Best Material For A Bird Fountain?

[davidhunternyc]

@oneeyepete Thank you for your input. I've been calling around and even though this project is doable with 3D printing it looks like it will cost me $2,000 or more! Whooaa... a bit too rich for my blood. So maybe a CNC machine would work better? Would it be just as expensive? I live in a small NYC apartment so I don't have the space for any equipment. I would have to outsource the project. There just has to be a way to find someone to make this within a budget I can afford.

[oneeyepete]

in many countries people have a lot of free time, a lot of creativity, passion etc.. but not a lot of money. this is where the DIY lathe comes in. or alternatively, the DIY pottery wheel. people have built these things from old car parts for many years. I don't think you can do it in your apartment. what you want can be 3d printed for less than $200 from ASA filament. you just need to find someone with a 3d printer that can print ASA in the size that you want. it could take a week to print on high detail. the professional shops charge a lot for that time. some hobby user or makerspace will give it to you for the $50 monthly membership fee + a spool of $40 ASA. fusion 360 is free for student or non-commercial use.

sls nylon will be expensive in that size. you can also look at forming thermoplastics. that is like stamping. a bit different than injection molding. there are techniques that involve spinning a disc while pressing on it to form it. I have only seen it done in metal but I don't see any reason why not to try it with thermoplastics. bowls can be pressed from discs with hot dies. I don't see why you can't do that with a bird bath. the design will be something that works for the technique used. a 3d model (the design) will be different for 3d printing vs injection molding vs stamping. you need to understand what 3d printing can not do. $2000 sls in that size for example. 3d printed parts with overhangs can be a problem. cleaning 3d printed parts can be a problem. moulded PVC is super easy to clean if it has a good surface finish. it is used in vinyl siding. some formulations are good for 100 years outdoors.

the question is why build a bird bath. why not buy it. what are you willing to pay for that bird bath. will you make money back selling your design or your product. if you already own a 3d printer AND you can do 3d design, this is a free bird bath. for everyone else, it is not. that is why for everyone else it is a tool for work. a path to a business that saves time vs traditional methods. that does not guarantee a good product. it only reduces cost for people who make products.

[curious aardvark]

$2000 for a one off smallish print from a printing service ?

You've got something screwed up there for sure.

Have you done a design at all ?

As fas a cnc and injection moulding goes - yes that would cost a LOT more.

[davidhunternyc]

$2000 for a one off smallish print from a printing service ?

You've got something screwed up there for sure.

Have you done a design at all ?

As fas a cnc and injection moulding goes - yes that would cost a LOT more.

An 18 inch X 11 inch bird fountain doesn't seem like a smallish print. Everyone I've talked to said it's huge, hence the price. I would think that with Covid printing services would welcome this project but they are still very busy with other projects. Good for them. I've pretty much given up this idea. It sucks. No, I have not done a CAD drawing yet. First I need to find out what's feasible and what the material is first. I'm kind of giving up on the idea. This sucks but it's a first world problem.

[curious aardvark]

Nope - first you NEED the design.
How can you find out what is feasible if nobody knows what it is you actually want to print ?
You are approaching this in entirely the wrong way.

And for less than 2000 dollars you can buy a printer with a larger print volume than 18x11. Actully for less than half that.
https://www.tevo.cn/products/3d-prin...ittle-monster/
Less than $750 in fact.

So there's that - but until you have a design you can do nothing.
You can't estimate how much material you need. Until you can run a design through a slicer - there is simply no way you can either work out what you need or get a sensible quote.

As far as material goes.
Pet-g is impervious to uv light, water and most solvents and petrochemicals.
And while tricky it's easier to use than asa. - which is essentially slighly modified abs.

This is not a complicated or difficult project - as long as you do things the right way round :-)

[SKP Global]

Simpler styles, such as concrete birdbaths or basic plastic basins, maybe the best choice for ease of cleaning and overall durability. Some materials, such as glazed basins or copper birdbaths, may stay naturally cleaner.