Add trigger keepers to your old 4, 5, & 6 cams!

Good points from both of you. Resetting it one-handed would be nice, either for unracking a big cam then deciding to place something else, or so that the follower can also have the space-saving benefit as soon as they clean the cam. That said, in actual use the inability to re-compress cams mid-pitch (without a no hands rest) hasn't bothered me that much.

The big issue that I ran into was that I really, really don't want it to be possible to 'accidentally' engage the trigger keeper. I thought about a hook-like thing affixed to the trigger bar or an interlocking 2-piece device where one part clips to the bar and one to the loop. But I worried that if the cam was walking or swiveling in a tight crack where the lobes are mostly contracted, it was plausible that the keeper would hook itself, and then the cam's lobes wouldn't be able to expand if it walked a bit more into a wider section. The easiest way to avoid that is to have the keeper fall out of the way where it couldn't possibly engage. If I want to set the device one-handed while my finger and thumb are already busy pulling the trigger, whatever hook-and-loop system I have basically has to be self-aligning, which seems like exactly what would cause an accidental engagement. I suspect BD had the same worry; their solution was using pretty strong springs to make sure only an intentional user can re-flex the keeper wires.

I imagine some clever mechanical design can overcome this and I'm curious to see what you end up making. Milling or 3D printing can also probably open up the design space a lot compared to molding.

I doubt BD even considered it. There are many ways to have the keeper out of the way--like just have it way out of the way unless your finger is pushing it in (which would never happen unless you purposely did that). That's one reason why I would have it attached to the trigger and not the loop. Basically like BD's current lame trigger keeper except just one in the center (and more rugged so it doesn't break so easily). 

I can only conceive of this keeper self-keeping if you're shoving a cam haphazardly into a literal bush and one of the branches somehow manages to push the keeper in an exact manner, but then the same could be said for BD's current design. 

Can you post a model? I'd love to try 3d printing these!

Jake Tarrenwrote:

Can you post a model? I'd love to try 3d printing these!

Sure, this link should work: click me!
One file is the original keeper as molded and the other is a modified one so it sits flat on the bed and prints without supports.

I sent you a PM!

Hey Richard, I have a DMM #4 (or whatever they call the equivalent of BD #4) that I would love to try this on if you have any of these around. Message me if it might be possible!

Pat Marrinanwrote:

Hey Richard, I have a DMM #4 (or whatever they call the equivalent of BD #4) that I would love to try this on if you have any of these around. Message me if it might be possible!

Sadly I'm all out, except for a few I'm saving for me & my friends... I'll post in here if I make more in the fall. Or maybe you can find someone local with a 3D printer to make some for you? Printing at 100% infill should make them plenty strong; they're just a bit less smooth and shiny than the molded ones.

All good, I'll keep an eye out, thanks!

Amazing thing, Richard! Is it possible to get/buy the STL? I have a 3D-printer and live in Sweden, so making my own seems like the better alternative to mailing.

I'd love one for my UL #4 in San Diego. I think I can 3D print at the library? 

Cheers from down under dude, been thinking about something like this for a while. 

Can we do PayPal?  As a Canadian we have no Venmo

Carl Manssonwrote:

Amazing thing, Richard! Is it possible to get/buy the STL? I have a 3D-printer and live in Sweden, so making my own seems like the better alternative to mailing.

Richard posted a link to the .stl files in his June 12th post upthread.

Hey! Just saw these new comments. Fun that the thread is alive again. Like Terry said, I put up the STL earlier. I think if folks still want them, 3D printing them is the way to go - it's pretty straightforward with access to a printer, and PLA is actually stiffer than ABS, so the keepers might work a little better too. And you can print lots and give them to your friends, and replace them when they break  .

Richard,

You rock for making this product. Going to 3d print some. Is there any functional difference between the two files? also, do I need to change the size of the component depending on whether its for a #4 vs a #5?

Robert Parkhillwrote:

Richard,

You rock for making this product. Going to 3d print some. Is there any functional difference between the two files? also, do I need to change the size of the component depending on whether its for a #4 vs a #5?

Hey sorry for a delayed answer! They’re functionally the same, but the one with a flat bottom is a bit easier to print without supports.

Also, make sure to check out the newer thread on DIY trigger keepers using bike brake wires stuck to the trigger bar and printed hooks zip tied to the thumb loop. I think that design is probably better that this one; its only shortcoming is that if you get the cam stuck, you may need to break the hook off to rescue it. But this design still works too, esp with the rigidity of printed PLA.

Can’t find that post. Do you have a link by chance? 

Here ya go -   mountainproject.com/forum/t…