If you had a 3D printer what would you print?

Like:
- Brake lever hoods
- Cable adjusters
- Hub cones

What does it take?

Is this printer just too good to be true?

How much does a good one cost?

What are the cost of printing an item?

How good is the quality of the finished product?

All I know is what I've scanned across on the web.
The printing is in plastic, from what I gather.

Most of the press about them concerns guns. I'm sure there are other uses, but without the political agenda.
Last article I saw said something about sending one to the space station so they can make stuff.

When they can print out of recycled material, economically, will likely see a lot more info.

If I had one, I'd print, for my modern bikes:
stem/handlebars customized for my hands, a couple with integrated lights
saddles with integrated seatpost and wedge bag, customized for my bum, with an integrated tail light
cycling shoes custom-fit to my feat with built-in cleats, but walkable
cycling helmets custom-fit to my noggin with built-in eyewear (for Rx lenses)
custom water bottle cages, though I like what's already available

Of course, almost none of it would go with my steel bikes. For those:
a custom saddle "base" to work with my existing rails, to be leather-covered as well.
helmet as above
shoes as above

I used to have a coworker that had one. He printed custom sized Green Lantern rings for the team.

This was a couple years ago so I don't know how much it's changed, but the rings are plastic and you can see all the strands from when it was "printed." The material these are made of would definitely not be durable enough for bike parts, but I'm sure there are better options out there.

3d printed lps

If they can do this, it's only a matter of time before "replicants" walk amongst us.

Put me down for Rachel, or the Daryl Hannah model.

Rivat plastic slotted cleats:

Those are probably nylon, there are a few resins that come close. Big effort is the data file to drive the printer. The model has to be mathematically complete, this takes effort beyond it looking like a part on screen.

As far a metallic parts, that is coming... BUT secondary processing ( heat treating / micro fusing) kills off dimensional stability. So, secondary machining is necessary. Even then the strength is comparable to lower cost sintered parts not investment cast, stamped or forged parts.

As a wax pattern for investment casting of low volume parts, killer. But the one off costs to get the parts molded places it at the "I need this really badly and am willing to pay whatever it takes" region right now.

mmm, I don't know. maybe something like this. but my wife would take a sledge hammer to it...

Could we get this one batch printed????

Holy Lord that pic is photoshopped to hell sheesh.

I would print top tube cable guides for 80s Cannondales.

There are also 3D printing services on-line such as Shapeways where you upload your 3D design, select the material and they send you the printed model. You can also set up a store front on their site where you can sell your designs. I have used this service to produce some vintage audio plastic parts.

With a printed plastic part, it's real simple to cast a duplicate in bronze or silver or gold. Maybe aluminum but I don't have any experience with it.

this is way over my head. I'm more of a Playdough/Silly Putty guy.

Well nice dream but True CNC 3d scanner and and parts cutter that can acutually make parts or molds for hoods and none metal stuff run several million in cost. There are several opertions in Asia using this tech to make knokkoff parts and replacement stuff right know.

Soft durameter 3-D printing tears, cannot be used for hoods.
Metal 3-D printing is not smooth nor hardened, no cones.


It takes a 3-D modeling program. High end, Solidworks or ProE, several thousand per year for a seat. Low end, Rhino for $1000 all in.

Today's technology, yes, too good to be true. 5-10 years, will be better.

Six figures.

$20+, depending on size and processing method. Something the size of a mobile phone would be $120-$150.

Layers of 0.004". With a magnifying glass, looks like a step pyramid. Can be sanded smooth and filled with spray-gray to get a gloss finish. Nothing truly clear but it is getting better

If you are not doing $100K per year in parts, it is more economical to use a printing bureau. Capital costs are coming down but material and maintenance costs are still high. And different materials require different printing methods (FDM, SLA, SLS, PolyJet) and machines. Having your own makes no financial sense.

These are the guys i use. Mostly because I can pick up parts on my way home from work. Most printing bureaus are competitive with prices and you won't find much, if any difference.



https://www.buildparts.com/main.taf?p=0

That's not a bikini, that's bodypaint.

They are already available through Shapeways (as mentioned by LesE) for $2.28 each.

I bought these but have not needed to use them yet. Not pretty, but they claim they are flexible, which would be a plus.

The technology reminds me of the early digital cameras-amazing, but the quality was low. But look at digital cameras now.

Once 3d printing is refined, we'll look back on it as a "disruptive technology" with limitless applications.

I used an online service called "Shapeways" iirc to make a tiny little stamp that says "CAMPAGNOLO MODEL" for an antique saddle. It came out pretty well. The cost of such things is determined by the amount of material used, so a function of your choice of material and the size of the doodad.

For me at this point the limitation is the 3d software, which I've never used before. If any of you guys have expertise on this subject I'd like some advice....

Basically, there are 2 types of 3D software, solid modelers and surface modelers. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. And while there are no hard and fast rules, here are some generalities.

Solid modelers
More expensive
Primarily uses booleans for constructions - add, take away like a machining process
Great for assemblies
Great for simple shapes
Industry standards are ProE and Solidworks

Surface modelers
Cheap
Uses NURBS for constructions - non-uniform rational basis spline, a lot of pushing and pulling
Horrible for assemblies
Best for complex surfaces seen in automotive and many consumer products
Industry standards are Alias and Rhino

Both have similar learning curves. Your local community college will have classes in solid modeling and not surface modeling.

I haven't seen anything like that in years.

So, reviving this little thread, since I got in on a 3D-printing program from my old university.

Any more ideas on what to print or what to learn in terms of modeling software?

The essay that got me in the program in the first place was on the future role of 3D-printers in literature so yeah, colour me a tax wasting libitard from the humanities faculty, but I haven't got the first clue were to start with learning how to operate such a machine, and what to print!

Haha!

Old sized cable stop step-down adapters out of metal

Head badges

Simplex Delrin derailleurs and shift levers might just have gotten a chance surviving into the next millenium with 3D printers around......

For model software, I recommend Rhino (rhino3d.com). Easy to learn with the tutorials. Can export as an .stl file (for 3D printers). Evaluation version is free, full functionality, limited to 25 saves. Academic version is $200. Commercial version is $820 from novedge.com.

What to print - anything you like.