The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - 3-D Printers

7whiskeytango · January 7, 2014, 05:35 PM

Printed weapons have a couple flaws in them that will probably keep them from being a quality use.

#1- SLA or printed materials lack the compression in the molecular level to have the tension strength of plastic injection materials. You may get a few rounds through it but it is far from being a process that will make a lasting part. Some of the pieces, that do not require impact tensile strength or a additive that creates lubricity, then SLA, SLS, printed material would be fine. There are printable steels available also, but have also shown a real lack in long term use on items that require surfaces that have friction or have impact strength.

#2 - Cost. If you are looking to print for your own fun, a printer would be fine, but they run slow and the materials for the "nicer" machines that leave a good surface, as the examples in this thread, are not cheap. You also have a maximum tolerance of .005 / inch. In the machining world, that's huge. Printing plastics and steels is also a very slow process where a lower could take you 10 hours to print.

January 7, 2014, 05:35 PM	#50
7whiskeytango Junior Member Join Date: January 7, 2014 Posts: 2	Printed guns Printed weapons have a couple flaws in them that will probably keep them from being a quality use. #1- SLA or printed materials lack the compression in the molecular level to have the tension strength of plastic injection materials. You may get a few rounds through it but it is far from being a process that will make a lasting part. Some of the pieces, that do not require impact tensile strength or a additive that creates lubricity, then SLA, SLS, printed material would be fine. There are printable steels available also, but have also shown a real lack in long term use on items that require surfaces that have friction or have impact strength. #2 - Cost. If you are looking to print for your own fun, a printer would be fine, but they run slow and the materials for the "nicer" machines that leave a good surface, as the examples in this thread, are not cheap. You also have a maximum tolerance of .005 / inch. In the machining world, that's huge. Printing plastics and steels is also a very slow process where a lower could take you 10 hours to print.