Frigidaire Freezer Handle

thingiverse

After 5 years, our Frigiaire Freezer handle started cracking, and it was time to replace it with a 3D Printed version. I removed the old handle, scanned it, imported it into SolidWorks, and created a native model which is included in the files section (.step and .stl). This is a direct replacement if you want to print it. Then I modified the design to improve the handle strength, rigidity, and performance and saved that in the files section (.step and .stl). A generous radius was added to prevent the lift section of the handle from cracking (a design flaw in the original Frigidaire handle, that was only 2.5mm thick). Printing: Orientation - I printed this oriented on the flat surface on the back of the handle, so that the retaining bosses would be printed across layer lines, and improve retention strength when metal nuts were attached. This also required a lot more support material, and bridges, but that worked out just fine. Infill was set at 20%, material was PETG. I chose to use a brim to help support material adhere to the build plate, but that may not have been required. I used 5 perimeters, 5 top and bottom layers. Print time on my Prusa i3 MK3 was only 12 hours, and it completed successfully. The initial bridge layer printed fine, but the next layer on top started snagging some of the bridges, so I slowed that down to 50%, and the print recovered. After stabilizing a couple more layers, I set the speed back to 100%. These layers are un-seen in the design, and are the back side of the handle, so not cosmetic.