# Tofty's Various Tritium Beads



## Tofty

Hi all,
After reading some quite interesting threads about tritium beads i thought i'd have a go myself.

Instead of designing them to be machined i went down the 3D printing route to allow abit more flexibility. They should all be able to be printed in brass, silver and titanium + all kinds of plastics.

Here are just a few:







Alternative attachment lanyard stud which uses 6 of the 1.55x5mm tritium vials (12mm dia by 13mm, central pin 4mm dia by 6mm).










Simple non-cylindrical bead that takes 2 of the 2.5x10mm tritium vials (15.5x13.2x7.3mm, centre hole 5mm).











.

Bird Cage Vial holder, takes 12 off 2x8mm tritium vials (12mm dia by 11.5mm, centre hole 5mm).


If there is any interest i can offer these for 3D printing via some of the established 3D printing websites. Although it would require self installation of the vials.
I doubt the price would be anything other than obscene though.


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## nbp

That second one is super cool!


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## theslippyslug

^^agreed^^
it looks like a pedal!! Nice work!


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## Norm

nbp said:


> That second one is super cool!





ukmidnite said:


> ^^agreed^^
> it looks like a pedal!! Nice work!



Exactly my thoughts too, the pedal shape looks really cool, great viability for the trits.


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## mohanjude

Tofty

Amazing. How does the 'printing' process work?


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## Silgt

Love the pedal & birdcage designs...nice


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## greenlight

You would think that there would be just so many ways to make a cord-pull. I like the second one.


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## the_guy_with_no_name

Very well done Tofty!
Some cool designs.

I like the pedal the most too 

tgwnn


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## 127.0.0.1

yes make that *pedal shaped one *I will buy 6 at least


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## samuraishot

I've been holding off in buying a tritium bead until I saw the pedal shaped one


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## F. Premens

nbp said:


> That second one is super cool!



+1


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## derfyled

Another vote for the pedal-shaped one...


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## nbp

The way it's going you may end up with enough buyers to justify finding a machinist to actually whip up a batch of these. oo:


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## Tofty

Well with at least 10 likes in less than a day the "tritium Pedal" looks to be the clear winner.
I will order some prototypes in various materials to ensure the design is good then release it out into the world.




> The way it's going you may end up with enough buyers to justify finding a machinist to actually whip up a batch of these. oo:



It's possible but the pedal would be quite hard to hold on a milling machine without a custom made holding jig and also getting the radiuses right would be time consuming.
I'll explain below why this should not be necessary.




> Amazing. How does the 'printing' process work?




Right then. 3D printing is the continuation of what used to be known as "rapid prototyping".
There are many different production methods but i shall run through just a few of them to clarify things:
Some of the first machines would make a laminated paper block with each sheet having a 2D pattern cut into it to build a 3D model that was useful purely for display purposes.
The next versions used a photo-setting plastic or resin; a platform would sit in a pool of liquid plastic and a laser would harden some of the plastic into a model layer on the platform, the platform would then move down a tiny amount allowing more liquid plastic to cover the model then the laser repeats the process hardening another layer and so on until the model is complete. Again mainly cosmetic purposes but the models could be used to prove design acceptability.
Newer printers are now using a printing head to physically print with the desired material just as if it was ink.
Some materials offered in 3D printing are not actually printed but cast using a mold made around a 3D printed wax model.
To be honest wikipedia will give you a much better description of 3D printing as a whole.

There are a number of websites that will print one-offs or small runs at a fair price from an uploaded 3D model and they are what a plan to use.
Sites i have looked at are:
Shapeways,
i.materialise,
kraftwurx
These sites have shops attached that allow designers to provide their models for the public to order, earning themselves some design commision.
The model is then produced and shipped by the website.

Hope this clarifies things a bit.


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## wyldthng

I too, love the second one (the pedal). Count me in!!


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## nfetterly

The pedal one is great - would be even neater with a slot in the flat edge of the pedal. Interested if you make sone (with or without the extra slot).


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## the_guy_with_no_name

Hi Tofty,

A small suggestion/enhancement if I may be so bold (I hope you dont mind)

A little side visibility?





The angles are not precise but I think you get the idea?

tgwnn


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## murpharoo

Pedal design looks great especially with the site opening


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## easilyled

With the UK's cycling success at the Olympics, the pedal design is apposite.


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## Denzel24

Count me in for pedal as long as it available for shipping worldwide! :twothumbs


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## 127.0.0.1

the_guy_with_no_name said:


> Hi Tofty,
> 
> A small suggestion/enhancement if I may be so bold (I hope you dont mind)
> 
> A little side visibility?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The angles are not precise but I think you get the idea?
> 
> tgwnn





pedal is perfect as the original design drawing. an added slot there is on thinnest part and confuses the design, IMHO


that pedal design beats any trit pull I have seen thus far. I have merkava fobs and a Glowworm, those
are fobs, I see this pedal as a pull. and it is freaking art ! 

make some make some make some make some !!!!


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## nbp

127.0.0.1 said:


> pedal is perfect as the original design drawing. an added slot there is on thinnest part and confuses the design, IMHO
> 
> that pedal design beats any trit pull I have seen thus far...........I see this pedal as a pull. and it is freaking art !
> 
> make some make some make some make some !!!!




+1 on all those points. 

When you say obscenely expensive to 'print' these, what are we talking? $50? $100? $200?


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## Tofty

I'm doing some renders for the possible side cut-outs but their taking ages and it's getting late so i'll put them up later.

@nfetterly: am i right in assuming you were thinking along the same lines as tgwnn?

@easilyLED: It would make a nice little homage certainly but i can't use the O word, not being an official sponser.

@Denzel24: Worldwide shipping will be offered if i sell finished versions but the 3D printing websites also offer global delivery if you wanted to install the vials yourself.

@127.0.0.1: If the side slots arn't too weak and it's a legitimate design i'll still offer the original design as well, i still prefer the original (but thats only because like all designers i hate it when someone else has a good idea i should have thought of). Different materials allow for different minimum wall thicknesses and detail resolution so a more complicated design will limit the material choice more.

@nbp: expensive as in $50-60 for just the part printed in silver without the tritium or installation. Not really obscene considering the material but more expensive than other beads on the market. Brass would be cheaper as would stainless steal if it could be done. Titanium would be the most expensive as it's one of the most complicated 3D printing processes there is.

The cost of printing includes a flat rate charge per printed item as well as a material charge so a larger object will be cheaper per volume. The idividual cost of the bead could therefore be reduced if a number of them were printed together as one piece with joining sprues then cut out later.


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## Tofty

Here we go:


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## ADzX

+6
thats so sick.!


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## JMP

Put me down for two please. 


When do you expect these to be done?


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## samuraishot

Is like to reaffirm my interest for one after seeing those renderings.


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## nbp

Now THIS is an original design! We've never seen a bead like this before. Well done Tofty. :thumbsup: I will be watching this thread, of course.


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## Tofty

I've ordered some prototypes of both the original and side slotted designs in plastic, stainless steel and silver. The lead time is almost three weeks but as soon as they arrive and i confirm their suitability i can make them available on the 3D printing websites and also start a sales thread for beads with tritium pre-installed.

Thanks everyone for the kind words, i must admit i didn't expect the pedal to be a popular design but the more i look at it i see that it has a certain something going for it.


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## 127.0.0.1

Tofty said:


> I've ordered some prototypes of both the original and side slotted designs in plastic, stainless steel and silver. The lead time is almost three weeks but as soon as they arrive and i confirm their suitability i will *POST UP PICS ON CPF PRONTO* and can make them available on the 3D printing websites and also start a sales thread for beads with tritium pre-installed.
> 
> Thanks everyone for the kind words, i must admit i didn't expect the pedal to be a popular design but the more i look at it i see that it has a certain something going for it.



FTFY!


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## toysareforboys

I'll take two of the one on the bottom in this pic:






In Titanium if available, and if not, polished stainless (green trits).

Thanks!

-Jamie M.


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## tobrien

good ideas!


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## moeman

Love that pedal design! I like both versions, Tofty!


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## Tofty

Thanks guys,
Not really much to show yet as the order is far from being completed and sent to me but a bead does now exist in the real world.






THe surface looks quite pitted but thats because i ordered it unpolished.


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## Essexman

You know I like these already, great work matey!

What material is the prototype? I kinda like that rough finish.


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## calipsoii

Very cool Tofty! How about a few close-up shots of your unpolished bead? I'm sure I'm not the only one interested in seeing it.

Will be watching this thread with interest!


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## Tofty

I should have explained, that picture was sent to me from Shapeways as they were querying whether the shiny area in the middle would be a problem or not.
This bead is part of a larger order that will not be delevered for some time. Pictures will be posted as soon as the items do arrive though.

The bead is silver, the problem with the rough finish is that it will never be consistant over the whole surface, but i agree that it would look cool, a bit like a damascus layer pattern.

Although i haven't got any beads yet i did get a package from shapeways today......


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## Essexman

Is that an Tofty Ag whistle!!


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## Launch Mini

These do look very cools. I would most likely be in for 1 or 2, or 3...
Subscribing to this thread.


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## Empire

I'll take a birdcage,


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## nfetterly

Tofty said:


> @nfetterly: am i right in assuming you were thinking along the same lines as tgwnn?



Yep that is exactly what I was thinking. Picture says it better...

Somehow I didn't subscribe to the thread before, corrected that and I'm in for some.


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## moeman

I like it Tofty!


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## wyldthng

Awesome bead Tofty!!


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## derfyled

Tofty said:


> Thanks guys,
> Not really much to show yet as the order is far from being completed and sent to me but a bead does now exist in the real world.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> THe surface looks quite pitted but thats because i ordered it unpolished.



Tofty,

Get yourself prepared to seal some envelopes and train your thumb for putting stamps. I'm sure you will sell tons of these here.

Fantastic work, I like it a lot, even with that finish.:twothumbs


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## fl0t

I like the bird cage and the pedal.
I would like to see all of those trits on the bird cage together at night, it must be bright...


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## Tofty

Thanks everyone, yesterday was a good day:












Gold plated brass and sterling silver.







Gold plated brass from i.materialise.







Raw sterling silver from shapeways.







Stainless steel/bronze from shapeways.







Purple plastic from shapeways.







Red plastic from shapeways.







All these parts ended up different sizes so different sized models will be needed for each material choice so i've got some modifying to do.
The gold plated brass pedal bead from i.materialise is the only model that will not need changing at all and will go up on their site shortly, the sterling silver pedal bead from shapeways is good enough but could do with being a tiny bit larger.
The other models are too small for the tritium vials to fit into and the centre hole is so tight it makes fitting the paracord difficult.


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## moeman

I like the look of the SS/bronze one and if you didn't plate the brass one I would be happy with that one too. I don't mind the texture at all. Like it. 
Looking awesome Tofty!!!


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## toysareforboys

The gold plated one! OMG SEXY! 

-Jamie M.


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## smarkum

moeman said:


> I like the look of the SS/bronze one and if you didn't plate the brass one I would be happy with that one too. I don't mind the texture at all. Like it.
> Looking awesome Tofty!!!



+1. 
Really cool stuff there!


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## 127.0.0.1

wow stainless steel/bronze


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## Ualnosaj

Let's get rolling! I'm certainly in. Those slots look massive for trits...



________________
Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse the brevity of this message.


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## wyldthng

Yikes! I think I'm going to have to get a few of these! Silver is very appealing...


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## Ward

How about a design to be printed in the transparent resin? Maybe the birdcage would look cool in see-through resin..

Then again, it would probably look a whole lot better in titanium!


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## derfyled

Ward said:


> How about a design to be printed in the transparent resin? Maybe the birdcage would look cool in see-through resin..



Interesting idea, very interesting. Something like polycarbonate would look great and the visibility of the trit would be improved.


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## Tofty

Thanks guys,
The tritium vials used are 2.5x10mm and the fit in the various beads was either good or the bead holes were too small.

I got a shipment of various vials a few days ago, here's the first pair set:


























More to come.....


My 'tritium pedal bead' with the side cut-outs is now available on the i.materialise website for purchase in gold plated brass.
Both designs, either with or without side cut-outs, are available for purchase on shapeways in a full range of materials (some models are specific to a certain material due to over-sizing requirements).
In fact all the beads shown in the first post are up on shapeways, just search for 'tritium'.

The padal bead can be ordered in frosted or supposedly transparent fine detail plastics but these probably nowhere near as optically clear as polycarbonate.
I have ordered something in the transparent plastic so i'll be able to assess it once it arrives (in a month or so).

In a few months time i plan to get 100 or so pedal beads cast in proper stainless steel then offered as a finished item (with trits installed).
If this turns out to be successful then perhaps a titanium version might arise.
No idea on prices yet though.


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## 127.0.0.1

Tofty said:


> If this turns out to be successful then perhaps a titanium version might arise.


*Get a load of this guy.... IF* they are successful. Sheesh ! ya think ?


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## climberkid

I'll have to wait until you get a bunch made with trits put in. I don't have any norland nor a UV light capable of curing it.


-Alex


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## the_guy_with_no_name

Tofty!!

The photos look fantastic. Well done!

The polished/plated brass one looks just fabulous!

tgwnn


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## wyldthng

Beads ordered Tofty!


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## toysareforboys

wyldthng said:


> Beads ordered Tofty!


Where? How? I don't understand!!

-Jamie M.


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## wyldthng

toysareforboys said:


> Where? How? I don't understand!!
> 
> -Jamie M.



Go to the Shapeways website and search for tritium - takes you straight to them! Now I just have to find the right sized trits.....


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## samuraishot

Awesome, Tofty! I hope you'll throw copper into the mix as well


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## Tofty

Thanks everyone, with the biggest thankyou going to Wyldthng, hope you like them when they finally arrive.

The correct sized tritium vials are sold in the UK by a company called Gardner as fishing lures and rod illuminators.
I know there are UK shops on ebay that will ship them worldwide.

More pictures of the silver bead:























And in plastic:


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## Essexman

I can't see the hallmark on the silver one mate ?


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## eNonsense

These are awesome!

It's great to see someone else taking advantage of 3D printing for EDC gear. I've been making Swiss Army Knife scales, which are also on Shapeways.






You guys who have been talking for pages about being interested in ordering these tritium beads, you do understand that you can go buy them *right now* in several different materials, including metals. The prices are fair for a custom item and the shipping isn't that much. You just have to supply your own trit. vials. Can't you still buy those from Merkava in the CPF marketplace?

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?170374-For-Sale-Tritium-Vials

The unfortunate truth for stuff like this is there really isn't enough demand to make a finished batch of machined products economical. That's the great thing about 3D printing the final product. The buyer can have the item in their choice of different materials/colors at across different price points, made to order, 1 at a time, where the seller would otherwise have to keep items of each material/color in stock on his own dime. It's an expensive and risky prospect, which the seller might not recoup the cost of if everything isn't sold. Convenient for anyone who wants to try their hand at designing products, not just those who have the means to produce and distribute a few hundred at a time. Yes, it's a bit more expensive for the buyer, but it gives you more choice and encourages more designers to get involved (which equals even more choices for the buyer). 

It's a great technology. It's the future!


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## Tofty

@ Essexman: I did some checking and there is a minimum mass for silver hallmarking which is 7.78 grams.
The density of 925 sterling silver is 10.4 g/cm^3
The volume of the bead without the side cut-outs is 0.47 cm^3
so it's mass should be only 4.89 grams.

The whistle on the other hand has a volume of 1.66 cm^3 so has a mass of 17.26 grams, well over the minimum, so if i ever wanted to sell it in the UK as silver i'd have to send it off to one of the hallmark assay offices at some expense.
I might do it anyway as i like hallmark stamps, each of the four assay offices in the UK have a different one so i can chose the one i like the most.

And what about all the other silver things i've got planned?


@eNonsense: Thanks for the kind words, i really like your SAK scales, especially the hexagonal patterned ones, reminds me of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Unfortunately the correct sized tritium vials for these beads are not available from either of the well known sellers on this forum and as far as i know only sold in the UK by a company called Gardner as fishing lures and rod illuminators.
I know there are UK shops on ebay that will ship them worldwide.

Dispite the initial cost i do still plan to have a batch of these cast in stainless steel, something around 100 units, early next year.
They will look alot cleaner than the silver and brass printed ones and cost less.
If i sell all the beads from the first batch i will aim for a run of titanium beads.
Final costing can't be done yet as it all depends on the wholesale savings i can make on the trits.
Green trits would be offered as standard with other colours costing more with the option to buy trit free.

But of course if you want them now, the printers are the only choice and also many of the materials and finishes will never be available any other way. The gold plated brass bead being my favourite.


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## Essexman

Tofty said:


> @ Essexman: I did some checking and there is a minimum mass for silver hallmarking which is 7.78 grams.
> The density of 925 sterling silver is 10.4 g/cm^3
> The volume of the bead without the side cut-outs is 0.47 cm^3
> so it's mass should be only 4.89 grams.
> 
> The whistle on the other hand has a volume of 1.66 cm^3 so has a mass of 17.26 grams, well over the minimum, so if i ever wanted to sell it in the UK as silver i'd have to send it off to one of the hallmark assay offices at some expense.
> I might do it anyway as i like hallmark stamps, each of the four assay offices in the UK have a different one so i can chose the one i like the most.
> 
> And what about all the other silver things i've got planned?
> 
> .



Wow I never new that, makes sense. I have a Silver SAK that is hallmarked, tell a lie, my wife has a silver SAK that is hallmarked! I'll have to go a weigh it.

I know everyone goes for Ti, butv I think the bead above in plastic looks perfect for a SAK and perfect for some plastic handled spydercos.


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## JJohn

You have an excellent design sense. I really like the pedal design. I just wish you had a version that used a vial size that I could find here in the states or that was sold by someone here on CPF marketplace. That said, I just wanted to say nice job! I will eagerly await the fully assembled product to be available.


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