Of Door Pulls and Insanity

These would look a lot better in aluminum...

As it turns out, the below seemingly simple part is a fairly good test of CAD/CAM software functionality. It’s a small item that can be cut and/or simulated in a hurry even on a small machine, and it has both 2d and 3d elements. The bottom could be cut as a 2d item quite easily and quickly, whereas the top has the molded edges that require a 3d toolpath. If cut from a single GCode file it will also need to have a reversal/fixture change in the middle of the process.

So with the above in mind, this is my subject matter for these tests and rants and ravings, a Commander 114 door pull.

The factory made these out of a very thin molded plastic. They're a common wear item from being jerked on by ham-fisted pilots and passengers, and are a regular point of failure on these airplanes.