Replacement AC Knobs - 3D Printed

Plastic knobs were cracking so wanted to make new ones that were bigger and tougher. Designed with knob configurator on thingiverse & Used glow in the dark PLA material.

 

Great idea. I like the fact they are bigger and stronger. Like the glow in the dark too.
Great job!

 

Did you post them on thingiverse or just use the program to make them? They look great.

 

I have not posted yet. I have a few refinements to make this weekend. I will post when done and link here.

 

that's great
+1 for the thingverse link.

 

I just found a cracked knob about two weeks ago, and mine have always been handled gently. I super glued it back together.

I like the idea, but why is the indicator hole so huge and clunky? Why not an arrow or smaller hole? I assume these could be used in all three positions right? These look much more glove friendly. I like the glow material too, nice job! Thank you for sharing Steve!

 

The hole is an easy change. This is just the first prototype so its good feedback. I wasn't sure how much the backlight would shine through the material so i made it large for visibility. I think it could be smaller.

 

I think so, and you could put a drop of black paint in the hole. That would be hi-viz day or night!

So how would this work? Will you be selling them, or does the design get posted at Thingverse for anyone to order? Maybe you could get a deal on a quantity of them, and do a group buy? I would rather buy from you and give back something for the initiative and design, even if it costs a few bucks more. No reason to give this away.

 

you have got me thinking now... the intention was never to sell them but just to fix my truck. That said, I may consider building. I would likely move to ABS plastic and vapor smooth for gloss finish; would look much more refined. good point on the black paint. I still do plan to post to thingiverse since I built upon others designs & am a big proponent of open source solutions - but for those who wouldn't want to build, I may consider selling.

 

Get it refined (design, materials etc) and keep us in the loop. Open source is great, but so is private enterprise . I'd prefer to get mine from you.

 

I agree going to ABS or even nylon. The PLA most likely will not hold up in the high heat environment of a vehicle cab.

 

Hi all,
I rebooted this project when I got my new 3d printer and finally found a source for knob springs. Upgraded to luminescent ABS as well and these are the first results. Very good fit. Assuming the "hot truck" test succeeds, it should be all aesthetics from here. Thanks for all your input!

 

Any idea about cost?

 

Looks Good!
have you posted to Thingiverse yet? and maybe where to get the springs? I'm just waiting for the day one of mine breaks, I'd like to have a spare in the glove box just in case.

 

While I can appreciate the effort that went into this I still wonder why you did it when you can get 3 new knobs for under $10 on eBay.

 

I'm not sure that I want to sell them just based on time constraints with my "real job" currently. It took me a year to post an update so I need to be in a better place before I'll commit to it. I may reconsider once i make a few more improvements.

Thanks! Not yet but I should post it soon. The springs were the biggest problem as I could not find them anywhere for a long time. I finally found a supplier but had to buy qty 1000 minimum & I had to order using a purchase order through email. At this point, I am just in it for the love of the project! They are a little stiffer than the OEM springs but work well.
Lectra Products Part# 1800 Hi Torque Springs
http://www.lectra-fasteners.com/hightrq.htm

I know, I know. It isn't really logical other than I enjoy it. Plus I am learning how to use Freecad modelling and how to use my 3d printer. I might want to do some customization as well; something like embedded logos or unique geometries.

 

Neat idea, I would go crazy though looking at those big ass white knobs that match nothing on the dash. Just me. Neat that they glow.

 

The secret to selling them is making them cool. People will buy cool stuff for no other reason. Maybe some kind of Logo in the middle? Use the glow feature to make the knob functions more visible in bad lighting. As I get older, fine and dimly lit controls are a nuisance, BUT they can't throw too much light and become a bother either. The other selling point is of course that the factory knobs have a limited life span. I'll bet a third of the trucks out there have a knob that is broken or well on the way to being broken. Mine got a little loose but still worked. I super glued it, and I'm still using it. I'd like a better knob if it's available.

 

If you have the tools...

 

Wow, BIG difference over the first version... Looks good!

You should post a shot of them when they are fully charged and glowing. I bet they look pretty cool at night.

I like the potential here and how you're adding a unique touch to something that normally nobody cares about* while being creative and learning in the process.

I'll echo badger and say that with some other creative touches, people would probably be lining up to buy these off you.
What resolution is your new printer? Did you sand those to make them smooth because they look pretty damn good.

I'd add a suggestion... Create a notch/mark/something to indicate what position the knob is in if that's possible. I know it's obvious when you're using the knobs but it's also handy to look down when it's not on and know where you left things.

For my own personal tastes, I'd definitely mask off/paint part of the knobs to be mostly black so they matched the rest of the HVAC controls and stood out less.
I can definitely see how it would be cool to create something that took advantage of the glow material and looked good in the daytime and at night.

I've got those cheap chinese knobs that everyone and their mom has and for what they cost and the effort to install, like them a lot.
But this sparks my interest and I'd pay probably 20ish bucks (maybe more, depending on what the final product turned out to be) for a set.

If you judge what the potential is for you to be able to turn this into suplimental income based on how many people like me gleefully threw our money at really basic chinese HVAC knobs, you could make some bank here... Food for thought. Starting with a Group Buy would be an easy way to control how much time you'd need to spend and not overextend yourself. Think like this: More money for more mods. It's worked for me with patches... Just sayin'.