Decided to make some rail covers on the cheap for the MR1. Called up Langmuir and ordered 2 more rail stiffeners which came out to $32 shipped, designed a 1/2" spacer and 3d printed 6 of them, and had some 1" 1/4x20 bolts sitting around and fabricated this with the help of a harbor freight angle grinder and a death disk. The rail covers are cut to 3-1/4". Should block off a majority of the chips flying at the rail and doesn’t interfere with any movements. Here is the spacer if you don’t want to design your own: Free STL file 1/4x20 1/2" spacer・3D printer design to download・Cults
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you may want to machine some aluminum spacers, i assume those bolts aren’t as tight using plastic for a spacer?
3d printed parts can take hundreds or even thousands of pounds of compression force, the bolts are as tight as all the others.
I suppose we have had different experiences as I tend to see them deform over a few days.
This is correct - plastics will creep under continuous compression, and the opposing force on the bolt will drop. Metal standoffs would be better.
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