I'm wondering if there is anyone on this forum who has access to a 3D printer? And experience & software to design using CAD.
I think the prices being charged for replacement Odometer gears is outrageous. We need to start building these for the forum club members everywhere.
If/when I can get a new 40/28 gear for my K odometer, I may buy a beginner silicone mold/casting kit & see if I can make them in a suitable manner.
Anyone have more ideas? Please don't tell me to go to this or that web site & buy 1.
To make matters worse, I screwed up & spent $80 USD for what I thought were 2 sets of the correct ones, only to find that I had counted the teeth incorrectly in the eBay seller's web page. I could almost make one with the plasti-fix kit I have but the molding material is too rubbery to hold a good shape after it cools and the original is popped out..
I have found places on line that offer on line CAD that you can design your own part and then they will print it for you, but the tech aspect of all the different diameters & angles + the CAD program itself is beyond my ability.
I'm SO frustrated that I've already spent $80 to buy 8 little toy plastic gears and I have to spend at least $100 or $170 more to replace them.

ibjman wrote:I'm wondering if there is anyone on this forum who has access to a 3D printer? And experience & software to design using CAD.
I think the prices being charged for replacement Odometer gears is outrageous. We need to start building these for the forum club members everywhere.
If/when I can get a new 40/28 gear for my K odometer, I may buy a beginner silicone mold/casting kit & see if I can make them in a suitable manner.
Anyone have more ideas? Please don't tell me to go to this or that web site & buy 1.
To make matters worse, I screwed up & spent $80 USD for what I thought were 2 sets of the correct ones, only to find that I had counted the teeth incorrectly in the eBay seller's web page. I could almost make one with the plasti-fix kit I have but the molding material is too rubbery to hold a good shape after it cools and the original is popped out..
I have found places on line that offer on line CAD that you can design your own part and then they will print it for you, but the tech aspect of all the different diameters & angles + the CAD program itself is beyond my ability.
I'm SO frustrated that I've already spent $80 to buy 8 little toy plastic gears and I have to spend at least $100 or $170 more to replace them.

Designing the gear in 3D is feasable. However, this is not as simple as it seems.
First, the profile of the gear tooth as to be an involute of a circle and this is where the difficulty arises.
When you study engineering, this is a very complex subject and unless you can scan a 3d model, you are better to have a good calculator.


3D printers are use to make a model and the quality of the material is far to be as strong as we may need.
Last year I was working with students to build a ROV. The propellers were designed on CAD and modeled on a 3D printer. They worked, but they were very hard and brittle. (very easy to snap).

I believe that molding is the best way to go.

CF

There was a thread here about 18 months ago on this subject but as usual my search skills are crap and I cant find it.
It was using a repair kit for making moulds.
Maybe someone will have better luck than me.

RicK G wrote:There was a thread here about 18 months ago on this subject but as usual my search skills are crap and I cant find it.
It was using a repair kit for making moulds.
Maybe someone will have better luck than me.

https://www.k100-forum.com/t1518-damage-speedometer
https://www.k100-forum.com/t4621-making-your-own-gears-for-the-speedo

Yep thats the one Bert thanks sometimes I think I would be hard up to find my own arse with both hands.

pity you can't get a good one and lost wax cast it in ally? The originals were probably made by an OEM supplier, who?? BMW should carry the bits for the dials.
Rick
mawhera

I have read all the threads on making your gears and the referrals to the expensive parts that are already available.
I understand that modern 3D printers can print in several different varieties of plastics such as urethane & others.
These gears are very lightly loaded and reasonably easy to replace should they fail again. I still believe that with all the handy dandy engineers we have here in the forum (I've seen your quite technical) posts, that someone has the cad experience & the knowledge to make these up. These gears don't really even require precision to operate smoothly.
Con'on You guys!!!! I know you can do it.
When I do get a new gear, I will attempt to do some molding. If I can make some & they test good, I'll make as many as I can to share with the group. No sense in working hard on the 12 tooth drive gear as it's readily available for $9 or less.
The second gear matches one from a BMW E30 MotoMeter. Still the cheapest I've found one is $25. I will try to make at least the #2 & #3 gears when I get a #3.