Posted: 4/29/2016 6:15:51 PM EDT
|
I know nothing about 3d printing. What I do know is I just bought a sig 551 and mags are discontinued for it so they bring a price tag of ~$65 a piece.
So how hard would it be for someone with a 3d printer/ 3d scanner to replicate the magazine housing, base plate, and follower? Assuming you could find/make a spring that would work with it. It seems like once you had the design it would cost cents to print the pieces. Also not sure where copyright laws would come into play here, but if its just for personal use it wouldn't really matter. So am I crazy and should just pony up $650 to buy 10 mags? 
|
|
It's super easy to duplicate just about any shape. HOWEVER, the strength of 3d printed plastics is much, much lower than those used in molded plastics like your magazine, there.
The thin layers are also subject to separation ("delamination") under shear stresses, especially where any particular wall area or postive-space feature is within a few multiples of the extrusion size. It is possible to firm printed objects up after printing by treating them with a liquid epoxy or similar coating, sealing holes and providing a tougher final product, but it'll never have the unified structure and intrinsic toughness of a similar injection-molded part, even if you were able to print in a nearly-identical material. Further, molded objects have fillers/stiffeners added to them, like glass fibers, which strengthen the material more; and those fillers won't be present, and can't really be introduced to a material squeezed through a sub-millimeter nozzle. To create truly durable objects on a 3d printer, it currently seems most feasible to use the 3d printer to create a physical object you can use to create a mold, and then use more durable materials to create your end pieces using that mold. |
|
What the first two guys said.
I am currently trying to print a magazine insert for a bolt gun. Tons of measurements, plastic shrink during printing causing size issues, the printed layering causing rough surface for parts to slide on, endless sanding and smoothing of your parts, feed lips breaking... Its a fun idea to try, but just buy what you need. You won't be happy with a printed one. O one more thing, in my experience, that mag in the picture would take about 40 hours to print on sub $3000 printer. |
|
Quoted: It's super easy to duplicate just about any shape. HOWEVER, the strength of 3d printed plastics is much, much lower than those used in molded plastics like your magazine, there.
The thin layers are also subject to separation ("delamination") under shear stresses, especially where any particular wall area or postive-space feature is within a few multiples of the extrusion size. It is possible to firm printed objects up after printing by treating them with a liquid epoxy or similar coating, sealing holes and providing a tougher final product, but it'll never have the unified structure and intrinsic toughness of a similar injection-molded part, even if you were able to print in a nearly-identical material. Further, molded objects have fillers/stiffeners added to them, like glass fibers, which strengthen the material more; and those fillers won't be present, and can't really be introduced to a material squeezed through a sub-millimeter nozzle. To create truly durable objects on a 3d printer, it currently seems most feasible to use the 3d printer to create a physical object you can use to create a mold, and then use more durable materials to create your end pieces using that mold. Home casting of firearm parts (including AR lowers): http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_4/676733_Fruity_Ghost___DIY_100s_of_ARs_cheaper__faster__gentler_.html |
|
Quoted:
It's super easy to duplicate just about any shape. HOWEVER, the strength of 3d printed plastics is much, much lower than those used in molded plastics like your magazine, there. The thin layers are also subject to separation ("delamination") under shear stresses, especially where any particular wall area or postive-space feature is within a few multiples of the extrusion size. It is possible to firm printed objects up after printing by treating them with a liquid epoxy or similar coating, sealing holes and providing a tougher final product, but it'll never have the unified structure and intrinsic toughness of a similar injection-molded part, even if you were able to print in a nearly-identical material. Further, molded objects have fillers/stiffeners added to them, like glass fibers, which strengthen the material more; and those fillers won't be present, and can't really be introduced to a material squeezed through a sub-millimeter nozzle. To create truly durable objects on a 3d printer, it currently seems most feasible to use the 3d printer to create a physical object you can use to create a mold, and then use more durable materials to create your end pieces using that mold. This has changed pretty significantly in the past year. There's lots of "filled" filaments available. OP, it will still be easier to buy. 3D printing for gun enthusiasts has great potential, but if you're looking to print functional parts like magazines, you are better off exploring ways to print the molds and then finding a suitable molding material and procedure. |