For context, I have a bread maker that’s been serving us well over the last two years.
It’s a basic Hamilton Beach unit.
A few weeks back, I had leaks through the bottom of the bread pan. At it turns out, the seals wear out and eventually need to be replaced. In my case, the pin that holds the paddle (which kneeds the dough) came right out, so one of the clips must be busted.
Anyway, seeing that this machine is still under warranty, and these “seal kits” seem to be available for quite a few brands and models, I figure it would be an easy resolution.
Well, not really.
The company said they don’t have replacement parts, but they’d be happy to send an entirely new bread machine (different model) if I paid the shipping.
Yeah, no. Shipping costs way more than the part I need (almost half what I paid for the machine!). And it’s environmentally wasteful to replace a machine for such a stupid issue (they wanted me to cut the cord on the old unit before disposing of it).
To make a long story short, I insisted that they only replace the bread basket, which was a much lower cost to ship anyway, and I can keep using my perfectly working machine.
Side quest: I could look for replacement seals for this machine, but apparently, they are pretty model-specific and may not fit if it’s off by even a single mm.
Is it something that can be 3D printed?
To be honest, I’ve 3d printed parts for other things before, but I don’t think it would work here. Great idea, though!
This is a high-heat part that needs to be some kind of silicone/rubber. The seal itself is shaped (not just a round washer), but there are other metal parts that appear to have broken/deteriorated. I don’t actually think my seals are broken, but the “seal kits” you usually find have all the parts I’d want to replace.
You could print a mold and cast it out of food grade silicone.
At what point would the effort and expense be “too much”? LOL These parts are normally available for under $10 for the seal, bearing, clips, and metal post.
On the other hand, we have a shower faucet knob where this internal piece would always crack. We replaced that part many times with the official component, but I ended up 3d printing it, and it hasn’t broken once in at least the last 6 years!
That depends… I watched a video where a guy spent hours casting and machining a small part out of aluminum in his garage to avoid paying the manufacturer $30.
The satisfaction in doing that would have been more than enough to justify the work! LOL
We have printed seals before and it seems to work great.
(I don’t remember the name of the material)
Probably TPU (thermo polyurethane), at least that’s what I’ve used.
A rubber gasket might have to be fabricated, but I bet it’s still doable
I’ll bet you could use some type of modern sealant to make a “rubber” gasket. Spooge it out onto a glass or stainless surface, shape it and let it dry. Trim to fit and viola. Bob’s your auntie.
In light of the hard times coming down the pike, we’ll all need to be more resourceful with mending and maintaining all the products that were planned to be scrap after one year (or warranty expiration).
Edit: I would also add that if this gasket touches food or food surfaces, do not use just anything that might transfer toxic elements. Also, I hang on to all sorts of stuff and have a stash of rubber bits I toss into a bin. Something could be made from that as well. My pack-rat ways are going to finally pay off. ;(
Maybe food safe tpu printed gasket?
One option is 3D printing a mold to fill with silicone sealant. If this is a part that fails regularly, the mold may be worth it. You then have a pretty broad array of food safe sealants you could use and don’t have to worry about your 3d printed part harboring bacteria.
Not sure about TPU, but can any FDM printed material be food safe? I thought the layers (even with sanding) harboured bacteria.
Based on this research paper, washing with soap and warm water is enough to remove harmful bacteria.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373174194_Sanitation_Effectiveness_of_3D-printed_Parts_for_Food_and_Medical_Applications
Been an while since I looked it up, but I thought it was depended on the material. PLA IIRC is somewhat porous and will harbor bacteria, for example.
I think tpu does come in food safe formulations. For a gasket that isn’t coming into contact with food, and wouldn’t regularly be washed anyway, I wouldn’t really have concerns. Especially if you can design the gasket thin enough to reduce the number of layer lines.
I’d have more concerns if the printed part came into direct contact with the food. Anything you’d want to put into a dishwasher is completely out of the question; thermoplastics don’t handle the high temps gracefully