Personal collective of ideas, thoughts and notes
3D Scan to 3D Print due to a random online needing this cover and it is out of stock at Canyon. After doing so many of these reverse engineering projects as an unskilled hobbyist, you can see why the patent/IP system is so flawed and not founded on current technology and the advancement of manufacturing capabilities.
One benefit of owning multiple Canyon bikes is that the majority of them have had the same style/shape of stem caps. From my very first one until now, I have printed, CNC’ed, laser cut, and layed up over a dozen, each with some unique design or nuanced variation depending on the manufacturing method. This version was no different 🙂 I have been waiting to streamline the design to have it fit closer to the bar profile on my MTB. So this time I set out to CNC a mold, wet lay carbon into the mold, and then CNC the shape.
Variant 1: Failed 🙁 the shape worked quite well but the finish was ugly and would be a nightmare to CNC accurately.
Variant 2: Failed 🙁 I CNC’ed the shape using Aluminum, wet layed the carbon, but it cured into the mold and was unable to demold it successfully with delaminating/damaging the part.
Probably not the final cover, this is a Photoshop edit with Gemini background.
Probably one of the most nerve wracking things I have ever done is made this post. It was in my “drafts” for a while, the post went through a bunch of variations and changes, but “promoting” myself is something I have never enjoyed doing. How do you share something you have spent a considerable amount of time and passion on, without sounding arrogant. How do you share something in today’s age, without it sounding like it was created by AI, or is it even relevant if it was, or in some peoples eyes, wasn’t? Never the less, I hit the share button and basically nothing happened, which is what I was hoping. My plan was always to simply stake a claim. Put it out there to the world I had done this research and think it would be valuable to share. It was also a line in the sand for me to move my ass and get this thing completed … hopefully it does not take six more years to get it there.
Another super simple cover, 3mm CNC Carbon Fiber for the grail. Getting more and more comfortable with learning the CNC ropes. Next up is 4th Axis machining + aluminum.
Fun quick project to CNC a small front derailleur cover for the Speedmax out of 1mm Carbon Fiber, the current ones are from aluminum and not particular pretty.
3D scanner has intrigued me for a couple of years. The lure of being able to quickly and easily recreate something from a physical scan seems like the holy grail of self sufficiency and reducing your reliance on manufacturing or availability. 1.) With a couple of bike related projects that I want to tackle, 2.) the prices of the devices falling easily with the reach of consumers and 3.) the reasonable accuracy you get thanks to the underlying technology – it seems like it was the right time to get started.
Firstly – the device has been awesome, doing exactly what I anticipated and expected. Albeit a slightly cumbersome and slow learning process to understand the nuances of these devices. It is not the technology but rather the workflows involved to turn a “simple” scan, into a “simple” digital representation. There are a variety of steps in different tools and software, and the reality is that, as always, the devil is in the details.
Another carbon fiber project to design and create a bottle holder for behind the seat. 3D printed mould and used 8 layers of 220g 2K Carbon fiber for the wet layup.
My next foray into Carbon fiber design, tooling and development came with this project. Overall, a reasonable success. Still not perfect, and probably will not be used due to the catastrophic risk associated with riding a bike at 50mph and these breaking, but in theory and practice, a great learning opportunity.
Inspiration
Part 1: Prototyping
Part 2: Design
Fusion 360 for the design work.
Part 3: Tooling/Plug
This consisted of 4 3D printed cubes glued together and then finished with lots of sanding, and an epoxy coat.
Part 4: Version 1
The first version didnt go according to plan, I ran out of Carbon fiber material, and also recognized some layup issues. I decided to finish it anyway, but it was a dud 🙁
A bit of a clone from other designs on the market for a BTA bottle mount which has an adjustable angle. Made for the Canyon Speedmax. Printed, but not field tested, shortly after I switch to work on OpenAero designs.
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