Sory for the issues, may I ask what browser you are using? Also, what is your username over at Metalbot.org? I will check to make sure that your IP Range is not blocked by accedent! Otherwise, things have been slow the past few weeks, but we do have BIG plans for the future, the technology is just TOO exciting! Best! Jethro.by Hazel1919 - MetalicaRap
Metalbot.org should be working fine! If you have any questions please just give me a shout either here, or over on Metalbot! Best, Jethro, Metalbot admin...by Hazel1919 - MetalicaRap
A quick project update... I encourage anyone who is interested in pen source 3D metal printing to check out these fantastic experiments by Member 'Masterblaster': http://www.metalbot.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=327&p=2451#p2451 Even though the results are not spectacular, he has proved that it is practical to melt metal powders using a laser diode! Also check out Dragonator's fantastby Hazel1919 - General
Hi broadway, I would really encourage you to take a look at the Metalbot project... . We are seriously persuing the high energy laser route using Laser Diodes, CO2 or Yag lasers. Our ideal material is very fine (<5um granular) high strength titanium alloys (such as TI-AL6-V4) or a super alloy, this is a key project goal. With this type of tech we can make parts that that are VERY hard to oby Hazel1919 - General
You have put a lot of work into this Matt! I think this is a really helpful post, even for those who are a bit more experienced! I am very agreeable, and thank you for linking the Metalbot project.by Hazel1919 - Administration, Announcements, Policy
Thanks for sharing the information A2!by Hazel1919 - General
Thanks for sharing that A2! A major advantage with a system like this is that you could use an array of nozzles to deposit the metal very fast, sort of like a souped up inkjet printer. Issues inherent to the process would be the inability to print overhangs... Any ideas as to how they heat the melt pool? I think an induction heater would work very well in this case...by Hazel1919 - General
You might want to warn "Vader Systems" of these dangers! They are using magnetism to fire the droplets down onto the build platform. However I don't see any implementation of an inert atmosphere... Vader Systemsby Hazel1919 - Developers
Quotesorry for the rant but in a nutshell fdm and metal are not really a good mix because hot metal basically forms drops and is not easy to control, the minimum detail size would be the size of a drop of rain, so useless for any sort of fine or accurate details. Direct Droplet Deposition has used the balling effect with good results, just look at the pictures of prints using an alloy that meltsby Hazel1919 - General
The machine is basically good for printing a rough billet that will need to be subtractively milled to produce the finial part. Sand casting would be much more practical and affordable and get you the same results. So, as stated, the real challenges facing 3D Metal printing are - resolution (hence highly focused lasers ~ 100um) and warping. It is the resolution that opens up amazing possibilitiesby Hazel1919 - General
Wow! That is very cool news, especially that it's using RepRap components!! There is a picture of their printed sprocket here: If anyone has not seen it yet, be sure to check out the "mini metal maker", a $750 printer that prints with metal clay.by Hazel1919 - General
Looking very good!!by Hazel1919 - Administration, Announcements, Policy
Hey Daniel123! Welcome to reprap. Please check out for a ton of information on Open Source 3D Metal printing.by Hazel1919 - General
Thank you!! It is really looking good.by Hazel1919 - Administration, Announcements, Policy
QuoteCefiar I think he's suggesting that links to sites outside the forum open in a new tab, not any/all links on the page. Your on the money! Of course the intention is to keep people from instantly wandering off of reprap.org as soon as they click an external link. Many times here I have caught my self opening a link to an external website only to close the tab and accedentaly leave reprap. Tby Hazel1919 - Administration, Announcements, Policy
Cool, the only issue is that the vast majority of users don't know/don't care about doing that... so why not make it the default status?by Hazel1919 - Administration, Announcements, Policy
Hi everyone, It is a small thing but important. Can someone change the settings so that when a user clickes on a link in a thread it takes them to a new 'tab' or window instead of taking the user off the site? Best, Jethro.by Hazel1919 - Administration, Announcements, Policy
Just a quick math-typo... 'Bountysource administer all the details, for that they take a 10% fee. If you pledge $110, the developer will receive $100.' 10% of $110 is $11 so the dev will get $99 I applaud this initiative!by Hazel1919 - General
Here is an interesting project, however there are concernes that this is just vapour-ware... Quote Liquid Metal Jet Printing (LMJP) is a progressive form of 3D printing (also referred to as additive manufacturing). Using a head much like that of an ink jet on a paper printer, the machine lays down droplets in layers of molten aluminum that build up gradually. At the end of the process, an objeby Hazel1919 - General
Hi everyone! Just a quick update: It has been a few months and the Metalbot project is slowly coming together! Check out what is going on: We have had loads of great ideas and there are quite a few very interesting projects unfolding at the moment (take a look at the projects section). We are slowly working towards a preliminary design and there are a lot of options now so if you guys have aby Hazel1919 - General
This is an interesting thread about using a 40W CO2 laser on some aluminium powder: One idea to get rid of the oxygen (and therefore the oxidisation) is to 'burn it out' with a candle. But this does not get rid of all the oxygen...by Hazel1919 - Powder Printing and Selective Laser Sintering
Very nice!!by Hazel1919 - Administration, Announcements, Policy
Here is a great post regarding this thread...by Hazel1919 - Powder Printing and Selective Laser Sintering
Hahaha! That is the obvious solution!by Hazel1919 - General
Check out some of these further relevant threads... This guy has a similar idea... induction printing This is an interesting article on 'droplet printing', which apparently provided quite impressive results! In any case there would need to be some heavy duty modifications to any existing FDM printer, so much so that it it is more practical to design a printer for this specific purpose from thby Hazel1919 - General
This seems to be a good idea... however there is one concern and that is fridges are meant to function cold, so I am not sure how the materials inside a fridge or freezer will hold up to heat. Along similar lines... I want to find out if it will be practical to 'gas proof' a fridge or similar in order to provide an inert atmosphere for metal printing.by Hazel1919 - General
Metalbot is another project we are currently working on... using lasers instead of electron beams!by Hazel1919 - MetalicaRap
That would be the better option... where can we find more info on this? I will do some research and report back!by Hazel1919 - Powder Printing and Selective Laser Sintering
I think so, we are certainly on the bleeding edge in terms of open source additive manufacture!! Check out this thread over at Metalbot regarding this... Home made 1um Alu Powder Quotepiron I want to discuss with you about solutions for this -making stainless steel powder for sls 3d printers, especially open source and home based solutions. Very cool! Something like this would be a awesoby Hazel1919 - Powder Printing and Selective Laser Sintering
Very well put vegasloki... a bug bear I have had with this site from day one has been a lack of user friendliness. It took me a long time to figure out just how everything was laid out. Information sites by their very nature should be well indexed with an identifiable structure, and I feel this is sometimes missing. If you look at websites such as instructables, DIYDrones and Arduino they aby Hazel1919 - General