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HP Scope Probe Flange Repair: Improved Spares

While reducing the clutter atop the Electronics Workbench, I ran off four more probe flange reinforcements, just so I’m ready for the next crunch:

HP scope probe flange disks
HP scope probe flange disks

They’re almost identical to the previous version, although I tweaked the taper to end slightly inside the cylindrical cup, thereby eliminating the coincident faces and leaving a minute rim that doesn’t matter:

HP Scope Probe Flange Repair - bottom
HP Scope Probe Flange Repair – bottom

Given that I’ve had the ‘scope for nigh onto two decades and have only broken one probe flange, I think four reinforcements will be a lifetime supply: with any luck, the scope will blow a capacitor before I do.

The OpenSCAD source code:

// Tek Scope Probe Flange
// Ed Nisley KE4ZNU November 2013

//- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
//  Print with 2 shells and 3 solid layers

ThreadThick = 0.20;
ThreadWidth = 0.40;

HoleWindage = 0.2;

Protrusion = 0.1;            // make holes end cleanly

function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);

//----------------------
// Dimensions

FlangeOD = 16.0;
FlangeID = 8.75;
FlangeThick = IntegerMultiple(1.25,ThreadThick);

DiskOD = FlangeOD + 4*ThreadWidth;
DiskThick = FlangeThick + 4*ThreadThick;

NumSides = 8*4;

//----------------------
// Useful routines

module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) {            // based on nophead's polyholes

Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);

FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);

cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
h=Height,
$fn=Sides);
}

module ShowPegGrid(Space = 10.0,Size = 1.0) {

Range = floor(50 / Space);

for (x=[-Range:Range])
for (y=[-Range:Range])
translate([x*Space,y*Space,Size/2])
%cube(Size,center=true);

}

//----------------------
// Build it

ShowPegGrid();

difference() {
union() {
translate([0,0,2*ThreadThick])
cylinder(r=DiskOD/2,h=DiskThick,$fn=NumSides);    // cylinder around flange

cylinder(r1=(DiskOD - 2*ThreadWidth)/2,                // flange reinforcing plate
r2=DiskOD/2,
h=(2*ThreadThick + Protrusion),
$fn=NumSides);
}
translate([0,0,(DiskThick - FlangeThick)])                // flange clearance
PolyCyl(FlangeOD,2*FlangeThick,NumSides);

translate([0,0,-DiskThick/2])                            // probe nose clearance
PolyCyl(FlangeID,2*DiskThick,NumSides);
}

Comments

4 responses to “HP Scope Probe Flange Repair: Improved Spares”

  1. david Avatar
    david

    Isn’t the whole point of the 3D printer to be able to make such things on demand when you rarely need them instead of stockpiling a million different parts? :)

    1. Ed Avatar

      Absolutely!

      It’s a tradeoff, though: now I need not worry about finding that file and resetting all the configurations in, oh, call it five years… after debugging two more 3D printers with the same ‘scope. [sigh]

  2. technomancer Avatar
    technomancer

    It would be nice to print these in several colors, they would double as very visible probe identification rings.

    1. Ed Avatar

      Now that’s the best justification for a multi-color printer I’ve seen in a long time! [grin]