Printing Boolits?

[Poppaclutch]

Think of the possibilities..... (or fax me a Bazooka)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22323-diy-gun-project-misfires-as-3d-printer-is-seized.html

[mpmarty]

Ignorant British article they don't understand firearms or US firearms laws at all. Makes me wonder why it took General Washington so long to whip their asses.

[Blammer]

funny part is when it said "it would probably blow up after firing more than a few rounds" a FEW HA! it wouldn't make it past ONE blank!

[Wolfer]

I once built a 12 ga shotgun out of scrap laying around the construction site just to show the boys I could.
Had the prototype ready to fire in 45 min. I didn't even have a scribble on a sheet of note book paper to work off of. Had a lot of fun with the old gun but haven't killed a turkey with it yet.

[MBTcustom]

I built my first gun when I was 14 years old. It was a cap and ball muzzle loader, made from 2X4, bailing wire, a gocart axle and some scrap iron. The only tools I used were a file, hacksaw, hand drill, and a drill and tap.
Matter of fact, here she is:
57786
I fired many many shots through it. I still remember the charge: 15 grains of 3fg and a 158gr Kieth boolit. It was surprisingly accurate for being a smoothbore.
Writ-ups like this just show how backward some folks are in their thinking. Users just dont understand that makers are free to make what ever they want with the materials that surround them, and they do so just for the heck of it.
You want a fight? Tell a maker that he cannot make. He will find the most ingenious ways to thumb his nose at those who try to control his imagination LOL!

[MtGun44]

We use the 3D printers to make prototypes for various parts and I print some in color with
the stress contours on them to show my customers what the stresses will be in the real
part in service.

I laugh when they talk about printing a gun, the materials are WAY too weak for almost
ANY use other than general conversation pieces and checking fit and assembly methods.

Bill

[jdgabbard]

The article is new, the case is old if I'm not mistaken. I read about that back in 2011 when the first 3d printed AR-15 receiver showed up on the net. Looked fairly cheaply made. But was reported to have worked just fine. It's the upper that takes all the damage on the AR platform.

[Wal']

Tell a maker that he cannot make. He will find the most ingenious ways to thumb his nose at those who try to control his imagination LOL!


Commonly known as the human spirit.

[dakotashooter2]

Where can I buy one of these "Replicators"?............................Somebody has been watching WAAAAY too many Sci Fi movies.

[375RUGER]

Where can I buy one of these "Replicators"?............................Somebody has been watching WAAAAY too many Sci Fi movies.

I can't find my literature right now but some guy keeps dropping in trying to sell me one. One that does a 4x4x4 part is about $12-15,000, I think a 6x6x6 is in the $18-20K range. They lease them too.

[theperfessor]

I'm thinking that using the 3D model as the working part isn't the way to go. It would be better to use it as a pattern to make an investment casting mold. I'm looking at a magnesium die cast black rifle receiver on my desk right now. It could probably been made just as easily in an investment mold. And anybody with casting knowledge (don't know who that would be around here...) and minimal machine tools could make a one that was fully functional.

Look for more censorship as our government gets increasingly collectivist/socialist, they will want to license 3D printers, monitor data flow, etc.

[Wayne Smith]

He talks about "printing" ammo, too. Like he will print primers and powder! Well, maybe powder? It is a plastic, after all.

[williamwaco]

Where can I buy one of these "Replicators"?............................Somebody has been watching WAAAAY too many Sci Fi movies.

Actually you can buy one from several companys. You can even build one from a kit.

Google 3d printer kits and see what you find.


.

[I'll Make Mine]

Actually you can buy one from several companys. You can even build one from a kit.

Google 3d printer kits and see what you find.


.

Well, yes and no. I don't think "Tea, Earl Grey, hot" is a valid order for any of them yet...

[trk]

We have a 3d printer at work. Does well for the prototypes - but the process is to make the part, let it cure a bit, AND SMOOTH the finish to accurate dimensions.

There are limitations. Cost and time are two of them here too.

[Sasquatch-1]

Just to play the devil's advocate, I can see why the company would take the equipment back in this day and age. If by some chance a working prototype was made and was used to fire one shot that killed or injured someone, I could see the survivors trying to sue the company, that manufactured the printer, for everything they have. Kind of the same thing the left has been trying to do to gun manufacturers in the past. I am not saying it is right, wrong or anything else, just that I see their logic, warped or not.

[Doc_Stihl]

They're working on sintered metal printing with 3d printers. VERY strong stuff.

[I'll Make Mine]

They're working on sintered metal printing with 3d printers. VERY strong stuff.

There are already commercial machines that do this; the US military has (I've read) deployed a few for use in making battlefield spares -- simpler to inventory barrels of metal powder than thousands of parts. At this point, these machines aren't cheap (high power lasers are fairly expensive and the rest of the machine doesn't help bring the price down), but they do exist. There are also machines that print metal by spray deposition -- similar to a welding based process mated to ink jet printer logic. Again, not cheap, but they're coming along...

Edit to add: beyond this, there's no reason the finishing process used in Metal Injection Molding couldn't be applied to a part printed with metal-impregnated plastic in a printer not much different from a Rep Rap. Print with filament, bake, and you wind up with a metal part, starting from a machine that itself can be printed...

[sthwestvictoria]

how would resin printed bullets be any different from Glulits?

[MBTcustom]

how would resin printed bullets be any different from Glulits?

Because some folks think that a "bullet" is a shell casing, primer, powder, and projectile. They also think that an object shaped like that will act like it.
Being ignorant sure seems like a scary lifestyle! Imagine, nothing but superstitions and visual profiling to protect you from the world.

[felix]

One of these days there will be no more shoe stores, except those having these specialized readers and printers for making shoes that are perfect fitting straight out of the elves warehouse. Nothing more I hate is trying to find a pair of shoes that fit right now and will fit perfectly a year from now. Found such shoes only twice throughout my entire life. ... felix

[Norbrat]

This is a front sight I printed for my GP100.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8490/8249798456_56e8b91f28_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11260137@N07/8249798456/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8208/8248730065_53a81a970e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11260137@N07/8248730065/)

I need a taller one to go with the Bowen rear sight. This one I can file to size and copy it in steel once I'm happy with the height.

[MtGun44]

Great idea. Hope it survives the first shot. Ours are really brittle.

Bill

[Norbrat]

I printed it at the library where they have a couple of small printers to demo for students, etc.

I can't remember what the plastic material was, maybe PLA? The demonstrator dude mentioned it is a "biodegradable" plastic, probably made from corn starch. It isn't too brittle, feels a bit like HDPE.

And interestingly, the sight isn't solid, but "honeycombed" about 20%, for speed of printing (still took about 20 minutes) and not to waste too much material. It was free, after all, so I'm not complaining.

It has worked fine with 20 or so 38 Sp loads I've shot. I haven't started to file it yet, as I can only get to the range once a fortnight if I'm lucky.

BTW, this is a jpg of the 3D model.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8383007188_bf883b0e7f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11260137@N07/8383007188/)

If anyone is interested, PM me and I'll be happy to send it to you as an stp or igs file.

[mpmarty]

That's OK we don't need 3D printers. Old dinette sets with tubular metal legs make neat firearms. Cut and fit as needed.