Lumberjack Engineering: 3D Printed (and beyond!) solutions for the 100 Series Platform. (1 Viewer)

[LJE]

Hi fellow 'Mudders!

You've probably seen me around the forums - whether it was during the resurrection process of my 2005 LX470, or the subsequent (and ongoing) quest to understand why I have low frequency vibration, or just chiming in on general threads doing my best to provide thorough, thoughtful, and helpful responses to folks troubleshooting their rigs. I bought my LX back in March of 2025, and have had a blast bringing it back to life & building it out. My username, 'LJE' is short for Lumberjack Engineering, a username that I've used across various platforms - it's too long for the username field here, hence the shortening.

I'm an engineer (electrical/mechanical) by trade, and I've been 'into' 3D printing since I built my first 3D printer during undergrad in 2014. Over the years I've done one-off designs for folks, but never really got into trying to sell much. However, while I was in the process of retrofitting my LX470's low beams with Morimoto MicroD2S projectors back in December of 2024, I ran into an issue where I needed a new tailcap solution for the headlight housings, since the D2S ignitor stuck out so much. I put my CAD & 3D printing skills to work & created a new tail cap that retained the water-resistant features of the original. @Zuberg reached out & asked if he could buy a pair - and since then, I've sold them to him, Lou (creator of the excellent MicroD2S/H1 retrofit brackets), and another ih8mud user.

Right around that same time, @MongooseGA was starting up The Artisan Garage to sell Landcruiser parts & tools. He asked if he could buy a batch of the tail caps & lock in as the sole distributor of them - that sounded great to me! That has kicked off a partnership that has led to multiple collaborations where I designed a part to be laser cut out of steel or aluminum (2UZ Fan Clutch Wrench, AUXBeam Relay box Bracket for 03+ Cruisers, or the upcoming MSS-L) or provide GA a batch of 3D printed parts as the distributor (currently the aforementioned MicroD2S Projector Tailcaps, and the snazzy Steering Column Scangauge II Mount). I have a decent 3D scanner that allows me to very accurately capture any complex contours (like the steering column) so that I can get a 'factory fit' where my designed parts interface with them - my goal is to always design something that looks like it could have been a factory part!
I have had BLAST designing these parts & working with GA - for a lot of things I design I think it makes a lot of sense for GA/TAG to act as the distributor when they're 'universal' across the 100 series platform, as it's a single item he can stock & sell.

However, there are other parts that require different variants depending on the year of cruiser (98-02 vs 03-07) and/or model of the product itself that GA and myself think it makes more sense for me to sell directly - so, here we are!


The first product I'd like to introduce is a mount for the Auxbeam series of relay control systems - this mount 'snaps in' to the top lip of the headliner where it wraps into the sunroof, and then locks in between the overhead console and headliner down low. This provides a SUPER secure mounting solution for the various Auxbeam switch panels (RA/GA/BA/RB/GB/BB-80, RA-80XL, AR800/820 are all supported) that requires absolutely no drilling or permanent modification. It also allows you to route the Auxbeam control cable 'under' the overhead console, to the top edge of the windshield, and then from there over to the A pillar & through the firewall. It features a mounting hole pattern to match the mounting holes on the Auxbeam, counterbored to allow you to use the screws provided in the Auxbeam kits. These are 3D printed in black ASA, which provides heat resistance & UV stability that is perfect for a long-term solution in a vehicle.

I think this is a really slick mounting location that still allows you to retain the sunglasses holder - which was a critical requirement for me! Currently the design has been validated for the 03-07 LC/LXs, and I've got a separate design for the 98-02s that's out for fit checks with several different people - hoping to hear back by the end of this week!

Pictured is a RA-80XL mounted in my 05 LX470. Price for the mount is $30 shipped in the continental USA! Message me to order

I've got several other 3D printed designs in the work to sell under the Lumberjack Engineering brand - so I'll be posting whenever a new one gets finalized! Definitely excited for what I can offer this excellent community.

 

[MongooseGA]

Looks great, Alex. Perfect way to keep your sunglass holder in place!

Edit- just considered that this is the 2nd product you've produced to keep your sunglass holder free for glasses. You really mean business.

 

[LJE]

Looks great, Alex. Perfect way to keep your sunglass holder in place!

Edit- just considered that this is the 2nd product you've produced to keep your sunglass holder free for glasses. You really mean business.

What's even funnier is that the next upcoming product is intended to add even more sunglasses space in place of the middle DVD player screen.

Test print of this finished late last night & will do some test fitting soon. The intent is that you're able to keep the exterior of the flip-down screen factory while gutting the inside of it. This will let you store 2x sunglasses, or a non-trivial amount of jelly beans. Your choice I guess?

Obviously this only works with the factory DVD player screen. It replaces the 'inside' shell - the part with the arrow pointed to it: (photo cred to @mrkdwrds )

And below is a screen grab from CAD of the designed part:

While this may be of dubious use to some, I've actually already yanked the DVD player itself - so I have no reason to keep the old screen around. Removing the factory screen console entirely would leave a giant hole in the headliner, so this is (IMO) the best solution.

 

[LJE]

I wanted to highlight one of my designs sold over at TAG - a mount for the Scangauge II:

This puts critical information (real time coolant temp and transmission temperature) directly in your field of view whenever you glance down at your gauge cluster - I've really enjoyed having my personal SG II mounted here in my 2005 LX470.

It perfectly contours to the steering column in all directions (achieved via 3D scanning the column & using that to guide the CAD) and attaches via 'snapping' onto the column around the turn signal/windshield wiper stalks recesses - no drilling required! It's ultra secure & doesn't interfere with the stalks at all. It's also engineered to not interfere with the auto tilt/retract of the steering column, and is tucked back as far as it can be while still achieving that.

The kit includes a 1' black flat ethernet cable + ethernet coupler to allow you to route the cable along the top of the steering column without drilling, where it's nearly invisible. It also includes a removable sunshade (pictured) to improve readability in ultra bright situations.
These get 3D printed in ASA for heat resistance & UV stability.

Note: It does block VSC + center diff light, and depending on your seat/steering wheel settings & height you may obscure the odometer as well. These aren't issues for me, since I find the info from the SG to be much more important, but I wanted to ensure that's disclosed. The first picture is taken directly from my vantage point while seated in my driving position to give you an idea of what it looks like.

 

[MongooseGA]

IMO, it's my favorite SG mount because it keeps the data right in view. I've been using my SGII in the overhead console for year, and while it fits like factory, I have to duck just a little bit to see the top of the screen. I just installed the column mount in to my own truck yesterday and have really liked the location. And the 'snap' in to place is super satisfying

I'm going to sand and paint mine to match the brown of the column. I'll post back here when I find a good color match as I'm sure others will want to paint to match as well. We can't all have black columns like @LJE .

 

[LJE]

I had a customer request a solution that allows them to mount a Ramball phone mount (this one specifically) to the ashtray spot.

I had previously developed a replacement front trim piece for the ashtray that allows me to mount my KG1000 radio faceplate to the ashtray itself by replacing the front cover, while still maintaining storage functionality (gotta keep the jelly beans handy!), so I knew I could quickly iterate to a functional design for this:

It was a quick modification to swap out the radio faceplate mount for something that allows you to bolt the diamond base of the RAM mount to.
This mimics the same locking clips and tabs as the original trim piece for the ashtray, so no drilling or permament modification required!
I 3D printed the RAM mount diamond base for the above photo to check for clearance - plenty of room around everything!

It also features "nubs" on the top of it that get felt tape to keep everything tight with no rattles. These wedge against the top of the ash tray recepticle when it's locked closed to stabilize the entire assembly:

The original customer said it fits & works great - waiting on some final installed photos from him to share!

 

[Live to Ski]

geez, can I be in the line-up for one?

 

[LJE]

geez, can I be in the line-up for one?

Sure thing! Just shoot me a PM. Looking at $30 shipped to your door (assuming you're here in the continental US).

 

[Live to Ski]

Sure thing! Just shoot me a PM. Looking at $30 shipped to your door (assuming you're here in the continental US).

i'm on it!

 

[Kofoed]

The ash-tray ram mount is cool. I am sick of my phone bouncing around on the consol and turning on the seat heater.

 

[Live to Ski]

riddle me this, mudman: how does one order and get the $30 to you?

 

[LJE]

riddle me this, mudman: how does one order and get the $30 to you?

Shoot me a PM! - Venmo/PayPal is my usual method. Carrier pigeon is also totally acceptable.

 

[LJE]

After a series of ten printed prototypes and countless modifications/tweaks to achieve perfection, my replacement trim for the factory DVD player is complete!
This allows you to store sunglasses, pens, or emergency jelly beans while keeping an OEM look when closed.

This project has been on my list for a while, but @mrkdwrds posting about it recently gave me the motivation to go forth and actually put the time and effort into this - it was a lot of work! Even with a decent 3D scanner, perfectly matching all of the complex contours to the required tolerances was tough - take a look at the 'pile of shame' below - 9 printed (and failed) revisions working on getting it to perfection:

The tolerances required definitely push the limits of the FDM 3D printing process - but, on Rev. 10, it finally all came together! This is after I've installed some felt with spray adhesive:

Maximizing storage space while maintaining needed clearance was the goal here - the factory DVD player trim has just enough room to clear, and I needed to maintain that:

The below picture has some pretty large Ray-Bans - they fit great in either the upper or lower spot, so I figure whatever sunglasses you've got should fit too!

And finally, a screen grab from CAD - the sketch/feature tree on this could probably get classified as a crime against humanity, but oh well...

There is some modification required to the interior of the lower OEM trim piece (the part visible when it's closed) - trimming internal supports mostly. I've got a 3 minute video that walks you through that, so don't be scared! It's easy, and if you cover it in felt like I did it's all hidden anyways.

Definitely proud of how this turned out overall - wasn't always fun, but it was worth it in the end! Shoot me a PM if you want to order - looking at $60 with shipping included. As always, this is printed in ASA for long term UV and heat resistance.

 

[ScotyDosentKnow]

This is awesome. We never use the DVD player in our, kid just uses an Ipad or dvd player strapped to the back of the headrest

 

[Live to Ski]

Interested (as usual). Do u have instruction w. The purchase (read "rear bumper install from hell (but happy after install)).

How to tell if factory vs dealer install? I'll do a visual later tdy and compare against your photos above.

BTW, thank you for your lc service

 

[LJE]

This is awesome. We never use the DVD player in our, kid just uses an Ipad or dvd playerr strapped to the back of the headrest

Yeah - the factory player is just super outdated!

Interested (as usual). Do u have instruction w. The purchase (read "rear bumper install from hell (but happy after install)).

How to tell if factory vs dealer install? I'll do a visual later tdy and compare against your photos above.

BTW, thank you for your lc service

It's pretty straight forward! It takes a T20 and T15 torx bit, and something like a trim pry tool to pop some clips out to get the overhead console down and the screen body taken apart. Roughly five minutes.

Modification to the OEM bottom trim (what you see when it's shut) can easily be done with a dremel tool - those instructions are in the video below.

I'd say the install would take less than an hour total from start-to-finish. I'd certainly be available for any additional support needed, but it's really pretty simple.

Visually checking and comparing would be the easiest way to tell. All the 'port installed' ones look very different than this factory one.

 

[mrkdwrds]

Can’t wait to get mine! Mind blown that I had a sort of random impulse to pull out my DVD screen and investigate potential storage options, and within a couple weeks you turned around a bunch of prototypes and perfected the design after independently thinking of the same thing.

This is a really awesome product that not only provides some space but also avoids a potential parasitic drain issue with the screen, which has been documented here before.

 

[BamaHoo]

Perhaps a dumb question, but do you know if the ash tray is the same for the 2000LC vs. the LX470 depicted? That ram ball mount looks like an ideal solution for me.

 

[LJE]

Perhaps a dumb question, but do you know if the ash tray is the same for the 2000LC vs. the LX470 depicted? That ram ball mount looks like an ideal solution for me.

I have a gut feeling that it might be the same main ashtray under the front ashtray trim on the pull-out section - if you wanted to pull the ashtray out and shoot me some pictures, that'd be awesome! I spaced the fact that the center stack is different between 98-02 and 03-07s.

Can’t wait to get mine! Mind blown that I had a sort of random impulse to pull out my DVD screen and investigate potential storage options, and within a couple weeks you turned around a bunch of prototypes and perfected the design after independently thinking of the same thing.

This is a really awesome product that not only provides some space but also avoids a potential parasitic drain issue with the screen, which has been documented here before.

Yours finished printing last night!
It was definitely a challenge, but it turned out great I think.

 

[2000UZJ]

Strange question, do you by chance have the remote for the DVD player? I am looking for one!