Compact Mac's feet project

Kay K.M.Mods

Active Tinkerer
Sep 23, 2021
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Tokyo
www.kerosmm.com
Many compact Macs have lost their feet or have been hydrolyzed to dissolve. Also, many substitutes are completely different in shape.

So we are working on a new replacement foot. It takes a lot of manual work to make the same shape, and it takes time to make a beautiful shape. The target amount is about $ 10. Of course, making molds and mass-producing them will be cheaper, but I have no idea how many people want this...
However, if the manufacturing method is the same as it is, it will not be profitable, so it may not be sold. Please tell us your opinion.
IMG_7686.jpeg



 
Oct 15, 2021
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An item like this is for people looking to do a total restoration, and not folks just wanting to slap the cheapest solution on their machine.

This seems like a premium product… so I wouldn’t try to compete with 3M generic.
 

Stephen

BetterBit
Staff member
Founder
Sep 5, 2021
204
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San Francisco
Very nice!

A small bench-top injection mold machine might be sufficient in combination with a small custom mold (could be 3D printed):
1638382264568.png


I've done similar small batch production for Garmin mounts using RTV silicone molds.
 
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Eric's Edge

Tinkerer
Oct 31, 2021
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I've been thinking about making replacement rubber feet for my PowerBook 520c using hand made silicone molds. I had some success creating polyurethane parts for a 116 to 120 film spool adapter for an antique camera. The cheap silicone caulk mixed with corn starch I used to make the mold was surprisingly durable. Could be a useful substitute for the rubber. It can be dyed black as well.
 
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Kay K.M.Mods

Active Tinkerer
Sep 23, 2021
296
653
93
Tokyo
www.kerosmm.com
@Ron's Computer Videos @Stephen @_SDGOL_
Thank you guys for lot of comments. Stephen gave me a DM link for cheap replacement parts, so I'll link to it here.
https://bindingsource.com/3m-bumpon-protective-products-sj5012-white-3000-case/
The parts linked here look very good to me. The moment I saw this link, the sky turned black and I felt like the project was over...lol
However, the linked Feet is 3000 pieces and costs 190 USD, but I'm not sure if the shape is accurate. One thing I can say is the notation of 1/2 inch (12.7 mm). Mac feet are actually 15mm when measuring flare of foot.
 

Elemenoh

Active Tinkerer
Oct 18, 2021
384
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Bay Area
I love the idea of making accurate replacements. That being said, compact Mac feet might be the last ones I'd want. I'd be most interested in replacement rubber feet and stoppers for PowerBooks where they often melt and are very noticeable when missing / melted.

Is it possible to cast a rubber-like material without an injection molding machine?