3D Printed AR15 Much Improved, More Reliable

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I'm an "egg head", computer programmer, network admin, wide area communications work, database administration, high-availability server services.

If anyone is familiar with Mil-Spec Monkey, that guy started out as a computer programmer for a video game studio (and may still be doing that as his primary gig in addition to his line of morale patches and military gear). We should be careful not to dismiss entire demographic categories as against the 2A based on stereotypes.
 
Working for a large Internet company we have both pro-gun and anti-gun discussions on our internal mailing lists at times.

One of bosses at the company took the entire group clay shooting one time for a "team building exercise". There is a mixture of people, but I would say most from Silicon Valley are not pro-gun. However, there's many that are.
 
I posted this email in a similar 3D SLA thread in Rifles; I'm gonna send it to Formlabs and see if they have an opinion on this "conundrum"

I am strongly considering putting in a pre-order for a Form 1 printer. I am impressed by the strength, quality, and economy of your product's capabilities, and it appears to be well-received by all who have written about it. I am somewhat dismayed by the decision to develop the Form 1 around proprietary software and polymer material, but I understand the need to protect patents and trade secrets by doing so. Hopefully, once your enterprise achieves success and financial stability in the marketplace, Formlabs will consider allowing open development so users may improve upon its innovations.

Before I make my decision to patronize Formlabs, I had a few questions I hope can be easily addressed:

-Is the vendor that manufactures the proprietary polymer recommended for use in the Form 1 large enough to satisfy demand should the platform become popular quickly?
-Are the Form 1 units themselves (or the polymer) being manufactured in the United States? Is the software being developed domestically?
-Do the laser-emitters or other components in the Form 1 have a known life-expectancy (as do the fusers in FDM machines)?
-Does Formlabs have an opinion regarding their products' use for printing legally-manufactured components for firearms?

Thank you for answering my questions. I am very impressed by the product Formlabs is offering, and I hope to do business with you all shortly.

Hopefully I'll hear back from them at some point and I will relate their opinion for all to consider :). Lemme know if you think I should ask anything else!

TCB
 
ok Im a little confused - if you had the file couldn't you just use a CnC mill to make the parts.

I went over to the CnCzone and found This thread that may help
 
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ok Im a little confused - if you had the file couldn't you just use a CnC mill to make the parts.

if you have a 3D part file, and the right software...then yes, it is pretty simple to CNC the parts.....assuming you know how to properly use the Software, how to set up a Mill and tool table, and how to fixture the parts properly, and assuming you have the $15,000 for a CNC machine.


with a 3D printer.....you 'skin' the part with some software, and hit print.....
 
^Sure could, it'd just be a lot more expensive and more difficult to get right. Programming toolpaths that do a good job creating the shape you want at the quality you want is more difficult than you'd think, seeing as it's automated.

The beauty of Rapid Prototyping is that the software figures out what it needs to do to create the form you want, so your job basically ends once you have a solid model file available. Perhaps in a few years CNC/CAD will have progressed to this level, but not yet (so I still have a job ;))

If I wasn't so sure it'd be a pain to learn to program for, I'd consider buying one of the <2000$ CNC setups you see on Ebay now and then (that's right Ebay, I'd use your own service against your anti-gun agenda :evil:)

TCB
 
This:

I wonder how many rounds they'd get out of the lower if they built it into a 9mm version. :evil:

or this:

so, wouldn't it be easier to build one in .22LR that would last? you could design them to take mags from the Colt/Umarex .22 M4.

plus this:

They need to fore-go the conventional buttstock.

They need to build the lower with an integral buttstock in thumbhole configuration, capable of accepting the recoil tube as an insert instead of attaching the buttstock as a threaded attachment.

At that point the weakest link is eliminated.

And I'd bet you could get something that would last a really long time.

Since it cracked through the rear takedown pin you might be able to thicken that area of the receiver externally for reinforcement and put a longer pin in. Thats what I would be looking at doing, at least. Longer takedown pins shouldn't be too hard to fabricate.
 
The problem is work size. Integrating the buttstock increases the length quite a bit and most 3D printers that are marketed for 'home/hobby' use don't have much more work area than a lower or a magazine.

About the only way to do it would be to build a RepRap and double the X-axis. But then the software would need to be changed...

But something else that could be done is the integration of a spare mag holder, like the Kel-Tec SU-16A/B/CA or the new stock from Mako.
 
Larger RP forms are frequently made as interlocking pieces that are then glued together with epoxy that is stronger than the RP material itself. A little bit of finish work, but not much. These forms are also sometimes strengthed by "varnishing" with the same epoxy, or even by laminating fibers onto them.

At present, DD seems to be trying to copy existing designs, see where they fail, and adjusting accordingly. Iterative, but it will eventually work. They'll probably end up with a fairly durable lower/upper/stock strategically reinforced with simple sheetmetal parts (high wear, high stress areas). Hard to ask for more, really; an AR15 as easy to home build as a tube gun?:cool:

TCB
 
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