Headlight Stem Mount and Taillight Shoe Clamp

thingiverse

This project was inspired by the "Stem Cap Light Mount" created by gogodoit, which can be found at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4291605. To avoid using supports, I decided to make both parts in two pieces. Gluing the two parts together with CA and then running a couple screws through the joint for extra strength is not a big deal. After the glue dries, I drill pilot holes the full depth of the threads, then drill clearance holes into the mating part, which in this case is the base. This allows the screws to pull the parts together. The hole in the stem mount base is for the stem cap. It's tight, so you may have to open it a bit with a round file. I'd rather have it tight than loose, so I didn't mind a little filing to get it perfect. I purchased the Victgoal light kit from Amazon because both the headlight and taillight are USB rechargeable. However, I didn't like the silly rubbery bands that attach them to the bike. Even if they do hold well, I can't imagine they would hold up in the Florida sun. So, for the headlight, I put a radius on the top of the stanchion that fits inside the headlight clip. After I mounted the assembly, I slid the clip (with the light) over the top of the stanchion and glued it with CA. I used a level to set the angle. For the taillight, again, I made two pieces -- a clamp and a shoe for the light. You'll note that the clamp is one piece. Rather than print a complex piece with screw holes and radiused corners, I'd rather print it, drill pilot and clearance holes, then counter bore for the screw heads (or you can use longer screws and skip the counter bore). Once I did that, I used a hack saw to cut it in half. And just to make it look pretty, I radiused the corners with a file. Once that was done, I glued the shoe onto the clamp half and screwed it as per above. The taillight is mounted on the seat stay. Since the seat stay is tapered, you have to do something to keep the clamp from sliding down to the drops. Once I decided where the clamp was to be mounted, I applied some rubber cement, let it dry then applied another coat and let it dry. Did the same with the inside of the clamp. The rubber cement is similar to a strip of rubber, but is much more rigid. Once you clamp it in place, it doesn't move. However, if you decide to remove the clamp, the rubber cement comes off cleanly by rubbing it with your fingers or a shop rag. I printed everything with 100% fill, mostly because I'm never sure if the dimensions are correct and I may have to drill/file/etc. and I didn't want to cut into the honeycomb center. Plus, I wanted to make the parts somewhat strong. This is all printed in PLA.