Info needed: 3D printers and laser engravers

[Mike K]

I have looked into do-it-yourself 3D printing as a source for those unobtainable parts. Parts such as knobs and many others items that are now just not available for the restorer.

Also, there are now hobby laser engravers / cutters available, another world of home manufacturing possibilities has opened up.

Have any MLU members looked into this ?

The downside is: you have to be very proficient at using CAD software. Not an easy learning process to learn from scratch.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Yes, this has the potential to solve a lot of problems. The range of materials that can be 3D printed now is amazing. CAD knowledge is a thing for sure but what is more likely to happen is scanning the part you want to duplicate, then using the 'point cloud' result of the scan to print your new part. Scale modelers are transitioning from injection molds and scratch building to 3D printing. It's a whole new world and I fear my resin casting and jackknife whittling skills are now obsolete.

[Mike K]

Hi Bruce

There is a member of the metalwork forum I peruse, he is a retired physicist with degrees in applied physics and a PhD . He mentioned that he can 3D print to a moderate level of success at home but any part that has over complicated shapes is a nightmare to print, this annoying situation is because of the high skills involved in manipulating the software. There are free and 'paid for' 3D CAD software programs available but they all work differently to each other and if you change the software program you have to start from scratch again.

Yes scanning the part is the way to go but those machines would be too expensive for home hobby users ?

[Matthew P]

I do this in both the model and the 1:1 world. We have used 3D modeling and both resin and filament printing as part of our process to make our replica battery cases. Right now the most effective way is someone proficient in CAD draws up the part, I print it, then we use that as a master to cast more in resin.

Both the scanners and the data processing power to create a file are beyond any hobbyist means. A scanner good enough to do the job, not some toy app you can download to your iPhone requires way more data processing then most of us have in our home computers. On the other hand I can send some photos and dimensions to friends who can render in 3D effectively and cost me $50 for say a battery vent cap. Even if the scanner and data processing was within reach, you would still have to be versed in computer rendering to fill in gaps, set up wall thicknesses of various aspects of the part, reinforcements in other places etc etc. The scanner cannot do for you what it cannot see.

Here is an example of applying 3D resin printing technology along with "traditional" urethane resin casting.

Matt

[Mike K]

Nice job with the Willard battery case. That is a impressive result. Quite a lot of time and effort is involved in a project like that.

1945 Australian advert depicting a Jeep

[Matthew P]

Mike,

Thank you. It was countless hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. But we have sold over 50 of them so far without even trying. Interesting that the 1945 Adverts in Australia are for a battery that in the US was succeeded in 1939 or so by the Safety Fill, patented in 1938.

As to laser cutting/engraving:

I've drawn up CAD files and sent them to our local metal supplier to have tail lamp brackets or blackout switch covers made. I then did the bending on a shop press. At the other end of the spectrum, with a home/hobbyist laser cutter a friend has been making the Canadian 24-hour ration boxes to fit in the mess tins and use the laser at the lowest setting to put the lettering on the paper. As long as it's black you want it's an alternative to letterpress.

Matt