Hot air torch, cheap Xmas present?

[DavidUK]

For the 3D printers here... would you be able to print domed resonators/reflectors in various diameters? I think smoothness would be the issue?
Also, what printed media can you use which would create an inflexible flat disc if printed 1mm thick and between 15mm and 50mm diameter?

 

[PigSquealer]

For the 3D printers here... would you be able to print domed resonators/reflectors in various diameters? I think smoothness would be the issue?
Also, what printed media can you use which would create an inflexible flat disc if printed 1mm thick and between 15mm and 50mm diameter?

I think current plastic resonators are PLA material. I don’t see any problems printing these. Even with a stem or hole. Smooth and flat is not an issue. proper settings will take care of many issues. I printed some really nice flat things on glass. Don’t use the mat they come with. Make sure the glass is very clean then spray with a fine layer of hairspray. The glass side will be your finish surface unless you’re making domes. I’ve run circular discs as test patterns for leveling bed. I’ve got the layers down to .012” so 1mm is no issue.

 

[DavidUK]

Thanks. I guess you're taking plastic? How durable would they be as a backing disc for my synthetic pads? I tried 1mm carbon fibre sheet early on but that's too flexible. It bends a little too much as a pad backing.

In an ideal world I'd have the pad backing disc and reso made as one. Think flying saucer cut in half horizontally, so a centre dome surrounded by a flat edge. The synthetic seal is cut as a ring and adheres to the outer flat edge.

I spoke to an engineer friend today who thinks it would need to be a metal 3D print, not plastic. The issue being the layers being properly amalgamated. He works with Aston Martin and was talking about their 3D printed metal inlet manifolds as a thing of beauty to behold.
I think maybe their printer would be a tad pricey for me?

I have no idea where to start on 3D printing...

 

[greenstripe]

3d printing actually covers many different processes and technologies not all of them are comparable. Precision 3D printing metal is extremely expensive and is good for producing parts that would be very difficult to machine examples in motor industry are:

Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg are making turbochargers with the impeller inside the housing in one piece rather than casting 2 halves. Porsche are also using it to create parts for vintage vehicles where the original tooling no longer exists and the part can be completed on-demand. If your friend at Aston Martin can do you favour...

What about Resin 3D printing? this is relatively new to the home / hobbyist market liquid resin is cured by light fully cured parts can be more integrated more accurate and less brittle than PLA filament

 

[PigSquealer]

I have limited experience with 3-D printing and the in’s & outs of the materials. I think you would do well going by a metal stamping company. Sheet stainless steel?

 

[noelweston]

After a bit of a delay, I've posted a new thread with links to my STL and openscad files for the hot air torch holder:

3d Print files for bench holder

OK, a couple of people have expressed an interest following discussions in the hot air torch thread, so I've uploaded the STL files for my hot air torch holder and other attachments. The STL files should be here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qyjo04rdc02so11/bench%20holder.zip?dl=0 and the...

cafesaxophone.com

 

[Ivan]

I’ve got the layers down to .012” so 1mm is no issue.

Not an issue

But only if you can think in imperial and metric

 

[Ivan]

What about Resin 3D printing? this is relatively new to the home / hobbyist market liquid resin is cured by light fully cured parts can be more integrated more accurate and less brittle than PLA filament

My brother-in-law has one that's relatively cheap, a couple of hunnert quid, but it produces well finished test items for his engineering projects

 

[PigSquealer]

Not an issue

But only if you can think in imperial and metric

I work in both units daily. Have for years. Saxophone repair uses both. key cups / pads in MM. Hinge rod in inches. Key heights MM. Cork in inches and neck fit in MM.
.012 is 0,30

My brother-in-law has one that's relatively cheap, a couple of hunnert quid, but it produces well finished test items for his engineering projects

Same here. I bought one to make some replacement parts. One gear was $30 more than a 3-D printer.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Not an issue

But only if you can think in imperial and metric

Your phone probably knows how.

 

[SaxBoss]

Same here. I bought one to make some replacement parts. One gear was $30 more than a 3-D printer.

What model of printer?
What material used for the replacement gear?
I take it the parts were from lathe gear box?

 

[PigSquealer]

What model of printer?
What material used for the replacement gear?
I take it the parts were from lathe gear box?

Creality Ender pro 2. It’s two years old now. Other models have superseded it. Low buck model with high quality printing.
Yes it’s a lathe gearbox gear for a 1948 Logan model 820. 10”x 30”
I made the gears with ABS. Light duty use and has survived so far a little more than a year. If I need to make it again I may go with nylon. It’s the temperature settings that hinder use with this machine. It’s been a while but if I remember correctly nylon prints north of 300° F. The setting is about maximum temperature for this printer. On some of the blogs ABS was also more durable. It also prints at 240° to 260°f well.
I ended up making over $600 worth of gears on less than a $250 acquisition. Including the roll of materials.

 

[PigSquealer]

@SaxBoss it takes some playing around to get the settings correct.
I made the inside hole solid. Machined the fit to the bushing.

Machining the fit took a couple tries. No big deal as I used the ones that didn’t print exact for the test fit.

Small changes in the settings from the right and left in this picture below. The one on the left is what I ended up using.

 

[Colin the Bear]

It was a lot more complicated cutting gears with a dividing head.

 

[rhysonsax]

It was a lot more complicated cutting gears with a dividing head.

Manually yes. But it must have been CNC machining of gears for 35 years or more.

Rhys

 

[Colin the Bear]

I could probably cut a one off bastard size quicker than I could learn to programme a CNC.

 

[PigSquealer]

It was a lot more complicated cutting gears with a dividing head.

Not really but I don’t have access to the hardware

I could probably cut a one off bastard size quicker than I could learn to programme a CNC.

It’s not that difficult if you start with making a basic drawing. The CAD programs have plug-ins for gears.

That’s the gear plug-in program first picture in post 33. Designed the gear at 100%. It’s really easy. Then the program allows to stack the gears. All final dimensions.
Gain / shrink or other values are done in the printer settings.