3D printing update

[PETER ROACHParticipant @peterroach92938]

Guess you done your homework and see this ?

**LINK**

On that basis, and having a mountain of vanilla PLA, have not experimented with wax.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by PETER ROACH on 18/12/2013 13:51:44:

Guess you done your homework and see this ?

**LINK**

.

Great link, thanks Peter

That looks very encouraging.

MichaelG.

[StyxParticipant @styx]

John,

Regarding your laser engraver is it possible to see some work that you have produced with it? I often have thoughts about looking into these but if I ever did get one I am not sure what I would use it for. It's like my 3D printer I made but then I did have a lot of fun making it.

Steve….

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Steve,

Apologies for a long picture heavy post.

I hummed and hared just before I bought this as I need to justify to myself I needed one and it wasn't just going to be a toy.

Originally I worked out it was going to be a 10% workhorse and 90% John's toy so that was all I needed.

At the moment it's working out to be 40% workhorse, 25% John's toy and 35% the granddaughters play thing.

When they come round it's always "Can we make a ******* [ insert some plaque, snap together toy or jigsaw type article ] It's so easy to use and these are 9 and 10 years old.

Once the lid is down it's safe, until the lid is down the laser cannot fire and the screen is laser safe.

It can cut plywood up to 7mm with ease, plastic to 10mm, ABS etc.

It cannot cut PVC for health grounds, gives off chlorine gas. cannot cut metal but can engrave on ferrous metals with not much hassle but any other with expensive sprays [ never tried them ]

It can engrave on aluminium if it been anodised by virtue of burning the anodising off. Works best on black, red, blue or green because of the contrast as the letters are always alloy coloured.

Doesn't work on plain anodising as it looks like the Italian flag, white cross on a white background.

Gasket for a vacuum valve, not sold separately and the valve is £125. That small hole on the pier is 1/2mm, as is the annular slot. That took 14 seconds.

Done loads of gaskets for the vintage guys.

Trying different settings on stainless.

Aztec calendar coaster cut from 6mm scrap packing case, note the nail hole. Do these out of decent wood, quick waft with a rattle can or varnish or just wax them and it get you 7 brownie points.

Can be used for pattern making by building up in layers.

6mm ply for a guard, glued together ans sent to the foundry and you have a nice casting very quickly.

However I couldn't be bothered with the trip or expense and bolted the wooden guard on

Engraving is a doddle, laser engravers have taken over from rotary engravers now in the industry.

This material is metallic coated on the front and base colour on the rear so it burns the front off, needs to be covered though or out of the way signs only.

Alternative is to use reverse coated materials where you burn the rear coating off with a mirror image then rattle can the colour you want. This way you get smooth front and none scratchable.

Chinese Bridgeport clone but instead of using reversed plastic i used a blank front numberplate.

And from this.

To this.

This is the artwork, for some reason I don't have a picture of the finished plate.

[StyxParticipant @styx]

John,

Thanks for your in-depth answer!! I am well impressed. I am sure there are plenty of uses for the laser engraver here at work, I just have to convince my boss.

Steve….

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

There was some laser cut stuff at the Sandown show in the 3D printing section . Looks like some schools and Maker sheds have them as it can be thought of as a 'craft toy' or 'art maker' rather than a dirty old machine.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Take a read of this thread

**LINK**

Page 2, post # 15 in particular.

It was when I read this that the light bulb came on as regards a laser cutter.

[PETER ROACHParticipant @peterroach92938]

John,

The way we used to make maps in geography !

But you now also have the 3D printer that will save the hours of pasting together ! Or a hybrid of the two and use laser sheets for the clean overhangs, without needing the rafts/support structures.

[Peter Grant 3Participant @petergrant3]

That's nice Andrew. You can actually use PLA filaments to create prototypes of different parts of vehicles including cylinder heads, brake rotors, shift knobs and vents. I created new pieces of jewellery using 3d2print   http://www.3d2print.net/shop/product/taulman-tglase-clear/  filaments for my jewellery shop.

 

Edit repaired broken link.

 

Edited By John Stevenson on 04/03/2014 23:12:38

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