Bowed and twisted wood might become a thing of the past

[Leon]

[Bill]

Your typical youngster with a gadget in the other hand may not even notice the difference! ; )

[Martin Eastburn]

The various companies are trying for niche areas. This looks like a viable one.

I have a pro grade 3D and it prints in three types of plastic. The company makes candy/cake.. plastic, Metal (serious metal), and the largest ones make car front ends. And then there are the 65K colors in the expensive ones - print a 3D rainbow or flowers... color 3-d heads. The high volume ones are hearing aids.

Martin

[Puckdropper]

Martin Eastburn wrote in news:hlnrw.329119$ [e-mail]:

*snip*

Think it could handle small spur gears? I fix model locomotives, and I've seen quite a few of these split. Sometimes I can find a replacement gear, but more often than not, no dice.

Cost-wise, I'm sure right now the 3D printed gear would make a $10 acetyl replacement look cheap.

Puckdropper

[Electric Comet]

I like bowed and twisted wood. Just yesterday I turned a carving mallet from a piece of firewood. Just grabbed a random piece from a cord of red oak. It's always fun to show someone the wood before and after.

3d printers are useful and I'd like to have one but they are pricey. Nanotech is the new direction though. Assembling things at the nano level is hard for most to comprehend but it's here now. You won't find one at harbor freight.

[Martin Eastburn]

What you need to have is a 3-D scanner to scan in the part and then clean up the scan and print one.

Odds are the real precision models might be to high.

Martin

[Electric Comet]

The part could be measured by hand. Also check thingverse. I found parts on there that were perfect with no mods.

[Electric Comet]

I think this is possible but not certain. How small? What's diameter?

The plastic is cheap. Check thingverse and sites like that for designs that others have already made. I found some parts for consumer products that were perfect when 3d printed and needed no modifications.

Often times someone with a 3d printer will be more than happy to print something out if you provide the model. You may have to measure the part.

[Electric Comet]

Making a plastic hammer is a viable niche? Or you mean something else?

There are 3d laser printers now too. Material is $1/kilogram.

[Electric Comet]

Funny how many times the article says maker bot. It reads like an ad.

I like this one as it's cheaper than most. It does require some hands-on assembly. But I like it for the unique gantry.

even more diy, the parts are 3d printed

[Puckdropper]

Electric Comet wrote in news:m8ov82$vvo$5 @dont-email.me:

We're talking a range of 1/8 - 5/8" diameter. Somewhere around 10-18T on average, based on the few I've measured.

Some gears have spacers integrated, which might make things even harder.

Puckdropper

[Electric Comet]

I think 3d printers can do that. Check with someone that has one. Ask on seemecnc forums or the like.

I'd guess that you'll find parts models on thingverse or the like.

[Martin Eastburn]

I have a vertical increment of 70 microns. I normally use 200 or even 300.

.125" is large. But yes I build larger things at less resolution like

200. Consider the time - 3x time for what smoothness. I have this one.

Now for some really fine machines - the Website of the company that sells through cubify as their portal.

Martin