3D Printer

[machinist@large]

I know, just something fun to mess with. Makes plastic parts for my race kart extremely cheap (pennies instead of hundreds in comparison) for things like mounting hardware, and pins. Also lets me prototype what I want, and when I want to. I've already used it to print a shop-vac rotary tool (Link below) that spins at 60,000 RPM, who ever needed a dremel.

I think of it more as a tool that anything else and a way to test designs and models. I can make sand molds with my things too and forge them with aluminum if I really wanted to. Next tool is gonna be a CNC machine

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:76369

EDIT: I will be purchasing an actual dremel, just printed it and it worked extremely well. I don't need the "Thats not a good alternative" speech. I know

If you just consider it as a prototyping toy, you'll have great fun. And if you use said prototype as a pattern to cast part's, so much the better. But that then brings up the question about just where you find your raw material for said castings, and if it's the correct alloy for that as well.....

 

[crazykart]

Aw man, I would love to have a 3d printer. I've been carving a prototype of the toddlers cane (think batman forever) for the better part of 3 months, and still not half done lol. Would love to just print it, then make a mold from that and cast it in aluminum.

 

[itsid]

well crazykart.. that's been taken care of...

upload the 3d file to shapeways.com and order a stainless steel or silver or gold if you want print
(wax print, lost cast molded...)

'sid

 

[DirtyDamage]

Will do. I'm working on the jet drive now. Everything is printed out but the shaft (deign problem) doesn't work. So I'm finding a tube or a rod to use instead. When I find a rod I'll glue and test.