Cast aluminium internal door handles

[Windymiller]

Anyone know if anyone has ever made any and replaced the naff grey plastic ones?

 

i really like the shiny 981 handles and I think a bit of ‘bright work’ would lift the interior on the 987. 

 

When I had an FTO a decade (or more!) ago one of the popular internal styling ‘mods’ was ali dial rings, seat belt guides, door handle ‘cups’ and gear stick.  It transformed a dull 90s cheap jap plastic interior into something far more modern and ‘premium’ looking. 

 

Whilst I like my full leather 987 interior, I think it could do with just a bit more polished shiny stuff ?

Edited March 16, 2018 by Windymiller

[Bushman]

you could get them 'Chromed' using that new paint method that is then washed off with water to leave a bright finish or think about hydrographics

[Windymiller]

15 minutes ago, Bushman said:

you could get them 'Chromed' using that new paint method that is then washed off with water to leave a bright finish or think about hydrographics

Good suggestion BM. But I think I’d like the ‘feel’ of real ali rather than chromed plastic. 

 

Im also saving for a sports design steering wheel with the brushed ali ‘spokes’. So I’d like handles that would match the wheel ?

[graham.reeds]

Have you thought about getting them 3d printed? If you had a cad model then you could get them in practically any metal you fancy. Wouldn't lightweight Ti door handles go well in your Cayman R? :-)

Edited March 29, 2018 by graham.reeds
Speling

[Windymiller]

4 hours ago, graham.reeds said:

Have you thought about getting them 3d printed? If you had a cad model then you could get them in practically any metal you fancy. Wouldn't lightweight Ti door handles go well in your Cayman R? :-)

Now that’s an idea. I didn’t realise you could 3D print with ali / titanium?

my wife works for a 3D ‘print’ (additive manufacturing) company that caters to the likes of red bull, bloodhound SSC, etc. I shall see if her company can do them. 

[graham.reeds]

The most common is you use an exceptionally fine 'dust' and you scan a laser over the design you want. Deposit another layer and repeat until done.

 

So you don't have to remove your own you can buy this and give it to your favourite cad modeller. 

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F332118957900

[Bushman]

would that be Laserlines that your Mrs works  Windy?

FYI Titanium is one of those metals that works well in additive manufacturing. In fact, it is so reactive when melted that you cant economically do much at all with scrap or recycled Ti. It needs an argon flooded chamber to be laser fused in. Modern laser fused deposition processes can achieve about 90 % of the strength of pure billet.

 

[Windymiller]

On 29/03/2018 at 17:17, Bushman said:

would that be Laserlines that your Mrs works  Windy?

FYI Titanium is one of those metals that works well in additive manufacturing. In fact, it is so reactive when melted that you cant economically do much at all with scrap or recycled Ti. It needs an argon flooded chamber to be laser fused in. Modern laser fused deposition processes can achieve about 90 % of the strength of pure billet.

 

No Bushman, ‘her’ company is:

http://graphite-am.co.uk/

 

[graham.reeds]

Nice.

 

I work with a bunch of modellers - we make very high end sorters.

 

Do you want me to get that handle off eBay and see if one of them can recreate it in cad?

[Windymiller]

Hi Gary,

 

my wifes place use this company for 3D scanning, so I will get in touch and just take my handles down - they only take a minute to unscrew. 

 

http://cadmansolutions.co.uk/3D_scanning_reverse_engineering.html

 

then I can use the scanned file at her place for printing (if they do Ali finishes). 

[graham.reeds]

How is it going?

 

Iguess you only need to remove one handle as I am guessing that they are simply mirrors of each other.

 

What else can be replaced? The plastic gear stick cap?

[Equinox]

You could just Vac Metalized the plastic handles. Leaves a metal finish to plastic parts so much so you would never be able to tell the difference in feel, cold to the touch etc... Sorry if i'm preaching to the choir but essentially they evaporate metal in a vacuum chamber which then 'clings' to a desired substrate leaving a uniform coating of metal round each part. 

 

Not a cheap process though, however needs must and all that.  

[Windymiller]

On 06/04/2018 at 09:41, graham.reeds said:

How is it going?

 

Iguess you only need to remove one handle as I am guessing that they are simply mirrors of each other.

 

What else can be replaced? The plastic gear stick cap?

I’ve done nothing about this so far, been too busy with work and a week off over Easter with the kids on school hols. 

[Windymiller]

10 hours ago, Equinox said:

You could just Vac Metalized the plastic handles. Leaves a metal finish to plastic parts so much so you would never be able to tell the difference in feel, cold to the touch etc... Sorry if i'm preaching to the choir but essentially they evaporate metal in a vacuum chamber which then 'clings' to a desired substrate leaving a uniform coating of metal round each part. 

 

Not a cheap process though, however needs must and all that.  

This sounds interesting. And presumably cheaper than 3D-scanning the original handles and having them 3D printed in some sort of titanium additive mixture?

 

 

[SimonP]

All sounds good. Just need prices and a website and someone could be a rich man!

 

SimonP

[graham.reeds]

That sounds like how they attached metal to plastic for pens. They tend to lose their coating with repeated use.

 

Prefer actual metal.