3D-printed AR-15 lower

[pmarc]

Speaking of rapid prototyping, is this 3D printing stuff how the folks on Orange County Choppers (or whatever it's called now) make these custom body parts? Usually they are one-offs, it couldn't be practical to do it any other way that I can think of.

I remember seeing they using a lot of CNC stuff. Even a 3D laser cutter, for those complicated fenders.

I recall seeing a 6 axis milling machine. Awesome stuff.

[Safetyhit]

I had no idea such a thing existed, absolutely incredible. So much for scouring the news each day for many years and thinking you are up on technology.

This young fellow really made me feel clueless: http://www.popsci.com/technology/art...-aircraft-wing

[Mongo]

well you can, print a part, then you can use it to make a mold using somethign like silicone RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) rubber. This done properly (vented/parting line) then allows you to pour whatever substance you want to make it out of.

Typically for steel or aluminum parts you want prototyped they print them in wax and then using the lost wax method of casting generate the part. A company I did design work for hand many samples made up like this to test them. Much cheaper than running a CNC to make them and faster.

[westford86]

I do a lot of work with a company that has a 3D printer. It's one of the best on the market, and cost north of 250k. It's the only one that I would trust to build anything for serious prototyping on a firearm.

Even in 3D, resolution matters. When people talk about "affordable" 3D printers, there talking about crap machines. There fun, and novel, but not useful for serious development. Even the less expensive ones like Z corp makes aren't going to be able to produce tolerance exact enough for small parts or anything with finer threads.

Also, these things aren't cheap to run. The quote on the first page from wikipeda is very misleading... You can not produce one item for the same price as mass produced products. I've though about making stuff all the time on the Object Connex 350 I have access to, but to print something like a pmag would run you about $350-$500 in material. That being said you could print something on a makerbot for cheap, but it would be crap and unusable.

Don't get me wrong, I think 3D printing is amazing, and if major firearm manufactures are not already using it then this industry is just pathetic; oh wait we still think a Colt 9620 is relevant... However, it is not yet useful to the guy who just tinkers in his basement, unless that person is filthy rich. Also the materials these thing print are not nearly strong enough, even for a lower, which relative to the rest of the gun doesn't deal with much stress. I use prototypes made on a 3D printer almost every day, and they break all the time, even when printed from ABS plastic, which is the strongest material any of these things are currently using.

Sorry for brain dump, just thinking out loud. I can't wait for 3D printing to evolve to the point were we can make or own stuf at home, and for it to be useable, I just think that's still another 10-20 years out. For now it great for big companies to develop proof of concept prototypes...

Here's a video of the objet. Sorry for the link, I don't know how to embed video on this forum yet... http://youtu.be/ykfAvbbYLbY

[Monkey Edge]

We have had an Objet machine in house and have done prototypes for some of the more well known names in the business. As stated before, the current state of the 3D printing game is that you must make a choice between material strength or resolution. The machines that can print stronger parts have horrible resolution and nowhere near what you need for a part. They are more suited to making specialty jigs and fixtures for manufacturing applications. The Objet and some of the other makers are going for higher resolution. Our machine printed in .001 in layers and has a resolution of + or - of .005 in from modeled part. We have printed prototype grips that were primered and painted and then mounted to the gun and shot for demos.

The 3D printing of prototypes is really applicable when the end product is going to be injection molded. There are things that can be injection molded that just cannot be done except on the most expensive of CNC machines. Therefore, milling a prototype is just not possible and a 3D print is much more viable. With a 3D print, you can make sure the the design fits and feels just like you want before you start the expensive process of cutting steel on an injection molding tool.

Just like any technology it is evolving and will change the nature of manufacturing in time. However, most polymers used in firearms parts are reenforced with another material. Until it gets to that point with 3D printing, it will have to remain a prototyping technology.

[TY44934]

No, no he didn't.

Stick is 100% correct.

There is NO indication that simply printing or machining your own AR-15 at home violates any laws at all.

Frankly, it is frightening how many people on this site are ignorant of the legality of home-building of assault rifles, pistols, etc.

A good comparison would be members of a "beer appreciation forum" who ignorantly believe that home-brewing of beer is illegal.

The fact is: most adult citizens who can lawfully own a typical gun can also "make" such a gun at home IF it is for their own personal use.

In the U.S.A., we do NOT register guns (although some states do have such infringing laws on their books). Unless state law requires it, a home built gun does NOT require any serial number on it at all - although it is recommended and I personally think it would be very foolish not to put some sort of made-up, fictitious number on such a gun.

Like the beer analogy above, the gun must be made WITH THE INTENT to use it yourself, so you could not (for example) start selling your home-made beer or a home made gun out of the trunk of your car for profit.

Also, you have to do the work YOURSELF. I can't ask the local brewery to take my beer kit, make beer for me & then I simply claim "look what I made!" (I did not make anything in such a case) - same goes for guns. A gunsmith CANNOT make the gun for you!! A special FFL holder who is licensed to "manufacture" guns could take on such a project - though in that case a serial number IS required, along with NICS check, taxes, etc. as you are simply purchasing a firearm that was lawfully manufactured.

At any rate, please understand that: under certain circumstances, a person can make guns at home in the U.S. (for now).

[Evil Bert]

You can bet your bottom dollar that once the technology becomes common place enough and affordable enough, that politicians will introduce legislation to regulate or register the technology in the name of safety.

We don't want crazy people who cannot go buy a gun to use their family's or friend's 3D printer to make a plastic gun and go on a killing spree, or sneak it past metal detectors at some sports venue, etc.

Politicians will use anything to justify their existence or to cater to some special interest group at the sake of the majority of people.

Just watch. As the technology improves with such things as (powdered metal, etc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb9iqhPP9I0) you will start to see legislation.

[FrankW]

Can it print suppressors!?

[decodeddiesel]

We get prototype parts from a 3rd party printer. Dimensions are spot on, and generally the material is strong enough for functional testing.

How are you dimensioning? Using GD&T to ISO or ASME standards? If not then no offense, but you have no idea if the dimensions are "spot on". No, calipers are not accurate or precise enough to properly dimension such a part.

They also make DMLS machines that print in Ti, inconel, casting grade aluminum and some other exotic alloys.

You're right they do, however most of the materials they are printing in are not suitable for the application. Furthermore these machines are prohibitively expensive, and the parts they produce would be far FAR more expensive than someone cutting 7075 on a CNC hobby mill.

[warriorsociologist]

And then there's this:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_te...n_printer.html