Jump to content

Hollow Prints For Casting(ish)


maxtim

Recommended Posts

Posted · Hollow Prints For Casting(ish)

Hey ya'll,

I had this idea a while back to fill a 3d print with concrete to give it some heft and then paint it. That worked great, but I had a few issues. Namely, the stl I had needed some support on the inside to print well. My initial print had a few small holes and when I poured the concrete mixture, it made a bit of a mess.

 

Mind you, this was maybe last year, several months ago at least. So the exact details are a bit fuzzy.

 

Well, I started printing some new models from Scan The World and it got me pretty fired up to try this method again. Figured I'd try the same model since I know where the trouble spots are and if I can find a fix for it, well I can find a fix for any future prints I imagine.

 

I vaguely remember that I had 0% infill, and if I remember correctly I had no supports. I bumped the wall thickness up to 4 and had 4 for top and bottom layers.

 

I think what I'm looking for is an easy way to add supports to the inside of the model where necessary that clings to wall as if it were infill. Does that make sense?

Maybe this quick little drawing will help illustrate what I'm trying to say. So here we have a wall that might droop and cause holes. Next to it I have the desired affect, where the infill is essentially a thicker wall that helps bridge the gap and eliminate the possibility of a hole developing.

 

I've also attached the stl that I originally printed as a hollow shell. Note* It's not my work, I got it from thingiverse but I don't remember who made it.

image.png.969579a5764f9a83e658014c5363fe22.png

 

ElderRemix2.stl

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Hollow Prints For Casting(ish)

    I do understand what you mean, but I don't know if there is a setting for that. What could also help is making the walls and top shell thicker.

     

    But if you are going to cast concrete anyway, what about using the model as a base for making a mould, and cast the whole model in concrete? So you have a fully concrete model without plastic?

     

    In a CAD-editor, subtract the model from a block, so you have the inverse hollow shape of the model. Cut that block into two parts (or more if required), so the cast can be released from it later on. Add alignment features so both halves snap in place. Then add clamping features, and add pouring and venting holes. Think these over carefully. Smooth the inside, spray mould-release spray, and you have a mould that you can use for multiple concrete casts. This combines the advantages of 3D-printing with casting, and you have the stone-like texture of cement in the casts. You could add marble or other powder to the cement mix for additional effects.

     

    On the internet you can find a lot of good tutorial videos on mould making and casting.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • Introducing Universal Cura Projects in the UltiMaker Cura 5.7 beta
        Strap in for the first Cura release of 2024! This 5.7 beta release brings new material profiles as well as cloud printing for Method series printers, and introduces a powerful new way of sharing print settings using printer-agnostic project files! Also, if you want to download the cute dinosaur card holder featured below, it was specially designed for this release and can be found on Thingiverse! 
          • Like
        • 10 replies
      • S-Line Firmware 8.3.0 was released Nov. 20th on the "Latest" firmware branch.
        (Sorry, was out of office when this released)

        This update is for...
        All UltiMaker S series  
        New features
         
        Temperature status. During print preparation, the temperatures of the print cores and build plate will be shown on the display. This gives a better indication of the progress and remaining wait time. Save log files in paused state. It is now possible to save the printer's log files to USB if the currently active print job is paused. Previously, the Dump logs to USB option was only enabled if the printer was in idle state. Confirm print removal via Digital Factory. If the printer is connected to the Digital Factory, it is now possible to confirm the removal of a previous print job via the Digital Factory interface. This is useful in situations where the build plate is clear, but the operator forgot to select Confirm removal on the printer’s display. Visit this page for more information about this feature.
          • Like
        • 0 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...