3D printing replacement TV and radio parts
 

Small 3D printers are now readily available for less than $200, but you can plan to spend about $300 by the time you have purchased a small library of different printer filaments in different colors and types of plastic. As a second hobby (in addition to restoring antique radios and TV's) I purchased a low-end 3D printer a couple of years ago and taught myself to use it, and to create 3D models on my laptop.

I have been surprised at how often I am able to print a 3D part to address a problem with an antique. These have included a "spool cover" and space bar for a 1915 Oliver typewriter, a replica #6 battery for an antique micro-volt meter, a pully for an Atwater Kent 1930 radio, a 6-pin vacuum tube base (for a 6-pin to octal tube converter), a "boot" that holds the male pins of a TV power input in place, many replacement gaskets for supporting antique radio chassis, and a replica speaker plug for a Philco radio. I have posted most of my designs on Thingiverse. Most recently, I made a screwdriver specially designed for tuning pots that have 1/4" slotted shafts. You can see it here, if you like: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4851111.

I am considering if I can find a way to make quality knob reproductions. 3D printed parts are, by nature, rough in texture. There are approaches and products that are used to "smooth" 3D prints, but I have not yet taught myself that skill.

Other future plans include printing gears to try to build a coil winder. I would like to be able to produce replacement field coils, either to repair an EM speaker or as a dummy load, so that a PM replacement speaker can be used. I'm also thinking that I could make variable inductor "blanks" for antique TVs. Along the way, I picked up an old Morris coil winder, and I think if I made proper blanks I could wind the required coil(s). Appropriate threaded shafts and cylindrical slugs can be purchased.

it may sound like it, but I'm not trying to boast. I just thought it might be interesting to others in the antique radio/TV hobby to hear examples of what can be done with a 3D printer to support that hobby.

very cool! :thmbsp:

The big thing I've found in most of the communities that would seriously benefit from 3D printed replacement parts is that there are three challenges that have to be overcome, otherwise nothing really happens:

1) A member is willing to purchase and fully understand how to maintain a 3D printer
2) A member has to be fully capable of modelling parts for export into Gcode either from photos or diagrams
3 )A member is able to produce components for other members and ship them at minimal cost or by providing the models for free to places like Thingiverse so that others can manufacture the parts as well.

That last one is where most people offering to 3D print parts get stuck up. Either people start throwing money at them and they see dollar signs from then on, or they produce it and then after a few months they stop being active on the forum, taking the design or designs with them because they didn't upload them anywhere.

That being said, a 3D printer in the right hands is an excellent tool in this hobby for replacing otherwise long out of production parts. Good job putting your skills to use like this. :thmbsp:

All true. I have done all three - here is my Thingiverse page: https://www.thingiverse.com/resonance11/designs

Almost everything that I have printed for antique radios/TVs is there, including STEP files as well as .stl files, so that others can remix as they wish. The only exceptions are a few simple things like replacement elastic gaskets.

As I'm sure you already know, there are plenty of people out there who are willing to 3D print a part for you, if you send them the .stl file.

Thanks!

Based on my limited understanding, resin-based printers can produce a smoother piece as well as duplicate some original textures. I have thought about buying one now that they have come down in price, but I'm worried about it joining some of the other things in my pile of things that sounded cool but I never mastered.

I wonder if the same models will work for these printers, or is it an entirely different process? In particular for things that are both rare and frequently broken/missing like knobs and pencil-box doors, I can see what a great resource it would be. If there are several members here who are experts it might make sense to keep a thread of all the models in one place.

The local vintage radio club I'm in had someone do a presentation on 3D printing during the monthly Zoom meeting just this last weekend.
3D printing has a lot of potential, it is evolving constantly.
Printers for home use run from about $175 to $6000. Obviously the low priced units cannot do what the high end ones can do. Many printers can be modified and up-dated.
The fellow that did the presentation has about half a dozen printers of various types, some he hasn't finished assembling yet. He walked through designing and printing a radio knob. A somewhat complicated knob took him three six hour days to get the design right. The actual printing only took 45 minutes. Some printers now can create a smooth surface finish. I think he said he can use a resolution as fine as 0.05 mm or better. Several different plastics can be used.
A STL model file is run through a "slicer" program that converts the data into layers of the appropriate fineness for the particular printer.
There are a couple of ways to create a model file, CAD design from scratch, 3D scanning, and even convert a series of several 2D photographs from different angles.
Making something that was originally metal (like some pencilbox covers) would be difficult to do in plastic and have the same strength without making much thicker.

I have printed some useful items at the local makerspace before the Pandemic. I design them then take the file in and print. I have done a cartridge mount to replace a crystal phono pickup, a control shaft extender, a yoke cover to replace a disintegrated one and some other items. The roughness of the prints do not lend it to be used for knobs but that technology is improving each year.

I did a 3D print for a mask for a TT5 5 inch television. The photo attached shows two pieces for the 3D print. An inner mask (black) which holds CRT and outer mask (brown) which frames the picture. The cutout in the outer mask needs to be slightly reduced in size. An original TT5 mask inside TV set is show at the bottom. The brown PLA is 25-30% wood infused PLA.

Not a radio / TV part but TV related. I scanned a Kraft camerman from 1950s toy and printed a 3D reduced size image.

A very interesting thread. Polish collectors most often cast the knobs in resin, the texture of the printed materials is far from the original.

I will also add my little brick for 3D printing. So far I am very little advanced with my hobby 3D metal printer. I use an electron beam, but the texture and size of the prints is still far, far from what I would like to achieve.
If you want, you can watch this short movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4_zgzDZMe4

Wow! Pretty advanced for a hobby set-up.
I wish I could understand Polish.