Ive just come back from a trade show for work, an industrial tool / machine show and they had a number of 3D printers being demonstrated, after a quick google there are a few companies that will take a CAD design and create an actual model of the thing, so you have a tangible prototype model in your hand.

Has any one investigated this for, hard to find parts, I was thinking of the carb elbows to the Volkes filter. Here for example is one company in the UK http://www.3dprint-uk.co.uk/

One of the guys I work with could create the 3d CAD, so we could investigate it, but I don't have one in my hand..

email (option): kit247@hotmail.com

I work in aerospace and have used SLA (selective laser additive) and SLS (selective laser sintering) and the direct manufacturing of parts for motorcycles is still cost prohibitive. However, one thing that you can use it for is making molds for lost wax casting of parts. Google rapid prototype lost wax. Bronze and aluminimum are especially excellent media for this process.

the trouble with the volkes filter elbow is casting the steel strengthening ring in it

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

This steel ring is a serparet part. The elbow is made of 3 alu parts. I already started drawing it in 3D, but never found a good affortable printing company.

Good luck,

Leon

Hi kit

Have an ongoing project with work with 3D scanning

Very interesting what can be done & how quickly you can blow your budget too !!

:-D

Job

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

oh! looking at pictures it alway looked to me as if is was cast into the ali wrong again rog

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

I was an aerospace tool designer back when we had work in the US. This was at the beginning of 3D printing. We had one at the community college where I taught later in my career.

I also dabbled with a backyard foundry, having a "Speedy Melt".

If you have a casting already, why bother with a plastic resin mockup? Besides, you are limited in size to the bed of the printer.

Your original part can be used as a pattern for a mold
and you can then cast it in any metal you choose (within limits) as melting iron and steel requires a lot of heat.

So, it seems to me that since everything has a "club" of some sorts (Yes, the backyard foundry guys do to), find a local guy who has passion for that like we have passion for our bikes.

I think you may find a source for the good stuff, and a friend along the way. These guys love a challenge, just like us!

Cheers all

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

It was just an interesting thought and I wondered if you guys had looked, some of these CNC machines at this show made all kinds of amazing shiny metal parts, some were solid bits of ali, then hollowed out in very intricate shapes, the 3D printing could make a mould I guess..still just thought I'd throw it out there.

I have no intention of putting a Volkes on my BSA, it seems to be one of 'those' parts people want. I'm sure the boys in India will come up with something at some point, although I'm far from interested to even consider some of the stuff they are pumping out, like forks..a whole different conversation as we've all had :-)

Ride well, keep it sunny side up..

I had some rocker covers cast for the B29/B30 hairpin valve spring head..Although contraction has to be taken into account,particularly with aluminium or bronze castings this is often not really much of an issue when small parts are being produced.
The contraction rate for aluminium, for example, is 1 in 77...so if a part was 77" long and you cast off the original you would 'lose' 1" in length and proportionally less on other, smaller, dimensions..
For a 4" long part applying this contraction rate you would lose approx. .050"..not really an issue on many parts. This would fall to .033" in the case of cast iron which has a contraction rate of 1 in 120...
With the rocker covers I filled all drillings with bees wax and glued pre cut pieces of thin plywood to the gasket faces and bolt bosses etc. to provide a machining allowance after casting.
I next applied a few good coats of filler primer to the prepared casting which was then carefully rubbed back to provided a smooth surface for extraction of the 'pattern' from the casting sand.
I was very pleased with the finished cast and machined parts...
3D modelling, I would imagine, may be more cost effective than employing a traditional pattern maker if you don't have an original part to cast off or if a more complex pattern is needed..I got quoted £1500 for example for a traditional wooden pattern for B33 barrels..and that is a relatively simple casting. A cylinder head pattern with core pieces etc. for the same bike runs to about £4500!....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Interesting that Ian

Currently in my working life, I'm having a number of items 3D scanned

One of the offshoots in discussion was that they could produce moulds from this or small batch production, plastic materials or similar etc

Smaller parts can be very easily reproduced or have the basis of moulds created very quickly

I often wonder if this could be applied to our motorcycles ??

Job

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com