
Designing and 3D-printing a garage remote motorcycle mount - StavrosK
https://www.stavros.io/posts/making-motorcycle-remote-mount/
======
blutack
The problem with OnShape and Fusion 360 is that if (when?) the services are
discontinued your designs go away. You can keep the STL/IGES files but they
aren't very useful if you need to quickly tweak a dimension. I've been bitten
before by Fusion360 refusing to work (in offline mode) without an internet
connection because it had decided it was phone-home time.

Whilst it doesn't have all the features of the usual commercial packages
(Solidworks etc), SolveSpace is great, cross-platform, a single binary and my
preferred open source solution for simple 2D/3D cad jobs [1]. FreeCAD [2] has
also come along a lot if you prefer something more like the traditional
packages, although I found some annoyances with it's dimension and constraint
system when I last used it ~6 months ago due to the fact it has two different
sketching modes.

1: [http://solvespace.com](http://solvespace.com)

2: [https://www.freecadweb.org/](https://www.freecadweb.org/)

~~~
StavrosK
SolveSpace is fantastic, and it's impressive that the entire parametric CAD
package is ~2MB, it just never ocurred to me to use it for this. I'll give it
a shot, thank you.

You're right about the proprietary/cloud nature of the previous alternatives,
which is regrettable because Fusion is a desktop program, and could easily
just be saving files locally.

I hope FreeCAD becomes a great alternative soon, because Fusion really needs
competition in the space.

~~~
blutack
I completely agree and was in the same boat - I used to use Fusion because
until recently the only open source option I knew about was FreeCAD, and I had
various issues with stability, features and the interface. OpenSCAD & friends
are neat but if like most you've learnt CAD with a more traditional package
it's tricky to adapt to.

Of course the cloud systems have their advantages and uses too!

Nice project and write up by the way!

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no_protocol
Nice. I had a similar problem when I rode my bicycle to work daily. I really
didn't want to have to carry anything more than my phone.

I ended up hacking a bluetooth earpiece into a remote after seeing the idea
online. It was 100% reliable over a period of over 2 years.

Having it mounted in the open like that seems like it could have a few
drawbacks. I would still be concerned about water damage, even if you don't
plan to ever be out in the rain. What about the fasteners you used? Are they
rust-proof? Things mounted on my bicycle that have any metal parts seem to
wear out over time, and plastics seem to take on some weathering, possibly
from sun.

~~~
StavrosK
There's definitely going to be water damage on the plastic, PLA isn't very
water-friendly. I'll buy some PETG to print it later on, it should be much
more weather-resistant and durable. The nuts and bolts need to be rust-
resistant too, yes, although I can always just change those after a while.

The good thing about having a 3D printer is that a replacement part is just 20
minutes away.

~~~
WillPostForFood
PLA definitely will absorb water, which decreases its strength, but the
effects may not be that noticeable, at least for a while. I have load bearing
PLA parts that have now been outside in the yard for 2 and 3 years, and they
are showing no signs of degradation.

Anyway, it would be an interesting experiment for you to stick with the PLA
print until you see a problem before you reprint with PETG. My bet is it will
last longer than expected.

~~~
StavrosK
I will, as I've already printed it and there's no reason to change now. It'll
be interesting to see how it goes.

------
jlgaddis
I just keep a traditional garage door opener in the inside breast pocket of my
vest and jacket. Easy to close the garage when I pull out, easy to open it as
I'm coming down the driveway. Harley-Davidson has an opener I could get and
install directly into the bike (with a pushbutton on the "dash") but it's more
than I'm willing to pay since my current solution works well enough.

------
phantom_package
Huh, I've never heard to keep weight off the keyring. I imagine this is to
avoid unnecessary force on the ignition assembly? Obviously you wouldn't want
to put several lbs on there, but it seems like small items would be fine.

Regardless, cool project. I'm planning to do something similar, as soon as I
can get an indoor space. I might go even more hidden, and hide it under the
lip of the gas tank or etc.

~~~
adrianpike
Things flap around a ton at speed on a bike - I've got a little toy on my
keyring and at anything past freeway speeds it moves around a _ton_.

~~~
nf05papsjfVbc
Also, it minimises chances of the tank getting scratches from objects attached
to the key. At times the things on the keychain get into the well of the lock
beside the key and sort of get in the way while turning it.

~~~
StavrosK
Oh yeah, both of those definitely happened too.

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spthorn60
Nice, Stavros. I've been thinking about the same thing; having my current
remote inside a jacket pocket and attempting to poke through the fabric to the
button is distracting.

~~~
StavrosK
Thank you! I was thinking of publishing this to Thingiverse, but the enclosure
is so ad-hoc that it would hardly be of use to anyone. Maybe I'll just publish
the Fusion source, though.

~~~
pen2l
The 'Fusion' source? I assume you mean share the 3d model file... and you used
Fusion 360 software to create it.

Just curious: can you share your experience modeling this? Why Fusion 360?
Because it's free? Do you have experience with Solidworks or Blender or other
software? If yes, how would you compare 3d modeling in Fusion vs. other
modeling software?

~~~
dammitcoetzee
Fusion is likely to displace Solidworks and Autodesk's own inventor in the
market within the next few years. It's easy, powerful, and most importantly
update regularly and with features people want. Onshape is pretty awful, so no
threat there. Source: Spent about a hundred million hours in this sort of
software ;;' _ '

~~~
StavrosK
What do you find awful about OnShape? It's not as nice as Fusion, but it's
passable, and it runs on Linux, which is my number one annoyance with Fusion.
Requiring me to reboot to design stuff is pretty much a guarantee that not
many things will ever get designed :/

------
throwanem
> This is because if, when finally screwing the parts together, the screw has
> to thread its way through, then the gaps between the parts won’t tighten
> when you tighten the screw, because there’s no travel between them.

That's why wood screws are only threaded partway up their length. Since these
screws are self-tapping, they need to account for the problem you correctly
identify here, where the screw can't clamp the parts together properly because
they cannot move relative to one another as the screw is tightened into place.
Ending the thread partway up the screw solves this by permitting the part
nearer the screw head to move freely along the shaft, so the fastener can
clamp them together properly as it's tightened.

The machine screws you're using, conversely, are threaded all the way up to
the head because they are not designed for self-tapping, but rather to be used
in holes which have had threads tapped into them. That's why they are giving
you the trouble they are. Happily, there are a few different ways to make that
trouble go away!

Making the entire screw path wide enough that the screw doesn't have to tap
any threads, and securing it with a nut, is one option, and as you've seen, it
can work. On the other hand, you lose something in clamping force, because
there's less bearing surface, and you also have to choose between machining
(or designing) a nut pocket into the part, or having the nut and the end of
the bolt stick out past the profile of the case.

Another option, which replicates the benefit provided by the design of self-
tapping screws, is to make the screw hole wider, but only in the part nearer
the head, and leave the far part's hole narrow enough that the screw will tap
threads into it on the first insertion. This way, you have the part near the
head free to tighten, which solves the problem you saw with your first
designs, and you get the maximum clamping force possible from the screw
without having to tap threads for a machine screw - _and_ , with a carefully
chosen (or trimmed) length of screw, you can also have the path end in a blind
hole in the far part, so that the only part of the screw visible in the
finished item is its head. (If you care, of course.)

And a third option, naturally, would be to actually tap threads into your
screw holes - but you need a tap set for that, and I'm not sure there's much
point. You _need_ taps to cut threads into metal, because metal is pretty
hard, and you need something very hard to cut it cleanly so that your screws,
which are only pretty hard themselves, aren't ruined when you try to use them.
Plastic, on the other hand, is very soft, so you're not actually hurting
anything by letting your screws self-tap. You just need to adjust your design
to account for it.

Hope this helps!

~~~
StavrosK
Ah, damnit, yes, this was the second thing I wanted to mention in the post
(having the last part be tighter so the screw threads its way through) but
forgot to write it up in the end.

Thanks for the reminder, that's exactly how these designs should work, you're
spot on.

~~~
throwanem
Oh, any time. In any case, I'm sure there's someone here who won't have run
across it yet, and for whom it'll come in handy.

On a related note - is it just me, or does the nigh monomaniacal focus lately
on high-capital-investment tools like 3D printers and laser cutters seem like
it might come at the cost of a lot that's of value? Like, for example, any
interest at all in how to encourage and support kids coming up in places and
families where a 3D printer, or a laser cutter, is about as likely of
attainment as a nice little house on the far side of the moon? I don't know, I
kind of feel that way, but maybe I'm the only one.

~~~
StavrosK
Well, I got my printer for $250 new, and the print quality is fantastic, on
par with some I've seen that cost $1000+. I'm not sure if you consider that
high-capital, but I've definitely seen single tools (e.g. saws, and, hell,
phones) cost more than that.

I definitely don't think this is moon-house territory, the technology is very
accessible, price-wise, especially if you consider that these tools are easily
cheap enough for libraries and other communal spaces to buy and make available
to the public.

~~~
throwanem
Fair point. But how much effort went into getting that print quality out of a
machine at that price point?

I'm still uncertain that the heavy emphasis is of net value, but I'll need to
spend some time considering why I feel that way before I can make a coherent
argument.

~~~
StavrosK
I couldn't tell you, a lot of it is just me becoming more experienced at
setting its parameters. I made a few minor upgrades, but I don't think it took
too much effort to get that quality out of it.

~~~
throwanem
Now you've got me curious. What's the make and model? And what are running
costs like, in terms of feedstock et cetera?

I can hardly fit a Bridgeport mill in a one-bedroom apartment, after all, but
a 3D printer might well be doable, and even if I still can't work in metal
with one, I'd still be able to do a lot more than I easily can now...

~~~
StavrosK
It's a Wanhao i3 duplicator. Filament costs around $25/kg, and your mileage
will vary, but I think I've only used one spool (1 kg) of filament in the time
I've had it or so. $50 of filament will get you _a lot_ of prints, as most
prints are a few tens of grams.

Size-wise, it's about the size of a microwave.

~~~
throwanem
Wow, costs have really come down since I last looked into the space a couple
of years ago.

Thanks for the info! One last question - I'm seeing .1mm cited as minimum wall
thickness in a few places. Legit or bogus in your experience? I'd love to be
able to 3d-print complex light diffusers, but that just sounds too good to be
true...

~~~
StavrosK
Yep, what the sibling comment said. In practice, I've gotten great results
with this machine with 50μm step in the Z axis, although yes, my X and Y axes
are limited to 400μm.

Also yes, optically clear prints are a no-go, as far as I know. You can get
transparent PETG, but it will end up looking rather milky after printing. Here
are some videos:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkfQri2B0PY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkfQri2B0PY)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI0FM_XdrzE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI0FM_XdrzE)

~~~
throwanem
That's well within tolerances I could live with, I think. And optical clarity
is not a requirement! I'm just thinking about complex-shaped translucent
diffusers for a design of accent lamp I'm thinking about making - if it works
out, I might see if I can sell them to some of the hipster shops around here,
and I can see where diffusers might add some appeal.

Thanks again for all the info! I really appreciate you taking the time.

------
fergazen
One other solution is that whoever it was in hollywood that first declared
fanny packs to be 'uncool' needs to be 'drawn and quartered'. My little tiny
remote is easy to access while i'm on my bike thanks to this amazing
technology called a fanny pack.

~~~
StavrosK
I don't know how easy it would be, even with a fanny pack. There's going to be
other stuff in there too, and even hitting the button when I'm holding the
remote in my hand is hard with a glove, as the buttons are almost recessed.
This design has the button protruding, making it much, much easier to press.

~~~
fergazen
I would be afraid to have my garage able to be gotten into by anyone who
happens to know where I live and has a screwdriver. But from a technical
standpoint, I'm impressed with what you did, and as a mechanical engineer
would love to have a 3D printer of my own! Nice work!

~~~
StavrosK
Buildings are different here, I live in an apartment complex and the garage is
like a parking garage. Anyone can walk in behind someone who forgot to close
the door, but there's not much they can do, since it's just parked cars and
apartment doors.

For a few months, we even had the garage door stay completely open all the
time, due to some power problems.

~~~
fergazen
sounds cool. Yeah in that case i'd much rather use your bracket than my fanny
pack!

