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3D printed mirror array

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Re: 3D printed mirror array

#111

Post by numpad0 »

jacquesm wrote: post #47
jhgb wrote: post #41

I'm wondering if a similar effect couldn't be done using a continuous surface and just silvering it. I saw something similar done with refraction but can't remember the URL now. 3D printers definitely have higher resolution than mirrors of this size.

If you're willing to spend a lot of money on silver then probably yes. After all the height differences are substantial and silver isn't cheap. 3D printers resolution sucks in comparison to the mirrors, I'm not sure what you mean by that.

There are single solution spray-on electroless plating "paint" for modelmaking. They can make any smooth and black surface into a mirror so I think it's just a matter of surface preparations.

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#112

Post by itronitron »

jhgb wrote: post #41

I'm wondering if a similar effect couldn't be done using a continuous surface and just silvering it. I saw something similar done with refraction but can't remember the URL now. 3D printers definitely have higher resolution than mirrors of this size.

You could use reflective mylar tape over the surface. And if you wanted something with very high resolution I'd try vacuum forming wide mylar film onto the 3D printed surface.

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#113

Post by PostThisTooFast »

jacquesm wrote: post #76
stavros wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it?!

Yes, it works. Test rides three days ago, first real trip yesterday, 65 km there and back on a single charge. Write-up one of these days, have to collect all the material.

Rides? Of what? What is this referring to?

Some important information has been omitted from this thread.

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#114

Post by arketyp »

jonahx wrote: post #90
diplodocusaur wrote: post #34

There is an artist (at least) that uses arrays of motorized parts to create a similar effect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV8v2GKC8WA mesmerizing

"The electronics and the mechanics and the fabrication took me a year. Then it took me an afternoon to program the computer to actually activate it"

No knock on the artist, I particularly like the pom-pom display, but I get the sense that much of art today is about going roundabout ways, almost Rube Goldberg machine like, to achieve things could be presented in other ways with minimal effort. Sometimes this alternative mediation is interesting, but sometimes it almost feels dismissive of the metaphysical magic that is computing.

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#115

Post by jacquesm »

kragen wrote: post #109
jacquesm wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bare aluminum would oxidize in a very short time to something dull. It would still reflect light but not quite as good. Aluminized Mylar would definitely work, but that's not bare aluminum but aluminum with a shiny layer over it to keep it clean. Very useful stuff, I built huge solar concentrators with it. 1000 suns on an area the size of a poststamp. You can do some pretty crazy stuff with that kind of energy densit…

You might need a micron of thickness of aluminum or silver. This piece looks like it's about 300 mm x 300 mm, which would work out to 90 mm³ of silver (or aluminum), which at 10.5 g/cc would work out to 950 mg of silver. Silver currently costs US$25.25 per troy ounce, so this would be 0.12¢ (US$0.0012) of silver, or somewhat less of aluminum. Both silver and aluminum will tarnish if exposed to the air, silver more sl…

I've silvered a lot of copper plates for photography (Daguerrotypes).

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#116

Post by jacquesm »

tomcam wrote: post #97
jacquesm wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never actually been scared of stuff I built before, that's a first (and that doesn't mean that I shouldn't have been scared with other projects, just that I wasn't either because I wasn't aware they were dangerous or simply too absorbed to stop and think about it).

Wait what did you build?

Very large battery pack for an e-bike. I'll do a write-up soon, still have to collect all the pictures and the text. It works incredibly well but it took way too long to make.

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#118

Post by michaelt »

numpad0 wrote: post #111
jacquesm wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're willing to spend a lot of money on silver then probably yes. After all the height differences are substantial and silver isn't cheap. 3D printers resolution sucks in comparison to the mirrors, I'm not sure what you mean by that.

There are single solution spray-on electroless plating "paint" for modelmaking. They can make any smooth and black surface into a mirror so I think it's just a matter of surface preparations.

Can they actually produce a mirror you could mistake for a glass mirror?

I assume if your mirror is "only" as good as as the shiny side of some aluminium foil, you can't project things with any detail.

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#119

Post by mellavora »

dylan604 wrote: post #110
sanj wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That piece was done by my (then) neighbor. It was a little unnerving to come home to a dozen black Suburban SUVs parked in front of my house.

What have you been up to that would lead to such an unnerving response? ;-)

That's not the unnerving part (answer would be "probably nothing"). The unnerving part is convincing the people in the black SUVs that you actually haven't been doing anything suspicious. While they tear your house apart. And take all of your stuff. And have you handcuffed on the floor.

Re: 3D printed mirror array

#120

Post by jacquesm »

nynx wrote: post #98
jacquesm wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it works. Test rides three days ago, first real trip yesterday, 65 km there and back on a single charge. Write-up one of these days, have to collect all the material.

Electric bike?

2KWh+ battery pack in a very weird shape.
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