Any good leads on someone who can reproduce parts using CAD files?

3D Printing is coming along nicely.

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 ...

I have had flat sheet metal parts cut with a CNC machine after drawing them in Solidworks and saving as a .dxf file.

Craig

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.

Restorer32Mar 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.

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.

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.

Restorer32Mar 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.

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...

CBozMar 27, 2018

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. 

CBozMar 26, 2018

someone here might have a lead. 

So how big is it 4''x 4'' sq. 

Restorer32Mar 27, 2018

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

sligermachineMar 28, 2018

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!

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/

1939_BuickMar 30, 2018

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!

CBozMar 31, 2018

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.

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.

1939_BuickMar 31, 2018

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.

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. 

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

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.

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,