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Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

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Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#41

Post by jacquesm »

legitster wrote: post #27
dymk wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on what you mean by a renaissance of small-scale manufacturing. I see CNC and 3D printers much more often now in prosumer and small-business shops. People are making professional quality casts, with some work. Yes, it's effort, but it's going to be effort regardless of if you outsource the work, or learn how to do it the right way yourself. Plastic injection machines can be a few grand on eBay now. A very…

I am specifically thinking of a Christmas bazaar I was just at. You had all of these booths selling beautiful customized phone-cases and earrings and candle-holders and etc. And nearly all of them are starting with Chinese made plastics and putting labor intensive value on top of it. And there was a single 3d print shop booth that sold glorified paperweights. It just seemed to me that there is clearly a market failur…

Mass market junk is cheaper to make in China and ship by the containerload than it ever will be to produce locally no matter what method you use to manufacture them. Personally I wished people would stop buying these things whose only real goal seems to be to end up in landfills.

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#42

Post by kube-system »

dekhn wrote: post #38
kube-system wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can export it... either in a non-source format, or in a format that only opens in said cloud.

No, you can export STEP to local files, or f3d's. f3d's open from the filesystem, so you can send that to another person.

I'm saying that if you've been kicked out of Fusion 360 or it no longer exists, you won't have anything to open the file with.

As opposed to locally installed software which will run indefinitely.

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#43

Post by eightysixfour »

kube-system wrote: post #31
eightysixfour wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can use Fusion 360 for hobby stuff, but if you're attached to your work (as any creator would be), it's disquieting to have it hosted in a cloud that you're just being given permission to access. You're one corporate decision away from losing your files. I can export things locally in any format I want from Fusion, is that not the case with certain licenses or something?

You can export it... either in a non-source format, or in a format that only opens in said cloud.

Most of the CAD applications have a proprietary source format and can export into more portable formats. I’m not sure I’m aware of a single, portable “source format,” do you know of one?

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#44

Post by kube-system »

eightysixfour wrote: post #43
kube-system wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can export it... either in a non-source format, or in a format that only opens in said cloud.

Most of the CAD applications have a proprietary source format and can export into more portable formats. I’m not sure I’m aware of a single, portable “source format,” do you know of one?

It's less about the format being portable, and more that the software is portable along with the files. You need both to be able to work with them.

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#45

Post by legitster »

jacquesm wrote: post #41
legitster wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am specifically thinking of a Christmas bazaar I was just at. You had all of these booths selling beautiful customized phone-cases and earrings and candle-holders and etc. And nearly all of them are starting with Chinese made plastics and putting labor intensive value on top of it. And there was a single 3d print shop booth that sold glorified paperweights. It just seemed to me that there is clearly a market failur…

Mass market junk is cheaper to make in China and ship by the containerload than it ever will be to produce locally no matter what method you use to manufacture them. Personally I wished people would stop buying these things whose only real goal seems to be to end up in landfills.

I mean, what do you think most people are using 3D printers to make?

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#46

Post by legitster »

dicknuckle wrote: post #25
legitster wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. But the vast majority of products are not ever going to be 3D printed. Most of the things you are going to touch today are going to be injection-molded. Keyboards, keychains, car parts, cups, computer cases, etc. There's a 3d print shop that sells at my local farmer's market. But they only sell tchotchkes. I am imagining a world where the same size business could also phone cases or mugs or even supply a local…

We're not at farmers markets, because our niches are too focused. One guy I follow on YouTube pretty much only sells tool trays for cannabis products and I only sell replacement brake cable guides for 1980's powersport machines. We've been at the very beginning of what you're describing for about 3-4 years now. I only started selling by request of the communities I'm part of because none of them knew anyone to print…

> I only sell replacement brake cable guides for 1980's powersport machines

Haha! Doing the Lord's work.

Although, it should be noted that while I buy lots of hard to find car parts this way, as a buyer I almost universally prefer actual molded plastic parts in almost every situation. In some cases I have even requested my money back because the seller deceitfully tried to make their parts look OEM.

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#47

Post by dymk »

legitster wrote: post #27
dymk wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on what you mean by a renaissance of small-scale manufacturing. I see CNC and 3D printers much more often now in prosumer and small-business shops. People are making professional quality casts, with some work. Yes, it's effort, but it's going to be effort regardless of if you outsource the work, or learn how to do it the right way yourself. Plastic injection machines can be a few grand on eBay now. A very…

I am specifically thinking of a Christmas bazaar I was just at. You had all of these booths selling beautiful customized phone-cases and earrings and candle-holders and etc. And nearly all of them are starting with Chinese made plastics and putting labor intensive value on top of it. And there was a single 3d print shop booth that sold glorified paperweights. It just seemed to me that there is clearly a market failur…

I used my 3D printer and CNC to assist in making these: https://www.longtailwoodcraft.com/gallery.html

There's no 3D components in the cutting boards or wall art itself. I make jigs and spacers and all sorts of things to assist in assembly and manufacture.

An FDM 3D printer is useful for much more than making glorified paperweights. There's immense value in being able to make any jig you can think of, very precisely, and be able to reproduce it in an hour if you need another.

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#48

Post by totemandtoken »

DalekBaldwin wrote: post #33

As somebody trying to get into mechanical engineering while living in a small urban apartment, this has been an incredible resource... not that I've made much progress along the lines it describes though. It's tough to plan a path toward growth in these skills without sustaining inordinate expenses at each step. I can't afford to become afflicted with Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I've come close to dropping huge sums o…

I was a mechanical engineer before I shifted to software development (so kind of the opposite of you) and I think you need actual, full on college level schooling to be a mechanical engineer in most cases.

The stuff you're focusing on - basically manufacturing techniques - is a very small part of engineering in general. I didn't see any mention of CAD or FEA work, but even assuming you do know some of that or can access that type of learning you still are missing a lot of what makes an engineer an engineer.

The biggest difference I see between software developers and mechanical engineers is a way of thinking. I realize that sounds very woo, but it's very obvious to me and to other mechanical engineers I've spoken to.

For example, around my area there are schools that give out "Mechanical Engineering Technologist" degrees, which are quicker, less math intensive engineering degrees. Often times speaking to METs, I notice how they don't see connections between certain phenomenon or see why certain physical phenomenon happen in one circumstance but not another.

This isn't to discourage you. I think one very easy step you could do if you haven't already is pick up Fusion360 (it's free for hobbyists I believe) and try to simulate making a simple project. I would hesitate in calling this "mechanical engineering" but I think it would get you along in your goals.

Sorry for the long rambling message, the interplay between software and traditional engineering is something I think about quite a bit...

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#49

Post by jwagenet »

kube-system wrote: post #42
dekhn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, you can export STEP to local files, or f3d's. f3d's open from the filesystem, so you can send that to another person.

I'm saying that if you've been kicked out of Fusion 360 or it no longer exists, you won't have anything to open the file with. As opposed to locally installed software which will run indefinitely.

Most professional cad software is behind a subscription or license server, so I’m not sure what the alternative would be.

Re: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting (2015)

#50

Post by bsder »

digdugdirk wrote: post #18
throwaway4aday wrote: post #8

I think CNC machining is primed for developments that make it much easier to use for the home hobbyist. The tech is very close to what's needed for 3D printing but it has a few added requirements like the need for a sturdier frame and accommodations for a fairly large and powerful motor. Both are solvable with the right materials and the motor can be anything from a DC spindle to a repurposed wood router. The biggest…

I love your optimism, and would absolutely love to have this capability in a garage. But as someone who designs physical products (and deals with all of the manufacturing techniques you mentioned above on a regular basis) I can't say I agree. There's a huge amount of knowledge and skill required to make machined/cast/extruded metal components, and a very steep learning curve before someone can do so safely. Gamechang…

> Gamechanger? Yes. But likely mostly for the ambulance industry.

While I laughed, I don't find this to be very true at all for working in metal.

Working on metal seems to have WAY fewer injuries than people who work on wood. Metal working is almost always in a vise and your hands are on levers/cranks--away from the cutting surface.

Whereas, with woodworking, your hands are almost always the motive force and directly next to the cutting envelope.

Simply take a look at the hands of long time machinists vs long time woodworkers. The woodworkers are the ones missing some finger bits.

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