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Discussion of 3D printing for telephone housings, and other parts.

Started by Contempra, May 30, 2023, 08:38:24 AM

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Contempra

Quote from: RDPipes on May 29, 2023, 09:00:48 PMThank you I'm so glad you appreciate the work I've done.
I don't have a 3D printer nor can I ever afford one so we must do things the old fashion way.
Maybe you'd like to make me some on your 3D printer next time.

Sure , no probs , i like your job , no doubt , but I simply saying that a 3D printer can also do this job, and it's even less work because all you have to do is trim off the excess. Now, I don't have the means to do this myself, but those who do can do it for you at minimal cost, since they're small buttons, my dear Ron ;) . With this machine, you can even decorate a telephone. At least, the plastic casing, in any color you like. You just have to pay the price, I suppose ;) . Have a nice day and may God bless you my friend Ron .

HarrySmith

Quote from: AL_as_needed on May 30, 2023, 02:47:35 PMHas anyone on here make a new shell from 3D printing?
I have wondered the same thing. Is it possible to create a new housing or handset with 3D printing? Has anyone attempted it?
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

TelePlay

Quote from: HarrySmith on May 30, 2023, 04:00:31 PMIs it possible to create a new housing or handset with 3D printing?

I looked into the software needed to create the code that is used to program an item for 3D printing.

Putting aside the cost and choices for both the printer and the filament materials, creating the code, the program, to build a complex (or even a simple) item is something few could ever master.

Maybe I never got far down the coding learning curve before becoming frustrated and giving up.

HarrySmith

That was exactly my thoughts. I first thought you could just scan something and then print it, I did not realize you had to code it all in. My brain could not handle all that.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

AL_as_needed

Would be interesting to see this all ten or even just five years from now. I dont know much about 3D printing but it is fair to say that (like most things) it is advancing quickly. Only a matter of time before things are cheaper and user-friendly enough before it becomes common place.

Id love the idea of "printing up" parts or whole items for say; phones, model railroading, rc toys etc
TWinbrook7

Witty

3D printers read digital 3D model files (mostly STL files) for printing objects. Most of the files are created using Autodesk Autocad, 3D Studio, and various other 3D programs. Once the STL file is created, it is fed into the 3D printer for printing. I've created many 3D solid model files in the past during my engineering experience over the years. The technology has been around for years. Only more recently have the 3D printers gotten cheaper and more advanced enough to print the models more accurately and in higher detail. Telephone parts can easily be printed if the digital 3D solid model is created using one of the various programs designed for that.
Ken

TelePlay

If one can afford it, an item can be laser scanned to perfectly, exactly code a part, even a 500 housing within all its curves, posts, holes and thicknesses. A lot going on with a 500 housing and then not sure how smooth and shiny the printed piece would be.


3D printing is in its infancy and if paired with AI captured laser measurements and having better filament materials become available (making WE colors other than black or white would be difficult) 3D printing would be light years better than today.

Lot of work leading to technical advancements taking place in many locations daily.



Witty

3D printing today is not advanced enough to print out a finished 500 full body unit as you say. Creating molds from the original and casting them are the only true way to create exact copies of complex units (Ray Kolke examples for instance). But smaller less complex pieces can easily be digitally created and printed.
Ken

Contempra

Quote from: Witty on May 30, 2023, 09:38:39 PM3D printing today is not advanced enough to print out a finished 500 full body unit as you say. Creating molds from the original and casting them are the only true way to create exact copies of complex units (Ray Kolke examples for instance). But smaller less complex pieces can easily be digitally created and printed.


I've seen on websites that these printers are very capable of making plastic ukuleles ( by the way, these plastic ukuleles are sold on the market ) . And I can say ( I'm a ukulele player ) that there are some ' curves ' in the making of the body and the plastic frets it goes without saying . If they can do that, they can certainly make a simple phone shell, and in any color you want. Mind you, I haven't seen housing made for phones, but I have seen it done for small musical instruments, legos and the like. I never took the link from these sites because I didn't know if it would be accepted here on this forum. So I never kept those links. But if I see them again, I'll put them up (video, needless to say, or the web link).

FABphones

Quote from: Contempra on May 31, 2023, 09:40:44 AMI've seen on websites that these printers are very capable of making plastic ukuleles...

There you go...
:)

A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

Witty

One thing to keep in mind is the quality of the surface finish from 3D printing. It's true you could 3D print a phone body, but as far as I know, you can't get the smooth shiny finish you get from a casting. You would still have to sand and buff the final finish by hand.
Ken

countryman

There seem to be tricks to get an acceptable surface. I suppose the Ukulele wasn't made on a cheap entry-level printer?
One of the crucial aspects of 3D printing is the computer file to feed the printer. It takes some special skills to make one, especially for larger and curved objects.
Printing does have much less "economy of scale" in it compared to molding, but still batch production would reduce cost.
I wonder if speaking tubes like in the picture could be printed? The original is made out of celluloid  and has pretty thin walls. They are sought after, good ones are rarely offered and I have seen one go for over 50 € lately.

Back to the topic, that reproduction was nicely done. And the parts were free, considering that rod stock and tooling were already at hand.

TelePlay

Quote from: Witty on May 30, 2023, 09:38:39 PMBut smaller less complex pieces can easily be digitally created and printed.

I downloaded beginner 3D CAD software to try and build a small, simple object.

That was not easy, never finished the object.

IIRC, once an object was created in the 3D CAD software, the cad file had to be passed through another program to "convert" the cad design into a printing or printer readable file that operates the 3D printer.

While that's completely understandable, and may be "easy" to do for an experienced 3D expert, I found it too complex and lost interest in 3D printing.

Even found local companies with top dollar printers that would print an object designed by me (for money) but never got past learning the CAD software.

5415551212

A 3D printed case for a phone would never be a substitute for an original, though I have seen many phones sent to the rubbish bin or e-waste due to a broken or cracked case.
I have been working on making some STL files for a rotary princess phone shell as I have two with bad shells and its not worth casting new ones, but I don't want to e-waste them.
And new old stock shells are hard to find so with a 3D printed shell the phones can live on.

Also there are situations where a 3D printed phone case would be handy while testing and restoring a old phone without risking damage to the original parts.
It would be great to have a place to share stl files on this forum.

AL_as_needed

Quote from: 5415551212 on June 06, 2023, 01:05:59 AMAlso there are situations where a 3D printed phone case would be handy while testing and restoring a old phone without risking damage to the original parts.
It would be great to have a place to share stl files on this forum.

Sounds like a hint there for one of our awesome moderators to swoop in  ::)
TWinbrook7