Anyone have 3D printing knowhow? 

"415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)" (415s30) 04/10/2017 at 20:29 • Filed to: 3D Printing

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I am considering printing some stuff that is hard to find. I saw Leno was making stuff with a company called Stratasys who scans and prints things. They haven’t gotten back to me yet. The light covers on the Japanese market Zs were these with a chrome ring. They sometimes go for $1000 a set without the mounting hardware. I know people on the Z forums that have sets that could be scanned. I just don’t know how hard it will be to print the metal ring, then that metal would have to be chromed I assume. I also don’t know if they can print a clear cover like that. Any ideas?

TheHondaBro > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 20:33

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Robot butt.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > TheHondaBro 04/10/2017 at 20:34

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Well that’s mature Jimbo!

TheHondaBro > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 20:36

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You’re the one who posted a robot butt.

Frank Grimes > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 20:38

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make them out of sheet metal.

cberg > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 20:40

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Anything with that much negative space is going to require a .obj or some such CG model with a good deal of support material in order to retain the form of the bezels when they’re plated, assuming you use plastic.

Die-Trying > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 20:47

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maybe a sheet of clear lexan, like is used for racecar windows? and just screw it down to your mounts.

lexan is usually flexible enough to make corners....

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 20:51

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It is possible to make clear, but they will still be slightly opaque. They also tend to yellow rather quickly. As for the lip ring could also, though you may spend over 1k to get them lazer metal sintered. another option would be slarmor

https://www.protolabs.com/resources/materials/additive-materials . again not cheap.

possibility would be to make a negative out of hard foam and try vacuum forming the clear down.

tromoly > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 20:52

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Laser sintering? You’d probably be looking at $500 per trim piece, easily. That’s not chromed or anything, just sintered.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 20:55

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Vacuum forming is certainly the way to go.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > tromoly 04/10/2017 at 20:59

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But they do it in a box and whatever you can fit in that space is the rate, from what I heard on Leno’s.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 21:01

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Hmm, yeah it isn’t as easy as I thought, but I haven’t heard from the company yet. Every time someone tries to make these in whatever way they fail, it’s become a doomed thread... I really wanted to get these to the Z people....

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 21:05

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Well we have a plastic cover already, maybe we have to settle for a chrome ring for the replica lense we have. These have a rubber ring we could replace.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 21:08

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http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/classic02l

why not get reproductions?

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 21:14

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We all have those. The originals are a million times better.Especially in person.

Boxer_4 > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 21:19

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Depending on the max depth of the part, a male mold could also be used.

As someone with vacuum forming experience, and experience forming transparent pieces... surface finish may be an issue, depending on what exactly you mean by hard foam as a tooling material.

At any rate, the forming surface needs to be highly polished for a transparent part.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Boxer_4 04/10/2017 at 21:26

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(not my image) idk what type It was label carving foam. I hacked out my shape and then applied a layer of epoxy. it was pretty halfassed but worked for what I needed.

I would bet silicone would work better.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 21:29

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the price is based on multiple things. 1 volume of material. 2. space on the tray. 3. how many layers. (more layers, more time the machine is tied up.)

parts will have a support structure to make that wavy shape.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 21:30

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can you trace out the shape in paper, then as Frank grimes said use that to make a sheet metal part?

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 21:31

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Hmm, well I will see what the Stratasys guy says, doesn’t sound like this will be easy.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 21:36

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People have said that on the forums and said they could do it, but they never do. I’m not sure, a lot of people want them, they pay over a $1k a set online for original sets that don’t look great. We all have the cheap replicas and they are ok but are very obviously inferior in person. This is one of those parts for Z people they may never get, it’s crazy in this day and age. I’m sure they can be made but I don’t want to set up a factory in China.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/10/2017 at 21:40

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I see they make E Type covers, each metal ring is $230

https://www.terrysjag.com/category/E-TYPE-SER1-BODY-CHROME-ALL.html

Boxer_4 > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 21:50

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The lens itself wouldn’t be difficult as a thermoformed polycarbonate part; a forming tool for both the left and right would need to be created, but even that isn’t even that hard, really.  

I would actually have the capability to form the lenses if the proper tooling was created - I have a working vacuum thermoforming machine in my basement that is of an appropriate size...

The trim ring is more difficult...

One possibility would be to use copper electroforming; you start with a conductive mold and electrically deposit layers of copper to build up the part. You’d end up with a real metal part, which I believe could be chrome plated (I’d have to look into that one)

The only issues I see with that method are the part thickness capable, and its durability.

I know someone who is seriously looking into getting into copper electroforming, but I have no idea if/when that’s happening, and I have no idea what the capabilities will be.

I’ll try and think if there are any other methods for duplicating the trim ring.

tromoly > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 21:54

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Food for thought, at one time I was quoted $400 to have a part sintered that used 1.5 oz. of material (basically a specialized ratchet socket), granted it was at a more local place but still, for so little matertial it’s super expensive.

NoahthePorscheGuy > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/10/2017 at 21:57

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did you contact Stratasys or Stratasys direct manufacturing?

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Boxer_4 04/10/2017 at 21:59

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Cool, yeah it has thwarted a few people. We have the replica lenses, they aren’t as good as the originals but even a chrome JDM looking ring would make those way better. Yeah if you have any ideas I am game. I looked up Jaguar E Types and of course they have reproductions, not cheap but they exist. I might find out who makes those and let them know hundreds of people with Zs want some too and they might want to do it.

Cheers

Tapas > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 04/11/2017 at 07:29

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Metal 3D printing is not yet a thing, beyond R&D or very expensive prototyping.

You’ll just have to find a strip of metal channel and have someone form it to surround the polycarbonate lens, weld mounting brackets/drill mounting holes and chrome plate the thing.