My son got lucky for his Birthday and now has a 3D printer that he kindly invited me to use. It builds ABS plastic, I have two bright colors to use, versions of what the software instructs it to build.
If i had such a machine, i would be making all kinds of things. Like firesteel handles, knife scales, maybe some sort of pouches with slots to hold a few small items to your belt, such as ferro rods, whistle, matches or lighter, etc...
Build time is estimated to be three hours. We will see how long it actually takes. Zachary is prepping the machine now. I am good for several spools of material in different colors. Clear is available but looks translucent after the build process. Zachary builds parts for work so I don't know how much machine time I can get. Great kid. Works night and day and third kid is in the oven.
The target knife was about 2/3 finished by the 3D printer before the laptop went into sleep mode and quit sending instructions to the printer. Photos anyway. It would have been better to supply the printer directly from a memory stick with the file on that and leave the laptop out of the loop. Next time.
The smooth side was on a heated platform at the bottom of the printer. It looks like a tiny slow spider built this knife. I understand that acetone on a brush can be used to smooth ABS surfaces.
I have an engineer who claims to be able to turn any CNC knife file into the correct/usable file for this 3D printer (STL format). So if anyone has a file they want tried in ABS please consider sending it to me, email is found within my avatar. I hope to eventually have enough BUCK content to make this on topic. Meantime I hope that some of you find it interesting.
First photo is smooth side and where the build began. Last photo is the upside where the build stopped.
I first handled the product of a 3D printer at the Buck factory in Post Falls, Idaho last Summer during an emersive tour of the plant. A plastic Buck knife. The newest prototype. Once you design a knife you can handle the plastic version in a few hours. What does the plastic prototype buy you?
Looks like Steve is preparing to go big time into the counterfeit Buck Knife business.
Actually .that's pretty cool stuff. I was there when you picked up that plastic prototype at the Buck plant .and I could see then that the wheels were turning.
I am looking forward to seeing some of your creations in the future.
I am curious about this technology. I don't really have the imagination to see where it could lead like some say that many things you need/want can be created at home by your 3D printer. This thing is pretty clunky.
For this forum I'm focused on what others want made. Anyone can send me a machine language file for the creation of something and I will try to produce it. Simple-minded of me to think that anyone would email the file instructions on exactly how to make their creation. But I thought that I would just give it a try and see what happened. I need the file sent to me because I do not have the skill to create it myself. Or point me to an existing file that I can upload works as well.
2nd go at this abs knife. I cannot explain the four open parts in the handle... Something isn't on the money. I will clean this one up as it is complete while the first one stopped printing mid-stream. If you have a better file, for a better knife or something, send it to me and I will try to print it.
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