my crap for my dissertation is on my lab computer.  I can't get up the will to remote access it right now.

There was a good writeup in the mail from Sculpteo though comparing the printing methods here.  Smoothness on a home printer (SLS) would probably be an issue. 

Quite a difference there. Looks like home printing would be out of the question for this. Esp the sliders would have to be as smooth as possible.

Also, let me take a moment to unabashedly plug the IC for Matias Stabilizers.

I would be all over the Matias stab and hook sets if they were pure Alps (as found in Apple and Dell boards). The parts I need the most are not in the Matias sets at all. :/

[BlueNalgene]

I would be all over the Matias stab and hook sets if they were pure Alps (as found in Apple and Dell boards). The parts I need the most are not in the Matias sets at all. :/

Fair enough.  I just thought it might be something which could help you. 

Part smoothing can also be done with an acetone fogging setup.  I don't have experience with it personally, and I'm not sure how much it would effect the fit of the parts on the board/caps if you were to try it.

[Yoe]

I would be all over the Matias stab and hook sets if they were pure Alps (as found in Apple and Dell boards). The parts I need the most are not in the Matias sets at all. :/

Fair enough.  I just thought it might be something which could help you. 

Part smoothing can also be done with an acetone fogging setup.  I don't have experience with it personally, and I'm not sure how much it would effect the fit of the parts on the board/caps if you were to try it.

Oh, don't get me wrong - the Matias stab IC suggestion was much appreciated Great initiative to make an IC for it. Do you plan to include it as an option in the Alps GB?

Yeah, acetone could work, I suppose.

[BlueNalgene]

Do you plan to include it as an option in the Alps GB?

Not an option, just an add on.  If it flies in time, then I will combine shipping.

[KHAANNN]

I made these for MX: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/eM6pKpCBmn9-costar-insert-v2/edit - they work, they also improve existing inserts rattle-wise

I don't know anything about Alps, but printing small parts is a challenge, you also have to work on them a lot afterwards with a precision model knife, otherwise minor imperfections of 3d-printing might stress and break the keycaps

[nubbinator]

I made some like that as well.  The problem is that they're so thin that they break easily.

[KHAANNN]

I made some like that as well.  The problem is that they're so thin that they break easily.

In my case they were extremely strong with PLA, also the slimy nature of PLA helps, the wire slides well, however, since I made these too tight, I couldn't remove a non-processed once once and anded up drilling it out and destroying a spacebar, since I had spares it wasn't much of an issue, I also semi-saved the spacebar by glueing an insert in - tl;dr: processing the insert with a knife and making sure it's just tight enough is necessary