Hi Eric,
As a bike mechanic, I wouldn't recommend riding a bicycle with any 3d printed parts. I've used 3d printers and their application is mainly prototyping, not production, because of the low strength of the product. If you wanted to make a test part to see how your design fits into the bicycle, a 3d printer would be useful. But then the final part would be made by conventional means out of metal or plastic.
I'm curious about how fabricating fenders fits into the mission of your organization. Is the intention to provide metal working experience to people who can transfer those skills to local employment? Or to sell custom parts by mail order in order to fund other shop activities?
For refurbishing bicycles, I've found polycarbonate fenders from planet bike to be satisfactory. For odd applications such as folding bikes and recumbents, I've been able to modify metal fenders from VO and Honjo using basic tools with good results.
I've read a bit about your shop online, and it seems like a really good setup. You're definitely providing a valuable service to the people of Coos Bay. I'm in Portland, so the next time I make it down that way I'll be sure to stop in.
Best,
Daniel Silverman
Anyone out there in ThinkTank land have experience with 3D printers and/or ever tried 3D print manufacturing of fenders with such technology? At Front Street Community Bike Works in Coos Bay, OR, we are considering ~$3,000 purchase of specialized tooling to make aluminum fenders. That is a very big investment for us. Then we learned about the potential of using 3D printing to make fenders. We have no experience with 3D printing but the idea intrigues me.
Seems like the idea has potential and I wonder if it has been done with success anywhere.
Eric Clough
FSCBW
Coos Bay, OR
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