# Had a request for some 3D printed SWAT mounts



## WheresWaldo

On another forum I have had many requests to design some mounting adapters for the SWAT saddle mount. After a few revisions I have come up with a few I thought you guys might find interesting. First up are a couple of tail light mounts that are not STIX related.

SWAT to Cygolight Hotshot mount








And here is how it looks with the Hotshot in place.








SWAT to Cateye mount








Another image on the bike with a Rapid Mini in place








SWAT to Garmin Varia-Edge mount or Long version
This one comes in a short and longer version. The Garmin section is eighth-turn instead of quarter-turn so no need to modify the mount for landscape or portrait orientations, just insert and turn 1/8 turn in either direction. Works with both the Varia TL and Varia Radar as well as any Edge device that a track rider might need to record data while not having their device handlebar mounted. Short version pictured.








On the bike with a Garmin Varia Radar (Short version). The long version allows for portrait mode mounting.








SWAT to GoPro mount
Works with the standard GoPro hardware (M5 Thumbscrew & M5 Acorn nut).









As I mentioned this is stuff people have asked me for, If anyone here has anything special they want to mount on the back of their SWAT equipped saddle just let me know via PM or a message on my Shapeways page (faster) and I will see if I can accommodate.


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## pspycho

These are really great! Thank you for posting them up.


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## WheresWaldo

@pspycho Specialized has a good thing here, it is too bad they are supporting it as well as Fizik does with ICS or Prologo does with their Topeak based U-Clip. Since I did a bunch of stuff for people at WeightWeenies and BikeForums on other platforms I was asked over and over to do something for SWAT. I finally had some time to sit down and do a few designs for stuff Specialized would likely never directly support. Since I am just one person, and a hobbyist at that, sometimes it takes a while before I can get to certain requests.

Enjoy.


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## TmB123

These look really cool. 
Just curious if it is possible to produce something (although it is likely to be a one off) for a Niteflux Red Zone 4 light and SWAT seat mounting? I have a Phenom saddle but also carry a seat bag on it. I was thinking something like the SWAT mount with like a C-Clip that the carbon tube on the light could be snapped into. Carbon tube is 24.12mm in diameter and there is 27.5mm between the two silicon endcaps so a width of 25mm for the clip would be good. Sorry about the very rough drawing but it was just to give an idea. As mentioned it would need to mount out only just slightly further than the end of the saddle just to clear the seat bag (which is only a fairly small one).


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## WheresWaldo

@TmB123, Sure it is doable. Give me through the weekend to get it modeled and posted on my Shapeways page. I will post a rendering here first so you can see what it will look like.

Just so everyone knows, these are made out of nylon and 3D printed on demand. I am not affiliated with Shapeways in any way other than they let designers post models for purchase on their site. I do no have control over much of the printing, shipping and customer service, that is all Shapeways. Because of the method Shapeways uses to finish their products the black has a fuzzy grainy feel, all other colors have a satin-like finish since they are polished in a tumbler with ceramic bits before dyeing.

There is a link in my signature to my dedicated Shapeways page where you can see a lot more things like Di2 mounting options, stuff for Fizik saddles as well as custom size-specific aero seat post mounts for GoPro style cameras. This all started because I wanted to eliminate the ugly rubber strap Shimano uses to mount the Di2 Junction 'A' box and my daughter wanted to mount a GoPro on a Cannondale Synapse with an aero seat post. Most of the other stuff I have is there by request of others.

There are some discussion threads on BikeForums (nearly 300 posts) and WeightWeenies (200 posts) that have a lot of pictures of what I have designed and built for others. I spend most of my time in those forums.


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## TmB123

Cool, thanks, will be interested to see how it looks. As the diameter of the carbon tube is 24.12mm i gather the clip would need to be very slightly smaller than that in order to keep it under tension and hold the light in place?


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## WheresWaldo

*@TmB123*

Here are a couple of renders of what it looks like:


















It will clip in snug to account for any variability in the carbon tube's finish. Since it is nylon it will have some flexibility in the clip but be rigid in the actual mount area. The amount of raw material is more than some of the other SWAT models I have done.


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## WheresWaldo

*Discount code 20% off*

Use code *SFONSALE20* to save 20% on all products printed in Strong & Flexible plastics from my Shapeways shop.


Starting Monday June 13 through Sunday June 19, you can save 20% on models in Strong & Flexible.


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## TmB123

Wow, that looks great, 3D printing is amazing.
I'm going to buy one and see how it goes, will let you know how it fits.

cheers


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## TmB123

Oh, and just an fyi, on your Shapeways page you mention that it clips in like the standard mount, at the moment the only mounting option for these lights is a velcro strap. I've been in communication with the guy who makes the lights and he said a clip was imminent, but has never had one available for well over a year, so when I saw yours, especially on the swat mount, it looked great.


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## WheresWaldo

Copy and pasted text for the description, I will edit the line about clipping in like the original. Is the 4 and 8 the same physical size? Their website makes no mention.


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## TmB123

Yes, the 4 and the 8 are the same physical size. The website is a bit average. The original Red Zone 4 which I had was a rectangular block, then there is the model I posted above which I now have, and if you download the 2016 product manual it shows a newer version which is all clear, still called a Red Zone 4 but is clear plastic so I have no idea of the dimensions. So the models are a bit confusing. The photo I posted above with it clipped to the saddle rail mount was out of the 2016 product manual. He told me a while ago he was going to 3D print a saddle rail clip (presumably like the one in the photo) but has not been forthcoming. They are great lights, but customer service isn't one of his strong points.


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## WheresWaldo

@TmB123
Well I have it up on the Shapeways site already, it is at this link Specialized SWAT / Niteflux Red Zone Adapter. If you order it this week and use the code in message #8 that will give you 20% off. If you decide to get one, all I ask is that you send me a picture of the clip on your bike with the light installed.


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## TmB123

No problems, will do


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## WheresWaldo

@TmB123

I don't know how many of your riding companions own this type of light, I had never seen it before you mentioned it. But, I am in the US. If there is interest I would consider making one for Fizik ICS equipped saddles and maybe for Prologo/Topeak and their U-Clip.


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## TmB123

The lights are made here in Adelaide so I know a few people with them. They aren't a mainstream brand light, but are very good, very bright and programmable (to a degree). 
I guess the problem is what saddle everyone is riding, which I don't know but can at least let them know about your clip and the possibility of making one if they have the saddle types you mentioned above. I have the Phenom on one bike which this is for, but also have an S-Works Chicane on my other bike which has no such mounting options. The Phenom and that bike are fairly new and I quite like the saddle so one may end up on my other bike too one day.

cheers
Tim


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## WheresWaldo

@TmB123

Did you get a chance to use the SWAT Niteflux clip yet?


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## TmB123

Haven't got it yet, still waiting on the courier.


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## TmB123

Bud, just sent you a PM..


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## WheresWaldo

*Venge Vias GoPro and Virb mounts*

Now I have a few things for the Venge Vias Supplied Garmin mount. This replaces the plate on the bottom but uses the same hardware.













GoPro mount













Old school Virb mount


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## 11spd

Cool stuff. What material do you make your parts out of? Do you have a spec sheet of the material properties for the polymer you use?
What type of software do you use to construct your CAD models? Do you perform any rudimentary FEA on your part designs...or basic stress analysis based upon potential loading?


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## spdntrxi

Cool beans .. I still owe you some parts Op.. I have not forgot . Just life getting in the way


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## WheresWaldo

11spd said:


> Cool stuff. What material do you make your parts out of? Do you have a spec sheet of the material properties for the polymer you use?
> What type of software do you use to construct your CAD models? Do you perform any rudimentary FEA on your part designs...or basic stress analysis based upon potential loading?


I use a print service, Shapeways in this case, so if you need MSDS for the materials used you would have to get them from Shapeways. I can tell you that I enable printing with their Nylon (what they call Strong & Flexible) and Black / White Acrylic.
https://www.shapeways.com/rrstatic/material_docs/msds-strongflex.pdf
https://www.shapeways.com/materials/acrylic-plastic



spdntrxi said:


> Cool beans .. I still owe you some parts Op.. I have not forgot . Just life getting in the way
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Looking forward to see them.


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## 11spd

WheresWaldo said:


> I use a print service, Shapeways in this case, so if you need MSDS for the materials used you would have to get them from Shapeways. I can tell you that I enable printing with their Nylon (what they call Strong & Flexible) and Black / White Acrylic.
> https://www.shapeways.com/rrstatic/material_docs/msds-strongflex.pdf
> https://www.shapeways.com/materials/acrylic-plastic
> 
> 
> Looking forward to see them.


I had an interesting conversation with a brilliant engineer from silicon valley a few months back. He said that 3D printing is going to be the next industrial revolution. Not in its primitive form today...which can only utilize homogenous and more generic materials you reference for example for low strength applications with limited fatigue life. He said new printers are on the horizon that will be able to print on the molecular level. Molecule by molecule. Why that is important is because in the context of plastics, any homogenous plastic is limited in strength due to its isotropic properties. You site nylon for example with good ductility but a very low modulus of elasticity and yield strength. That is why molded glass filed nylon parts like you show would be much stronger. By contrast, most know that acrylics are the opposite of nylon with a high modulus of elasticity but still a relatively low yield strength and poor ductility. So both materials are quite limited without a companion material. A direct analogy would be carbon fiber of course which can be tuned through composition for the perfect balance of three properties mentioned.

If you think about the future of 3D printing, it is going to revolutionalize industry. Not in it current primitive form which is relegated to either weak parts or heavy parts or overly designed parts to compensate for material homogeneity. But bike frames that could be printed. No manual carbon lay ups. Possibly comprised of a material not even conceived yet. Or printing human body parts for example versus growing animal and in the future human parts in a laboratory which has already been done.
A last example as I study the career of the genius Elon Musk, our modern day Thomas Edison who has not only his hand in space flight, artificial intelligence but battery technology, he stated something rather profound about the battery industry which is going to bend the arc of electricity powering cars, motorcycles and of course light weight e-bikes of the future when I want 400w's to keep up on group rides when I am 80 years old. He said 3D printing one day will be able to create a battery that is constructed of greater Al content that will completely change the power, storage and size of current batteries. He said, the reason that hasn't already happened to replace LiIon for example, is it can't be manufactured. He said alloys will be created through 3D printing that presently can not be created. The future....anything you could possibly envision. As sophisticated as current bike tech is today which has grown exponentially in the past 30 years for every component based upon computer development, FEA and composite materials that didn't even exist 40 years ago, the future of bicycles and industry will refer to this time as the stone age. The front shock on the new Roubaix will be looked back upon as primitive.


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## WheresWaldo

I do understand that 3D printing, as it exists today, even though praised as a disruptive process, is still in it's infancy. There is still much more research and growth coming from 3D print technologies.

For me, I don't consider anything I am doing as mission critical or adding to the 3D printing evolution. I had a problem I needed to solve and I found a way to solve it to my satisfaction. The little things I have modeled work completely well within the current state of 3D printing technology. I have been thankful that I can share a little bit of it with others.


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## 11spd

WheresWaldo said:


> I do understand that 3D printing, as it exists today, even though praised as a disruptive process, is still in it's infancy. There is still much more research and growth coming from 3D print technologies.
> 
> For me, I don't consider anything I am doing as mission critical or adding to the 3D printing evolution. I had a problem I needed to solve and I found a way to solve it to my satisfaction. The little things I have modeled work completely well within the current state of 3D printing technology. I have been thankful that I can share a little bit of it with others.


I am grateful you did share with us...well done and thank you.


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## WheresWaldo

*WARNING - Venge Vias GoPro and Virb mounts*

A word of warning to anyone with a Venge that wants to mount any action cam to the bottom of the Edge mount. Specialized did show a wind tunnel video with a GoPro Hero4 mounted underneath a Garmin Edge. It was a prototype mount that was used to test the effects of the GoPro on aerodynamics and wattage. The conclusion was that the GoPro required 1 watt of additional power. That was the good news. Specialized has appeared to have abandoned the idea of mounting the action cam under the Garmin Edge mount as the vibration made the video footage unusable. This cannot be corrected with any redesign of the current action cam mounting options. This is a Specialized issue, not one of any of us here that uses or designed a mount for the Venge, a redesigned and sturdier arm will likely be required. I am keeping the two I have in my storefront, but have added a plainly worded warning that you may experience vibration in the video footage.


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## Merc

WheresWaldo said:


> On another forum I have had many requests to design some mounting adapters for the SWAT saddle mount. After a few revisions I have come up with a few I thought you guys might find interesting. First up are a couple of tail light mounts that are not STIX related.
> 
> SWAT to Garmin Varia-Edge mount or Long version
> This one comes in a short and longer version. The Garmin section is eighth-turn instead of quarter-turn so no need to modify the mount for landscape or portrait orientations, just insert and turn 1/8 turn in either direction. Works with both the Varia TL and Varia Radar as well as any Edge device that a track rider might need to record data while not having their device handlebar mounted. Short version pictured.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On the bike with a Garmin Varia Radar (Short version). The long version allows for portrait mode mounting.
> View attachment 314555
> 
> 
> SWAT to GoPro mount
> Works with the standard GoPro hardware (M5 Thumbscrew & M5 Acorn nut).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As I mentioned this is stuff people have asked me for, If anyone here has anything special they want to mount on the back of their SWAT equipped saddle just let me know via PM or a message on my Shapeways page (faster) and I will see if I can accommodate.


I have ordered 5 of the SWAT Garmin Varia Radar attachment and love them! The quality is great and it works perfectly. Thank you for coming up with this!


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## WheresWaldo

Merc said:


> I have ordered 5 of the SWAT Garmin Varia Radar attachment and love them! The quality is great and it works perfectly. Thank you for coming up with this!


I hope you got more than just black ones. I also updated the GoPro adapter. It should now work better and with all kinds of GoPro waterproof cases.








I also have a GoPro adapter for the front Garmin mount, although as a result of the way that Specialized designed the mount, I don't recommend it to anyone unless you are putting an extremely light camera on the front.


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## Merc

Funny you mentioned that, I did order just the black ones. I guess I need to order some more in different colors.


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## WheresWaldo

I only mentioned it because the surface texture of the colored ones is more 'satin-like' than the black ones. I along with other designers on Shapeways have begged them to bring back polished black so it too can be 'satin-like.' They just don't want to hear about it.


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## Merc

WheresWaldo said:


> I only mentioned it because the surface texture of the colored ones is more 'satin-like' than the black ones. I along with other designers on Shapeways have begged them to bring back polished black so it too can be 'satin-like.' They just don't want to hear about it.


Good to know. Thanks.


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## WheresWaldo

Here is another happy SWAT Mount for Garmin's Varia owner. He sent me the pic today but has been using the mount all summer.


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## Jdlbb

Any chance of getting a PDW compatible mount? https://ridepdw.com/collections/lights/products/danger-zone?variant=24756532545


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## WheresWaldo

Everything I have that will mount on a Specialized SWAT mount is located here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/revolutionaries?section=Integrated+Saddle+Mounts&s=0

@ithier10, I tried to reply to your PM but the board said you are not receiving private messages.


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## ARPRINCE

WheresWaldo said:


> Everything I have that will mount on a Specialized SWAT mount is located here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/revolutionaries?section=Integrated+Saddle+Mounts&s=0
> 
> @ithier10, I tried to reply to your PM but the board said you are not receiving private messages.


I just saw this thread while searching for a SWAT mount. I'm interested on a PDW mount as well.


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## mindanalyzer

I need to attach the new Garmin varia 2 (RTL510) to my 2013 look 695 seatpost (ePost) in a secured manner. Currently I am using the flimsy rubber Garmin adapter that comes with the varia 2

I use a prologo saddle in my bike. It has the U-CLIP system (topeak quickclip compatible) and I was thinking that by buying the adapter (https://www.amazon.com/Prologo-UTIUCLIPBK-AM-U-Clip-Black/dp/B007SVKE2S#customerReviews), I would only need the UCLIP - Garmin adapter. This option is not my favorite

I would prefer the seatpost adapter. If somebody designs it, I would buy from shapeways


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## WheresWaldo

@mindanalyzer Look 695 Varia Post mount is already in my collection. http://shpws.me/QynS

@ARPRINCE For the Portland Design Works, I need dimensions on their mount so that I can design one for SWAT.

Sorry, I do not spend enough time on this forum, so I did not know these posts were here until today.


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## Finx

Bumping this old thread, as I'm curious about the compatibility between Specialized SWAT and the Bontrager Saddle Mounts for 3D printing services.

Waldo, I did purchase one of these from you this morning, but for the broader audience, I'm trying to figure out if the SWAT and Bontrager saddle mounts use the same spacing (i.e. mounts are interchangeable).

My Bontrager saddle has these screws on the back that are roughly 1.75" or 45mm center to center.










For the time being, I just want to put a GoPro mount here for a Light and Motion light, but I'm curious going forward, if I decided to put my Varia here, or perhaps a FlareRT, if I could use mounts labeled as "SWAT" o or "Bontrager"?


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## WheresWaldo

Finx said:


> Bumping this old thread, as I'm curious about the compatibility between Specialized SWAT and the Bontrager Saddle Mounts for 3D printing services.
> 
> Waldo, I did purchase one of these from you this morning, but for the broader audience, I'm trying to figure out if the SWAT and Bontrager saddle mounts use the same spacing (i.e. mounts are interchangeable).
> 
> My Bontrager saddle has these screws on the back that are roughly 1.75" or 45mm center to center.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For the time being, I just want to put a GoPro mount here for a Light and Motion light, but I'm curious going forward, if I decided to put my Varia here, or perhaps a FlareRT, if I could use mounts labeled as "SWAT" o or "Bontrager"?


I don't spend time here anymore, but I thought I answered your question on Shapeways messages. Anyway, SWAT and Blendr are not compatible mounting systems. Each have their own spacing for the bolts. I specify in my description which mounting system it is for, even if it is not obvious in the title.

I spend most of my forum time on Weightweenies or Bikeforums.


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## Finx

WheresWaldo said:


> I don't spend time here anymore, but I thought I answered your question on Shapeways messages. Anyway, SWAT and Blendr are not compatible mounting systems. Each have their own spacing for the bolts. I specify in my description which mounting system it is for, even if it is not obvious in the title.
> 
> I spend most of my forum time on Weightweenies or Bikeforums.


I actually posted here before I queried you on Shapeways. This thread came up in a google search when I was researching.

Anyway, I ordered a couple of your mounts. Looking forward to getting my light mounted. 

Thanks


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## Mark2259

Hello @WheresWaldo- these swat compatible mounts look really great. Wondering whether you have considered if it would be possible to make a swat mount for the giant uniclip pro set up. I really like their elegant solution of a small saddle bag with an integrated light all bolted to the saddle! Thanks for taking a look.


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## WheresWaldo

Mark2259 said:


> Hello @WheresWaldo- these swat compatible mounts look really great. Wondering whether you have considered if it would be possible to make a swat mount for the giant uniclip pro set up. I really like their elegant solution of a small saddle bag with an integrated light all bolted to the saddle! Thanks for taking a look.


I will take a look at this and see what I can do.


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