Question for those familiar with 3d printing

[ntg]

This is a question for those that have dealt with 3d printing and can give a first hand opinion.

I wanted to have a sculpture done of a toy train for personal reasons (it's a roughly 25x8x6 in dimensions).

I asked some sculptors for quotes to do it in stone or marble and the quotes I've got back started from £2k.

So, I'm wondering if I could just hire someone to do the 2d->3d cad conversion so that I get the 3d file, and then use one of those websites where you upload your 3d model and they print it out for you.

My question is whether the 3d printout could be made to have the look of a stone or marble finish, whether that would be directly done through the 3d printing or through some other post-processing artistic way.

My whole point is to have a stone/marble-looking copy of the toy, not just a plastic one, because I could just use the toy itself anyway if that was the case.

Also, can 3d printers print a toy train (think thomas the tank engine) with accuracy and precision or will it be a problem due to the level of detail it has?

thanks for any responses.

 

[chameleon]

3d printers could print you a rolling version of your train. Admittedly it would have to be pushalong but it would be accurate in just about every detail. Valve gear might be a wee bit tricky though. Once it's made, to get an authentic stone look to it, you could get it painted to look like whatever stone effect you want. Might cost a few quid but nowhere near £2k.
Many small model railway manufacturers are now using 3d printing to turn out models and components for kits. What loco is it? I'm guessing it has sentimental value?

 

[squarehead94]

2 grand?! for ****** cardboard?

 

[Col_M]

I wanted to have a sculpture done of a toy train for personal reasons (it's a roughly 25x8x6 in dimensions).

But what are the units?
It will affect the price a lot and determine who will be able to do it.

 

[ntg]

3d printers could print you a rolling version of your train. Admittedly it would have to be pushalong but it would be accurate in just about every detail. Valve gear might be a wee bit tricky though. Once it's made, to get an authentic stone look to it, you could get it painted to look like whatever stone effect you want. Might cost a few quid but nowhere near £2k.
Many small model railway manufacturers are now using 3d printing to turn out models and components for kits. What loco is it? I'm guessing it has sentimental value?

I don't need it to move at all, it will be used as a memorial. It will be Thomas the Tank engine, just the loco, on a bit of track about 40cm (the track, the loco is much shorter I believe).

But what are the units?
It will affect the price a lot and determine who will be able to do it.

How do you mean units? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar. It's just the locomotive and a piece of track.

Essentially I wanted a replica of Thomas on a piece of track, but perhaps a bit bigger in scale and on marble or stone. Since that is way too expensive I'm trying to see if it could be done in 3d printing. My idea so far is:

a) Get a CAD person to do the 3d digital model
b) Upload it to one of those print-3d services
c) Get the 3d print out and get someone to paint it or maybe paint it myself, not sure how difficult it would be.

I am just unsure how feasible it is to print something that looks complex, as I'm unsure about the capabilities of 3d printers. But from your comments it looks like a real possibility.

 

[Col_M]

Units as in units of measurement, you just gave numbers which could be mm, cm, inches (I doubt we'd be talking meters or feet though )

 

[ntg]

Units as in units of measurement, you just gave numbers which could be mm, cm, inches (I doubt we'd be talking meters or feet though )

Ah, sorry, it's cm.

 

[D.P.]

That is a big piece , taking quite a few hundred minimum.

 

[ntg]

That is a big piece , taking quite a few hundred minimum.

You mean about the 3d Print?

 

[Lakeland]

You could buy a makerbot 3D printer for 2k..

Don't see why it can't be done on a 3D printer. If it's too big to do it one section split it up and then laminate it.

Are you wanting someone to do the job start to finish or are you going to get involved at some point?

All seems a bit vague to be honest, not really sure what you're aiming for? Is this a money making project or do you just want someone to make you a toy? Why does the train need to be really accurate?

 

[ZombieFan]

I've no idea on the cost, but just want to throw in another question. You mention that it is to be used as a memorial. Would this mean that it is going to be placed outside? If so, you may want to consider how long a 3D printed version would last in the weather.

 

[R5GTT]

IIRC we used to print models at a cost of about £1 per cubic centimetre.

The powder based machines give greater detail and can even print colour or images directly onto the model but what you end up with is quite brittle and it has to go through other processes to make it stronger like dipping in cyanoacrylate (super glue) or resin. The finished model feels like it's made from plaster and is quite heavy. It would break if dropped and wouldn't last long if it was outside.

Another type of machine uses ABS. As your model is quite large you should still get good detail from it. The ABS can be sanded and then painted as you wish. I doubt you'd get an authentic stone or marble look though tbh.

Overall 3D printing gets quite costly. To get the price down you would hollow out parts to save on the material that is printed but this can be time consuming. It would mean having to design the parts individually in a CAD package. The other option is to 3D scan the model but then it makes it harder to split the parts up and hollow them out or do other tweaks.

In the ideal world you could find a 3D model of a train on the internet and get that printed in ABS then finish it by hand. That would be cheapest. But if you need it making to spec or a copy of an actual model you have then your only option is to get someone to draw it from scratch which probably wouldn't come cheap?

 

[Lakeland]

Missed the second post which added detail (apologies.)

It is certainly possible to do this with a 3D printer, but I really don't think it's the best solution.

I would look at:

Buying in a model which only needs some modifications
Get it made of wood, ceder wood for example
Get it made out of metal by an enthusiast, or possibly try and find somewhere that sells them as a cast
See if you can find a company who will take a 3D CAD file and make you a fibreglass model which you could then paint
Have it made by CNC routing - two halves cut out then stuck together, cost would vary depending on the material you wanted it cut out of
Have it made by a Laser Cutter / Water cutter from 2D pieces of material that slot together
Have someone carve it out of a hardwood rather than your original stone idea

 

[D.P.]

Also take a look at shapeways:
http://www.shapeways.com/materials

Your model seems to be about 1200cm^3

The ABS plastic which is the strong hard plastic that can take some good knocks and bangs you are looking at $3 a cm3, so $3600 for the entire model - so 2400 GBP....

They do have a fake sandstone that is much cheaper, but that will still be setting you back $900 and will be extremely fragile.

 

[ntg]

thank you all for your most helpful replies.

I can see that it is much more complex (and given what I had in mind for a stone/marble look rather unfeasible).

It's really useful to know all that, but my biggest worry is that the item will have to be outside and suffer all the elements for years, therefore the 3d print is not a great candidate.

thanks again.

 

[Lakeland]

If you would like to discuss the feasibility of other ideas feel free to drop me an email via trust.

 

[D.P.]

thank you all for your most helpful replies.

I can see that it is much more complex (and given what I had in mind for a stone/marble look rather unfeasible).

It's really useful to know all that, but my biggest worry is that the item will have to be outside and suffer all the elements for years, therefore the 3d print is not a great candidate.

thanks again.

The 3D print in ABS plastic would be very robust to be outside. You would have to make it look like stone some otherway, but glueing sand on the outside might work. But yeah, you are looking at a couple of grand to get that printed so you might as well pay the stone masons.

 

[momentimori]

Essentially I wanted a replica of Thomas on a piece of track, but perhaps a bit bigger in scale and on marble or stone. Since that is way too expensive I'm trying to see if it could be done in 3d printing.

Aren't you violating the copyright on Thomas the Tank Engine by doing that?

You'd need to get permission from the copyright holders Mattel to do that; it would almost certainly require payment of a royalty.