Hello from the UK

[EddieV]

I have been lurking around here for a fair few, but never made a proper intro. So here goes!

I'm Eddie from the UK. I run a model making business which I started doing full time when I left university 4 years ago.

We 3D print lots of masters and patterns with a range of machines (mainly DLP resin, down to 15umZ layers +/-13um XY accuracy)
If anyone wants any advice or parts on a high res 3d printer, I can certainly help with that.
Modesty aside, I'd consider myself pretty clued up on CAD, 3D printing/ additive manufacture (but quite clueless about operating a mill or lathe!)

But I'm really here on HMEM for my hobbies, where the personal models I am building have started to get a bit more functional and require metal parts, rather than just the fragile resin prints.

I hope i can buy my first CNC mill soon and start showing off my creations

 

[petertha]

Welcome Eddie. Would love to see some pictures of your work when convenient. It certainly is rapidly emerging technology I'm personally interested in.

When you say 'masters & patterns' have you done much in the way of 3DP forms for the specific purpose of metal casting? Seems like we have incredible new tools for making the sacrificial shapes, but rapidly diminishing casting outfits to utilize this capability - or at least at 'reasonable' cost. The 3D printed metal (or sintered or whatever the process is called) seems to be hit & miss application specific? (and again, spendy). I'd love to hear your opinions & perspectives & hopefully maybe sample projects on this topic.

 

[abby]

Hello Eddie and welcome to the forum , I have been supplying castings created from 3D cad models for several years , from a few grams to a kilo or more.
It is always of interest when a new printing service is offered and if you PM me we could discuss the possibility of reciprocal business.
I am also based in the UK and , looking at your profile , of a similar age.
Dan.

 

[Herbiev]

Hi and welcome Eddie from the land down under.

 

[EddieV]

Thanks for the welcome fellas

Sure, I will post up some example pieces next week. Actually producing a locomotive engine for a client at the moment, so that's quite appropriate to show some of the pieces here!

@Peter:
You are right about SLS selective laser sintering metals. They are not the most accurate, fragile compared to milled pieces and can become distorted as they have a "green" stage where they are soft and malleable before being hardened. I have CAD designed some parts for direct SLS metal before (steel and brass), it took a few attempts to get the "grow" factor correct since the prints can be dimensionally inaccurate. But we added just enough so that the prints could be put into a lathe afterwards and the critical areas smoothed and perfected using the tried and tested method
Alternatives-
We has a high res DOD printer which prints directly into wax. The prints can be used for the lost wax metal casting process.
It's the best way to get complex metal parts, I think (so far... i dont have a mill yet ) although the wax parts are very fragile. Like candle wax. So it's best to get them into metal ASAP.
We can also do cheaper DLP resin prints in a resin which has meltaway lost wax properties - the resin is tougher - but can take a little practice (so i'm told) to perfect the lost wax casting with it, so for a new caster, it is worth doing a few prints.
I better stop here or i will talk all day about 3Dprinting

@Dan: Yea it's abby castings, right? Certainly rings a bell, i think some of our customers have sent things to you before
Sure, I will drop you a message when I am back in the office

@Herbie: Cheers!

 

[Blogwitch]

Hi Eddie,

What side of the North/South divide do you hail from?

John