3D Print Tractor Speed Control Plate

If you look at the picture above it shows two plastic plates. The top one was the original plate from a lawn tractor that allows 7 different speed setting to be used. The notch broke that let speed #4 to be set. I created a replica of that plate using a 3D printer and ABS plastic. My notch settings are approximate to where the originals are. This object pushed almost to the print size limit of the printer where I had to print it diagonal on the square printing glass plate.

 It took 19 hours printing at 100% fill with 0.1 mm layers. The left side of the object did not print the text "SLOW" or the number 1 correctly, I think because the print plate was not completely level.

This next image shows the bottom plates, as you can see the original plate was hollow thus the teeth were weaker and susceptible to breaking. The 3D print plate has complete solid plastic teeth.

This last image shows a side view of the printed plate. Since it took so long to print and the plate heating is not uniform, left side of the plate started shrinking so it is not the same thickness as the right side. I do not think this will affect the plate mounting on the tractor chassis.

Louisville Free Public Library How-To Festival

I have always wanted to attend an event our local public library holds each year called the How-To Festival. In the past a schedule conflict has occurred and I have not been able to attend. This year I was able to visit for part of the day. It is a great community event. Their web site can be found here: http://www.lfpl.org/how-to/

The presentations I got to attend were How to grow and appreciate heirloom tomatoes by Terry Gibson. He shared with an audience of about 30 people his expertise in growing tomatoes. From the questions from the audience he must have presented before because they were referring to tomatoes mentioned in an earlier talk. He mixed experiences and advice growing tomatoes with some humor. When asked what to do about animals such as deer or rabbits eating plants how garden. He said something to the effect in believing they are all God's creatures so we should send them back to God. It was joke of course. He talked about various scented repellents to ward off these types of animals.

I next attended the Maker's mobile lab to hear Mark Lorence talk about How to use a 3D printer. He talked about his experiences and those of associates to make artistic objects or machine parts. The printer was there with examples of items it had created. It was not running during the time I was there. He also showed us the 40 W laser cutters and examples of they they could do. They were used to etch words or logos into objects and to cut cardboard to make 3D shapes. The example we were shown was of a bust of Benjamin Franklin.

The last presentation I watched was How to get started with quad copters/drones and photography: flying demonstration. Al Wollerton was the presenter and he had a number of quad copters to show. The demonstration of the Phantom quad copter was impressive. The Phantom sells for over $300 and can be found on amazon.com.

He was flying a smaller quadcopter as well that reminded me of the Syma X5C I fly but it looked more aerodynamic. It could to the 360 degree loops as well.

Picture of a friend (Benjamin Franklin) of American libraries displayed at the Louisville Free Public Library on May 2015.