For the last couple of years, I've been reading pieces about 3D printing, and it seems that the resolution of new printers - as well as the sheer *variety* of materials they can use, is getting them to the point that, with a model, one could be able to micro-manufacture parts at home.
Has anyone here experimented with this kind of technology?
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Jay Leno has
I do it all the time. It's fun! I have a CAD program that can produce .stl files and I upload the files to shapeways.com for manufacturing. Do you have any CAD/CAM experience?
I recently posted with regards to custom Porsche emblems:
https://www.speedsterowners.co...-find-cmc-kit?page=2
I also just received printed parts for a custom horn ring I'm making.
Cool! Do you do any metal printing? That is becoming more doable now. You can see where that will go once the technology becomes available, i.e., you bring your CAD file or one made with this technology:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Laserscanner
and you make the part with this:
For example, a regular scale version of this:
https://all3dp.com/3d-printed-porsche-engine-model/
The battlefront right now is avoiding porosity and sintering just right so the metal parts are strong, and from the retail perspective this technology is unattainable unless you're Jay Leno, but give it a year or two and it just doesn't seem like it's far off.
I was extremely interested in getting in to that several years ago, but the only reasonably affordable printers only did either corn starch (?!) or plastic. Have metal printers come down to a reasonable price now?
3D printing can be done very economically with no investment in programs or printers. I use a design program called SketchUp which can be downloaded for free. Its beginner friendly with lots of online tutorials, and can design whatever you’re likely to need. Once a file is created you send it to Shapeways.com for printing in a wide variety of materials—even metals.
For example, I was changing over from the Chinese gauges which came with my car to VDOs, which are smaller. I designed a spacer ring with an outer flare that can be epoxied to the back of the dashboard to hold it in place. They work fine, look good, and were cheap.
I wonder why a replica maker would commission gauges at a larger size - seems like that would be more effort than just silkscreening the originals at original size - customer preference, maybe?
wombat posted:3D printing can be done very economically with no investment in programs or printers. I use a design program called SketchUp which can be downloaded for free. Its beginner friendly with lots of online tutorials, and can design whatever you’re likely to need. Once a file is created you send it to Shapeways.com for printing in a wide variety of materials—even metals.
For example, I was changing over from the Chinese gauges which came with my car to VDOs, which are smaller. I designed a spacer ring with an outer flare that can be epoxied to the back of the dashboard to hold it in place. They work fine, look good, and were cheap.
Unfortunately, a few of us have little if any 3D printing experience but would like to get a set of the spacer rings you designed for the VDO gauges; therefore, is there any chance Shapeways.com kept the data you sent to them to make the spacer rings?
Also, what material was used to make your set?
Cliff
THose are really cool, you have got me thinking about how I might do a few things. 
It would probably be worth holding a 3D printing workshop. Imagine creating a public Github (for non-CS people - publicly available repository, once you've been invited) with designs for just everything on these cars that people can scan or design, preserving them for all time? And when someone needs a part, they can either have a professional printing shop make one *OR* make it themselves if they have a printer that is capable with the materials needed.
CAD skills aren't hard to develop - it's just effort and time.
Hmmm... It would seem that having an inexpensive one at home to create prototypes for fit and then emailing to a place like Shapeways would be a smart way to do this stuff. Hmmm...
Get friendly with just about any technical college, Vocational school or even most high school CS departments - Just about everybody up my way has at least a resin-based 3-D printer these days and most colleges can 3-D print in metals (Even the International Space Station!) Still, Shapeways is used by a lot of people, especially the younger robotics crowd.
Cliff Presley - Charlotte, NC posted:wombat posted:3D printing can be done very economically with no investment in programs or printers. I use a design program called SketchUp which can be downloaded for free. Its beginner friendly with lots of online tutorials, and can design whatever you’re likely to need. Once a file is created you send it to Shapeways.com for printing in a wide variety of materials—even metals.
For example, I was changing over from the Chinese gauges which came with my car to VDOs, which are smaller. I designed a spacer ring with an outer flare that can be epoxied to the back of the dashboard to hold it in place. They work fine, look good, and were cheap.
Wombat, what a terrific idea.
Unfortunately, a few of us have little if any 3D printing experience but would like to get a set of the spacer rings you designed for the VDO gauges; therefore, is there any chance Shapeways.com kept the data you sent to them to make the spacer rings?
Also, what material was used to make your set?
Cliff
I can email the files to anyone who might want them. You then set up an account at Shapeways.com, send in the files, order three in the cheapest plastic, pant them satin black, and install.
Even better would be if everyone on the forum that actively pursues projects themselves would scan their parts on whatever they're working on and upload to a library free for everyone here to access.
