Tried using a 3D printer to fix a broken gear on a 1970s Bridgeport mill

Spent 14 hours modeling and printing a replacement gear for the feed handle. The plastic gear stripped after three minutes of use. Anyone else learn the hard way that some things just need to be machined from steel?

2 comments

2 Comments

schmidt.willow4h agoMost Upvoted

Did you at least check the shear strength on the filament before you committed to 14 hours of printing?

susan4244h ago

Yeah that totally changed my mind about plastic for moving parts.