CBoz Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 (edited) Hello Folks - Because my lower rumble seat step was missing, I had a friend let me borrow his to have a CAD drawing (STP file) made. I am now looking for someone with experience making parts from CAD drawings. I figured given the low-volume nature of a lot of Classics, someone here might have a lead. Feel free to private message me. Edited March 26, 2018 by CBoz (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 3D Printing is coming along nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBoz Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 It is JFranklin, and I'm working closely with some folks here on the NC State University campus where I work to better understand the 3D printing technology (both from a research and personal perspective). For a part like this though, CNC machining is still probably best for now -- building up with 3D printing would take a long time and still involve a huge amount of hand-finishing. In contrast, I have some small plastic parts which are ideally-suited to the "build up" 3D printing process. I don't doubt as the cost / complexity of these technologies come down, you'll see more of this happening ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I have had flat sheet metal parts cut with a CNC machine after drawing them in Solidworks and saving as a .dxf file. Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 If you could borrow an original step plate you could have one cast for less that $100. Seems to me you are taking the long way around the barn. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBoz Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Restorer32 said: If you could borrow an original step plate you could have one cast for less that $100. Seems to me you are taking the long way around the barn. Unfortunately it was at the other end of the country and I really wasn't in a position to ask they guy to risk sending it to me. At least this way we have a record of it if anyone else wants it. The other real advantage is that with a CAD drawing, you can engineering out any flaws in the original very easily. Edited March 27, 2018 by CBoz (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I understand and appreciate your effort. I would like to see, and maybe you can do this, a real price for making such a part using a CNC or thru 3D printing. Not a price where someone had his nephew do the CAD drawings for free or where a good friend ran it thru his CNC on off hours but a price if one had to pay for the programming and the CNC time to make one or a very limited number of parts. I have yet to see a real world price on such an endeavor. It would likely be very educational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBoz Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Restorer32 said: I understand and appreciate your effort. I would like to see, and maybe you can do this, a real price for making such a part using a CNC or thru 3D printing. Not a price where someone had his nephew do the CAD drawings for free or where a good friend ran it thru his CNC on off hours but a price if one had to pay for the programming and the CNC time to make one or a very limited number of parts. I have yet to see a real world price on such an endeavor. It would likely be very educational. I'm with you -- and I may be the test case . I've found similar things when researching 3D printing: Looks great until you start considering the *total* cost, including equipment, material costs and limitations, post-finishing, etc. That said, when reproduction running board *covers* for my car cost $2400, I've learned to grab onto something when getting cost estimates... Edited March 27, 2018 by CBoz (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 32 minutes ago, CBoz said: I'm with you -- and I may be the test case . I've found similar things when researching 3D printing: Looks great until you start considering the *total* cost, including equipment, material costs and limitations, post-finishing, etc. That said, when reproduction running board *covers* for my car cost $2400, I've learned to grab onto something when getting cost estimates... The CEO of one of the major 3-D printing companies stated that the future of 3-D printing would be in making items that could not be made in any other way. He did not see it as being competitive with other established technologies in most cases. I think he was correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligermachine Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 On 3/26/2018 at 9:50 AM, CBoz said: someone here might have a lead. So how big is it 4''x 4'' sq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligermachine Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 7 hours ago, Restorer32 said: The CEO of one of the major 3-D printing companies stated that the future of 3-D printing would be in making items that could not be made in any other way. But can be run with out help or run up man hr. just load up drawing and press start next day see if it id done ? 3D printing takes a long time but real neat we have one at are machine shop --kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBoz Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 57 minutes ago, sligermachine said: So how big is it 4''x 4'' sq. About 5X6 with some height to it. Private message me if you know of someone who could do it. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 (edited) What material are the originals made from? What is the car? In Australia. http://www.vintageandclassicreproductions.com/ http://www.vintageandclassicreproductions.com/UNI-018.jpg I have no association with them, but seen their products at swap meets May get more response in tech subforum or parts wanted nearer the top of the screen. http://forums.aaca.org/forum/15-technical/ Edited March 30, 2018 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBoz Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 34 minutes ago, 1939_Buick said: What material are the originals made from? What is the car? It's aluminum, from a 1938 Lincoln K roadster. Not many of these later rumble seat cars were made and the earlier steps are not correct, which is why I'm going through all this effort. Thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 10 minutes ago, CBoz said: Not many of these later rumble seat cars were made and the earlier steps are not correct, which is why I'm going through all this effort. Which means little hope of selling to others. The set up costs are where the $$$ is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing new technologies for large scale 3-D printing. They just develop the technology and then turn it over to private companies. Last summer they had one of their projects on display at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, TN. Your tax dollars at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBoz Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 10 minutes ago, 1939_Buick said: Which means little hope of selling to others. The set up costs are where the $$$ is. Yep, that's why I had a CAD drawing created. In effect, it's a digital mold of the part. Just need to find someone to make it from the computer instructions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akstraw Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Perhaps you can 3D print it in plastic, then use the plastic part as the starting point for having a casting made. Where I live, the local libraries have 3D printers available for public use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yachtflame Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 If you are going to the trouble of making a plastic copy to then cast in aliminum, find out the % of shrinkage first and have the CAD scan incorporate that into the file. I cast a lot of parts in bronze and it shrinks 3%, not too bad on small parts but when doing things like dash surround trim, it has shrunken enough to make a bad fit. Just my thoughts. Wayne Elsworth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrpushbutton Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 We make parts using 3-D printing where I work for Classic car parts. The detail isn't as good as with a wood pattern, and the cost ends up being the same as having a wood pattern made. For a job like this, where there ins't a big volume of sales possible 3-D printing would be a good way to go. You have to leave a lot of material on the outside to allow for metal finishing. otherwise you can see the "Layers" of the #-D printing. The raw parts from 3-D printed "lost" printings look like someone cut pieces of paper to that shape and stacked them on each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Your best option is to beg someone to loan you an original and use it as a pattern to have one cast. We have made many Packard step plates over the years by using originals as casting patterns. The shrinkage is negligible, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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