On Tue, 24 Apr 2018 20:36:21 +0100, newshound
wrote:

On 23/04/2018 21:16, Andrew Mawson wrote:
I have MANY twin 6 foot fluorescent fittings in my workshop (72 I think)
and changing the starters is a pain - they don't stick out enough to
grip, and you have to reach round the tubes to get at them. Not easy 12
foot up. (yes I'd like to change them for LEDs but the capital cost is
huge)

There MUST be a tool to engage with the two dimples that they all have
on the exposed end - but I've never been able to source one commercially
- so today I printed one on my Cetus 3D printer. Oh boy why didn't I do
it years ago - SO much easier

Andrew

That's probably the first reasonable DIY use for them that I've come across.

You need to look around more. ;-)

I have printed *many* d-i-y related things and the most typical being
drilling / marking templates.

The good thing about printing rather than say knocking them up from
offcuts is that you can optimise the design to exactly what you want,
without having to worry what materials you happen to have.

The other good thing about printing is there is also less risk /
better accuracy when making them because most 3D printers will print
with sub mm accuracy, certainly much better than my eyes a rule and
pencil these days. ;-(

Knock up a couple of dozen and stick them on eBay at a couple of quid a
time and see what sort of take-up you get.

The problem I see with that is that there are several designs of
starter and it opens up the opportunity for people to give negative
feedback if the 'tool' doesn't happen to fit theirs. ;-(

I built a box section steel chassis to be able to dismount a chipper
from it's road trailer and to wheel it into places with restricted
access (like a sack barrow).

To allow the 1" diameter stub axles to fit inside the box section
easily I just printed a 100mm square insert with a 1" tubular hole
down the middle and slipped a bolt though the lot at the inner end to
stop the axle moving or coming out.

The thing is, in most cases if you can think of something and are able
to design it you can (generally) have it that day. ;-)

The last thing I did was print a bracket that allowed me to mount a
surface mount PIR lamp on the corner of a building. You can get corner
mounted lights of course but not of the particular lamp design or
price we wanted. ;-)

End brackets to allow support poles to be placed on a trailer to stop
the cover sagging ... ;-)

Cheers, T i m