3D printer

[slowmover]

So, what are you boys using for material? I ask as I earn a living these days hauling about 24-tons of plastic to manufacturers. Usually in tiny bead form.

[oil pan 4]

In my 7.4L suburban run a 1960s engine with 1970s carburetor 1980s 3 speed non lockup transmission, 1990s wide band O2 for tuning and get the same or better mileage than suburbans built now.

These 3D printers appear to most commonly use ABS and PLA plastic that has been extruded to look like weedeater line.

I am going to submit the paper work to legally build one or 2 portable detachable muzzle suppressors before I return to the U.S. Then I can rebuild that particular serial number as many times as I want (I can only have one of each serial number at a time). Just toss the old one in a wood chipper and print a new one.

[oil pan 4]

I am seeing a lot of cheaper $300ish 3D printers what is their accuracy like?
Noticed that the ones for sale conveniently didn't mention.
I have seen the lower dollar units in action you can see the layers. I am not sure is this is typical of all lower dollar 3D printers.

But the precision on the slightly more expensive makerbot mini is in the tens of thousands of an inch. The makerbot samples look like they were injection moldings. If it can print threads and internal baffling then it can print anything (as long as I can figure out how). A suppressor is the most difficult thing I can think of printing. If the machine and I can print that then I could make just about anything and put it together in sections if it was bigger than what the machine could print.

[Daox]

A big issue with 3d printing is you can't really print at angles that create overhangs that are less than about 45 degrees. So, typical threads usually aren't printable. For the shift knobs I make, I use a tap after I print the hole into the part.

My printer has a .2mm minimum layer thickness. You can tell when you print something that there are layers, but they aren't super thick. Obviously, the thinner the layers the more time it takes to print something as well.

A lot of the cheaper printers have issues from the reviews I've read. For example they don't have a heated bed, or their extruder is junk. You may find a good one, but its a case by case basis and you'd want to read up on each one.

[Daox]

Here is an example of a part. Its not the best picture, but its about the diameter of a dime to get an idea of the scale. It was printed at .2mm layer height.





Here is a bit better shot of the shift knobs I make. The ball is roughly 2" in diameter.

[seifrob]

have you tried acetone vapor treatment? It ought glissen a surface a bit, even to the degree that layers aren´t noticeable:

RepRap: Blog: Vapor Treating ABS RP parts

[teoman]

There are new and exotic filaments out there now. Some that have carbon fiber in them.

PLA will not be good for you. It melts if left on your dash. Abs can work.

If the printer you buy can reach temperatures of 300 degC you can print in nylon filament (or some use trimmer line).

As for resolution you will mostly print with layers of 200 microns (0.2mm). But your printer should be capable of printing 0.1 mm. (And verify that from the forums, not just from the manufacturer specs).

If you print with PLA, you can do lost investment casting where you can get your material out of any metal you like.

For the modeling software, i highly recommend fusion 360, it is normally a commercial application but free for hobby use.

Teoman

[MPGeo]

There is definitely a learning curve with 3D printers, besides whatever modeling software you decide to use.

I've recently purchased a printer myself and had some FUN! just getting all my slicer settings right and getting the thing to print in the first place...

Lots of hours spent on you tube learning the practice... and I'm still in need of upgrading a few things on my printer just to get the first layer to stick properly, but I have managed to make a few neat practice pieces.

I can't speak for everyone else, but as for my 2 cents... Don't expect it to be a plug-N-print experience as you would with a regular paper printer... Actually the word "PRINTER" is a little miss-guided if you ask me. These machines are in fact CNC extrudes.... G-Code and all... So there will be a bit of a learning curve.

And they are super slow! But lots of fun

[MPGeo]

DAOX.. Was that my knob????

[oil pan 4]

I never did buy a 3d printer turns out since about 2015 you can buy really good and cheap silencers, better than anything that could be made on a 3d printer.
But I have a new application, 40mm projectiles.
I want pink ones.