Author Topic: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron  (Read 3569 times)

Online awemawson

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Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« on: September 22, 2019, 12:42:54 PM »
A fair amount of ironing gets done in our house, the holiday cottages generating at least six washes a week end. So when the cry went up that the fancy Tefal remote tank steam iron had packed up certain people were close to panic  :bugeye:

No problems says I - OK it's expensive but we can justify buying another as it's in stock locally, and if I can repair the original it can sit on a shelf to quell such panics in the future.

Immediate problem solved - diagnose the problem and fix the potential 'spare' unit. Well it was only the button on the actual iron handle that releases steam, hardly high tech as it toggles on a pivot pressing onto a micro-switch. But the pivots for the button had broken off resulting in the button dis-appearing into the body of the iron.

A quick bit of googling located a spare which was promptly ordered (about £4) and it went onto the 'to do' list .Order confirmed emails, order processed emails, payment taken emails,  sorry we are out of stock for two weeks emails, then at last, item in stock and will be sent out 'when processed  by stores'. That was four weeks ago. So I sent a chaser email only to be told now that the item was no longer available anywhere  :bang:

So time to slip into 'workshop mode' - make one ! so with good intentions out I went to steam up Fusion 360 to model one and 3D print it.

But looking at it it proved to be the most confoundedly difficult thing to model ! The shape being sculpted in all dimensions I reckoned that time would be better spent mending the original. It's pivot pins had broken off - these are 3 mm diameter extensions from a bar moulded onto a flat bit. No room to drill anything.

I ended up forming a 'gutter' from 0.5 mm brass stock which I carefully peened round the remaining bar, then I dressed down the extensions to form new 3 mm pivots. I'd intended to glue it to the broken bit, but in the end the peening proved more than adequate to hold it in place.

No photo of the bit I made as I forgot, (sorry)  but have a picture of a very similar button from a slightly different model
 :clap:
So net result about £300 of steam iron thingy bob saved to fight another day and probably stronger than it was originally
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Joules

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2019, 01:00:36 PM »
If you are ever stuck for tough 3D modelling, just give me a shout.  Might still be worth you doing a silicon mould for knocking some spares out in resin.  Still not given my DLP printer a workout, very suitable for parts like this.
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Online awemawson

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2019, 01:07:20 PM »
Joules your ears should have been burning this afternoon as you went through my mind as I looked at it !

(BTW there is a  kilo of raw sheeps wool packed up in my hall and being collected by Hermes for you on Monday)
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Joules

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2019, 01:14:02 PM »
Funny that as I stopped a job this afternoon, having sworn my ears were hot flushing  :lol:

If you do come across a spare moulding new or otherwise, stick it in the post and I will model the thing.  You are right about referencing the part from the flat and the pins.

I am happy to be fleeced on the deal... 
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Offline Joules

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2019, 01:35:15 PM »
Still might make an interesting thread modelling from photos and a handful of dimensions if you fancy.   You can test the fit using the Cetus to print the part.
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.

Online awemawson

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2019, 01:50:14 PM »
Darn me eSpares have just  emailed me saying I was looking at their site and didn't order anything, how can they help  :bang: :bang:

The one I illustrated has an extra pad emerging from the pivot bar but otherwise looks similar - I may buy one and try and compare them, but the iron is now re-assembled.

It uses security Torx keys so although I had the right Torx, I had to drill a hole up it to accommodate the security peg !
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Sea.dog

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2019, 03:16:22 PM »
It's time you bought a 3D laser scanner, Andrew  :thumbup:

Online awemawson

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2019, 03:17:59 PM »
Pass the hat round for me Seadog  :lol:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Joules

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Re: Tefal Vapour Knob for Steam Iron
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2019, 03:39:52 PM »
Funny thing is I have one of these in store.

https://www.rolanddga.com/support/products/3d-scanners/picza-pix-3-3d-laser-scanner

It isn’t a laser scanner it uses a high frequency vibrating needle to probe objects.   Sadly it is XP based and is twinned with a small MDX-3 desktop router.  A pair of items I should have let go years ago, but they were my entry into CNC.   The scanner still has its uses as a very low cost CMM and gives a good enough point cloud to help in part modelling where no flat surfaces exist.
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.