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GordonRB

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  1. GordonRB
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  2. GordonRB
    I agree with a lot of what is said. The main concerns will be price and suitability of material. As regards the light, I did not do it to any particular dimension/scale or pattern as I did not have any to work too. One of the great things about Inventor is you can build something without dimensions and add them later. Also as I said before, once the modelling is done it can be drawn to any scale. We have some models at work. They did indeed have a slight ripple to the finish, but these were easily rubbed down and the finish on them is now excellent. They are certainly accurate enough after finishing to assemble into working prototype. The only other thing we had to do was to tap the holes so we could use nylon bolts for assembly (the full size is now being CNC machined from Inconel 625). I guess its a bit like laser cutting - a short while ago who would ever have thought it would be possible to get all the parts cut for a custom build, producing extremely accurate parts, saving an imense amount of build time and at very reasonable cost? Thanks for the feedback. Gordon.
  3. GordonRB
    Chris, I am exploring the possibilites at the moment. The materials are all thermoplastic - ABS or similar - so would perhaps not be suitable for engine cowls around hot exhausts, but could be used to make accurate/cheap plugs for molding cowls. Typically I would ecpect to be able to make any item that would fit into a 250mm cube and components could be solid or hollow. Bigger items I would expect to make in parts which can be assembled using compatible adhesives. Minimum shell thickness I believe is in the region of 0.4mm. At the moment this is very much a feasibilty study, so I would be very pleased to get any feedback on the sort of components builders are looking for, and then I can look at what they would cost to make. As I say I am not looking to make a living out of this. Like many modellers I enjoy making things and know how time consuming making some items can be, with the result that many people either do not start or do not finish projects. Gordon.
  4. GordonRB
    Danny, Finished the model - took about 5 minutes for the 3-legged piece, which although you cannot see it in the jpg is curved to the same shape as the back of the lens. The lens took a couple of minutes, including the name Lucas engraved in the slightly smoked glass (could not see the lens when made of clear glass!) The 3D printer prices have gone through the floor, same as ordinary printers (we paid £4500 for a laser printer 10 years ago which sells for £350 now!). I am looking at the price of consumables and hope to get a handle on running costs soon. For info paste this link into your browser (this is one of several units available at the moment). http://robosavvy.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/1992 As regards items to make I can think of everything from scale wheel hubs (fitted with axle tubes or even bearings) to machine guns, drop tanks, and all manner of scale fittings. Beauty is to model the item from full size drawings in Inventor, then it can be produced immediately at any scale.
  5. GordonRB

    Completed lamp

    GordonRB posted a gallery image in Member Albums

    Completed lamp
  6. GordonRB

    GordonRB posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  7. GordonRB
    Danny, I know what you mean about design time, however for example the reflector took less tha two minutes to design and burn the SLT file to SD card ready for printing. The "printing" would take less than 3 minutes. I could have drawn it with the three legged cover in place, but then the reflector could not have been sprayed on the inside, so that part would take another 5 minutes to design and probably the same to "print". I would not be looking to make a profit out of this, just cover costs. I have a good idea how much time you have taken, and that is also part of the challenge of building models, but maybe there are some guys who don't have the time to do that but still want authentic looking parts? I would be interested in hearing if any of the forum members have thoughts on this ? Cheers, Gordon.
  8. GordonRB

    GordonRB posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  9. GordonRB
    Danny, I know exactly where you are coming from. I will spend hours trying to find the best way to make a particular piece so that it looks/functions exactly right. Becky has promised me some baubles to experiment with, but have not seen her this weekend. It is also my intention to see if litho will spin. Recently I have been seriously looking into the feasibility of obtaining a 3D printer which will make plastic components within a 250mm x 250mm x 250mm envelope. Question is are there enough builders out there who may want special parts made at reasonable cost that will make it viable?
  10. GordonRB
    Danny, No thanks to me - it was my daughter - part of her business is craft-based and she uses all sorts of metallic paints, most of which are not shiny enough. I haven't seen it on Youtube so I'll look tonight. She also suggested plastic Xmas baubles cut in half. She has lots of these in different sizes, so I have asked her to drop some off and I will try them. May not be silvered on the inside, but may be good for the shape - perhaps you have tried already?
  11. GordonRB
    Danny, I don't know if you have come across tis before but this is a pretty good product - needs careful preparation to get smooth finish but sprays well using airbrush. Not too expensive either. **LINK** Gordon.
  12. GordonRB
    Danny, in the past I have molded bits from plastic coke bottles, so I carried out a small experiment.The only thing I had to use as a plug was a small screwdrivwer handle - just over 1/2" diameter. I then used a small piece of ally tube to sandwich a disk of bottle plastic against the screwdriwver handle with the revolving centre. With the lathe turning slowly, I used a hot sealing iron to start moving the plastic over the handle. This worked for a while but as the diameter grew, the plastic would not move easily even with the iron at its hottest setting, so I used a heat gun to blow hot air over it while still using the iron to push the material over the handle. As a first attempt it worked very well and I am sure that with a bit of practice and refinement it would be possible to produce excellent results. There is no hole in the end either. May be worth a try? Gordon.
  13. GordonRB

    GordonRB posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  14. GordonRB

    GordonRB posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  15. GordonRB
    We used to spin aluminium shrouds for ROV thrusters (look like EDF shrouds) these were done over a metal former producing what looked like a bell. We then cut off the top of the bell to leave a shaped tube. The cut-off top of the bell was exactly like a lamp reflector - problem is there is a hole in the end where the disk was secured to the former. For smal items it is possible to use a hardwood former, but securing the circular metal plate to the end of the former without bolting it is a challenge. I don't know if sufficient frictional force could be applied using a revolving tailstock centre (with the point covered) to squeeze the disk against the end of the former?
  16. GordonRB
    I may be able to help - the local copy shop is very good with various options to digitise plans, provided they will go through the machine, or by taking a high-res photo they can blow the image up to correct size for printing. The maximum size is B0 which is 1m x 1.4m   @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);
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