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3D Printing a marker?

upzii

Platinum Member
Feb 27, 2011
456
62
38
Ooh, a gas turbine engineer! That must be an interesting job :)

Also, you're right, I've been told a fair few times that surface finish will be a large issue for me. As far a laminar airflow, the DM7 bolt in itself provides quite a rough flow. There is an eddie behind where the air enters.

Also, as far as bolt materials go, Aluminium is the most cost effective material that has a low friction coefficient. That being said though, I could always lathe a bolt out of PTFE. If I remember my chemistry correctly, that has a friction coefficient around the 0.1 mark? (PTFE printing. I need to look that up.) Or CNC it. How much would it cost to borrow a CNC machine for a day I wonder? Or perhaps my university has one I can use... hummm...

Pete, that software looks amazing. How much does it cost?
Its not :p

PTFE would be a good material but I would suggest looking towards the HPPE (high performance polyethylene) spectrum of materials as they are made for this sort of application.

When it comes to Eddy currents and things like that im not that knowledgeable, I believe Robbo looked into with his ego prime (think thats what it was called) project so may be worth giving him a pm and asking politely if he could discuss :)

As far as NX goes im not sure how much it costs as I dont pay the licence the company I work for happens to own it (Siemens if u had not already guessed)

Cheers Pete.

(Pm me if u want more information about any of the CNC stuff and Im sure I can help you out somewhere.)
 

emisnug

"I am Become Death, squeegier of Worlds"
Oct 10, 2011
795
222
78
Middle of bloody Nowhere
Eddy currents are what I basically did my Physics A-Level on. (Before I was playing paintball. At the time, it was for a rudimentary 3 stage rocket. All stopped when the Nation Association of Rocketry said it was too big) They are interesting!

As for Siemens, I have an alright relation with them :) (Worked for 5 years with the "Greenpower Engineering" team whilst at school. Lots of support from Siemens)

Anyhow. Update!!!

The bolt and its sister one (according to solidworks again, a more efficient airflow design) are being printed in London over the next month or so (24 days apparently!) But at a cost of £28 per bolt, its not bad. Shall upload a video probably around the end of September of the bolt. In the meantime, I'm looking into lathing a HPPE bolt, as suggested by Upzii.
 
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upzii

Platinum Member
Feb 27, 2011
456
62
38
Eddy currents are what I basically did my Physics A-Level on. (Before I was playing paintball. At the time, it was for a rudimentary 3 stage rocket. All stopped when the Nation Association of Rocketry said it was too big) They are interesting!

As for Siemens, I have an alright relation with them :) (Worked for 5 years with the "Greenpower Engineering" team whilst at school. Lots of support from Siemens)

Anyhow. Update!!!

The bolt and its sister one (according to solidworks again, a more efficient airflow design) are being printed in London over the next month or so (24 days apparently!) But at a cost of £28 per bolt, its not bad. Shall upload a video probably around the end of September of the bolt. In the meantime, I'm looking into lathing a HPPE bolt, as suggested by Upzii.
in reference to turning the bolt on the lathe i sugges using High speed steel tooling with large rake angles and a very small radius (stops melting)
 

powell106

Member
May 29, 2011
32
1
18
Birmingham
I would of thought parts would make more sense than the actual gun itself. Youd need excess parts for tubing and such anyways right!