I guess it's been Long enough to ask. For those with a full accompaniment of metalworking machines and tooling who have picked up, learned, and used a 3D printer, has any significant work load been transferred over from the metalworking machines to theprinter?
It is understood that those parts would now be mostly plastic, but I was wonder how much of a factor both the cost of stock material and ease of use would be either way.
I didn't expect a big switch over, but experiences, observations, and opinions would be appreciated.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
I guess it's been Long enough to ask. For those with a full
accompaniment of metalworking machines and tooling who have picked up, learned, and used a 3D printer, has any significant work load been transferred over from the metalworking machines to the printer?
It is understood that those parts would now be mostly plastic, but I was wonder how much of a factor both the cost of stock material and ease of
use would be either way.
I didn't expect a big switch over, but experiences, observations, and opinions would be appreciated.
I guess it's been Long enough to ask. For those with a full accompaniment of metalworking machines and tooling who have picked up, learned, and used a 3D printer, has any significant work load been transferred over from the metalworking machines to theprinter?
It is understood that those parts would now be mostly plastic, but I was wonder how much of a factor both the cost of stock material and ease of use would be either way.
I didn't expect a big switch over, but experiences, observations, and opinions would be appreciated.
I guess it's been Long enough to ask. For those with a full accompaniment of metalworking machines and tooling who have picked up, learned, and used a 3D printer, has any significant work load been transferred over from the metalworking machines to theprinter?
It is understood that those parts would now be mostly plastic, but I was wonder how much of a factor both the cost of stock material and ease of use would be either way.
I didn't expect a big switch over, but experiences, observations, and opinions would be appreciated.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
I guess it's been Long enough to ask. For those with a full accompaniment of metalworking machines and tooling who have picked up, learned, and used a 3D printer, has any significant work load been transferred over from the metalworking machines to theprinter?
It is understood that those parts would now be mostly plastic, but I was wonder how much of a factor both the cost of stock material and ease of use would be either way.
I didn't expect a big switch over, but experiences, observations, and opinions would be appreciated.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
On Sun, 7 Nov 2021 07:31:01 -0800 (PST), Darren Harris <jamesja...@gmail.com> wrote:the printer?
I guess it's been Long enough to ask. For those with a full accompaniment of metalworking machines and tooling who have picked up, learned, and used a 3D printer, has any significant work load been transferred over from the metalworking machines to
It is understood that those parts would now be mostly plastic, but I was wonder how much of a factor both the cost of stock material and ease of use would be either way.
I didn't expect a big switch over, but experiences, observations, and opinions would be appreciated.
Darren HarrisI have two filament printers and an (as-yet unused) resin printer and
Staten Island, New York.
curing setup. I've almost entirely printed PLA, with a tiny bit of
ABS. PLA filament is cheap.
Found lots of uses for the printers in making fixtures and jigs for
PCBs and prototype setups. Some things I could make on a mill with
DRO and they'd be much prettier but wouldn't work much better and it
would take much more time (iterations are very costly on a manual
mill). Different uses than I expected.
Occasionally small housings for internal use. A solder fume extractor
made from a salvaged fan and Aliexpress filter material- total cost a
few dollars. Needed a special pin spanner wrench that was infinite
lead time so I prototyped it in PLA, tweaked it and made it (once) of aluminum and steel. Have made spare parts for a few things where the
part got broken or lost. When the part was lost it really helps to be
able to iterate since the first part you come up with may not be
ideal.
You can insert metal threaded inserts, bearings, nuts etc. to make the material characteristics less limiting (and, make no mistake, PLA FDM
prints are nasty and crude - think 0.5mm tolerance- and weak- and
generally lack electrical specifications). PLA is also limited in temperature range. You can apparently make lost-whatever castings of
metal. There are YT videos showing the process.
I almost invariably do a CAD model first so the 3D print 'cost' is
mostly just filament (cheap) and (clock, not human) time. The prints
are usually just as good printed with low infill (honeycomb interior,
not solid) so they are much lighter than they look.
I would say though that if you don't speak parametric 3D CAD fluently
then a 3D printer would not be so useful.
--
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
"Darren Harris" wrote in message news:671aab66-9c21-488b...@googlegroups.com...
I'm just now seeing and reading your last post and wanted to clarify my reason for asking my question.
There are many small parts I have to make and I'm sure there will be a lot
of trial and error either way since these parts/components don't yet exist
in the market place.
Metal will be the preferred material in most cases, but I'm hoping that plastic prototypes would hold up long enough to bear out the plausibility of the designs.
I know nothing yet about 3D CAD, but metal stock machined on my lathe and mill will in many cases need to have a great deal of material removed to create the desired parts. Perhaps from 50 to 80 percent, so there would be a lot of waste involved.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
-------------------------
Welding and brazing are useful additive methods to build up complex metal shapes from simple stock. They aren't reliably accurate due to shrinkage and distortion but they can save you a lot of stock removal.
On Monday, June 6, 2022 at 5:59:56 PM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Darren Harris" wrote in message
news:671aab66-9c21-488b...@googlegroups.com...
I'm just now seeing and reading your last post and wanted to clarify my
reason for asking my question.
There are many small parts I have to make and I'm sure there will be a lot >> of trial and error either way since these parts/components don't yet exist >> in the market place.
Metal will be the preferred material in most cases, but I'm hoping that
plastic prototypes would hold up long enough to bear out the plausibility of >> the designs.
I know nothing yet about 3D CAD, but metal stock machined on my lathe and
mill will in many cases need to have a great deal of material removed to
create the desired parts. Perhaps from 50 to 80 percent, so there would be a >> lot of waste involved.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
-------------------------
Welding and brazing are useful additive methods to build up complex metal
shapes from simple stock. They aren't reliably accurate due to shrinkage and >> distortion but they can save you a lot of stock removal.
Not for me. My parts require high tolerances.
Thanks.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
On 6/7/2022 11:20 AM, Darren Harris wrote:
On Monday, June 6, 2022 at 5:59:56 PM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Darren Harris" wrote in message
news:671aab66-9c21-488b...@googlegroups.com...
I'm just now seeing and reading your last post and wanted to clarify my >> reason for asking my question.
There are many small parts I have to make and I'm sure there will be a lot
of trial and error either way since these parts/components don't yet exist
in the market place.
Metal will be the preferred material in most cases, but I'm hoping that >> plastic prototypes would hold up long enough to bear out the plausibility of
the designs.
I know nothing yet about 3D CAD, but metal stock machined on my lathe and >> mill will in many cases need to have a great deal of material removed to >> create the desired parts. Perhaps from 50 to 80 percent, so there would be a
lot of waste involved.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
-------------------------
Welding and brazing are useful additive methods to build up complex metal >> shapes from simple stock. They aren't reliably accurate due to shrinkage and
distortion but they can save you a lot of stock removal.
Not for me. My parts require high tolerances.
Thanks.
Darren HarrisYou build it up and then machine it.
Staten Island, New York.
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com
On Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 5:12:42 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:alternatives, make 3D printing look more promising. The real question involves material suitability. (Sometimes there is no substitute for a *metal* part).
On 6/7/2022 11:20 AM, Darren Harris wrote:
On Monday, June 6, 2022 at 5:59:56 PM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:You build it up and then machine it.
"Darren Harris" wrote in message
news:671aab66-9c21-488b...@googlegroups.com...
I'm just now seeing and reading your last post and wanted to clarify my >>>> reason for asking my question.
There are many small parts I have to make and I'm sure there will be a lot >>>> of trial and error either way since these parts/components don't yet exist >>>> in the market place.
Metal will be the preferred material in most cases, but I'm hoping that >>>> plastic prototypes would hold up long enough to bear out the plausibility of
the designs.
I know nothing yet about 3D CAD, but metal stock machined on my lathe and >>>> mill will in many cases need to have a great deal of material removed to >>>> create the desired parts. Perhaps from 50 to 80 percent, so there would be a
lot of waste involved.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
-------------------------
Welding and brazing are useful additive methods to build up complex metal >>>> shapes from simple stock. They aren't reliably accurate due to shrinkage and
distortion but they can save you a lot of stock removal.
Not for me. My parts require high tolerances.
Thanks.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com
Well, I don't have welding or brazing equipment, let alone a place to do that kind of work. And the extra tools, jigs, and time for parts with tiny weld surfaces thanks to the high tolerances I need, and therefore not as reliable as single piece
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
On 6/19/2022 7:59 AM, Darren Harris wrote:
On Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 5:12:42 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
On 6/7/2022 11:20 AM, Darren Harris wrote:
On Monday, June 6, 2022 at 5:59:56 PM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:You build it up and then machine it.
"Darren Harris" wrote in message
news:671aab66-9c21-488b...@googlegroups.com...
I'm just now seeing and reading your last post and wanted to
clarify my
reason for asking my question.
There are many small parts I have to make and I'm sure there will
be a lot
of trial and error either way since these parts/components don't
yet exist
in the market place.
Metal will be the preferred material in most cases, but I'm hoping
that
plastic prototypes would hold up long enough to bear out the
plausibility of
the designs.
I know nothing yet about 3D CAD, but metal stock machined on my
lathe and
mill will in many cases need to have a great deal of material
removed to
create the desired parts. Perhaps from 50 to 80 percent, so there
would be a
lot of waste involved.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
-------------------------
Welding and brazing are useful additive methods to build up complex
metal
shapes from simple stock. They aren't reliably accurate due to
shrinkage and
distortion but they can save you a lot of stock removal.
Not for me. My parts require high tolerances.
Thanks.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com
Well, I don't have welding or brazing equipment, let alone a place to
do that kind of work. And the extra tools, jigs, and time for parts
with tiny weld surfaces thanks to the high tolerances I need, and
therefore not as reliable as single piece alternatives, make 3D
printing look more promising. The real question involves material
suitability. (Sometimes there is no substitute for a *metal* part).
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
Building up a part by (various means) and then machining it does give
you the option for fine tolerances. That's the whole point. Whether or not you can do it is neither here nor there. Its is a real everyday solution used in industry. Casting and then machining is the same
thing. Make a near (or not so near) net shape and then remove everything
that is not your final part.
Think engine blocks. They are cast near net shape and then all critical dimensions are machined to net shape. You might argue there are a
handful of "special" people who actually machine an engine block from a
lump of generic billet, but I would counter with this. There are other people who are "special" in their own way who weld up bits and pieces to
make an engine, and then machine all critical dimensions after the fact.
As far as 3D printing. I suggest some things to consider. Sometimes 3D printed parts are printed to near net shape and machined to finish dimensions. Sometimes 3D parts are printed, and machined metal parts
are added. Sometimes parts are 3D printed out of metal. Some plastics/resins can be 3D printed that are "almost as good" as metal
parts or good enough for short term use.
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