Eyeglass temple earpiece

thingiverse

The temple earpieces on my Eddie Bauer 8340 eyeglasses broke off quickly, a clear sign that the hinge/strain relief was flawed from the start. Confronted with this design error, I decided to create and print my own replacements instead of settling for something subpar. To ensure the best possible outcome, I designed two versions; one with a flat face and another with an interface surface that slants them inward slightly, minimizing the gap they had a tendency to open up. The STL file *_Ang.stl\ncopy-to-slice settings\nMakerBot brand\n \n Model:\n MakerBot Replicator 2X\n \n Raft choice:\n Doesn't Matter\n \n Supports necessary?\n No\n \n Layer thickness (resolution):\n .2mm or better\n \n Infusion settings (solid vs hollow, % density etc.)\n 75% infill with at least six shells Since the part is critical and endures heavy stress, it required a relatively dense and solid composition; hence my preference for 75% infill with a shell count of six. Rafts were employed in this initial print, although they proved unnecessary; printing directly onto Kapton tape offers an extremely smooth exterior finish if desired. Finishing Steps Begin by meticulously removing any excess or error fragments. To achieve a high shine, simply immerse the parts in acetone or create a thin slurry – be careful to prevent the screw holes from being filled. Alternatively, use vapor smoothing; as with other methods involving solvents, verify that all residues are eliminated before proceeding. Following completion of the preferred finish, dip them into boiling water for 5-10 seconds, just enough to loosen and plastically soften the pieces for working in a specific bend onto your facial contours, making certain you can accommodate it effectively. Since I was concerned with proper placement on my face due to space constraints within temple openings (I used an existing model of mine), adjustments to suit became imperative so that this particular solution was practical enough. Upon subsequent review after multiple refinements and reprints: "I took another look, noticed there were better print qualities by optimizing a lower infill with more accurate printing tolerances at least." I found the process enjoyable because I enjoyed using different tools.