Thinking about getting into 3D printing?

roberty

Got the mounting ring in (with pickup)

This is a very practical application. Not difficult to argue its usefulness 

I'll round the top edge off a bit with sandpaper 

Sad sofa for scale

digitalscream

Hmm, looks like I didn't quite get the countersinks right - still, not bad at all for a first attempt

Kittyfrisk

The hardware & output process are fairly straightforward, but how much CAD programming is involved in the design process before you get to the output stage?

roberty

digitalscream said:

Hmm, looks like I didn't quite get the countersinks right - still, not bad at all for a first attempt

They are excellent. Can sort the countersink out no sweat

digitalscream

Kittyfrisk said:

The hardware & output process are fairly straightforward, but how much CAD programming is involved in the design process before you get to the output stage?

Depends what you use. I use TinkerCAD, which is a free browser-based 3D CAD program. Much smaller learning curve than pro stuff like Fusion 360, and it's blindingly easy to come up with great functional results. The pickup rings up there took me about half an hour for the initial version, and then an hour of tweaks and prototypes.

Kittyfrisk

Thanks, good advice. I used to work in a department that also had a 3D scanner that could output files direct to a 3D printer, laser cutter, waterjet cutter etc.
That's the kind of thing I'd love to have, but it was thought a bit too extravagant to give me as a leaving gift  

Iamnobody

I never knew I needed a 3D printer!

How much are the material costs and are there any other ongoing costs. It seems really cheap!

I’d love to see some more examples of peoples creations!

digitalscream

Iamnobody said:

I never knew I needed a 3D printer!

How much are the material costs and are there any other ongoing costs. It seems really cheap!

I’d love to see some more examples of peoples creations!

Most PLA is £15-20/kg, depending on colour/composition/etc. Starts to get a bit more expensive with PETG, and then more so with ABS/Nylon, and when you start looking at the carbon fibre- or metal-infused stuff....yeah. Also, there's a "toxic fume" issue with some of the hotter materials like ABS, which means you need an enclosure with air filtering.

There are some maintenance costs for wear and tear on nozzles, and perhaps upgrades (eg all-metal hot ends, or hardened steel nozzles to handle the more abrasive materials), but they're not particularly expensive and tend to last a fair while.

WezV

Those rings look good.   

I had some printed for my John Birch when I got some original pickups for it.   I think I ended up spraying or epoxy coating them to get a bit more shine on it

roberty

WezV said:

Those rings look good.   

I had some printed for my John Birch when I got some original pickups for it.   I think I ended up spraying or epoxy coating them to get a bit more shine on it

I have a few spares to experiment with so might try something along these lines. I will definitely countersink the holes and round the edges off for comfort. I'm mostly just chuffed that I can swap pickups easily now. It's a perfect fit 

chillidoggy

What can I make with a 3D printer? Metal parts? Plastic? How big will they go? I assume you have to scan something first?

Sporky

Mostly plastic, but there are industrial ones that do metal.

You don't have to scan anything first, you can just design what you want in a CAD package.

digitalscream

chillidoggy said:

What can I make with a 3D printer? Metal parts? Plastic? How big will they go? I assume you have to scan something first?

Most printers are around 22.5cm - 25cm square beds, with 25-30cm vertical height.

And no, you don't have to scan anything first, you can just design anything in a 3D CAD package. Or...you can just download and print stuff that other people have designed:

https://printables.com/
https://thingiverse.com/

There's a lot out there. And...if you can't find something out there that does exactly what you want, you can still edit and modify someone else's models.

chillidoggy

Ok, so it can make anything within a box size of 22.5 x 22.5 x 30? As long as it’s plastic? If so, that’s pretty amazing, and also potentially useful, particularly for odd plastic mouldings that are NLA.

However, I know bugger-all about CAD, or how to operate it, which could prove to be a major hurdle.

digitalscream

chillidoggy said:

Ok, so it can make anything within a box size of 22.5 x 22.5 x 30? As long as it’s plastic? If so, that pretty amazing, and also potentially useful, particularly for odd plastic mouldings that are NLA.

Yep, basically.

For what it's worth, you can also get bigger printers - the Bambu P1P, P1S and X1 have 256x256x256mm build volumes, and the Elegoo Neptune 3 Max (just an example) has a build volume of 420x420x500mm.

And, as I said...if you're careful regarding fumes, you can also print in ABS, PETG, nylon and a bunch of other materials.

Sporky

chillidoggy said:

However, I know bugger-all about CAD, or how to operate it, which could prove to be a major hurdle.

There are a bazillion tutorials online for any given CAD package. 

PolarityMan

I'm waiting for 4d printing. 

roberty

Countersunk and sanded

PolarityMan said:

I'm waiting for 4d printing. 

A stitch in time

digitalscream

@roberty - that's nice work, sir

How's it holding up to the tension? No creaking or cracking?

roberty

digitalscream said:

@roberty - that's nice work, sir

How's it holding up to the tension? No creaking or cracking?

Cheers. It seems perfectly happy to be there. Almost like it was made for it