Using 3D printing in DIY projects

[drfrink25]

Since 3D printers are getting pretty affordable, I was wondering if anyone has considered how to leverage their capability in your projects? While I don't have the CAD skills, tools or knowledge to do this myself, here are some broad ideas I was thinking of:

Complex, multi-part waveform guides - These would have been impossible to create yourself prior to 3D printing. Given the size of 3D printers is limited, larger enclosures would need to be printed in multiple parts.

Complex diffussion faceplates/speaker surrounds

Complex internal baffles

Complex porting methods

Anyone else have many ideas? All I can find on teh googles is iphone horns and other small stuff.

[derwhalfisch]

I'm seriously considering building a printer to make throats for synergy horns.

[wesayso]

I use it for Car Audio, (pods for Vifa XT25-SC tweeter)

I use one of the online printing services to make them. Can't say it's cheap though.
But I like the fact that I can make most of what I can dream up.

[Audiodidakt]

What would the cost be like for i.e. an ordinary 18 cm waveguide?

[harvylogan]

I have used stereo lithography quite a bit in the past for tweeter mounting plates, waveguides of relatively small size that I can screw onto a specific tweeter, odd shaped driver trim rings to French the transition to the baffle surface to avoid making a routing jig and also terminal plates that actually have the right number of terminals I need and fit the material I am using. I have access to some machines and run them for material cost only since I do all the modeling myself. I have sent some of my design models out for bid on more than one occasion and the bids I got back were very cost prohibitive for me. I know the material costs because I do SLA and the machine cost to do simple parts say up to 8” X 10” is anywhere from 10-50K so for the most part most SLA companies charge exorbitantly high prices because they deal in R&D prototyping for large companies that have a budget that can be re-cooped in production runs once the product is finalized. There may be companies out there that do small one-off runs efficiently but I have not found any.

[harvylogan]

Originally Posted by Audiodidakt

What would the cost be like for i.e. an ordinary 18 cm waveguide?

I have made them (8") for $6.00 in material and the run time for each part was 12hrs. The same part was quoted to me twice from 2 different companies to do a 6 piece run @ $600, and $1150 for the run.

[drfrink25]

Here is something fairly large and complex made out of pieces from a makerbot ($2200)

Cosmo Wenman's Mind-Blowing Sculpture Made On A MakerBot