I'm stuck, how can this be made???

Chad,

$140USD seem about right for a part that size based on the volume of material.

I guess I’m a bit cheap – “reasonable” for me is more like $50 for small parts 😀

I would have preferred $50 for certain OneEighthBit! However based upon what I would expect it would cost to have them machined, CNC or otherwise, I am confident I came out ahead by having them printed. One big benefit to printing is that the complexity of the part means very little whereas it may make a huge difference in the cost of having them made using more traditional methods.

Chad,

$140USD seem about right for a part that size based on the volume of material.

I guess I’m a bit cheap – “reasonable” for me is more like $50 for small parts 😀

I would question what relatively low costs is and how big/complex the part you had printed was. In my experience printing in metal is extremely expensive.

I’m not familiar enough with the CNC costs to be able to comment. I just know that the price of printing in stainless steel was much more reasonable than I expected it would be. Of course everybody has a different definition of what “reasonable” may be!

I had two parts printed for the tail wheel of a large RC model. The bounding box for the two parts was 2.35 in X 3.90 in X 1.51 in and the total volume of the parts was 16.3675 cubic cm. They are solid stainless and STRONG! Total cost including the shipping to my door was $140.00 US.

That is a 2.75 inch diameter wheel to give some indication of the size of the parts.

I would question what relatively low costs is and how big/complex the part you had printed was. In my experience printing in metal is extremely expensive.

As an illustrative example, this is a part I am currently looking to get produced is a control cable pulley mount which was originally a cast part. I’ve looked at getting it 3D printed and milled from the CAD files I’ve produced.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]229902[/ATTACH]

The bounding box dimensions of the part are 2.25 in x 2.5 in x 1.25 in

Prices for 3D printing.

Notes on the above: This was a professional laser printer using a laser fire into a tray of fusing powder not an additive printer like most hobby 3D printers. The CAD model had to be “voided” to remove the solid inner core of pulley to reduce the amount of material and keep the cost down. This part would possibly work in plastic but I would be more likely to produce them in that material for the purpose of making a mould for alloy casting.

Prices for milling.

Notes on the above: This was milling the solid, no voided model. Price was for a single unit but they offered discounts or larger volumes.

Don’t know if the above is of any use but I thought it might illustrate some of the costs involved from commercial companies.

3D printing may be a much cheaper option than CNC milling. I recently had some parts 3D printed from stainless steel and was amazed at the relatively low cost.

Please do, I always thought the cost and work was in the drawing and creating the CNC program file, I have found in the past that because the quantity required is so low a lot of commerical companies can’t be bothered with it. Have had the same from laser cutters, the thing is to find someone that is interested. Maybe Elliot or Dave know of some machine shops with an interest in aircraft??

If you want it drawn in 3D CAD and CNC machined as a pattern I have both facilities.

Graham.

Hmmm I might give you a PM. I just sent the CAD file to a shop for a milling quote and the response made me drop my biscuit in my tea. 🙁

If you want it drawn in 3D CAD and CNC machined as a pattern I have both facilities.

Graham.

Thanks everyone for your help and guidance, this is moving a in positive direction now, thanks for all the offers of help, talking to Dave Collins at the moment and fingers crossed he can help. I think Dave’s skills and experience will be far better than us attempting anything ourselves! Will be nice to get the project moving again.

Redhill,

If push comes to shove I can probably make a 3D CAD file from your drawing that might help anyone making cast or if you want to get a master/copy 3D printed or milled. I’ve done it a couple of times for complex bits for projects.

Just putting the offer there.

Thanks everyone for your help and guidance, this is moving a in positive direction now, thanks for all the offers of help, talking to Dave Collins at the moment and fingers crossed he can help. I think Dave’s skills and experience will be far better than us attempting anything ourselves! Will be nice to get the project moving again.

For small components where I have an intact or damaged example I do the following to eliminate the costs involved in pattern making.

Look up the shrinkage for the casting material then use modelling clay to build up round the original part to give the required extra thickness. Any fillets can be formed using ball bearings of the required diameter.

With care in handling the caster can make his mould from this.

Used this method too with damaged parts where I repaired using epoxy/plastic metal then used the modelling clay to provide the required shrinkage allowance for the pattern.

Regards
Ross

A case for 3D printing?

Mark

Talk to David Collins – who regularly does such things for the Hornet – and he starts with rather less than you have there!

Bruce

Hi Bruce,
Thanks for your support.
I have contacted Darren and will be able to make the pattern for him, judging by the photos.

PM sent

Hi Bruce, PM sent to David

Talk to David Collins – who regularly does such things for the Hornet – and he starts with rather less than you have there!

Bruce

Thanks chaps, some really good ideas, I would worry about the shrinkage issue with the casting idea, have never as yet been down that route. Whitley Project, tell me more, maybe e-mail if its easier.

I can fix it for you. Done it many times with my Whitley castings.

There’s a guy down in Kent, (Julian Hopper) who may be able to cast the brackets, normally it would require a pattern ( split into 2 halves) and about 5% larger to allow for shrinkage, and that is where the cost lays; it looks as though it could be milled from solid, but most machine shops these days are CNC and a CAD drawing would be needed (probably!)

Another idea is trying to find a local college / university that has an engineering course that might take it on as a project – ‘rapid prototyping’ or similar.

I’ve seen similar items ‘3D scanned’ (?) and then used in a CAD/CAM process for one-off items like this.