On Sunday, November 10, 2019, 08:23:18 AM CST, Chuck Harris <cfharris@erols.com> wrote:

Hi Tom,

Ahh!  My fervent wish is to be able to 3D print brass, aluminum,
or steel... But alas, that won't be for a while.

What I see that says it is 3D printed brass, or aluminum, is in
actuality a slurry of brass flakes, or aluminum flakes, and some
organic (plastic) meltable binder.  The brass or aluminum comes
to the surface in a way that makes it appear to be brass or aluminum,
but the strength is all plastic.

I read an article of a M1911A2 being entirely printed in steel, but
I never heard how they did that, only that they would happily sell
you one of their printed guns for $30K.... To help fund research,
of course.

I suppose something like a mig welder controlled by a 3D mechanism
would do something... but it would be brutally inefficient.

-Chuck Harris

Tom Gardner wrote:

I've no doubt you are correct.

When I stated "parts could be manufactured in brass or aluminium", I was thinking of
3D printing them. It would have helped if I had been more precise.

Sorry for the confusion.



On 10/11/19 13:20, Chuck Harris wrote:

I had several collets made from the Tom Jobe, etal prints that
are in the file section of this group, and they were made from
a single piece of brass rod... threaded section and all.  They
worked perfectly.