3D printers
 

I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV resistant?

Bill

3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 14:09, Bill Wright wrote:
I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV resistant?

Bill
Not really.

Can't you make a simple mould for your fibre glass?

You could 3D print the mould...




--
Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have
guns, why should we let them have ideas?

Josef Stalin

3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 14:09, Bill Wright wrote:
I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV resistant?

Bill

Ignore TNP he doesn't have one, he just passes on useless info he read
somewhere that he can't remember if you ask him.

They can be if you use the right plastic.

ABS or Nylon would be the obvious choice.
Maybe wood filled PLA and give it a coat of paint/stain.

The tube adapter are probably best made from a flexible filament or PETG
as they don't beak when you bend them like PLA can.

It does depend on exactly how the part is designed as if its really thin
I would print a mould and cast it in glass filled resin for the actual part.

3D printers
 

On Wed, 8 May 2019 14:09:09 +0100, Bill Wright
wrote:

I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV resistant?

Of the two common printing plastics PLA is tough and waterproof but
most certainly not UV resistant, it is biodegradable. Polycarbonate
is tough and stable but is more idly to print with and requires a
higher printing temperature and a heated build plate for best results.
It is also very smelly when printing.

3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 14:20, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


Can't you make a simple mouldÂ* for your fibre glass?

I'm using a mould. It still takes ages.

Bill

3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 15:36, dennis@home wrote:
On 08/05/2019 14:09, Bill Wright wrote:
I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof,
and quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except
for one thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering
about 3D printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and
UV resistant?

Bill

Ignore TNP he doesn't have one, he just passes on useless info he read
somewhere that he can't remember if you ask him.

They can be if you use the right plastic.

ABS or Nylon would be the obvious choice.
Maybe wood filled PLA and give it a coat of paint/stain.

The tube adapter are probably best made from a flexible filament or PETG
as they don't beak when you bend them like PLA can.

It does depend on exactly how the part is designed as if its really thin
I would print a mould and cast it in glass filled resin for the actual
part.

Thank you. So all these different plastics are available as 'ink'?

Bill

3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 17:14, Peter Parry wrote:
On Wed, 8 May 2019 14:09:09 +0100, Bill Wright
wrote:

I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV resistant?

Of the two common printing plastics PLA is tough and waterproof but
most certainly not UV resistant, it is biodegradable. Polycarbonate
is tough and stable but is more idly to print with and requires a
higher printing temperature and a heated build plate for best results.
It is also very smelly when printing.

Thanks for that.

Bill

3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 20:31, Bill Wright wrote:
On 08/05/2019 15:36, dennis@home wrote:
On 08/05/2019 14:09, Bill Wright wrote:
I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof,
and quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except
for one thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering
about 3D printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and
UV resistant?

Bill

Ignore TNP he doesn't have one, he just passes on useless info he read
somewhere that he can't remember if you ask him.

They can be if you use the right plastic.

ABS or Nylon would be the obvious choice.
Maybe wood filled PLA and give it a coat of paint/stain.

The tube adapter are probably best made from a flexible filament or
PETG as they don't beak when you bend them like PLA can.

It does depend on exactly how the part is designed as if its really
thin I would print a mould and cast it in glass filled resin for the
actual part.

Thank you. So all these different plastics are available as 'ink'?

Bill

Thats just a small selection.

You can get rubber, carbon fibre filled, glass filled, various nylons,
polycarbonate and others.

Your printer may not be able to print them as some require higher
temperatures than the printer can manage,

You could go laser sintering too and print in metal but its expensive.

..

3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 20:33, Bill Wright wrote:
On 08/05/2019 17:14, Peter Parry wrote:
On Wed, 8 May 2019 14:09:09 +0100, Bill Wright
wrote:

I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV
resistant?

Of the two common printing plastics PLA is tough and waterproof but
most certainly not UV resistant, it is biodegradable.Â* Polycarbonate
is tough and stable but is more idly to print with and requires a
higher printing temperature and a heated build plate for best results.
It is also very smelly when printing.

Thanks for that.

Bill

You can paint PLA to protect it from UV, it will only last a few years
if you don't.

3D printers
 

In message , Bill Wright
writes
Thank you. So all these different plastics are available as 'ink'?


Different materials come in different formats. PLA comes as a filament
on a drum, others come as a liquid resin. Different types of printer
use different materials.

It may be worth spending a bit of time on You Tube looking at different
types of printers at work to get a better idea of what is involved.

Adrian
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To Reply :
replace "diy" with "news" and reverse the domain

If you are reading this from a web interface eg DIY Banter,
DIY Forum or Google Groups, please be aware this is NOT a forum, and
you are merely using a web portal to a USENET group. Many people block
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For a better method of access, please see:

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3D printers
 

On 08/05/2019 17:14, Peter Parry wrote:
On Wed, 8 May 2019 14:09:09 +0100, Bill Wright
wrote:

I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV resistant?

Of the two common printing plastics PLA is tough and waterproof but
most certainly not UV resistant, it is biodegradable. Polycarbonate
is tough and stable but is more idly to print with and requires a
higher printing temperature and a heated build plate for best results.
It is also very smelly when printing.

Polycarbonate is not naturally UV resistant. Polycarbonate glazing has a
UV resistant coating. A house I used to own had a conservatory where the
previous owner had put some polycarbonate hollow section roof sheets on
the wrong way up. Those sheets were like Swiss cheese, while the others
were still sound.

I would go for ABS or nylon for outdoor use.

--
--

Colin Bignell

3D printers
 

On 09/05/2019 09:32, Nightjar wrote:
On 08/05/2019 17:14, Peter Parry wrote:
On Wed, 8 May 2019 14:09:09 +0100, Bill Wright
wrote:

I've been making some components using glass fibre, finished with car
body filler. They are caps, covers, and adaptors for various sizes of
tube. They will be installed outside so must be durable, waterproof, and
quite tough. The ones I've made are entirely satisfactory except for one
thing: it takes too long to make them. So, I was wondering about 3D
printing. Are the products from these tough, waterproof, and UV
resistant?

Of the two common printing plastics PLA is tough and waterproof but
most certainly not UV resistant, it is biodegradable.Â* Polycarbonate
is tough and stable but is more idly to print with and requires a
higher printing temperature and a heated build plate for best results.
It is also very smelly when printing.

Polycarbonate is not naturally UV resistant. Polycarbonate glazing has a
UV resistant coating. A house I used to own had a conservatory where the
previous owner had put some polycarbonate hollow section roof sheets on
the wrong way up. Those sheets were like Swiss cheese, while the others
were still sound.

I would go for ABS or nylon for outdoor use.


ABS can be quite tricky to print with if its a big part and no heated
chamber.

If being a bit brittle doesn't matter then I would just spray PLA with
an etching primer.

You can anneal PLA in an oven and make it tougher and more heat
resistant according to other, I have never tried it as I tend to print
non-structural models.
Apparently it shrinks a lot when you do it so some trials would be
needed to get the dimensions correct.

3D printers
 

On 09/05/2019 15:53, dennis@home wrote:
On 09/05/2019 09:32, Nightjar wrote:
....
I would go for ABS or nylon for outdoor use.


ABS can be quite tricky to print with if its a big part and no heated
chamber...

I don't think either material is suitable for the simpler hobby printers.



--
--

Colin Bignell

3D printers
 

On 10/05/2019 09:00, Nightjar wrote:
On 09/05/2019 15:53, dennis@home wrote:
On 09/05/2019 09:32, Nightjar wrote:
...
I would go for ABS or nylon for outdoor use.


ABS can be quite tricky to print with if its a big part and no heated
chamber...

I don't think either material is suitable for the simpler hobby printers.




I used to print everything in ABS but I blew the main board on the
printer I made a cabinet for and haven't got around to fixing even
though I bought a main board, drives and LCD for £6 in an amazon sale.

Decided the bed was too small and bought and ender 3.
Not used the ABS on it yet.