1980's Bow Lamp Repair

thingiverse

Since these lamps were quite common and I've seen a lot of broken ones in second-hand shops, I decided to share this replacement part with you. The original part always breaks due to poor design, as it's only hinged on a 1 mm thin injection-molded plastic tube that just can't handle the stress. I printed the replacement part from black ABS to get the best match with the original. It also printed well from PETG, but my material didn't quite get the color right. To ensure stability, I recommend using 0.1mm layers and 80-100% infill. Removing the original custom threaded tube was a breeze – just grab some pliers and twist it out. Then simply screw in the new replacement part and you're good to go. No need for tapping; it bites well into place. I made an updated version with built-in print supports, which worked out much better than using Cura's supports. Just be sure to cut them out carefully so that the little plastic tube is nice and smooth on the outside. Edit: Two years later, I found that the thread in the printed part had stripped. So, I remodeled the part to accommodate a press-in brass M5 thread (LampRepair_metal). This new design works perfectly with the original screw, and you can even cover up the back side with a printed plug.