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Parts that are Unobtanium

Harvey/ Ga

Harvey/ Ga

Super Member
a friend has a Mitsubishi LT-30 with a broken gear that's unobtanium.
With the proliferation of 3D laser printers, it should be possible to make one.

I have 4 TT's that I love dearly, especially my JVC QL-Y55F and Pioneer PL-L 1000.
Do any of the TT's in my sig have scarce parts to worry about ???
 
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Do they have scarce parts? Yes they probably do.

Do you need to worry about them? No, not unless one of those scarce parts breaks. In the meantime, enjoy them. Life's too short to worrt about "What If"! I'm sure it was a poster on here who sold his perfectly functioning Japanese DD because he was worried "it might break some day". That, to me, is madness!
 
All of these turntables you mention have parts unique to them, which are no longer stocked by their manufacturers. They also with luck, can get parts from several suppliers (Organ Donor Parts, is an AK advertiser), or from eBay. The Pioneer would be harder to find parts for than your JVC would be (the JVC model you own was popular in the USA, and sold in good numbers). Your Pioneer was a non USA model (USA model was sold as a Phase Linear, so that is wise knowing when you need something from a parts machine)
 
I ordered a part for a PL-570 from Pioneer. It took almost 18 months for the part to arrive and when it did, I didn't remember what it was for. I finally got it figured out and got the tt functioning properly. It was a $0.37 part from the auto return mechanism. If there ever is a next time I will definitely try to find a 3-d printed replacement part.
 
KentTeffeteller said:
All of these turntables you mention have parts unique to them, which are no longer stocked by their manufacturers. They also with luck, can get parts from several suppliers (Organ Donor Parts, is an AK advertiser), or from eBay. The Pioneer would be harder to find parts for than your JVC would be (the JVC model you own was popular in the USA, and sold in good numbers). Your Pioneer was a non USA model (USA model was sold as a Phase Linear, so that is wise knowing when you need something from a parts machine)
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Am really interested in finding the gear that breaks in the LT-30. My friend bought a second one and I've always lusted after an LT-30 myself.
Perhaps I could buy it from him if I knew where I could find the part.
 
tnsilver said:
I can grow one fresh out of the ground in less time. yeah, that 3D Anet thing looks interesting...
Click to expand...

If you like to tinker... and have any interest in 3D Printing, you have to get one.
Once assembled, once dialed in the results this "Cheap Printer" can produce will blow you away.
Completely open source... uses ALL free software, uses "cheap, readily available" material.

Just a ton of fun.
Ben
 
I like it and I'm into it, but need further convincing... Any high resolution cool stuff that you printed and can show here?
 
Harvey/ Ga said:
a friend has a Mitsubishi LT-30 with a broken gear that's unobtanium.
With the proliferation of 3D laser printers, it should be possible to make one.

I have 4 TT's that I love dearly, especially my JVC QL-Y55F and Pioneer PL-L 1000.
Do any of the TT's in my sig have scarce parts to worry about ???
Click to expand...
I've debated letting my sadder but wiser working, but needy LT-30 go to a local sale, too many turntables and not enough room.
 
tnsilver said:
I like it and I'm into it, but need further convincing... Any high resolution cool stuff that you printed and can show here?
Click to expand...
Hmmm...
Well here lately I have been doing a lot of "lithophanes" for people, basically 3D printed Photographs.
They are pretty neat, here is what it looks like "as printed:"
IMG_1480.JPG

Then when you hold it up to the light (or placed in a window) you see:
IMG_1481.JPG

You'll have to excuse the "subject matter" for the owner of this "dog" (at least I think its a dog...)
 
I actually like the (gremlin) dog. How 'bout parts... shims, headshells, gears, levers - do you suppose the material is tough enough?
 
tnsilver said:
I actually like the (gremlin) dog. How 'bout parts... shims, headshells, gears, levers - do suppose the material is tough enough?
Click to expand...

Yes, generally speaking...
Toughness of parts often comes down to how they are printed (solid, grid line infill etc.).
But the Anet A8 works with PLA, ABS, PETG... though caveat that ABS/PETG can be tricky on the ANET A8 due to not having an enclosure to keep heat in, but I have done it before.
The big thing is that PLA is generally "easy to print in" and they are continuing to come out with better/stronger PLAs (PLA+, PLA w/carbon fiber etc.)

Of course... to do parts it will take some "reverse engineering skills" (ie modeling) but with free programs like Fusion 360 its not as hard as it seems. And we really are not far from home scanner that will scan and create 3D models to print to. Some people are already doing it with old Xbox Kinect cameras.

Its an amazing technology...
 
polypetalous said:
Yes, generally speaking...
Toughness of parts often comes down to how they are printed (solid, grid line infill etc.).
But the Anet A8 works with PLA, ABS, PETG... though caveat that ABS/PETG can be tricky on the ANET A8 due to not having an enclosure to keep heat in, but I have done it before.
The big thing is that PLA is generally "easy to print in" and they are continuing to come out with better/stronger PLAs (PLA+, PLA w/carbon fiber etc.)

Of course... to do parts it will take some "reverse engineering skills" (ie modeling) but with free programs like Fusion 360 its not as hard as it seems. And we really are not far from home scanner that will scan and create 3D models to print to. Some people are already doing it with old Xbox Kinect cameras.

Its an amazing technology...
Click to expand...
Very useful for low stress rarities like mounting jigs and such.
 
One more here and I will stop thread jacking with my 3D printing fanaticism...
I really love to print "already assembled" movable items, they really show off what a Printer can do.
Here is a "fidget cube" I printed as a single piece:
IMG_1484.JPG

Its all in ONE piece but ALL joints move in any direction (kinda like a Jacobs ladder) and this was printed as an assembled part, no support.
Which means the printer had to print layer by layer, with the slightest of gaps to NOT end up as a solid stuck together piece.
This one came off of my $150 printer... I have access to a half-million dollar printer that struggles to do this...
 
Situations like this is where I think it would be worth doing the 3d printing equivalent of hifiengine. That being a database of printable parts for older gear that's otherwise impossible to obtain quality replacements for.
 
While desktop/prototyping CNC machines are much more pricey, they can also deliver the goods for lower costs than full-on custom manufacturing resources. One outfit is selling reproduction gears (for other metalworking machines: benchtop shapers) made from phenolic stock, and they're quite durable. That is, until they're not, as the original design uses them as a 'mechanical fuse' that breaks when overloaded so more expensive metal parts won't break. Meant to be replaceable, but the machines have been out of production for over 50 years, so repros required. Sound familiar?

Often, the same CAD files can be the basis for either method. Some tweaks and specialty output files may be necessary, but the basic geometry is the same.
 
I'm beginning to think PL-530 dust cover hinges are unobtanium and I wish I could print a set.
 
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