3D printing

[Brad]

This summer we bought a 3D printer and I have been learning what makes it tick.

Right now I am printing racks to hold tool heads for my Dillon. Takes 7 hours to print each one but the printer doesn’t care if I am sleeping or at work, it just keeps on printing.

The filament is cheap enough that each of these costs me well under a buck. No way I can make these in metal for near the cost and my time has value as well.

Third one just started printing, need another 4 or so.

 

[Missionary]

Thank you Brad!
Just what I need.. Another hobby.

 

[Ian]

Thank you Brad!
Just what I need.. Another hobby.

I was thinking exactly the same thing. 15 grand in machine tools and he switches to additive manufacturing. I'll get into it when metal printing becomes more affordable.

 

[Ian]

What CAD program are you using, Brad? Fusion 360?

 

[waco]

Ian. Check out “the thingy verse” all one word I believe. Lots of free downloads for stuff to print.

 

[Brad]

Ian. Check out “the thingy verse” all one word I believe. Lots of free downloads for stuff to print.

Exactly. I just Google 3D printed Dillon 550. Files are free to download.

I wasn’t sure when we bought the printer but it has opened my eyes to a new world of making stuff.

 

[Tomme boy]

So now we know who to bother when we need something!

This was on my list for Christmas

 

[Ian]

As a process engineer for my company I take advantage of 3D printing often. There's an intern who knows Solid Works and when the need arises I draw him a sketch and have him model whatever thingamajig we need to streamline the manufacturing. He does stress analysis, material recommendations, and builds a program that gets sent to another one of our facilities five states away, and an intern there prints a prototype. Once we test it out, we put in an order for more thingamajiggers. Right now I'm working on a vertical hook for a tape dispenser; might seem mundane but it will eliminate the need for approximately 20 rolling carts. When our permanent facility is completed and we are finally able to move into it, we will have a whole 3D printing department as part of the tool room because the technology is so valuable. The intern even printed curtain hooks which could be attached with double-sided tape for the conference room so no holes in the walls of the rented building.

 

[Ian]

Hey Walter, does that site have a lube groove program? How about post holes, can I just print post holes instead of digging them?

 

[Brad]

I need to learn basic 3D modeling so I can design things I want/need.

 

[Brad]

Hey Walter, does that site have a lube groove program? How about post holes, can I just print post holes instead of digging them?

No lube grooves or post holes, you need to use subtractive machining for those.

Now a mountain or a molehill, those are possible.

 

[Ian]

Damned physics. Sighhhh.....

 

[JonB]

I am fascinated with the 3D printed houses (concrete).

 

[JonB]

I ordered this printed speed loader for my Ruger American.
It was a wee bit tight and didn't function properly...meaning mag didn't fit.
Heated up with heatgun and forced the mag in there,
and wiggled it a bit. BINGO, works as it should, but is ugly now.
All my years of buying Lee equipment pays off, LOL.

 

[Dimner]

I've got a 3d printer as well. Printer a whole bunch of stuff for my shooting hobbies. Tool drawers, shell holder blocks, auto trickler, case feeder for the lee acp press thingy.

I'll find some pics and post them


Edit: stupid phone....I lost all.my work. I'll do it tomorrow on a laptop

 

[Dimner]

Disclaimer: there are probably a hundred better ways to do the things I came up with, but these are the solutions that made the most sense to me and were within my ability to cobble together. Most of these were done using fusion 360. I had no prior Cad or 3d printing experience before I started. I use kisslicer as my slicer. My 3d printer is an anycubic mega something or other. If I were to do it over again. I'd get a prusa and never worry about a damn thing again (and also pay 3x more and be happy)

These shell holders (seen here in 223) allow for either the neck up or base down position without wobble. I found something similar to this on thingaverse and used openscad (I think that's the name) to customize for 223, 6.5x55, 270, and the 308/30-06 family.



This I wanted my lyman powder thrower to have more capacity. Inside is an angled baffle for more consistency with powder throws.



This is my auto trickler. I wanted a way for powder to dispense at the press of a button and I didn't trust (not sure I still do) digital scales. Press a button and dispenses powder until the beam moves and then slows until the beam is nearly level. I have two additional buttons for adding more powder. A very slow speed and fast speed to manually operate. There also is a dial to adjust what I call the 'gains. Basically how close or far the beam moves before it shuts off. Helps dial in the timing when having switched powders. There also is a neo pixel multi color LED that let's me know which part of the arduino program is running.



This is a closeup of the sensor on the under the beam. I like using a beam scale for load development rather than a powder thrower and constantly adjusting the powder throwers rod.

 

[Ian]

Cool!

 

[Dimner]

This was a difficult project for me. I wanted the ability to auto feed the lee APP press thingy. So I found a design for a 3D printed hopper that interfaced with the hornady lock and load press. The designer had created it in fusion 360, so thats when I started learning that program. I ditched half the parts and modified everthing under the hopper to couple with the APP. I shoot CMP high power in the summers and wanted to rapidly process my 223 brass. Of course the bazillion hours I put into making this thing will always be more than the time I save hand feeding brass into the APP.

Here is the hopper. Pretty much straight up same design as the original. I just changed a few specs on the opening to the funnel/tube to accommodate 223. And changed the platter as well. Also, I created a platter for 30-06.



Next is the control panel and the arduino and what have you. The light blue part cut off at the top is the funnel that gets all the brass into the tube. Oh I should have mentioned that all the brass is dropped base down so I can do what ever process. Decapping, sizing, expanding mouths....

The arduino is on the left. The sensor is the same type used in the auto trickler. Has the motor stop when the cases are filled to this point.





The whole thing...

 

[Tomme boy]

So what printers are you guys using?

 

[Brad]

I have a Creality CR 10 V3