I don't own a 3D Printer, I can use the one at the makerspace - but an interesting concept vs. milling your own tool post.? I have only printed one item at the makerspace...
Can you cast metal into what looks like MDF?? My husband and I did a casting for letters for a car project, and I used the rubber?? 2 part material for the mold, and then we sent it off to be plated.
No but 3-d printed parts work well as ¡®lost PLA¡¯ castings akin to lost wax casting.?
?You can also easily print parts as patterns for greensand casting.
I don't even know what metal the Sherline tool posts are made of, but it would be great if I could drill a 1/4" hole and tap it, instead of 3/8".? I recently purchased a small Even Heat Kiln on FB marketplace and I believe I can use it up to temperatures of 1650 degrees farenheit.? I just got it a couple of weeks ago, and haven't plugged it in, but would guess I can buy a crucible to melt metal.? I bought to be a general purpose small kiln so I could anneal metals and glass.
I wonder how much are the 3D printers that print metal?? The 3D printers for ceramics are $3k to $6k.
The only such 3D printers I've seen are industrial models and are in the $5 figure range, they print by using a laser to sinter a metal ¡¯sand¡¯ ?into the shape one layer at a time.
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Bruce Johnson
"Wherever you go, there you are." B. Banzai, PhD
