Variotech 3000 rail covers

[T6Jay]

I simply could not find any covers for these rails so I've 3D printed my own design, in sections because a) they can be removed individually to suit different seat positions b) my printer can't print bigger than 235mm long.

They just clip into place, and the last one has a hole in it to help lift it.




Has anyone else found a solution for this?

 

[Dorlo]

Very tidy. I’ve just ordered my Variotech. Would you be interested in selling some of these?

 

[T6Jay]

Very tidy. I’ve just ordered my Variotech. Would you be interested in selling some of these?

Thanks.

Really these should be extruded, and cost peanuts, from Reimo. I don't understand why they don't provide them. It was just a matter of time until someone caught a toe in the rail and needed a trip to A&E.

Do you know anyone who could 3D print them for you? I'd be prepared to give you the STL files, and you could print your own. If you are happy with them you could donate to my beer fund

The alternative is that I print them, but that takes 2.5 hours per piece, and there's a minimum of 14 pieces (for the LWB). I'd want more than beer money for that!

 

[Dorlo]

Thanks for the reply. To be honest I’m not familiar with 3D printing but I know someone who may be able to help. If you could send me the STL and I can get it printed I’d be more than happy to send beer tokens I’ll DM you.

 

[T6Jay]

Ok, I'm just going to tidy up the files and make them Parameterised (so that anyone can choose the length, from a single STL file).

EDIT - turns out I can't do this with an STL file.

 

[T6Jay]

You would have to tell me all the lengths you need, and if you want holes in them before I can generate STL files.

For my LWB van, I ideally needed 6 pieces per rail to correspond with the various seat positions (4x245, 1x400, 1x145). I can't print one longer that 275, so the 400 became 2x200. When the seat fully back with the back shelf down, these 7 pieces cover all the exposed rail.

I put a hole in one of the 200 pieces, and printed a little keyring tool to lift them.

If you have LWB you may need the same as me, but that depends on whether Reimo make all their rails with standard positions. For SWB, I have no idea what you need.




Also, I have another design, a smaller profile that sits flush with the aluminium, it's really neat but doesn't cover the milled holes in the aluminium. More suited to behind the seat really. When I've printed some I'll put the pics up.

 

[Dorlo]

Thanks Jay. I’m not getting the seat fitted until the end of August at Knights Customs at Peterborough, so not sure what lengths I’ll need yet. It is a LWB though so I guess the rails will be the same as yours. I’m just not sure what will be our standard position for the seat, or how big I can print. Maybe I’d best reply on here once I’ve had it fitted.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Ricardo T]

Hi @T6Jay....that looks an excellent idea and very professional too! Any chance of doing me some plse?..... I wouldn't need the full set, but from the seat forwards as I have a matt in the rear behind the seat.
NB @Dorlo....Knights fitted mine too and made an excellent job.

 

[T6Jay]

Hi @T6Jay....that looks an excellent idea and very professional too! Any chance of doing me some plse?..... I wouldn't need the full set, but from the seat forwards as I have a matt in the rear behind the seat.
NB @Dorlo....Knights fitted mine too and made an excellent job.

Hi Ricardo

I would love to say yes, and they are easy to print, but I just can't leave my printer running unsupervised, and I could at best, print 2 pieces in an evening. So although it's probably 2-3 hours actual work, it takes a week to make a set, if I stay home every evening.

So one option is if you have a mate with a printer, and I give you the files, your mate prints them, and then if you like them, you donate whatever you think is fair to my beer fund

One other option, is that I could get a price from a professional printing outfit, and then take this to the FOR SALE section of the forum, I guess this price would depend on quantity, so if anyone else is interested, let me know.

What do you think?

 

[Ricardo T]

Hi Ricardo

I would love to say yes, and they are easy to print, but I just can't leave my printer running unsupervised, and I could at best, print 2 pieces in an evening. So although it's probably 2-3 hours actual work, it takes a week to make a set, if I stay home every evening.

So one option is if you have a mate with a printer, and I give you the files, your mate prints them, and then if you like them, you donate whatever you think is fair to my beer fund

One other option, is that I could get a price from a professional printing outfit, and then take this to the FOR SALE section of the forum, I guess this price would depend on quantity, so if anyone else is interested, let me know.

What do you think?

Thanks @T6Jay, ok mate, fully understood. I don't know of anyone with a 3D...not sure they have made their way into Suffolk yet lol!
If its not too much trouble to get a price from a pro would be GTK.
Thank you.

 

[T6Jay]

@Ricardo T - LWB or SWB? if LWB you need to look at the sizes in post#6 and tell me if they suit you. If SWB you'll need to get your tape measure out and get back to me.

@Dorlo - if I'm getting a price, are you in? (no commitment yet)

 

[Ricardo T]

@Ricardo T - LWB or SWB? if LWB you need to look at the sizes in post#6 and tell me if they suit you. If SWB you'll need to get your tape measure out and get back to me.

@Dorlo - if I'm getting a price, are you in? (no commitment yet)

@T6Jay...LWB, and yes those sizes look fine.

 

[Dorlo]

@Dorlo - if I'm getting a price, are you in? (no commitment yet)

Yep I’m in.

 

[BuzzardBoy]

Im in if we can get a price. Mine also being fitted by Knights on a LWB

 

[T6Jay]

£150 + Postage (£5?) for a front set of LWB covers. I can get the 2x200mm pieces changed to a single 400mm piece, making 12 pieces in total.

I need to do three sets to get this price, and could deliver around mid August.

If that price doesn't put you off, I can post out a sample piece, to make sure Reimo didn't change the rail specs.

The material can be any colour you like, and is PLA with 100% infill (3D printers CAN print hollow parts, but these are solid).

Let me know what you think.

 

[Ricardo T]

Thank you @T6Jay, does seem a bit pricey but maybe worth considering...is there any chance you could send out a sample piece so I can make more of an informed decision, although in appreciate the final item may vary slightly?
Understood if you cannot.
When you say 'a front set of lwb covers', do you mean just the rails showing in front of the seat when it is pushed as far back as possible?
Many thanks for your research on this.

 

[T6Jay]

Yes, just PM your address. I printed out 7 black pieces before the Mrs T6 said they need to be grey, so I can post you one of those.

And the set I have covers all the rails if the is seat fully back with the back shelf down. It's 1.525m per rail in total, as described above.

I know it goes back further if the shelf is raised, but we don't use this position, so I didn't bother. If you need more pieces let me know what size.

As I mentioned before, this type of plastic product should really be extruded, it's a really cheap process once the tooling is made, and I'm amazed that Reimo haven't done it. Unfortunately, for low volume stuff, 3d printing seems the only option.

 

[Ricardo T]

Thank you, pm'd. I would be looking at grey too.

 

[T6Jay]

@Dorlo, @BuzzardBoy - do you want a sample piece sticking in the post?

In the meantime, if anyone else is interested, I may be able to get the price down, let me know.

 

[T6Jay]

Here's the pieces fitted in the rear;



They're a lower profile, and sit flush with the aluminium.