Sofa top frame holes

[Phil S]

Hi All,
remember reading in one of the posts about spring loaded covers that are supposed to cover the holes in the body when the soft top is down. Can't find the post.
can anybody shed light on this?
have looked at my car (76) and there appears to never have been anything there.
is it going to be a 3D print job?

thanks Phil

[redstag]

They were aftermarket items made by the Bosscreen company. I don't think they trade anymore.

Pete

[Lingen]

Phil. And they weren't spring loaded. You had to slide them in to place, and then remember to remove them before raising the hood or they got (get) squashed. Regularly.
Mike.

[Phil S]

looks like it's a 3d print job then

[djtaylor]

looks like it's a 3d print job then

If you create a model, would you mind sharing the .OBJ or .STL? I was thinking about creating something but won't be able to for a few months now as i've had to collect my hard top from my parents house and have nowhere to store it other than safely on the car. Therefore I can't measure anything, make or test a pattern.

David.

[dasadrew]

looks like it's a 3d print job then

or a bit of plywood covered with foam-backed vinyl?

[djtaylor]

or a bit of plywood covered with foam-backed vinyl?

Yes but then there's the fun of 3D printing it and the over-engineering "just because!" part of it to consider. Ultimately, my thought was to create the core shape with some integrated clips of a design that I hadn't finished in my head but then to finish with foam backed vinyl. The same end result without a doubt.

[Always wanted a Stag]

A word of warning

To back up Lingen's comment #3 above, I have the Bosscreen covers and they do get a regular hammering when I forget to remove them before raising the hood.
The three metal clips on each cover get bent as the hood frame tries to rip them out of place as it comes out of the hood well.
It's not an difficult job to bend them back but if there's a desire to 3D print them I have an idea that this may be a problem unless the material used is super-strong.
As I know almost nothing about 3D printing, I am guessing but it is something to keep in mind.

Looking at my covers, they seem to be a piece of steel sheet with a 30degree bend running front to back and a couple of steel clips (a single and a double) spot welded on and then finished off with a vinyl cover with a sponge layer to pad it out

Hope this helps

IMG_4290.JPG

[djtaylor]

To back up Lingen's comment #3 above, I have the Bosscreen covers and they do get a regular hammering when I forget to remove them before raising the hood.
The three metal clips on each cover get bent as the hood frame tries to rip them out of place as it comes out of the hood well.
It's not an difficult job to bend them back but if there's a desire to 3D print them I have an idea that this may be a problem unless the material used is super-strong.
As I know almost nothing about 3D printing, I am guessing but it is something to keep in mind.

I wouldn't design the clips that way, for a 3D print, i'd aim for something more like a push fit clip (think like a body panel clip) where the panel would merely pop out with sufficient force. The nice thing about doing it in plastic is that the flexibility of the clip will depend on parameters such as the design itself but also the material chosen and the infill of the structure.

I'd print it in ABS plastic, that's going to be plenty strong enough when aiming for something that is designed to be inserted and removed on a springy clip basis. We have some fun materials to play with, I made a bush for my Volvo out of nylon, which I printed as a solid piece. Polycarbonate for high impact is another and then there are the other exotic filaments but the best one of all has to be...

[dasadrew]

Suppose if you don't like the holes in the sofa top, you could try here for a new one:

https://www.dfs.co.uk/offers/fabric-sofa-offers

Drew

[Always wanted a Stag]

Originally posted by djtaylor .........................

....push fit clip
....ABS
....Polycarbonate

Excellent ..... I'm interested in a pair

[Phil S]

thanks drew...must read a post before I am committed to it...good old spell check