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Even with a very expensive printer it will be difficult to get high enough resolution to produce the correct grain. I think you will have better luck making a silicone mold using the original part as a pattern. Once you make the mold, you can use a 2-part resin to make as many as you want.
Even with a very expensive printer it will be difficult to get high enough resolution to produce the correct grain. I think you will have better luck making a silicone mold using the original part as a pattern. Once you make the mold, you can use a 2-part resin to make as many as you want.
Talk to Eliot Erlandson on the 61-63 group. He printed a part that come out simply incredible! The typical lines you see on a 3D print was not there on what he sent me. He may not have time to do it for you but he can tell you what can and can't be done and likely hook you up with someone that can if he can't.
Talk to Eliot Erlandson on the 61-63 group. He printed a part that come out simply incredible! The typical lines you see on a 3D print was not there on what he sent me. He may not have time to do it for you but he can tell you what can and can't be done and likely hook you up with someone that can if he can't.
You can make a printed part look extremely good but it's time consuming and entails a fair amount of hand finishing (sanding!). You'd never be able to 'clean up' the textured surface he's looking for. That part needs a mold. Plus, the mechanical properties of the plastic will be much better with a molded part than they would with a printed part (although the printed part would probably be 'strong enough').
You can make a printed part look extremely good but it's time consuming and entails a fair amount of hand finishing (sanding!). You'd never be able to 'clean up' the textured surface he's looking for. That part needs a mold. Plus, the mechanical properties of the plastic will be much better with a molded part than they would with a printed part (although the printed part would probably be 'strong enough').
The 3D printer that the guy has I mentioned prints it out in the finished product. This is not a standard 3D printer like most of us would have access to. There is no sanding involved with when he made me.
I could be wrong, but from the pad that item is photographed on appears to be 1" squares, so the object is just a few inches in length and ~1" diam?? If so, I suspect that the resolution problem reproducing the textured grain will be more with the 3D scanner than with the printer. True, a resin type printer will have smoother finish than a FDM type printer that uses filament. But there are chemicals (ethyl acetate) that when the printed part is exposed to it for a sufficient amount of time will result in a smoother exterior finish (this could avoid sanding and get in between the textured grain surface).
Would the mold/cast strategy also be better for these hard-plastic 2-seat Vista Cruiser pieces? Anyone have more detail on the silicone and process? Process can't risk being destructive.
Molding process is not destructive to the original part.
The part coming out of the mold will look just like the part used to make the mold warts and all.
This isn't a cheap process and the silicone mold only lasts for a limited # of parts cast.
On another note I'm getting closer to having a sample to use in the mold.
The sample piece is oversized but I'm getting closer.
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Those look good!
My main concern was removing the inside mold, didn't want to dig at it. If release is easy, I'm going to give it a try on a piece I can afford to sacrifice. What silicone?
