| The Breakroom > The Water Cooler |
| 3D printing |
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| awemawson:
There are some really quite exciting materials being offered as 3d printing filaments. So long as the hot end is capable of the correct temperature regulation you can print metallic filled materials, carbon fibre, wax investment, and even conductive materials. It's this capability and the dual heads that attracted me to the 'BigBox' as it ticks all my boxes. No doubt a step learning curve though. |
| vtsteam:
--- Quote ---Moldlay is designed specifically for the use of creating positives for investment casting molds. Moldlay is a wax-like material that can be printed on a normal desktop 3D printer, at temperatures of 170-180ºC. --- End quote --- That's just what I was suggesting.. Now we need a diy heavy square steel tube base with rigid ways (NOT end supported 1" dia rod) , and a gantry of epoxy coated box section birch ply for low specific modulus, aircraft style, and a commercial head. Then we're talking making adequate patterns for intricate lost medium casting with a DIY machine at reasonable cost. |
| efrench:
What do you mean by a commercial head? Do you have any links to one? Cast iron or epoxy granite might make a better base than steel. |
| vtsteam:
A head that is purchased. I don't have links, but I haven't looked for any -- I'm not interested in building a 3D printer. In speaking of a DIY machine I'd admire of low cost, the suggestion of welded steel square tubing is generally within the range of capabilities and budget of folks here. If you cast iron in pours of, say 100 lbs, or better, or mine and surface granite, I'd say go with those. Personally I'd likely want steel tube anyway above the granite. |
| Swarfing:
I recently built an i3 Prusa for a friend, first out of steel box because I thought it would be much better. Had so many problems trying to tweak it, ended up rebuilding it out of laminate 10mm birch ply to a nice thickness x3 (30mm) and it turned out much better. I fixed this down onto some 50mm mdf for the base making the whole thing very stable rather than the thin sheets of material they recommend in the build plans. Had to cnc the bed out of aluminium so there are some thing that are not available to everybody. The parts are available for the build off ebay at quite reasonable prices from others replicating the parts. |
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