Some stuff from the production line...

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Garrett Ellison

Amateur driver on public roadway, do not imitate..
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Just came across this tonight. Thought it was worth sharing for the oddity of seeing how things were produced back when our cars were built.
 
And now all you'd do is hit that with a laser scanner and send the file to a 3D printer and viola, brand new grille bezels, tail lights etc.
 
If only it was that easy :lol:

It is!

Heck for a few grand you could probably buy a 3D scanner capable of doing the render and a 3D printer large enough to print a few of those items at home. Some of the larger items you might have to make in a couple of pieces to keep the printer in the "relatively affordable" range.
 
I used to scan and produce reproducible CAD, it's not that easy.

Scans are only so good, you have to go in and fill holes and repair scan defects. if the object being scanned is reflective you have to spray it with a coating which adds thickness albeit small. Small features can be obscured. Features that end up being shadowed by other features are not in the scan. Flat surfaces are far from flat.
 
I used to scan and produce reproducible CAD, it's not that easy.

Scans are only so good, you have to go in and fill holes and repair scan defects. if the object being scanned is reflective you have to spray it with a coating which adds thickness albeit small. Small features can be obscured. Features that end up being shadowed by other features are not in the scan. Flat surfaces are far from flat.

You’re just arguing semantics. You think it was easier to carve a precise model out of hardwood than correcting some defects on a scanned rendering? Talk about flat surfaces not being flat, heck of a lot easier to make it flat in CAD then in a piece of hickory. And nowadays I’m sure you’d find a lot more people that could fix it in CAD than carve it out of a block of wood!

There are classic car enthusiasts out there scanning parts and printing replicas. It’s not the best way to make reproduction parts, much better to have a mold if you’re making significant numbers. But for a tail light lense or interior emblem that no one reproduces? Yeah I’ve seen it done.

And 3D scanning and printing technology is improving all the time.
 
I thought it was interesting to see these for the smaller parts because it puts larger items like sand mold boxes for cast iron and aluminum into perspective. Imagine the complexity of what went into making them, how large they would have to be, and how labor intensive doing repairs or production modifications (-#s) to them would have been.
 
You’re just arguing semantics. You think it was easier to carve a precise model out of hardwood than correcting some defects on a scanned rendering? Talk about flat surfaces not being flat, heck of a lot easier to make it flat in CAD then in a piece of hickory. And nowadays I’m sure you’d find a lot more people that could fix it in CAD than carve it out of a block of wood!

There are classic car enthusiasts out there scanning parts and printing replicas. It’s not the best way to make reproduction parts, much better to have a mold if you’re making significant numbers. But for a tail light lense or interior emblem that no one reproduces? Yeah I’ve seen it done.

And 3D scanning and printing technology is improving all the time.
Sorry bro, but patterns and models were made of soft wood, either sugar pine or Philippine mahogany. Almost all models for duplicating dies and plastic injection molds were made in mahogany.

I used to scan and produce reproducible CAD, it's not that easy.

Scans are only so good, you have to go in and fill holes and repair scan defects. if the object being scanned is reflective you have to spray it with a coating which adds thickness albeit small. Small features can be obscured. Features that end up being shadowed by other features are not in the scan. Flat surfaces are far from flat.
Scanning has come along way in such a short time.
 
Actually those are models not “bucks”. The light colored wood which I believe is mahogany is a model of the piece part with shrink added in. It is not handmade per say, its made with pattern making machinery. The black wood surrounding it is a wood frame that an epoxy resin casting of the piece part has been cast from in the middle to create a cavity that was used to duplicate a plastic mold from in steel. They are missing the core side of the model which is produced by using sheet wax to create wall thickness in the cavity and an epoxy resin casting with a wood frame taken from that also is dupicated in steel using a duplicator milling machine.
 
Sorry bro, but patterns and models were made of soft wood, either sugar pine or Philippine mahogany. Almost all models for duplicating dies and plastic injection molds were made in mahogany.

First, mahogany is a hardwood.

“Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species

Mahogany - Wikipedia

And if you don’t like Wikipedia, well, you can check your local furniture store.


Second, I was just going off what the gentleman in the video said, those models aren’t something I’d seen before.
 
the first molds are marker lamp housings they say are for a 70 challenger dated 68.

But aren’t they for a 1968 Charger??
 
First, mahogany is a hardwood.

“Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species

Mahogany - Wikipedia

And if you don’t like Wikipedia, well, you can check your local furniture store.


Second, I was just going off what the gentleman in the video said, those models aren’t something I’d seen before.
87DBD599-76F0-4110-8F9F-F3043565EFF3.jpeg


294B73B0-A540-499D-980C-3515C65E3A52.jpeg


F44A65D1-9580-498E-A168-D67D318E157B.jpeg

Wikipedia whatever dude.
I grew up in my dad’s pattern shop.
My grandpa was the pattern shop foreman at Kiekhaefer corporation that became mercury marine in 1962 with its sale to Brunswick and he was a master patternmaker like my dad was.
My great grandfather was a professional wood carver that came over on the boat from Germany.

What makes mahogany a great pattern and model wood is it’s fine and tight grain structure. It’s easy to carve, machine and its expands and contracts less with the weather. It is also resists marring from a stylus when duplicating with a duplicator milling machine due to its grain structure.
 
What makes mahogany a great pattern and model wood is it’s fine and tight grain structure. It’s easy to carve, machine and its expands and contracts less with the weather. It is also resists marring from a stylus when duplicating with a duplicator milling machine due to its grain structure.

I've seen pictures of the Edelbrock R&D program during from back and was fascinated with the epoxied together mahogony prototype manifolds in the dyno room.
 
A skilled prototyper that specializes like in heads and intakes is worth his weight in gold. I’ve seen patternmakers build patterns in a matter of hours ( unfortunately then they would hand it to me and tell me put wax fillets in and shellac it). But a guy that can prototype and make changes on the fly is beyond skilled, they are gifted.
 
You’re just arguing semantics
No, you suggested that 3D scanning and 3000 bucks you can produce all kinds of products

I reverse engineer parts for our cars, some are printed in metal, some in plastic.

I don't 3D scan because I have done it where I last worked and all it was, was a basic frame work for CAD to be drawn around.

I can 3D print in many plastics and turn out a finished product in a day, depending on complexity on my resin printer here at home.

All of my CAD can be customized or modified as needed, a scan is like a photo and you are limited what you can do to it with any accuracy.

I have had some of my designs printed in metal (aluminum and stainless steel) by a 3rd party and their $100,000 machines produce some amazing results.

All I'm getting at is 3D scanning looks like amazing tech but in my experience it is not all its cracked up to be
 
No, you suggested that 3D scanning and 3000 bucks you can produce all kinds of products

I reverse engineer parts for our cars, some are printed in metal, some in plastic.

I don't 3D scan because I have done it where I last worked and all it was, was a basic frame work for CAD to be drawn around.

I can 3D print in many plastics and turn out a finished product in a day, depending on complexity on my resin printer here at home.

All of my CAD can be customized or modified as needed, a scan is like a photo and you are limited what you can do to it with any accuracy.

I have had some of my designs printed in metal (aluminum and stainless steel) by a 3rd party and their $100,000 machines produce some amazing results.

All I'm getting at is 3D scanning looks like amazing tech but in my experience it is not all its cracked up to be
You have to admit that as time goes on the tech improves.

I remember in the 80’s when cad cam was new and it really sucked. The difference between then and now is day and night.
 
No, you suggested that 3D scanning and 3000 bucks you can produce all kinds of products

I reverse engineer parts for our cars, some are printed in metal, some in plastic.

I don't 3D scan because I have done it where I last worked and all it was, was a basic frame work for CAD to be drawn around.

I can 3D print in many plastics and turn out a finished product in a day, depending on complexity on my resin printer here at home.

All of my CAD can be customized or modified as needed, a scan is like a photo and you are limited what you can do to it with any accuracy.

I have had some of my designs printed in metal (aluminum and stainless steel) by a 3rd party and their $100,000 machines produce some amazing results.

All I'm getting at is 3D scanning looks like amazing tech but in my experience it is not all its cracked up to be:
Nice! Thanks for the great information!. A few years ago, I looked into 3D printing and found 3 problems: 1) Cost of adequate precision scanning devices 2) insufficient resolution (surface smoothness) of the plastic printers, and 3) cost and surface smoothness of metal printers. Which machines are acceptable for printing lenses? Which shops can print metal with sufficient surface smoothness?
 
There are 3D prints services online that can print in metal st a sort of reasonable price.

Craftcloud is who was used. (IIRC)

As for surface smoothness of plastic printers, I suspect you were looking at FDM printers better material choices but crappy external surfaces.

UV cured resin printers can produce solid, smooth parts.

The one I have does 0.05mm ( 0.0019") layers.

Newer can do 0.025mm (0.0008") layers


The bottom housing was printed in stainless steel.

It polished up like a mirror.

I had one printed in Aluminum even smother right off the printer. I have not had that one polished yet.



original_9b27c8ff-70e8-4a9f-a283-d45b71f825f0_PXL_20230303_190440478.jpg



The 318 badge was printed and finished by another member but is also stainless steel. From the same company.

This one has a sand cast finish between the letters
PXL_20230310_204312309.jpg


original_a94af768-e1aa-4c12-b934-6d76144eb4c1_PXL_20230303_190305783.jpg
 
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There are 3D prints services online that can print in metal st a sort of reasonable price.

Craftcloud is who was used. (IIRC)

As for surface smoothness of plastic printers, I suspect you were looking at FDM printers better material choices but crappy external surfaces.

UV cured resin printers can produce solid, smooth parts.

The one I have does 0.05mm ( 0.0019") layers.

Newer can do 0.025mm (0.0008") layers


The bottom housing was printed in stainless steel.

It polished up like a mirror.

I had one printed in Aluminum even smother right off the printer. I have not had that one polished yet.



View attachment 1716162239


The 318 badge was printed and finished by another member but is also stainless steel. From the same company.

This one has a sand cast finish between the letters
View attachment 1716162240

View attachment 1716162241

That is amazing Dana67Dart!

Im just guessing here but it seems the technology is advancing so rapidly you soon will be able to scan and 3d print anything.

(67-69 Cuda fenders maybe ?? LOL )

Thanks for the info and the posts !!
 
There are 3D prints services online that can print in metal st a sort of reasonable price.

Craftcloud is who was used. (IIRC)

As for surface smoothness of plastic printers, I suspect you were looking at FDM printers better material choices but crappy external surfaces.

UV cured resin printers can produce solid, smooth parts.

The one I have does 0.05mm ( 0.0019") layers.

Newer can do 0.025mm (0.0008") layers


The bottom housing was printed in stainless steel.

It polished up like a mirror.

I had one printed in Aluminum even smother right off the printer. I have not had that one polished yet.



View attachment 1716162239


The 318 badge was printed and finished by another member but is also stainless steel. From the same company.

This one has a sand cast finish between the letters
View attachment 1716162240

View attachment 1716162241
How did you digitize these parts?
 
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