Have an old ass Logitech g13 (raise a glass to this forgotten champ)
Always loved it, but the wirst angle has always been a bit off for me… maybe from my wrist being destroyed… but I think even before
Remixed from a preexisting thing, and made a little ramp that kicks its nose up a bit more and lets my hand fall on it more naturally
Due to the angle, my 2 initial choices to print was to have a stair stepped face under the g13, or to flip it upside down and make it be a supported face…
I wanted it to look nice, so I printed it cantilever, and supported the underside, and then printed a slim tpu bottom profile to clean it and and give it some tack
I had some PLA problems, that I’m going to attribute to being out of the bag too long. So I switched to a roll of “space grey” that I had. Finished my project, but didn’t want the roll to go funky again, so, I’m using it up.
Turns out Space Grey is pretty close to Cast Iron.
The one in the back is warped from a hot day sitting on the dash of my truck. Still, I’m pretty sure the guys in my blacksmith’s group will try to steal them anyway.
Shop is jammed full of stupid broken truck, again. I should have it back out in a day or three, which is what I’ve been saying for weeks, but seriously, I’m close. Once I can get in, I’ll be building a furnace to reduce aluminum wheels to aluminum shot. Then I need to build a furnace to heat crucibles. After that I need to figure out a method of heating the molds hot enough for a full PLA burnout.
So I’m making steady progress, but I’ve got a ways to go yet.
I think I’ve seen that some people just pour with the print in place… and have decent results… and there’s even special more combustible filament to burn away cleaner
I’m curious how much it’s going to cost my in propane… won’t make a lot of sense if it costs me an arm and leg in propane
I’ve not done the math on it yet, it’s more about the art for me, but from what I’ve read, lost PLA is about the most expensive way to go at it.
I’m attracted to the method because I can go from CAD to casting. Lost wax is simpler and easier, sand casting even more so. I may yet explore making a 3d printed PLA flat plate that can be used to make both halves of a sand casting, but that’s A: harder to make internal structures, and B: a project for after I’ve mastered the basics.
Lighting infill will probably be your best bet for lost PLA casting. It just builds enough support on the inside of the part for the top surfaces to print well.
Polymaker makes it, and probably other companies as well.
And that’s the extent of my advice in this regard, I’m addicted to printing parts out of ABS and don’t have a clue about casting.
You can significantly reduce the costs if you want to do more than one-offs by making silicone moulds of the 3D printed originals and casting wax positives for your alu casting.
While I agree that 3D printing is very capable I think it really suffers from the if you own a hammer every problem becomes a nail syndrome.
Integrating 3D printing into a good knowledge of traditional manufacturing/design/engineering processes gives far better results.
Like you, I am interested in the combination approach and sand casting is on my future projects list. First though I’m working on small batch injection moulding using 3D resin printed moulds.
making a wax positive would make sense if doing a run…
I think I was only thinking of one or 2 part runs personally
now that I’ve cast filament scraps into that skull mold and kinda figured out my process… my eventual plan for how I’ll cast things with scrap plastic.
print fresh positive of something that has the right shape to preferable be a 1 piece mold
turn positive 3d print into negative silicone mold
cast scraps into silicone mold and repeat
possible add in sprues either in print or manually when casting… but I would like to shoot for easy open top molds
I do agree 3d printing has a lot of “everything is a nail”
even though I do default to 3d printing, I do try to fight misapplication alot… there’s a lot of stuff I’ve refused to print for myself or others because it just doesn’t make sense if you can buy an existing thing… or the strength profile is totally wrong
Actually what I do for a living. But BIG. I do CNC machining in a mold repair shop for an equipment manufacturer. Molds range from a couple hundred pounds up to 5 tons. I tend to stay away from the molding cause I don’t want to get drug into the grunt work end of it.
Way out of my league! I became interested in desktop injection moulding when people started talking about the ability to use 3D resin printers to create moulds. Seemed like the best of both worlds: 3D printing for rapid, cheap, reiterative prototyping, followed by injection moulding for rapid, cheap, high-quality batch production.
So far the reality has been less than optimal but I live in hope.
cnc kitchen has a video kinda on the subject recently…
I had a few ideas to spring board off his initial attempt… but the cost of the high temp resin… fuuuck
I was thinking obviously adding a vent hole on the bottom side…
also was thinking to turn the bed to about as hot as it will reasonably go…
and then pin the mold between the hotend and the bed itself by lowering the axis…
better pressure and seal… plus some heat soak to prevent rapid hardening
I’d also want to integrate some hex nut cutouts and bolt the clamshells together
I don’t even know if my mars 2 pro can even run that type of resin… 405nm is 405nm but stuff gets weird as it gets engineering grade
Framework was originally built around a recliner, and PC tower case of the exact height needed to mouse on. Didn’t have room for all that when I moved out to Aspen, so improvised a bit. Also taped a reader underneath to easily scan my Apex for KeePassXC.
i actually dont think i will be going. I lived in Dallas for years but live in Detroit now. i have tickets to Punk In Drublic in Pa the week prior so if i can swing a meeting at my dallas offices ill extend the trip. IDK if that is a reality yet tho.
