Best 3D Printers for jewelry making

[squadus]

I am planning on getting another 3D printer. I wanted your guys opinion on the most suitable 3D Printer to make specifically jewelry and highly detailed objects. The material should be reliable and hopefully aesthetically appealing.

The printer does not have to be a metal 3D printer. It just has to be able to create great prototypes. The size of the build platform is not as important as the quality and materials. I am thinking about getting the new Replicator, Cube Pro or a Form 1, but this is a huge decision because of the cost. I am looking at the price ranges between $2000-$4000. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[awerby]

Jewelers usually have pretty stringent requirements for surface quality, and none of the FDM-style printers are anywhere close to meeting them. If you don't mind striations across the surface of your pieces, which I suppose have some artistic interest as "marks of process" then maybe they'd work for you. The Form1 is a SLA printer, and it builds in finer layers, but they are still pretty evident. I'd suggest sending some files out for printing on any machine you're interested in before buying one, so you get a realistic idea of what to expect.

Are you planning to burn out the resin and cast metal parts, or are you making plastic jewelry? If you want to burn them out, it's critical to use a material that doesn't produce ash residues in your mold, which will show up as holes in your castings. None of these printers uses a material that burns out cleanly in a normal investment, so that's another thing to consider. Have you looked at the B9 creator? It's a little out of your price range, at about $5k for an assembled unit, but you can save money by building it yourself from the parts supplied. It uses resin that burns out cleanly, and can give good detail with little striation.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[squadus]

I'd suggest sending some files out for printing on any machine you're interested in before buying one, so you get a realistic idea of what to expect.

Going to start doing this right now. 3D Hubs is great for this

I am not sure what striation is but I am going to become familiar with it. Definitely checking out the B9 and the ProJet. For the immediate future, it looks like I will have to create jewelry using 3D made molds.

I guess there aren't any consumer priced metal 3D printers yet or on the horizon?

[3dkarma]

Check out this article on the mini metal maker at 3ders.org. It's an FDM printer that extrudes a metal paste - metal powder with an organic binding - that you then fire in a kiln, ending up with a metal piece. They're aiming this printer at the jewelry-maker market. Print resolution is about the same as a run-of-the-mill FDM printer at 450 microns but they're trying to get it down to 200 microns.

From the looks of things, they've taken the idea of a clay extruder, which has been around for a while, and married it with readily available metal clays like this silver clay from ebay.

It would theoretically be possible to build your own by building a standard reprap, building and installing this paste extruder from thingiverse and loading it with metal clay (although I understand the consistency of the clay needs tweaking).

[3dkarma]

A little bit more googling shows you can actually buy metal clay in a pre-loaded syringe with a 0.4mm tip. I'm sorely tempted to build the paste extruder, buy one of these syringes and see what I can come up with. http://www.metalclay.co.uk/categorie...-Clay/Syringe/

[CharleiOmen]

PMC shrinks somewhat unpredictably when fired. Even more unpredictable when diluted to work in this device.

[tripster]

Hi squadus, I just came across this thread. I am searching for good 3D printing service providers for my jewelry project too. Can I ask how did your foray into 3dhubs turn out? I am based in Malaysia and so far I did not find anyone there who was able to help me at the right price. I am now turning to sourcemake.com - do you have experience printing through them? It seems like they have a variety of non-FDM printers and materials (aluminium etc) to print in and so far the prices I got are alot more cheaper than 3dhubs or makexyz.. Hope to get some insights here, thanks!

[bford903]

If you want to burn them out, it's critical to use a material that doesn't produce ash residues in your mold, which will show up as holes in your castings.

Check it out. Early castings from the Visijet FTX Green material from the Projet 1200 3D Printer before we figured out the proper procedure. This is what you don't want.

IMAG0235.jpg

IMAG0269.jpg

IMAG0262.jpg

The last picture is a 15mm sphere put into the oven by itself, no flask, no investment. No reaction until 800 degrees and then boom. The lower part is the sphere and the bubble on top is the heated resin from the inside. This is what happens during the casting process. The resin expands as it heats, cracks the investment, and leaves behind this coal-like crud inside which ruin your castings.

[Amokk]

Check it out. Early castings from the Visijet FTX Green material from the Projet 1200 3D Printer before we figured out the proper procedure. This is what you don't want.

The last picture is a 15mm sphere put into the oven by itself, no flask, no investment. No reaction until 800 degrees and then boom. The lower part is the sphere and the bubble on top is the heated resin from the inside. This is what happens during the casting process. The resin expands as it heats, cracks the investment, and leaves behind this coal-like crud inside which ruin your castings.

Hello bford903,

I'm curious if you tried the new FTX casting wax/resin material from 3D Systems.

Cheers

[bford903]

Hello bford903,

I'm curious if you tried the new FTX casting wax/resin material from 3D Systems.

Cheers

It's en route but I haven't received it yet. Very anxious to try it out. I've heard good things.