Lewdog
Gold Member
- Thread starter
- #61
Yeah... they have the filament that looks like wood now too. Do you recycle your misprint filament? How do you do it?
Mostly I just throw it in the bin. I have a box of stuff I've printed that didn't come out quite right. You can reprocess PLA into new filament but with the cost of filament as low as it is, it's not worth the effort. Plus, the different between cheap filament and better filament is the tolerance of the filament width. I can't equal factory tolerance by recycling at home.
Well I've heard of people that will melt it all together for something cheap... not necessarily to make it into new filament, but to make things like a poker ch1p (Just found out poker ch1p is a banned word here. lol) or something simple out of it.
Sounds VERY messy. If I want to cast something in plastic, I just use 2 part polyurethane and a silicone mold -- I've been making props that way for years. PLA is very difficult to get liquid enough to cast with. It would harden too quickly.
Have you seen the 3D printers that can do metal, and have been used to make replica engine blocks?
No printable filament would be suitable for making an engine block. Remember, it melts at around 200C, even the metal infused filament. Metal filaments are merely PLA plastic with metal powder infused. The metal gives it no additional structure, just the appearance of metal.
That is why I laugh whenever someone inevitably brings up the subject of 3d printed guns. I can't think of a WORSE way to make a gun than with a 3d printer. Unless you want to find a novel way to remove one of your hands.
It would be however, be ideal for making an engine block pattern, which is molded in green sand, and then cast in aluminum and machined.
Yeah a 3D printed gun is only good for one shot if that... and as you said that is if it doesn't blow up in your hand like holding an M80 fire cracker.
They are however making 3D printers that can make metal parts that can be used in engines, even jet engines.
Building The World's Largest 3D Laser Printer For Metal Parts - GE