What’s your budget for all 24 pieces?
To me a fair price would be 45 dollars and then shipping on top.
I get this price by the following. When I upload my entire casting tree of 24 pieces plus the huge amount of sprue and support, it costs 45 bucks and that is with a 10 dollar surcharge. It means the volume of wax is costing 35 dollars. (Bounding box is about 65mm high).
So if I have to have each anchor chain link printed individually, it would be inefficient and more expensive, right? If in wax only?
I just found out I could possibly cast this in castable resin from FormLabs. It may be cheaper to print than wax?
HI Rick, No jeweller would try and print an entire tree. The way to reproduce multiple copies affordably is to get one item printed and cast. Take the metal cast and polish and finish it lovingly. Get the best shine on it that you can. make it as perfect as you can. Then that becomes your “Master Model” next you get a vulcanised silicon mould made from your master. expect to pay around £20 and the casting house you choose will not give the mould. Then they will inject wax into the mould and supply you with 24 cast items. for each one you will pay a spruing and casting charge plus the metal costs.
If you have your own casting machine then you can purchase 2 part RTV silicon rubber from jewellery supply houses. However making a mould is a skilled business and involves the use of scalpels so only do this if you know what you are doing. You will then need a wax injection machine to fill the mould _ you can’t pour it in. If all of that is too complex google “cuttlefish casting”
as a cheaper but rougher alternative.
I have all the equipment above and could supply you with 24 castings from an stl or obj file if you want a cheaper way then getting 24 waxes printed. Drop me a note if you want a quote.
In My opinion it burns out cleaner! You can cast lace work and filigree with it very well! Very Slick Stuff! I love it but the price ouch! $300 dollars for 1 liter and about $60 US per build tray and a build tray last two liters…it adds up but awesome for light weight things!
If I was printing a tree I would want all the links interlocking already, so we don’t have to spend hours assembling and welding and finishing our welds off…That and time restraints are the only reason I see to print a tree. but I have casted interlocked chain before, it is absolutely amazing when you pull it off! It even helps if you can interlock three or four links at a time… unless you’re using a different style or color to join links. If it was me and I was in a hurry i would load the file and print it while i sleep, get up and sprew them up and invest them! I am very picky about my sprew style and have made molds on many. When that metal hits the flask it is a TURBULENT mess, think of the vortices in a wind tunnel when spruing, and remember they need a reservoir to draw from as they cool and shrink.
Also once this castable resin breaks you cannot fuse it back together like you would wax, you can add wax to it to bond , but I have had no luck welding it to itself at all! but beautiful cast from it. I use my custom wax sprues to attach.
Start an Inquiry with my hub if you wish and I’ll quote it both ways! for say what 30 links and or 1 to 2 trees? I am a firm believer in “it never hurts to ask” But I hope you already have this conquered Sir! Your Price sounds right to me or real close give or take, we used to pay 3-5 dollars from wax supply houses. for simple waxes about a buck each sounds about right and you want them left on the supports! (tell the hub) I hope this helps please feel free to ask me anything sir.
Thank you! You sound like the right person to partner up with. I’m on the road now and can’t access my models but early next week I will contact you. I am a self taught hobbyist jeweler and have made things before. I built my own vacuum chamber and my own electric kiln. I use a centrifugal caster but it is small. I also fabricate with my Durston roller and old fashion hand tools. 3d printing would allow me to make more creative items. Thank you .
Just a tip, but you can fuse, patch, puddy, etc resin prints. We do it all the time. We use either laser or something like this https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-TT-FL001-Ultraviolet-Flashlight-Batteries/dp/B00RV8PREI/ref=sr\_1\_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469310236&sr=8-1&keywords=ultraviolet+pet to cure liquid resin, whether it be castable, flexible, whatever, to the part, much like a glue. Holes can be patched this way, broken parts can be mended… etc.
I also have a friend that just moved to our area From Florida lol, Made me think of you today! but his website is waxpatterns.com 6 ! I know he would be happy to help also, but I do not know at what price though! although he has very good pricing on what he does and he does it very well, a true veteran of the 3d community if you will! just thought I throw that up here as well!