No question. And someone that wanted to print one out for a close-range murder certainly wouldn't bother with rifling. But then someone with an $800,000 printer probably has even more effective means at his disposal anyway.
-
We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
-
If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
-
Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.
A fully 3D Printed Metal 1911 Pistol
- Thread starter zack991
- Start date
JustaShooter
Regular Member
Right, that explains everything.
Perhaps what I should have said is that it would take a lot to explain, more than I'm willing to devote in a forum like this, especially not knowing what level of technical competence the audience possesses.
Rusty Young Man
Regular Member
That rahht thaer is the crux'a the matter. So while antis let loose with their screams about "think of the children" and "it's too easy to make a gun", not just anyone has access to such complex and costly machinery right now, or likely in the next 10 years (the plastic printers, maybe).
Just for funnsies, take a look at what a chunk of metal, some epoxy, a drill, and common (easily-obtained) chisel and metal file, along with some elbow grease and good 'ol dedication can get you, in 9x18 Makarov:
http://www.guns.com/2013/05/13/homemade-glock-9-photos/
09jisaac
Regular Member
Right, that explains everything.
Perhaps what I should have said is that it would take a lot to explain, more than I'm willing to devote in a forum like this, especially not knowing what level of technical competence the audience possesses.
I apologize, I thought everyone knew how normal printers work.
The printer receives the file from the computer. The file contains information stating were each pixel goes (x,y) and the printer puts that pixel there.
A 3D printer in the most simplest terms does the exact same thing with (x,y,z). I erroneously put y coordinate, it is a z.
A fine powdered layer of material (basically the paper) is laid down and a laser "prints" (turning the paper into the ink) the shape. What is printed hardens, the rest remains a powder.
A new layer is added on top (the z) and the process repeats itself.
I think the part can be made in either direction, it would be the same process.
I guess it is just this, just with metal.
Last edited:
Freedom1Man
Regular Member
No, a 2d printer uses an X and Y system the 3D adds the Z. X is width, Y is depth, and Z is height.
What is interesting to me at least is that they used inconel for parts like the spring and hammer. Then the printer uses a sintered 17-4. I would want to know what the sintering material was, what the melt metal is what I am curious about. I have heard of using sintered Aluminum for making AR15 lowers and uppers. Sintering Al for that purpose requires a sintering oven and seems to require magnesium and the correct moisture level to sinter properly. From what I could find on it was that they were stronger than the cast parts and on par with the billet parts.
The fact that this is being done with 17-4 SS is amazing to me at least. For being laser sintered it really does not look bad at all. Would a machined one look better and be smoother at this time? Yes, sure. Why? Because it's being around longer and we know how to handle cutting metal in such ways to make it smoother and prettier. The fact that this was used to make a 1911 means that the world of manufacturing had just taken almost a quantum leap forward. It's going to be something that machine shops are going to have to start adding to their tool boxes or suffer.
FreeInAZ
Regular Member
lol... +1
Freedom1Man
Regular Member
We can do that with a 3D plastic printer with out problems... Why would it not work with the metals parts? Great point.
JustaShooter
Regular Member
I imagine the problem is one of tolerances. Once they get a close as what you have in a firearm like the 1911 I don't think you can pull it off. That and they made the gun out of 3 different materials as I recall. - kind of hard to do that as a single unit.
eye95
Well-known member
Shouldn't that read, "Springs make the world go back and forth?"
It's all harmonic motion. Observe something moving in a circle from the plane of its revolution and it will appear to be moving back and forth as if it were being moved by a spring. Even something moving along a single axis could actually be moving in a circle through a dimension we are not perceiving.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.
<o>
stealthyeliminator
Regular Member
Last edited:
Rusty Young Man
Regular Member
You know, I never took you for a theoretical physicist (sounds much nicer than "mathematics philosopher", doesn't it?
) when you said you taught math.
eye95
Well-known member
You know, I never took you for a theoretical physicist (sounds much nicer than "mathematics philosopher", doesn't it?
I also taught physics. Usually, it was the same kids from my Calculus I and II classes (and even a Calculus III independent study student) who were also in my physics classes. So we got real mathematical and theoretical in physics class.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.
<o>
Rusty Young Man
Regular Member
I imagine the slide, barrel, accompanying hardware could be achieved, sans springs.
Would you consider that worthy of half-impressed?
@JustaShooter: what if (uh-oh. Sounds like we're going into the "What-If Zone" again
) the issue could be addressed by having everything printed with drastically looser tolerances, a la (rattle-y) AK? (AK-1911s?)
Last edited:
Rusty Young Man
Regular Member
So did you teach high school students, college students, or both? After taking Calc III, I still get a bit physically sick when dealing with "flux" and seeing certain vector diagrams. Not a fun class by a long shot.
Last edited:
eye95
Well-known member
As for the springs not being printed, a simple trip to lowes or Home Depot and I will have one that will work for it. That or I will just make my own. Make it so no government regulation could ever be enforced, that is what scares the republicans and democrats with systems like these.
Last edited:
davidmcbeth
Banned
Some folks are selling that 3-D printed first model that was highlighted ...