Antique Dart Scoreboard Recreated for Metal Fabrication
A vintage mechanical scoring board reverse-engineered from video and photographs, then re-detailed for sheet metal and machined parts instead of 3D printing.
A client wanted a specific antique dart scoring board rebuilt — the later of two historical variants, and built in metal rather than printed plastic.
The problem
There was no drawing set to work from. The inputs were photographs of the preferred variant and video footage of a similar unit running, including some views of its internals.
An existing CAD model of the mechanism did exist publicly — and was wrong for this job twice over: it captured the earlier design, and it was detailed for 3D printing, where wall thicknesses, clearances and fastening all follow different rules than fabricated metal.
The approach
- Reverse-engineer the mechanism from motion. Working out the gear train and the scoring logic from how the unit behaves on video, then fixing ratios and tooth counts that reproduce that behaviour rather than copying a photograph.
- Re-detail for the actual process. Sheet metal and machined components with fabrication-appropriate thicknesses, tolerances and fasteners — not scaled printed parts.
- Design the plate as the datum. The backing plate carries every gear spindle, so hole positions on it define whether the mechanism runs freely or binds; it was dimensioned accordingly.
- Full 2D and 3D delivered together, so the client could take the package straight to a fabricator.
The result
A complete mechanical scoreboard design — gear train, backing plate and housing — documented in ten technical drawings and delivered in 2D and 3D across two iterations.
Where this applies
Reproducing or modernising legacy mechanisms where no drawings survive: scoring devices, counters, vintage machinery, discontinued spare parts. The work is understanding the mechanism, then re-detailing it for how it will actually be made this time.
I reverse-engineer mechanisms and re-detail them for the manufacturing process you intend to use. Request a quote or see all services.