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pixelplucker

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This company was recommended to me after I got royally screwed over by the incompetence of the last 3d service bureau I used.

 

http://www.shapeways.com/

 

What is unique is they specialize in sls (selective laser sintering) which uses a base polymer carrier and different filler powders such as glass, ceramic, silver, bronze or various plastics.

This allows for realistic metal objects, though they don't have the structural strength of a real cast metla object, but are good replicas. Ideal for decorations and sculptures.

 

I thought of Rodger-R with his fantastic train models and how cool they would look on the knick-knack shelf :)

 

Might make some of the fun stuff profitable.

 

Happy New Year Everyone!

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Perhaps they will add 'Hash Animation:Master' to their list of programs that work with their service through STL and OBJ formats?

 

http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/supported-applications.

 

I have a (mild) goal to one day create a real world product using one of these 3D services.

The model I tend to want to make is one of those 'impossible shapes' particularly hard to create without this kind of technology.

Then I realize I don't have any particular use for that so I set the idea aside once more. ;)

 

The metal and glass and other materials make this something worth investigating.

Now that A:M has direct STL export... most definitely worth exploring!

 

Please let us know how your explorations go.

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Previous company previously gave me a price for small parts at around $20-$30 +shipping. After being jerked around for over 2 weeks with them ignoring specifications in email on sizes, loosing emails, and flat out ignoring to give me a price for a live job right at the start as I requested they decided they have a $100 minimum charge. The competence of that company scared me and I later found out they have a horrible reputation. I can't really say names though I did post the contact info for them on an earlier post some wheres else in the forum.

 

Shapeways seems to be on the ball and I'll be doing some stuff for a store there. They seem to have a good rep.

 

I like those dice, you make them?

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I think, that`s not necessary, else you wouldn`t be able to get that puzzlestuff objects with moving parts, right?

 

I mean it in another way. I think the models have to be waterproove

AND you can't for example just stick an ear into the head of a model to make it "waterproove".

(see image)

 

I had a look at tutorials for other programs and they said you would have to merge objects together.

This is only a guess of course. I haven't tested it.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

waterproove.jpg

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To make a legal stl file the shape needs to be closed and have no internal shapes intersecting the walls. Think of the objects as a hard boiled egg.

 

You can make the objects hollow to save material but you need a good wall thickness and need to take in consideration any weak spots that may make the object too fragile. Hollows need to extend to the outside (usually the bottom on a figurine) so they can empty the powder or resin out.

Last but not least, make sure your object has a scale and specify the units used.

 

I use AM, Hexagon, Amapi Pro and 3d Coat depending on the objects being made. I use STL Aurora (open stl) to view the models to make sure they are good prior to sending them out. It is a freebie on sourceforge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This maybe a good area for AM to expand into since it is good at organic design and the home market for 3D printers is expanding. The lower end 3D printers may still be expensive but as in the old text printers they where expensive at one time.

 

P.S. The model do not have to have all the part connected. It depends on how the 3D printer works. Most can print separate parts even if they are interlocked. If they use a support material they should be able to print interlocking objects. Just make sure there is some space between the parts.

 

Objects should be closed but some stl converters can compensate for small gaps. But it is a good rule to follow. :)

 

It is Nice having a 3D printer. :) even if it is made out of wood.

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Here is a couple I have done. Others in the works but much of my stuff goes out to be laser cut.

You will notice that the tiny stuff really needs to be exaggerated since the printers tend to loose some detail.

 

Sorry for the delay in posting back, busy running around.

printed_models.jpg

eagle.JPG

mm.JPG

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So it's not really possible to have intersecting meshes in the model, it has to be one single skin, correct?
My makerbot handles intersecting models, The toolpath gets generated with the internal mesh and it gets printed. But with a single skin the toolpath will be much cleaner
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So it's not really possible to have intersecting meshes in the model, it has to be one single skin, correct?
My makerbot handles intersecting models, The toolpath gets generated with the internal mesh and it gets printed. But with a single skin the toolpath will be much cleaner

 

Cool, sounds good :).

 

And Makerbot Industries has now the new Replicator, which can create bigger objects for an attractive price.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

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  • 2 weeks later...
Here is a couple I have done. Others in the works but much of my stuff goes out to be laser cut.

You will notice that the tiny stuff really needs to be exaggerated since the printers tend to loose some detail.

 

Sorry for the delay in posting back, busy running around.

 

Actual pewter casting I finished.

mmpin.jpg

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So it's not really possible to have intersecting meshes in the model, it has to be one single skin, correct?

 

no, you can have them intersect. when I was doing a lot of prototyping work I would export the hash model as obj and import to another 3d poly app. I would make sure all polys were contected to other polys that made up the same object. but other objects say, a stick coming out of the ball, itself, had to be a closed object and it had to intersect the ball.

 

then I would export as stl and it would print fine.

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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  • Hash Fellow

 

I look at the hollow cube in that tut and I wonder... how does the printer manage to create the top face without the hot melted plastic just falling into the interior of the cube?

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I look at the hollow cube in that tut and I wonder... how does the printer manage to create the top face without the hot melted plastic just falling into the interior of the cube?

 

I don't understand either completely, but I'm gathering they do some cleaning out based on this statement from that page:

 

If you want your object to be truly hollow (i.e.: containing air, not plastic), you'll need to add a few holes in the object wall. These holes will allow us to remove the support or excess material. They should be at least 2mm wide and I recommend you add two or three - more if you have a complex shape that could be more difficult to clean. (The hole in the next image has been exaggerated for clarity)
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Depends on the printer. Typically Fusion Deposit systems such as the RepRap, Makerbots layer material only where it is printed. These need support structures.

 

Other pritners that layer material across the entire build area don't usually need support structures. This includes STS, STL, Polyjet and Wax based printers.

 

The wax based printers like SolidScape use 2 types of waxes, one melts at a low temperature and is the support material while the higher temperature wax is the actual part. Wax printers are intended for investment casting so once your part is printed it is burned off so you get one mold per part. They do have liquid silicone molding material compatible with the wax models since they are fragile. You need a vacuum to properly make a mold with the liquid silicone to remove the air bubbles.

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