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Fixing some PM935TV issues
- Thread starter Rocco
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
- Messages
- 200
That looks good. What material is that? Would you be able and open to making one for my TS (curved)?
Edit: I just noticed the quill feed plate..really nice! Could you post some details of the build? And more pics?
Edit: I just noticed the quill feed plate..really nice! Could you post some details of the build? And more pics?
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2019
- Messages
- 7
Ah, now I have to cop to all my tricks..
They aren't fancy embossed or acid etched plates, but rather 3D prints. The base red is 0.7mm thick, then I switch filaments to a metallic silver for 0.3mm. It keeps the plate real thin and flexible enough to bend around curves, and the plates that aren't screwed on are just held on with double-stick tape. The horizontal ridges in the base color are there to help hide the witness marks that you tend to get from 3D printing a large flat surface.
I have no idea about the longevity or chemical resistance of the PLA plastic I used. If it becomes a problem I can print new plates in a different material, or if the sticky-tape peels up I can drill holes for some screw nails. Maybe someday I'll learn to etch real metal plates.
Really, the hardest part was choosing the font and deciding on the color combination:
Iron Red, British Racing Green, Autobot Blue, Galaxy Black, or Olive Drab
The fonts I used were Copperplate and House Industries' Signpainter. They seemed to hit the right notes to give me the classic feel I wanted. I was leaning towards red and gold, but popular vote won out in favor of red and silver. The blue and silver had a nice look too, but seemed more modern. The 3D models were designed in fusion 360
What are the dimensions of the TS name plate? I had to print my name plate at an angle to fit it on my printer, as I'm limited to around an 8x8+ print area. I could probably send you all of my test plates (if I can find the bag that they are in) so you can see what the material is like and compare the colors to your mill. If you decide you like it, you could send back the plates with a paper template of your TS plate. Or, if you have a 3D printer, or know someone with one, I could send you the files.
I guess I don't have any detail images, but here are is another angle. This is the photo that made me realize that everything in my garage is exactly the same color. I call it "Light Non-Committal":
Best,
Rocco
They aren't fancy embossed or acid etched plates, but rather 3D prints. The base red is 0.7mm thick, then I switch filaments to a metallic silver for 0.3mm. It keeps the plate real thin and flexible enough to bend around curves, and the plates that aren't screwed on are just held on with double-stick tape. The horizontal ridges in the base color are there to help hide the witness marks that you tend to get from 3D printing a large flat surface.
I have no idea about the longevity or chemical resistance of the PLA plastic I used. If it becomes a problem I can print new plates in a different material, or if the sticky-tape peels up I can drill holes for some screw nails. Maybe someday I'll learn to etch real metal plates.
Really, the hardest part was choosing the font and deciding on the color combination:
Iron Red, British Racing Green, Autobot Blue, Galaxy Black, or Olive Drab
The fonts I used were Copperplate and House Industries' Signpainter. They seemed to hit the right notes to give me the classic feel I wanted. I was leaning towards red and gold, but popular vote won out in favor of red and silver. The blue and silver had a nice look too, but seemed more modern. The 3D models were designed in fusion 360
What are the dimensions of the TS name plate? I had to print my name plate at an angle to fit it on my printer, as I'm limited to around an 8x8+ print area. I could probably send you all of my test plates (if I can find the bag that they are in) so you can see what the material is like and compare the colors to your mill. If you decide you like it, you could send back the plates with a paper template of your TS plate. Or, if you have a 3D printer, or know someone with one, I could send you the files.
I guess I don't have any detail images, but here are is another angle. This is the photo that made me realize that everything in my garage is exactly the same color. I call it "Light Non-Committal":
Best,
Rocco
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2016
- Messages
- 1,133
Those plates look fantastic! They dont look at all like plastic and considering the color is not just skin deep im guessing they would hold up much better then the painted style in some ways!
Ive done some aluminum etching using a "masking film" (fingernail polish) of sorts and a power source (pc power supply) that turned out exceptionally well considering what i was using. Anyway to me the most important factor was the mask. If you can 3d print the mask directly onto the metal workpiece or can come up with a way to securely hold and seal the mask to the surface without blocking the areas you want removed or allowing seepage under the mask, then the rest as they say, is a piece of cake!
Ive done some aluminum etching using a "masking film" (fingernail polish) of sorts and a power source (pc power supply) that turned out exceptionally well considering what i was using. Anyway to me the most important factor was the mask. If you can 3d print the mask directly onto the metal workpiece or can come up with a way to securely hold and seal the mask to the surface without blocking the areas you want removed or allowing seepage under the mask, then the rest as they say, is a piece of cake!
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2019
- Messages
- 7
Thanks for all the compliments! It was nice to be able to do SOMETHING with the mill while I couldn't use my arm. I'm tempted to re-do all of the plates on my PM-1236T also, but it was really the fact that the quill feed and back gear stickers started peeling up while I was cleaning off the cosmoline that got all of this started.
I guess if I learn to etch, I could use the same drawings as templates for the etching process, making these printed pieces more like prototypes. Now you've got me thinking...
I guess if I learn to etch, I could use the same drawings as templates for the etching process, making these printed pieces more like prototypes. Now you've got me thinking...
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
- Messages
- 200
I had no idea that you could get metal looking filament for a 3D printer. I would swear those were aluminum. We have a 3D printer at work, but people just print monochromatic knick-knacks for their desks. If you would not mind posting the files, I would like to experiment with printing my own. They really do look fantastic. Thank you for sharing the information above. Very nice work!
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2019
- Messages
- 7
I was surprised at how metallic it looked as well- Just look for Shiny Silk PLA on amazon and you'll find a bunch of surprising metallic colors. I chose the Gold, Silver, Copper 3-pack of 500g spools, and they are just as shiny in person as they are in the ad. I love my 3D printer- I bought it a couple of years ago to make parts for an electric car conversion (I used the same excuse for my lathe)- but I have a rule not to print things that don't have a purpose. That's what keeps me from having a house full of plastic knick-knacks too.
Let me see if I can make a plate of the same dimensions for the TS instead of TV, and then I'll try to upload all of the files. If I can't attach them here, I'll put them up on thingiverse- the 3d model repository.
Rocco
Let me see if I can make a plate of the same dimensions for the TS instead of TV, and then I'll try to upload all of the files. If I can't attach them here, I'll put them up on thingiverse- the 3d model repository.
Rocco
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
- Messages
- 200
Hold off on making a TS plate...It is different than the plate on the TV. It is kind of a trapezoid and curved. I am not sure a flat piece could be bent that far. I was going to test it out using the printer at work. Here is a pic of the nameplate. If you still want the dimensions, I can measure for you tonight or tomorrow.
