What have you 3D printed recently?

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WestKentucky

WestKentucky

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The technology is here, and it’s getting cheaper and cheaper. I know there are a few members who 3D print reloading items like primer catchers, and I’m sure there are others making various doodads. Let’s see your handy work!

Make sure it stays firearm related though because if we delve off into hardware and software discussions we will get shut down. I’m still learning to use the modeling software but I will be printing soon. A few tweaks to my first few files will produce 2 wheels, a limber, and a small mountain howitzer. Hopefully by Christmas…
 
AFB27F78-11FD-4B1F-9B12-0AE438A3D1D8.jpeg 4D197909-A731-4A31-9402-8F3B69CF73AE.jpeg The images here are what I have so far. I’m using Blender and so far it’s not proving easy to make the body of the artillery piece hollow. I can make it look nice and be a zero thickness image or I can make it solid. There’s a way to work it though and I will figure it out. I’m not yet used to this program, and I’m too much of a cheapskate to pay big money for other programs. I will lay out the wheels for the carriage once i figure out the hollow core because it will be easy to do wheels if I can set a hub and a rim then just go back and add spokes at 30 or so degree offsets.
 
The problem with metal printers so far is that they are essentially metal dust held together by filler material. They try to talk it up by calling it sintered metal or some other terms. Until it’s essentially welding to build up layers, it’s not doing what I call metal printing. There are however some really impressive baby CNC booths popping up. Generally 1 tool head but solid xyz control.
 
I've been interested in 3D printing for a while. I mostly wanna make little odds and ends, like custom floor plates or grips. Maybe I'll get the chance this coming semester.
 
stickUP.jpg

This is a concealed magnetic based firearm retainer I came up with on a cold snowy weekend. While not visible in this image it has built-in stops to enable racking the slide one handed prior to release from the hold.

MEC.jpg

The green object shown is attempt to replace the unobtainable Powder Control Baffle. Made from multiple printed components and a sourced spring. I'm very pleased with the dimensional results obtained. Prior to 2014 I had no exposure to 3D, let alone design associated with it.
 
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Odd Job said:
I would advise using the free version of Fusion360 instead of Blender.
Click to expand...

Fusion360 is feature packed, quite popular, and unfortunately tethered. They lost me last fall by revoking .dxf /.dwg export privilege to freeloading hobbyists like myself.

If someone new does go the Fusion360 route, Arnold Rowentree on Youtube has a very good simple tutorial series on it.

Some years ago I purchased Cubify Invent, took a look at it once loaded and thought wow, this is several levels above my pay grade, then found a good tutorial series on Youtube and realized it wasn't nearly as complex as previously thought. From there have evolved to Alibre Atom (a successor) and am content.

If I were just getting into design today for 3D with no prior knowledge and unwilling to invest $ into software, FreeCAD would also be worth looking at.

This is another one of those thangs I did several years ago just because...

IMG_0320.JPG
 
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Sintering is a form of solid state welding. The powders are pressed or sprayed so the particles are touching and heat brings them together. Sintering doesn’t require a binder though one is often used to control the powder until the particles bonded enough to keep them from floating off. Some powders are extremely fine and the individual particles will behave like smoke.
 
IMAhobbyist said:
Fusion360 is feature packed, quite popular, and unfortunately tethered. They lost me last fall by revoking .dxf /.dwg export privilege to freeloading hobbyists like myself.
Click to expand...

It still exports .step and .stl files though.
I was able to get a crossbow stirrup CNCed from aluminium, from a design I made in Fusion 360. They don't let you save a PDF of your drawing with the free version but I just screengrab the drawing and send that with the .step file.
 
1732C5FB-1139-4B39-9551-8D23095F4064.jpeg 18ED117D-7530-4D66-8CDE-49D3752C684F.jpeg I got the thickness issue figured out. I just had to find that function. I’m ready to print this thing now. Carriage is right, gun dimensions work, wheels are drawn…

Now I need to start working on an extended latch lever for my S&W revolvers. I’m really enjoying using the drafting skills I built in college… using 2d autocad… in 2003… half my life ago.
 
I bought some stripper clip guides for the Mini-14 a few months ago that are metal 3D printed.

I don't have the time or space for another hobby though. Cheaper to just buy what I need.
 
I've started with little things like magazine floor plates. I've found OpenSCAD the easiest for me to learn.
 
Haven't printed anything, but have seen things like single shot adapters for .22s which is cool.
 
I'll have to get some pictures. My pieces for firearms are limited to a rear aperture sight for my railed AK rear cover (better option to buy one, and then opted for a side rail anyway), a batter box that fit against the adjustable stock, and currently prototyping a plug for the MOE foregrip on my AR do use it as basic storage.
 
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