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3D Printing And Pen Design/manufacture?


coolguy684

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Looking at interesting designs like this which are very economical to produce, and this website Shapeways, what is the future of overlays and other complex aspects of pen design?

 

Right now, overlays, such as from Henry Simpole, are extremely expensive and time-consuming to produce. A 3-D printer can, presumably, pump them out in the thousands like Montblanc precious resin barrels. Right now, I'm thinking about going on Shapeways and seeing if they can make a rough homage of the Montblanc Year of the Golden Dragon Clip in brass, then have it rhodium or gold plated. Cheating, much?

 

 

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Most intriguing. We have a 3-d printer at the office...maybe I can do something fabulous!?!

"You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling.” "Forever optimistic with a theme and purpose." "My other pen is oblique and dippy."

 

 

 

 

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The problem as I understand it is, consumer grade 3D printers are just not up to the task of smooth surface non-porous printing/modeling.

I don't know about 3D printing, but I imagine the planning is not trivial. It is hard enough doing good 2D drawings. 3D drawings is significantly harder. But maybe there are much easier to use tools.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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The "print quality" indeed is the problem. A lot of consumer grade 3D printers require hand finishing after printing. But, honestly, with the advances they've made in 3D printers, you can get one now for $1000 that is miles ahead of the $10,000 printers from a couple years ago. I imagine within the next couple of years the technology will be such that they can produce pieces that require very little finishing.

 

The actual design isn't really a big deal if you know your way around a CAD program.

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I actually work in the 3D printing industry. I think you can, with a little bit of work, get the kind of detail you're looking for from a desktop 3D printer, and any additional finishing isn't going to be a big deal. Materials are probably more of an issue--the plastics used in consumer level FDM 3D printers aren't going to stand up to a lot of wear and tear, and the smaller layer height you need to get more detail will also make them more fragile. (FMD is the standard mode of consumer 3D printing--fused deposition modeling. The machine builds your model out of extruded threads of melted plastic.)

 

Shapeways and other services like it are a really good option, though, because they give you access to all kinds of professional level printers. That's kind of the point of Shapeways--they buy the expensive machines so you don't have to.

Currently in rotation: Wing Sung 698/Diamine Blue Velvet, Wing Sung 618/Diamine Golden Oasis, Lamy Profil 80/Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine

 

Website: Redeeming Qualities

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Well for metal parts, it seems like the 3d printers are being used to quickly produce molds that would otherwise take many hours of hand-work to make. After that, the metal is cast into the proper shape. It seems that they have great skills at producing complex pieces with this method.

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There is a chap on the pen turning and making forum who has been making and selling 3d printed pens, designed and created by himself.....and they are pretty impressive.

Quite a few fpn members have bought them already.

His designs are based around the Easter Island stone heads (I think) and they look "made of stone" when finished.

 

Go and have a peek, as if nothing else, it gives an insight into what is possible.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/288141-the-3d-printing-adventure-continue/

 

Ian

Edited by Ian the Jock
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Direct metal printing of parts is apparently possible as well, although I do not see a lot of movement lately on the related website

Ik ontken het grote belang van de computer niet, maar vind het van een stuitende domheid om iets wat al millennia zijn belang heeft bewezen daarom overboord te willen gooien (Ann De Craemer)

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3D printing parts for casting is one way to do it--it's called investment casting, and it has a lot of benefits, but mostly for larger manufacturing, rather than one-off designs. There are also printers that print directly in metal through a process called DMLS--Direct Metal Laser Sintering. Basically, you've got a thing full of metal powder, and a laser fuses bits of it together.

Currently in rotation: Wing Sung 698/Diamine Blue Velvet, Wing Sung 618/Diamine Golden Oasis, Lamy Profil 80/Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine

 

Website: Redeeming Qualities

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Also the Easter Island head pens look more like the product of some kind of sintering process that of an FDM printer.

Currently in rotation: Wing Sung 698/Diamine Blue Velvet, Wing Sung 618/Diamine Golden Oasis, Lamy Profil 80/Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine

 

Website: Redeeming Qualities

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The problem as I understand it is, consumer grade 3D printers are just not up to the task of smooth surface non-porous printing/modeling.

I don't know about 3D printing, but I imagine the planning is not trivial. It is hard enough doing good 2D drawings. 3D drawings is significantly harder. But maybe there are much easier to use tools.

Wouldn't you just use a good CAD program to design it? the 3-d part shouldn't be that daunting to a good engineer...or am I missing something? After all, I'm just a humble artist.

"You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling.” "Forever optimistic with a theme and purpose." "My other pen is oblique and dippy."

 

 

 

 

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I just do 2-D stuff.

Going to 3-D is a huge jump in complexity. I have not tried to use a 3-D drafting program, but I would like to try my hand at 3-D drafting.

Like many things, the concept is simple, the execution is a whole different animal.

 

BTW are you going to the SF Pen Show this weekend?

Stop by and say hi. I will be either at the registration desk or my vendor table.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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I just do 2-D stuff.

Going to 3-D is a huge jump in complexity. I have not tried to use a 3-D drafting program, but I would like to try my hand at 3-D drafting.

Like many things, the concept is simple, the execution is a whole different animal.

 

BTW are you going to the SF Pen Show this weekend?

Stop by and say hi. I will be either at the registration desk or my vendor table.

Yes, I am gong. It will be my first pen show. I am taking a Spencrian class with Michael on Sunday afternoon, but ill be meandering in the morning. I can't wait to try out some pens I have been lurking on in real life. Which vendor table will you be showing at?

"You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling.” "Forever optimistic with a theme and purpose." "My other pen is oblique and dippy."

 

 

 

 

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Yes, I am gong. It will be my first pen show. I am taking a Spencrian class with Michael on Sunday afternoon, but ill be meandering in the morning. I can't wait to try out some pens I have been lurking on in real life. Which vendor table will you be showing at?

 

I will be sharing a table with Greg Weddig, probably going to be near the ink testing tables.

I will also be in the Spencerian class. I better go prep my nibs and pack my ink.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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I will also be in the Spencerian class. I better go prep my nibs and pack my ink.

 

Most likely you are really busy, but I as wondering if you knew what nibs we should be bring to class and/or can we purchase them at class? somewhere I had this information but (typical of me) I can't seem to find it.

"You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling.” "Forever optimistic with a theme and purpose." "My other pen is oblique and dippy."

 

 

 

 

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