STL for inflatable fan mount

jchuchla

jchuchla

Supporting Member
As we all know, the fans in most inflatables these days are garbage and go out like clockwork. The actual replacement fans are expensive for no good reason. These fans are really just DC blowers that have a special flange integrated into the shell so that it can be mounted into the inflatable with a zip tie. It seems like it would be an easy project to 3d print this flange so that standard fans could be used. Before i draw one up, has anyone done this already? Does anyone have an STL file to print a mounting flange to fit a standard blower fan?
 
Last Christmas I was given, as a gift, my FIRST inflatable (oogie boogie). I had it going for a couple weeks at Halloween and then the fan died! Not a great introduction to inflatables.

Being a computer guy, I was thinking I could probably get a better (and cheaper) 12v fan that would get the job done. I'm assuming this is what you are suggesting. I haven't made it far enough to do much research on DIY solutions, but what you are suggesting sounds like a great idea! I'd love to give it a try if you make some progress!
 
I don't have a ton of inflatables, but i do have a few for each season. It's a good way to have large props that store easily. I always run them 24/7 all season because how the display looks during the day is just as important as at night. The original fans always last only a few seasons before needing to be replaced. I've done various solutions to make it work with other fans. But it would be easier to just be able to use a similar sized DC fan that mounts the same way as the original.
 
It's an opportunity. When the fan fails, that's your chance to put the fan on an always-on line, but put the light on a blinky flashy.
 
I don't wait for the fan to fail for that to happen. That's the first thing I do when I get it home and take it out of the box.
 
I don?t think I?d call the lights in any store bought inflatable ?perfectly good?.


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jchuchla said:
As we all know, the fans in most inflatables these days are garbage and go out like clockwork. The actual replacement fans are expensive for no good reason. These fans are really just DC blowers that have a special flange integrated into the shell so that it can be mounted into the inflatable with a zip tie. It seems like it would be an easy project to 3d print this flange so that standard fans could be used. Before i draw one up, has anyone done this already? Does anyone have an STL file to print a mounting flange to fit a standard blower fan?
Click to expand...

If you can sketch it with dimensions (preferably metric) I can create a STL for you.
 
jchuchla said:
I don?t think I?d call the lights in any store bought inflatable ?perfectly good?.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

It's just my way of time management. A 15% casualty rate, so I just roll with it. If it works, have someone else stake it in and be done. If the light doesn't cut it, I can put a floodlight on it and that can blink (that's how I do Halloween). If it's broke, that's when it gets some attention, 2 channels and stuff.
 
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