New 3D Metal Printer

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Michigan Technological University is putting out plans for what appears to be a MIG printer. Check it out. Looks IFFY to me, but I hope it grows. It's entirely Open Sourced.

Reply to
Larry Jaques
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I tried freehand TIG "printing" once, actually additive sculpture. Other than being limited to details of at least the puddle size it went pretty well. jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Definitely "iffy", but a proof of concept that should spur others to advance the design to a more practical level.

Reply to
Pete C.

I like it, Even if the current state of MIG may not allow for machine finished production for some parts a well formed "blank" may result in substantially reduced machining and wasted material.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Hey Larry,

Her's a nice site that shows the 4 main types of "industrial/commercial" 3D printing in use, and a short explanation of why each is used.

We in the "hobby" field consider 3D printing to be new and cutting edge, and I guess it is for use in a "hobby", but the SLA printer (stereo lithography) has been around for many many years.

Brian Lawson

Reply to
Brian Lawson

So far the only home shop use I've thought up for affordable 3D printers would be to print plasticized wax patterns for assembly and subsequent investment casting of a real useable part.

Given the printing speed of affordable 3D printers I don't even consider them reasonable for test parts vs. conventional CNC machining of machinable wax test parts. Why would I want to wait all day for a test part that looks like some kid made it with a can of cheese-wiz when I can machine a wax part in 30 min?

Reply to
Pete C.

Um, are you going to give us the URL, Brian?

Isn't that what 3D printing evolved from?

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Look around at the sculpted items you might customize, like doorknobs, faucet handles, gearshift knobs, lamp arms. They have a stress concentration where they attach to a shaft, where plastic won't last long. My homemade outdoor faucet handle has a brass handgrip on an aluminum shank, which was easier to broach to match the double-flatted faucet shaft.

Replacements for failed commercial parts might be a good application, but you'd have to understand why the original part failed. For example I made a new aluminum augur clutch handle mount for my snow blower after the plastic one cracked from embrittlement in very cold weather.

This chair is another good example of customization where home 3D printing isn't appropriate. I wanted a comfortable high-backed computer desk chair I could recline in to watch TV, but armless so I could slide it in under the keyboard drawer.

I finally bought a high-backed armchair on sale and replaced the arm assemblies that join the seat and back with aluminum diamond plate triangles. I relocated the holes for the back bolts to raise it just enough to serve as a headrest. The upper leg of the triangles is under a lot of tension when I recline and a brittle cast material there could dump me on the floor without warning if it cracked. The diamond plate is ductile and homogeneous.

jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

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