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Thread: Spire parts

  1. #1
    Insider Halo's Avatar
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    Spire parts

    Hi All

    Recently purchased a Virtue Spire and was not all too impressed with it. One of the issues I've had is how frail some of the parts are. So I've decide to make a few replacements myself. I'll keep this thread updated as I create more/different replacement parts. I will make these files available to the public so others can 3d print their own.

    1. Drive cone
    I picked my spire up second hand and the drive cone was already showing wear. The wear itself was not my major issue, but it was continually shedding little flaps of soft rubber. This annoyed me to no end. So I drew up a new, hard/solid drive cone. Have gone through three iterations already and settled on a near final design. Due to the size restrictions it had to be a two piece design to be able to install it. Two halves are held together with two 020 o-rings.

    Prelim testing looks promising and it does not seem to be much harder on paint than the original soft cone. Put a bit of Empire Evil through it with the new cone and have not had any issues. There are a few Spire users at my home field, so I'll hand a few out for testing. I'll put it through another week or two's worth of heavy testing before I release the files.






    Other planned replacements:
    Trim strip (also already broke)
    Back plate (waiting for it to break)
    Replacements buttons (just picked up a second hand shell without them, so might as well make these too.

  2. #2
    Insider new ion?'s Avatar
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    Not sure if you know this or not, but Virtue will upgrade your backplate and (IIRC) replace any broken parts on a Spire.

    Not that this isn't cool, but thought you should know.

  3. #3
    Insider Halo's Avatar
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    Thanks New Ion. Appreciate the info. My major problem is I'm at the ass-end of the world far away from proper customer support. Parts take an average of 4-6 weeks to arrive, if they arrive. Have been talked to Virtue. Their customer service has always been stellar. It is just in the case of the back plate replacement they have chosen to distribute them via their local dealers in foreign countries in stead of directly, which I fully understand from a financial standpoint, it is just making it exceedingly hard to track one down.

    Don't mean to sound like I'm not appreciative of the heads-up or like I'm bashing Virtue either. Thought I'd put these out there. If someone has acces to a 3d printer they could knock out parts in various colours to their hearts content (part of my motivation ), and would save someone frustration if they are in a similar boat as mine.

  4. #4
    Insider new ion?'s Avatar
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    Hey I didn't know your situation, glad to hear you got it under control!

    Definitely didn't read that like you were being un-appreciative.

  5. #5
    Nice work. That looks very like one of my early drive cones from the late 90's for my first force feed loaders.

  6. #6
    Hebrews 13:8 going_home's Avatar
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    I've got a 260 and a standard spire, only problem I ever had was the software needed updating.

    Got rid of all my rotors.

    I like them.

    endeavor to persevere.......

  7. #7
    Adobe Evangelist emisnug's Avatar
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    I managed to buy (somehow) one of the pre-production spires, it seems to have a stiffer rubber on the flaps than the normal ones. I'll see if I can post up a couple of pictures next time I see someone else with a spire.

  8. #8
    they released an updated drive cone that had stiffer rubber on it. the original ones (we picked ours up the day they were released at MAO) were rather soft, all the new ones on the shelf have substantially stiffer rubber. Might be just a new cone vs original unless its really really hard...

  9. #9
    Insider Halo's Avatar
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    Interesting. Thanks for the info Pote. I'll ask about it when I talk to Virtue again.

    Power button is done and fits perfectly. Trim strip needs a tiny tweak, then it'll be done. I'll update with files ASAP.

  10. #10
    Hebrews 13:8 going_home's Avatar
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    If world cup is in Florida again I'll bring mine and get them updated.....
    endeavor to persevere.......

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