Vice Metal Casting from 3D Printed Patterns

[MetalDesigner]

You make a great point about the ability to recycle materials ... as-well-as melting aluminum scrap to cast metal parts one could also make an ABS plastic grinder and throw in old 3D-Prints that didn't come out correctly... or ones not needed anymore.

Then use the chewed up ABS to extrude new 3D-Printer filament to make more 3D-Printed patterns and ABS parts.

I draw my patterns in SolidWorks and then 'Centroid' Scale-Up the patterns to account for cooling shrink of whatever metal going to cast them out of which works very well to create accurate dimension final castings.

However, on the more recent 3D-Printed patterns that will cast in the future that I know will use a lot over the years ~ I will then add a 2nd Centroid Scale-Up percentage in SolidWorks to make them even larger so after being cast in aluminum and polished off 'glass-like' smooth then those metal castings become my Sand Mold Patterns because accounted for the shrink to make a metal item that is now a pattern to cast future metal items.

Got the idea from SuperDave
https://www.youtube.com/user/SUPERDAVE257/videos

So basically with little effort have several patterns made out of Aluminum to use over and over to cast more metal parts.

Gotta love the abilities CAD & SolidWorks gives you!! Being an old welder that never got to use CAD until after I was done doing welding professionally ... it sure is nice!!

http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/d...ed-mount-41519

CHEERS!!!