3D printing tail lights lenes-question

[jeffwest]

I have made an attempt at creating a taillight 3D print for my '66.

Right now I am using PLA and iterating on the CAD drawing to get it right enough before I print with an optical-grade-ish filament like T-glase. 3X more expensive and harder to print with.

See images below for the current state of my third print.

The problem that I need help with is that my existing taillight lenses are curved as shown below.

Question: Are they really curved or are mine just curved from being installed so long?
-The curvature is different top to bottom
-My lens will readily go flat if forced
-It will fit neatly in the mount even when flat, in fact the mount is flat

Can someone look at a good tailight lens and let me know the proper state of lens curvature?



attachment showing curvature below:

The attachment curveature.jpg is no longer available

Top View:

The attachment top.jpg is no longer available

Bottom View:

[jeffwest]

Sorry for the Lenes as opposed to lenses.

Also, only the first image was posted, so here are the remainder:

Top view:

[jeffwest]

Bottom View

[pismopowerwagon]

Both of my used spares are curved like yours, I would be curious what a NOS one compared.

[hmaynord]

just removed 1 of mine and it's also curved like yours

[dodgeboykim]

I have an NOS Lens in my hand and the mounting side to light assembly is flat, But the lens front has a slight curve end to end and side to side. Peak is at bullseye on lens.

[jeffwest]

Darn! dodgeboykim is right, mine is flat o the mounting side as well.

Right now I am not sure how to deal with this; 3D printing is not particularly good at these features.

I would like some opinions about who thinks the curvature is important for function??

[my5thmopar]

Looks pretty cool to me. I wouldn't think the curvature is super important. Its not like some of the sophisticated lens on LED stuff today. My BTW good work on this. I tried to make a lens with vacuum and chemical molding a few years ago. I never got a suitable product from the processes. Several failures and the money, I gave up. Looks like you're on the right track with the 3D. Keep us posted. Craig

[Wildergarten]

Looks pretty cool to me. I wouldn't think the curvature is super important.

What's important is sealing to the gasket. You're correct about the fresnel lens. I'm surprised that 3D printing can yield a surface finish suitable for a lens however.

[dodgeboykim]

Darn! dodgeboykim is right, mine is flat o the mounting side as well.

Right now I am not sure how to deal with this; 3D printing is not particularly good at these features.

I would like some opinions about who thinks the curvature is important for function??

I did not measure the curvature , But it is very small. Laying a steel straight edge across a mint NOS Lens is not something I want to do.
Its the spare for my 66 W100. Only thing I can think the curvature is for would be the reflective part of lens. Will that be incorporated into your design 3 D printing.

[Jim100]

I think the bigger issue is that its white!

[mrciviljim]

My repop and original lens have the mild curve. I am thinking this is either to help seal the lens when you screw it in, it is a consequence of the manufacturing process, or a issue with the plastic and time. I don't think this is intended. These were made in a simpler time. It was made to be broken.


But, have you thought of making 3D printing new buckets that would accept either the LED circuit board from an standard Truck/Trailer oval tail light and the stock or aftermarket lens.

I am currently using the led board in my tail lights but have issues with the board staying put in the light bucket. The board is almost exactly the size of the reflector pocket and there is nothing to hold onto. It would help if the pocket fit the board and was held away from the lense a bit. I also have miss-matched boards because of my experiments with the LED count 10, 22, etc.. I just cut the lens and frame from the trailer light and rewired to ground and the Original Equipment plug that I had pulled from a scrapyard.

[jeffwest]

I have solved the curvature printing. The only problem is that there will be a manual step to sand flat the outer surface with progressive sandpaper steps.

Instead of printing flat, I print with the side of the lens down and have the slicer add supports. The results in a stepping in the lens outboard surface, thus the sanding. I'll post some pictures later this weekend.

A more careful look reveals both sides are curved, and the curvature is different on each side.

The reason these prints are white and opaque is that the good stuff costs 5X more than the white stuff. I am using the cheap stuff to get the geometry correct and will finally print with the good stuff only a few times.

This makes me think that a flat one (which does fit pretty nice) may be what I go for in the end. I want a nice old truck but I am not too much of a stickler for original.

I am open to trying the LED tail light mount. If you want to draw a sketch with dimensions and send it my way (take a picture and then post it). I can fine-tune the tail light side of things after the first print. If (big if) successful, I would be glad to print a few for cost (ABS is $18/kg on Amazon and is not a terrible material for this use) and then post the refined drawing for others. These printers are ~$400 and not hard to use. If you can do some this other stuff (vent windows for instance is killing me) on a 50 year old truck, you have the stick-to-it-ness to do 3D printing.

Please notice that I only get a chance to log in about once a month, I have a real life like most of you guys.

[marklein]

The 3d print is a good idea, but when I need lenses, my plan is to cut the lense from 1/2" thick lexan, shape it, then buy a bunch of led's, drill holes in the lexan, put the leds in those holes. You could make any pattern that your heart desires. And use any color of lexan you chose. Just my .02.