3D printing saves 1912 Brush

http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/11/12/large-scale-sand-3d-printer-restores-life-1912-brush-car/

Found this link today and thought I would let everyone know about it. Scroll down till you get to the video and click on it. Amazing what can be done today. I would think Alanson Brush would be truly amazed at how modern technology helped save one of his cars. Looking at the condition of the original part they are reproducing makes you wonder what the rest of the car looks like .

I wonder what the cost was and how it compares with traditional pattern making?

The ExOne company in the link above is located in Troy, Michigan. I have done some work with them. Their cost to make one reproduction cast iron engine cylinder is about $5500. In addition to that cost you must add the cost of an engineer preparing a CAD drawing of the cylinder.

The advantage of this new process is that you are guaranteed a perfect casting in 6-8 weeks. There is no trial and error work; no cutting up the first casting to check for core shift or porosity. The complexity of the casting has little effect on the price, the size of the part is a bigger factor than complexity.

I should add that the ExOne process does not use traditional patterns and core boxes. So if you only need one casting, you won't have to pay for patterns and core boxes, and you won't have to store them or risk damaging them from shipping to and from the foundry. However, every additional cylinder casting from ExOne will cost about $2500, so this process isn't economical for large quantities of castings.

Scott, I just want to know if you have ordered your spare jug yet????

Rough estimate to have an engineer prepare a cad drawing?

5500.00 Plus the drafting is a bargin for that casting. If one were to assume it had a bunch of cracks both internal and external, weather one stiched it or welded it, when you figure in the cost of all the repairs and a sleeve, a new modern casting is the way to go. You start with a basic new block with no risk of further cracks or repair failures. And at that price, each additional is 2500 per unit, it is not worth making any for the shelf. The casting can be made on demand. Over all I would say things are looking up for the future of the car hobby. I would like to see more postings on this subject. Ed.

Lee, I am very curious as to what material(s) can be used in 3D printing. I am asking you if Bakelite can be used in this application. If a person has a NOS distributor cap that is in perfect condition, can this cap be used as the basis (pattern, if you will) to create another cap EXACTLY like it? I'm told that this technology is still brand new and that once it becomes more readily available, then the price is going to come down. I would like to hear your answers to what I have asked.

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

Terry,

I have only worked with cast metals. I know that 3D printed plastic leaves visible layer lines which somebody would have to sand off and polish to get the appearance of a distributor cap. The layers may be only .003" but you can see them.

I focus on drawing parts in CAD.

There is a big market for reproduction die castings and plastic car parts, but I'm not very knowledgeable on that right now.

Engineering time to draw a cylinder depends on how much information exists to start the drawing. Worst case is when no original part exists and I'm only given a few dimensions and photographs. I enjoy those projects, they take some knowledge of how old engines were made. Usually some detective work is involved. I've cut open an old REO cylinder to measure wall thicknesses and study the coolant flow path through an F head engine. The CAD job includes producing machining drawings in addition to the casting drawing. Engineering charge for a cylinder could reach $5000 worst case.