I need a pair for my super diazo lamp and I'm not too worried about heat. I figure a piece of tin foil or something will dissipate heat well enough.

I don't immediately need them as I have yet to ship a package out to Mike, but once my monetary situation comes around to stability again I'd appreciate something other than a pair of wires wrapped around the pins.

I would 3D-print the socket mold instead, for them make the final socket of clay or cement, by this way you get cheaper, faster making and long term sockets.

I have, although I don't have any lamps to do an actual fit test with. The one I have is made from PLA so it's pretty much only good for a fit test. You really want a higher temp rated + flame retardant plastic if you were to actually use it with a lamp.

IIRC I think you might bet able to use a European style terminal strip with those T17 pins for a cleaner setup..

Oh, my error, I thought you wanted screw sockets. Yes, 3D-printing them is the best option I see. Again, you can make molds of it and use a resin to make the sockets.

Wonder if this can be pulled of for admedium sockets because if so, i would order 2!

At one point (around 2014 ?) I wanted to make a clone of a Gaash 2000 (not particularly common lantern, although probably not classed as rare either), so asked some of the UK members for measurements of the GEC Europa sockets (same design) to start drawing, and yep, 3D print the sockets. Then before i even started any real work on it, i got a few real 2000's in the collection.....

Another option to consider is to make the socket faces (with conductors and everything) as a printed circuit board, and solder on spring terminals (there are many all over Digikey) that would make the lamp connection. Make a 2nd piece as the back of the socket to enclose it

Besides, 4 pin HDD power connectors (the type commonly called "Molex", with Yellow Black Black Red wires) plug quite well onto tube pins, thouth i have only tested with G5 (works great) and G13 (pins pitch dont line up, so have to use 2 connectors, but otherwise works)

I got as far as designing the actual copper contacts that got into the lampholder but I never ended up making them as I didn't have any lamps to test them with. I think 3d printing them straight out of something like fire retardant ABS or PC might work well enough.

The alternate way would to design a different version that could be machined easily instead...perhaps a turret style holder with sprung contacts. However if machining, you might be better off making a mold instead.

What about trying to 3D print 3 pin BC lampholders for older British low wattage mercury vapor lamps?

How hot do T17 lamps get on the ends? I think it could totally be done with the right material. (HTPLA comes to mind first, PETG might work since it doesn't really burn well but it might soften if it gets too hot).

If it's anything like the T12 HO lamps, then around hot to touch. Unfortunately I don't have any lamps or a ballast to test.

The F40T17 lamps would probably run significantly cooler due to the lower power loading.

If it's anything like the T12 HO lamps, then around hot to touch. Unfortunately I don't have any lamps or a ballast to test.

The F40T17 lamps would probably run significantly cooler due to the lower power loading.

Looking at your design for the bipin sockets that you 3D printed, I'm thinking you could maybe even make the contacts out of strips cut from an aluminum can with the plastic sanded/burned off. Might be an easier way to make some quickly just for testing purposes.

I actually had a contact design in mind for those lampholders but I never got around to making the contacts. I even got a copper strip lying around somewhere that I intended to install in them as a test.

If I ever manage to get a T17 lamp I'd probably revisit this project and finish the contacts.

I think if you are able to use ABS, it should work for low heat lamps.
But the UV could be a problem. I don't know if the filament materials have any UV stabilizers in them...

And the porosity of the extruded print would be an insulation problem (it will hold moisture and so form current paths).
So the print may need some good sealing treatment.

@Medved: By 3D-printing just the mold and then pouring your own material is better, because you can choose the right resin or cement that can resist UV and heat, also you will get a faster and cheaper sockets. I've seen 3D prints being processed with blue light, so they are extremely sensitive and the tube will eat the sockets within days, also they won't be happy with the heat because 3D filament is designed to be extruded with rather low temperature around 70°C, just like normal hot melt glue.

The sockets can be made of 2 parts, the face being an FR4 circuit board (with all the cuts being designed into it as a circuit board), and the back shell (that does not touch the lamp) as a 3D printed part

Something overall like in older British T12 lanterns like GEC Europa (Gaash 2000), Fitzgerald Lightpack (~early 90s version for 1 tube) etc