Trying to Model a Bail Draw Pull so I can 3D print it

[ijourneaux]

I busted one of the draw pulls on one of the drawers in a night stand. Since the bedroom furniture has about 20 of these pulls, and they all have to match, I was thinking of using this as a project to figure out how I can 3D scan this and create a model I could print. I was hoping to try to do this on the cheap with makerscanner but was looking for some advice on how to proceed.

It would take a lot less time to just buy 20 new drawer pulls but this could be a good exercise to learn how to do this.

Appreciate any comments.
Ian

[cadcoke5]

My only comment is that you are unlikely to get your new drawer pull to aesthetically match the others. The finish will probably not look right. You may be better off trying to fix the broken one. There are some newer adhesives, specifically "structural Cyanoacrylate" that are really quite good. And with a surface treatment chemical, even plastics bond well. But, of course, none of that would be as fun as 3d printing.

Consider modifying the design of the pull and replacing the pulls in a certain portion. Perhaps just the top drawer pulls.

But, as you already noticed, drawer pulls are vulnerable to being broken by collisions. Around 20% of the ceramic pulls in my kitchen have broken or come out from its metal stud. If you use your rapid prototype system, you may want to design it to be fairly thick for strength and use heat-set inserts for the fastener.

-Joe

[awerby]

What material was this pull made from in the first place? It's rare for them to be made of plastic, because it's not as durable as most alternative materials. But if you printed it in PLA and cast it in bronze, it would likely be more durable than the original.

Andrew Werby
Juxtamorph.com

[robosmith]

Or you could print out 20 of your new design. But getting a smooth surface may be problematic. Apparently people use ABS and then wipe it with an ABS solvent or soak it in a solvent vapor chamber to smooth out the surface.

You will probably need a metal insert for the screw.

If the shape is simple, you may be able to get a good scan with Makerbot Digitizer, but if it's that simple you might as well draw it yourself.

[ijourneaux]

It has a design to it that would be difficult to replicate by hand.
Repair is not possible as spouse threw it out after it broke. The original pullmis made out of some soft metal

[robosmith]

I tried to get an accurate scan of a complex shape with Makerbot Digitizer; it was crap.

The only scan service I could find in town was $85, so I ended up spending the 5+ hours to draw it myself.

Industrial quality scanners are very expensive so it is hard to find and inexpensive scanning service IME.

It has a design to it that would be difficult to replicate by hand.
Repair is not possible as spouse threw it out after it broke. The original pullmis made out of some soft metal

[curious aardvark]

got a picture ?