Kids are wonderful, they also surprise you when you least expect it. When I noticed my storm door no longer closed after someone (one of the kids) opened it EXTRA wide, I realized my door bracket was bent. THIS was a opportunity to create a functional end use part for 3D Printing.
Using the old bracket as my inspiration, I did a quick 15 or 20 min CAD sketch of the part I was trying to replicate. Making sure to add some extra strength where possible, I ended up with this.
After 1 hour of printing in Clear PETG with 100% infill on my Wanhao i3 v2 I had a functional part. I popped it onto the door, and waited for it to fail, even through a -30 polar vortex this part has remained strong. If this one does decide to fail, I’m 1 hour a way from a fix!
If you end up in my situation, and happen to have a printer around print one! You can grab this “thing” on Thingiverse here.
Also, one thing I’d like to add, door manufactures should REALLY think about selling a single bracket, I was not able to find just a replacement metal part (that will bend again) but I’d have to buy an entire new piston assembly, this is wasteful.