Vice Metal Casting from 3D Printed Patterns

[MetalDesigner]

Collaborated with SuperDave to make 3D-Printed patterns to create Metal Castings for a Small Workshop Vice ... and some other items.



I will update this Post after have finished machining the castings ... Aluminum, Brass, and Cast Iron



For the long Story & Lots of Photos Click this Website Link:
https://ctmprojectsblog.wordpress.co...nted-patterns/



The Short story is 3D-Printers are basically toys right now, but there are some things you can do with them like making patterns for Sand Mold Metal Casting.



Created the designs with SolidWorks CAD software ... then Split the patterns ... and added alignment holes ... and then converted the files to .STL ... and then 3D-Printed the patterns.



SuperDave cast some of my part designs and some of his part designs.



It might take me a while to machine all these castings, but I am looking forward to the practice.



We draw the pattern designs in SolidWorks and then 'Centroid' Scale-Up the patterns to account for cooling 'shrink' of whatever metal going to cast them out of which works very well to create accurate dimension final castings.



Experimented using carbon rods for cores (Including Air Carbon Arc Gouging Rods)
SuperDave's Idea!!



Short 2 minute video showing the SolidWorks Assembly Design ...

CHEERS!!

[C-Bag]

Incredible walk through of the whole process MetalDesigner. It was funny I kept looking at those pieces and I could recognize the vice but just could not figure out the other...until I read the blog. I hope you post the update when you get the machining done and get it in use.

I have to say you make the whole thing look so effortless but digital design is a killer for me. Not to mention the software is more than what I have into most of my old cobbled machinery. I watch videos of like John on NYCNC and he makes it look so easy. I'm sure you just wiz along too. Mucho props.

[MetalDesigner]

Thank you for the note

I will be making another website posting in a week or so showing more photos of the metal parts we Cast from 3D-printed patterns.



First ... I want to machine a few of the metal castings to better show BEFORE and AFTER views of the metal items.

There is a somewhat new CAD program that is Free online to test out and learn that is basically the same as SolidWorks.

You would be able to get in and learn without having to pay any money to see how you like it
https://www.onshape.com/3d-cad?utm_c...0Page%20Clicks


There are YouTube Tutorials ~ Here is an nice quick Overview video:

Best way to learn CAD Software is watch dozens of online YouTube videos ... and then work to design something YOU want for yourself, and learn how to draw it ... It gives you inspiration to keep pushing to learn how to do the features you need to accomplish your project.

Have a GREAT Week!!

CHEERS!!

[C-Bag]

Thanks for the headsup on the onshape. Very interesting.....do you think the cloud part is so everybody can just find parts that have already been done and just plug them in? In that way it makes total sense if you are not doing anything you are worried about someone stealing and patenting.

I'll be watching for the next installment

[Imabass]

Great work!

I have been considering getting into the 3d printing. I was thinking I could print out LPG carburetors and conversion carburetor spacers for small engines.

Never though about using it for sandcast molding which is something else I would like to get into. I can think of many uses for sandcasting aluminum motorcycle parts.

[PJs]

Thank you MetalDesigner for the great post. The idea of using 3D prints for molds is a powerful process allowing untold opportunities to Make and recycle materials. Enjoyed your write up and website details,too. Looking forward to your before/after shots of your project.

Also thank you for the Onshape link. Quite interesting tutorials but a little fast to get much detail. Been looking for an updated alternative to my ancient copy of SW. I also totally agree with your learn/design strategy. Best way to learn in my opinion...jump in on something that you want to do and each success will lead to the next adventure...and more successes.

Thanks again for a great post!! ~PJ

[MetalDesigner]

Great work!

I have been considering getting into the 3d printing. I was thinking I could print out LPG carburetors and conversion carburetor spacers for small engines.

Never though about using it for sandcast molding which is something else I would like to get into. I can think of many uses for sandcasting aluminum motorcycle parts.

REPLY ~ THANK YOU for the NOTE

3D-Printing equipment is getting better and less expensive each year ... It is one of those things whereby if you procrastinate a little you will end up spending less money and have better equipment.

The 3D-Printer I use was made about 3 years ago and I am going to wait until 2017 to buy another one because there is some VERY cool stuff that will be released in 2017.

Faster ABS plastic 3D-printers ... at home Carbon-Fiber 3D-Printing ... Smaller versions of Metal, Wax, and Ceramic 3D-Printers, etc.

I use the time while waiting for next year designing all the CAD files I want to 3D-Print next year.

CHEERS!!

[MetalDesigner]

You make a great point about the ability to recycle materials ... as-well-as melting aluminum scrap to cast metal parts one could also make an ABS plastic grinder and throw in old 3D-Prints that didn't come out correctly... or ones not needed anymore.

Then use the chewed up ABS to extrude new 3D-Printer filament to make more 3D-Printed patterns and ABS parts.

I draw my patterns in SolidWorks and then 'Centroid' Scale-Up the patterns to account for cooling shrink of whatever metal going to cast them out of which works very well to create accurate dimension final castings.

However, on the more recent 3D-Printed patterns that will cast in the future that I know will use a lot over the years ~ I will then add a 2nd Centroid Scale-Up percentage in SolidWorks to make them even larger so after being cast in aluminum and polished off 'glass-like' smooth then those metal castings become my Sand Mold Patterns because accounted for the shrink to make a metal item that is now a pattern to cast future metal items.

Got the idea from SuperDave
https://www.youtube.com/user/SUPERDAVE257/videos

So basically with little effort have several patterns made out of Aluminum to use over and over to cast more metal parts.

Gotta love the abilities CAD & SolidWorks gives you!! Being an old welder that never got to use CAD until after I was done doing welding professionally ... it sure is nice!!

http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/d...ed-mount-41519

CHEERS!!!

[marksbug]

hmm,be nice if you cold print in foam or some meida that would melt/disapers and just pack the sand around it with the spouts& vents attached. no half peices in&out & core shift,mulitiple molds .and hollow parts with consistant thickness and so on. like the lost foam casting but printed!!!

[MetalDesigner]

hmm,be nice if you cold print in foam or some media that would melt/diapers and just pack the sand around it with the spouts& vents attached. no half pieces in&out & core shift,multiple molds .and hollow parts with consistent thickness and so on. like the lost foam casting but printed!!!

Yeah, would be great to find a use for all those diapers!!
Good idea.

Seems like they are coming up with new items each month to manufacture products using 'Additives Manufacturing' (3D-Printing)

At a trade-show saw a 3D-Printer that made Wax 3D-prints in amazing detail for metal casting, but the $35,000 they wanted for it was about $34,500 above my budget.


I think in the near future Space Exploration will be done with very small robotics to get the size of the ships down to size of kitchen fridge... and they will have 3D-Printers in them with material that can be chewed up and re-used and then along the space journey replacement parts and/or new parts can be made on board and installed by robotics. Even metals for electronics 3D-Printing.

Then Engineers from Earth will design stuff and send files up the space ship and have it 3D-Printed and tell the bots what to do with the items.

They can already 3D-print clear & robotic polish lenses and 3D-print electronics inside the parts.

Plus, why send humans? Astronauts only see through face-plate glass/polycarbonate, just like a camera lens ... feel through thick gloves, just as robotic remote-location hand sensors can now do back to you so when put on a glove and touch something someone else wearing a glove 5000 miles away feels the same senses ... just Watch what you touch!!


So if they use Robotics with Touch sensors and High-Res Spherical all around VR video then the stored data can be sent back over time and everyone on Earth can download and VR experience the same thing an Astronaut would if they were there... Only difference ... it might take 8 years to get to Pluto but the Robotics and Video would be available for decades for everyone to experience safe from their homes.

OK... Now I am just rambling ... but yeah, I like the foam idea made from diapers or whatever else that is just wasted now in the trash.

CHEERS!!