Group interest - rear light frame seals

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Group interest - rear light frame seals

Poll ended at Sat Nov 12, 2016 4:25 pm

YES Interest in re-manufactured light seals using 3D printer technique
11
100%
NO Interest in re-manufactured light seals using 3D printer technique
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 11

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TBM
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by TBM »

Da_Hose wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 4:50 am I was thinking about making a light wire perimeter frame to hold it in proper shape, which should give the best 360 scan. The bump created by the wire could be removed once scanned. Another thought was laying it face down on a surface, and make light wire frame ends to hold up the curved parts.

Although now that my brain is flipping shapes around, I wonder if you could mount all the hard parts with no gasket at all, then use tape to seal the areas where the gasket would live, and pour expanding foam in place. It would be perfectly molded to your car that way. Hmmmm..... :?: :?: :?:
Jose
That would be best,.. But of you want a digital record could a good scanner scan inside the groove where the gasket normally sits and then you reverse everything? Not very versed on scanning technology
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anchored
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by anchored »

That groove will be the hardest part of the scan since the gasket is floppy.
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by Da_Hose »

If you were to scan the groove, you then you would need to imagine the actual gasket from empty space. Filling negative space from nothing is much harder than scanning what is actually there, and cleaning up any aberrations.

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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by TBM »

I have used fusion 360 to design my future carbon plenum . I can see designing the gasket based on the negative in the light housing as being the best way to initially design it and 3d print it from maybe PLA.. The thickness and measuring the steps can be taken off of a brand new gasket..
just a thought...
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by Da_Hose »

Ya know.....

The more I think about it, the more I am starting to warm up to the idea of molding a gasket in-situ.

This stuff is closed cell, and flexible.

https://www.smooth-on.com/tutorials/foa ... ding-foam/

I'm thinking it might be possible to add some black UV resistant dye, and mold it in place as described earlier.

Jose
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by smeats »

I have 5 rear tail light assemblys (including the 2 on my car) and the chrome is poor on all of them. I wanted to do something to improve the appearance of the bezels and have now discovered that I can't remove any of the gaskets without destroying them! Several sites are still advertising 63211360465 and 63211360466 as in stock but when I order I get a refund a few days later. Please add me to the queue of more and more of us that will eventually need these parts. I'll keep a watch on this thread with keen interest [-o<
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by Sullys85 »

Definitely interested if this project were to materialize.
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by anchored »

I went back and forth on modeling it while I had my tails apart but never got around to it.

I won't be near my car for a while, but If someone mails me a gasket I will do the 3d work and research scaling up to doing the casting. I have all the gear from another project but my pressure tank is not big enough.
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by akluminus »

Apparently I'm the resurrector of old threads today.

Got all the trim ripped of my car for painting, and these are on my list. Anyone make any progress on reproducing these?

If not, I'll likely take it on.

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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by RichardP »

Not that I know of. I don’t know what the official BMW position is, I’ve not heard from them for several years. If you can find a way to manufacture them I’m still interested.
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by anchored »

Someone on FB was messing around with it. I think they had a 3d model.

I have an extra set of seals if someone wants to buy them. 225 shipped.
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by guido »

RichardP wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:09 am Not that I know of. I don’t know what the official BMW position is, I’ve not heard from them for several years. If you can find a way to manufacture them I’m still interested.
There appear to be no plans in the pipeline for BMW to address this unfortunately.
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by sansouci »

I am wondering if we reverse our thinking. Scan the body sealing surface and scan the taillight mounting frame and somehow combine the two? Fanciful idea as I'm not in the 3D scanning biz.
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Re: Group interest - rear light frame seals

Post by RichardP »

sansouci wrote: Tue Feb 06, 2024 8:15 am I am wondering if we reverse our thinking. Scan the body sealing surface and scan the taillight mounting frame and somehow combine the two? Fanciful idea as I'm not in the 3D scanning biz.
I think the best result would probably come from fitting a new seal (I have one) into the rear light frame to hold it securely in place, then scanning the surface of the seal. Then remove the seal and scan the interior of the frame and combining the two to create a 3D model. I certainly don't have the equipment or skill to do it, but if someone does, then I have the frame and seal that would be needed.
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