Custom Cupholder

[HorseFarmer]

No better place for my first post here than in 'Fabrication and Customization', right?

We have a B7500 with front end loader, bush hog and box blade attachments at our little horse farm. It's a hobby enterprise - I have a 'real job', so all the hard work has to happen during weekends.

So lately I've put in a few weekends with 9+ hour days in the hot Georgia sun (we were close to 100 degrees) reshaping the old barn road for proper drainage. The heat almost sucked the life out of me - I love the tractor, but I never understood why the darn thing didn't come with a cupholder. And once I'm on the tractor I'm not stopping for anything...

So finally I broke down and designed a cupholder in a 3D CAD program and sent it off for 3D printing. The part is actually hollow with a honeycomb structure between outer and inner shells, which in theory should help insulate the drink. Just got the final part back and tested it Sunday. It works great! The neighbor came over to chat, and now he wants one as well...

I have a few other things I want to make: A small modular dash with 12V and USB charger outlets, a phone cradle and switches for front and rear LED lights.

Does anyone know where I can find an Accessory Power wire (i.e. powered by ignition switch)? I want to use that to drive the outlet/USB charger and the relays for the LED lights.

Also, what is the best source for matching orange spray paint?

 

[ShaunBlake]

Hi, HorseFarmer, welcome to OTT! Dawsonville, eh? My next-door neighbor is spending most of her time up there with her aged, infirm mother. Be sure and say "Hi" to her!

Nice cupholder! Too bad about the sissy drink -- don't you know a source for Guinness? Great idea to print mounts and such for your add-ons! Ain't technology wonderful! You're the first one I've seen propose 3D printing for cockpit conveniences. Sorry I can't help with the power source -- don't you have a WSM? I'm sure you will find it valuable for more than just an electric schematic.

As to paint colors, there are a lot of posts and threads about matching Kubota colors. Use the Search feature at the top of the page, select the Advanced Search option, and get an education! Unfortunately, the paint colors have changed over the years, roughly falling into "old" and "new" orange and gray or blue. Including B7500 in your search may help zero in on more relevant posts. Sadly, I'm not very knowledgeable about the search engine -- for example, I don't know how to match phrases, or exclude words.