Retro Reproduction.

[Vincent Slyngstad]

From: Ethan Dicks: Friday, October 23, 2015 12:27 PM
> On Fri, Oct 23, 2015 at 3:15 PM, Jay West <jwest at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>> I should also add.... if people are talking about reproducing DEC switch
>> handles (the plastic covers)... I would love to get spares for my DG gear so
>> whatever process works for the dec ones may be helpful there.
> 
> Do the DG handles have the same problems as DEC switch handles?
> (fragile pivots that break off)

In spades -- the pivot area seems much more fragile than the DEC 
ones.  In addition, the pivot heads seem to have been spread with 
some sort of heat process, so it is virtually impossible to remove 
the handle without breaking off the pivots.

> I'd say the first step is what Vince Slyngstad has done with several
> DEC handles - capture an accurate shape in some flavor of CAD.  From

I started a Nova 3 handle, but it isn't quite right yet.

> there, Shapeways or an SLA printer should make a nice, functional
> replacement.  SLA will produce brittle but visually beautiful parts.
> SLS (Shapeways) will produce stronger parts but with a matte finish -
> functionally nice, but palpably different.  Perhaps a couple coats of
> paint would smooth that over.

Paint does seem to help, adding gloss to the finish.  Even urethane 
floor wax will gloss them up some.

    Vince