3D printers/CNC mills

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Who has one? For under $1000 I would be tempted to take a first step into CAD/CNC...

[paaiyan]

They seem pretty darn cool, but the only material I know they're capable of "printing" is polystyrene I think. Not much use for cannoneers.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

The ones I've seen can print ABS.

http://www.mendel-parts.com/index.php/c ... mbled.html for example, it's in kit for but $700, quite affordable.

[POLAND_SPUD]

OMG 3d printers are so fu##ing cool...

I find this concept interesting>
http://keen101.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/hydra-cnc-mill/

a CNC mill +3d printer in one... in theory you could add laser cutting capability and other tools too...

[mobile chernobyl]

I don't personally have one, but I've gotten to use a variety of them here at school (Even took a class on the technology and concept!).

My favorite was FDM style printing, it produced a very strong part that we were able to use in a CNC model that needed a 0 radius angle.

I've used 3DP style machines too - wax and resin. They are neat because they permit printing parts inside of parts, that can essentially become trapped. To play around with this I printed a RC-scale nitro engine - the catch - it was fully assembled! I don't have a copy of the finished product - but it doesnt differ very much at all from this capture of the model


SLA was another technology we got to play around with very little. This produced very fine models, with layer-to-layer thicknesses less than FDM. The final model was not much stronger however, and it's a rather expensive process.

I've always wanted to try laser metal sintering - that produces some amazing results, and an almost ready to use part.

[POLAND_SPUD]

They are neat because they permit printing parts inside of parts, that can essentially become trapped.

I am pretty sure this can be done with metals too

EDIT
yep... found a video
[youtube][/youtube]

and another one
[youtube][/youtube]

[Brian the brain]

I've seen a topic on a Dutch tv show claiming a metal printing version is in development and one could potentially download the blueprints for a 1911 and just print it..

They were concerned...


points of view differ from person to person..

[mobile chernobyl]

They are neat because they permit printing parts inside of parts, that can essentially become trapped.

I am pretty sure this can be done with metals too

Very true! Any process that fuses in a excess media environment can print "thing in thing" style. FDM prints by laying down layers in air, so it needs to print excess support structures which are developed by very elaborate algorithms in the machines run program. They are kinda cool to observe afterwards - They are always optimized tetrahedral structures.

[jor2daje]

ive been looking into this a fair amount and so far the most promising homemade 3d printer is this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPmP0u1HuUM
Im not sure of the exact process that is used but as you can see it achieves some incredible resolution and no support structure of anykind is needed.

That said Ive seen some pretty impressive stuff made on repraps like the mendel you linked and makerbots, and think they would be a ton of fun to play around with. Ill keep you updated on how my sherline extruder head works once I start building.

[Gun Freak]

Wow... that's crazy, I can't even begin to think about how it works...

[warhead052]

Wow... that's crazy, I can't even begin to think about how it works...

I can, same as a CNC mill, but instead it heats plastic, foam, or what ever they use and sprays it in a jet. It then solidifies when the material hits the print, and that's how it works. (My guess at least, I may be wrong...)

[mobile chernobyl]

Warhead - Not quite...

Jor2Dale - That is pretty amazing for an amateur level accomplishement! It appears he's using some variety of SLA type printing. I couldn't find any information on his site about his source of focused UV light, but It must be pretty interesting, possibly a UV range diode laser.

SLA is one of the cooler processes to watch IMO - esp the laser versions.

That's also interesting that he's using a "top down" approach - typically all 3D printing has been done "bottom up".

Cool find!

When I worked at the automation programming company this summer I met a guy who's worked on coding with the linux CNC project.

I would really like to use that or a similar driver to make a CNC-gantry for my plasma cutter and possibly Oxy-Act torch someday (preferably in the near future!).

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I've seen a topic on a Dutch tv show claiming a metal printing version is in development and one could potentially download the blueprints for a 1911 and just print it..

The laser sintering stuff POLAND linked to looks like it could do it with ease!

$1050 turns my Sherline into a CNC machine.

For about the same price as a "budget" 3D printer, hmmm...

[jor2daje]

Do it!! (then add a 3d head)

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Do it!! (then add a 3d head)

It's looking like the best option a mill that can carve stuff precisely out of a variety of tough material sounds like a better option than something that can only turn out plastic, though it has to be said that those printers (particularly the "promising" one you linked to earlier, very interesting!) can turn out some incredibly complex shapes with internal details that no mill could hope to achieve - as you said this can be added to the mill with some effort.

I will dare make a prediction, by this time next year I will have CNC up and running.