3d printers for making small boat parts

[svgypsyqueen]

If your going to 3D print... You need a 3D scanner.... Well... Need is a relative term I suppose... But I'd recommend one.

There are a couple cheap ones. By which I mean they are not like the $35k ones for industry. You can even get a camera attachment for your iPhone or iPad that will 3D scan for you to then tweak and print. Or you can hack an Xbox camera. I did this experiment one day at work just to see if we could do it. Free and not so free software about the Internet available for mucking about.
Turn the volume down....
Not sure why that angry bit of music got added.

https://youtu.be/TS8gcYExSeo

[MCOS]

Originally Posted by Kurtesio

Wax for lost wax casting is already available for FDM 3D (the common hobby type)printers as well as for stereolithography(SLA). SLA can make incredibly finely detailed pieces and custom jewelers love it. SLA printers are in the 5k range + or - with FDM printers starting at $200
I think this would be the greatest asset in the old boat , rare pieces area of boating in regards to 3D printing.
Cast metal and glass parts...
Jump in and try it out.

Thanks for the info!!

I can see what I will be doing this winter. There are so many times I've come across a broken part that alas, no longer was in production or impossible to find or so darn expensive you would think it was made of gold. If any of my efforts are presentable, I might post them. I am sure that cast aluminum sail slugs could be made this way, jam cleats, stanchion bases and who knows what else.

[MerlinBrasil]

Consider also that you can take an object and use a 3D Scanner to capture your working CAD design. Then, send it to your 3D printer, and you *should* be able to duplicate parts "easily".

[FilBrown]

The plastic used in 3D printing isn't that strong but as suggested, inserts might make parts more stronger.
There is another new gadget which I've heard of which would really change the game.
It's called All Forge and as the name suggests it's a forge for casting parts.
It can do this in plastic, confectionery, chocolate and metal.......
Have a look at Allforge
Allforge

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

I've just spent the morning down at a local science festival. Got excited about 3d printing parts for my boat.

Think of all the neat plastic bits that could be made onboard easily.

Things like sail slides and plastic shackles.

Fancy batslides that are grooved for ball bearings. And customised for each mast section

Batten ends and plastic tensioning luff pockets.

Custom waterproof switchboard panels with embossed labels

Lightweight blocks and sheaves for use with dyneema strops

Plastic caps for staunchions

Fancy plastic dohickys that you can use to bolt stuff around staunchions

Custom v cleats

Plumbing fittings

.... Its really only limited by your imagination, needs and skill with CAD.

Is this realistic, are the plastics they use such as the ABS plastic up to UV and of reasonable strength? Is the power use excessive?

It would just be pretty neat to be able to print your own spare parts..

Thoughts?

The finish is generally poor. Hand finishing of most plastics is not feasible. The failure modes are similar to hot rolled products. Very poor load carrying and fatigue properties for 3d printed parts.

For decades we used ABS for stereo lithography. That was the name for 3d printing for decades.

We currently dont have any commercial grade materials that make 3d printing anything other than a trend.

Once we have low power metal sintering printers, that can finish at sub micron surface roughness, then ill be interested.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Snowpetrel]

Thanks all for the input, its great to get some real world info on the process.

I guess I will scratch it from my xmas list.. Sounds like the technology at the moment is just not developed enough, and although plastics can be strong enough the process is not as strong as a cast plastic part. Ahh well.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[IMACSS]

Great topic as I have a part that needs to be made for my belt sander (belt drive-gear) that has gone out of production.

Recently had one of my top molars (tooth) fail and needed another crown as a replacement.
Mr Dentist suddenly had me with mouth open and was printing up the molar with his 3D portable scanner which he sent away to a Lab and 3 days later I had a new chomper - now 3 months old and feeling great without the normal grinding and impressions and temps and long wait etc etc .

I was once told of the amount of compression forces our molars apply but so far so good. I am hopeful for my drive gear solution soon.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by IMACSS

Great topic as I have a part that needs to be made for my belt sander (belt drive-gear) that has gone out of production.

Recently had one of my top molars (tooth) fail and needed another crown as a replacement.
Mr Dentist suddenly had me with mouth open and was printing up the molar with his 3D portable scanner which he sent away to a Lab and 3 days later I had a new chomper - now 3 months old and feeling great without the normal grinding and impressions and temps and long wait etc etc .

I was once told of the amount of compression forces our molars apply but so far so good. I am hopeful for my drive gear solution soon.

Ahh, too bad you live in backwards NSW! Not long ago, Ann lost a crown from a molar. Went to a dentist in backwoods Hobart. He stuck a camera in her mouth and literally 2 hours after she walked into his office, he had machined out a ceramic crown (neat little two cutter CNC milling machine) and glued it into her tooth, and out we walked. Cost was equal to a gold cast crown, but that would have entailed several visits and a longish delay to our cruising plans. I was pretty well impressed!

Jim

[TurninTurtle]

3D printing can make some neat stuff... like fishing lure bodies.

We're still in the "early adopter" stage. You can experiment with the capabilities, but there's no real standard for the machines.

I was an early adopter of CD-WORM (Write Once Read Mostly) which eventually transitioned to our CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, then DVD and Blu-Ray on the same size disc.
The first CD-WORM drive I had was just 200 mb. Nothing made can read those old discs now.

Maybe 10 more years and you will be able to feed used grocery bags (if they use appropriate plastic) to your 3D printer and actually get useful parts for the boat.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

...Got excited about 3d printing parts for my boat.

Think of all the neat plastic bits that could be made onboard easily.

Things like sail slides and plastic shackles.

Fancy batslides that are grooved for ball bearings. And customised for each mast section

Batten ends and plastic tensioning luff pockets.

Custom waterproof switchboard panels with embossed labels

Lightweight blocks and sheaves for use with dyneema strops

Plastic caps for staunchions

Fancy plastic dohickys that you can use to bolt stuff around staunchions

Custom v cleats

Plumbing fittings

.... Its really only limited by your imagination, needs and skill with CAD.

...Thoughts?

Plumbing fittings? Come on! Available everywhere.

It may be easy to get all excited over the idea of pushing a few buttons rather than developing the necessary skills entailed in the custom fabrication of everything in your list. I am content in having those skills and tools, but no 3D printer.