3D Printed Sheet Metal Forming Pt. 2 - Custom Dies

[@GrindhousePerformance]

What'd you think? What changes would you make? Probably one of my favorite shop projects for the channel this year 👍👍

[@AW_DIY_garage]

I might press in two times, each biased a bit towards the side to help sharpen the outside edges. Still great though

[@Epochred]

I would have probably flipped the dimples in the bottom two corners so the dimples flared out for passenger food grip. (Only if the passenger would be able to reach it. ) Kudos dude. Looks super awesome. Think I may have to go get me a 3D printer. Haven’t looked though your videos for a video on that. Am going to now!

[@cliffordleach1273]

Like the other guy said I might have alternated which direction the dimples went for foot traction of passengers placing their feet on it. But looks awesome and I never knew you could 3d print dimple dies!! I’ve been wanting to buy some dies for a while and now I’m going to attempt to print some! Need to find some good material for printing and the recommended settings!

[@mdfyui8000]

The emboss looks mint! I think instead of pre-stretching, you may have considered annealing the emboss section of the sheet before pressing. It would have reduced the residual forming stresses. However a problem I experienced with annealing and pressing with the PLA is that the PLA is actually hard enough to transfer the print imperfections and details into the annealed al sheet when it bottoms out. So whilst you gain formability and ability to impart definition, it is also more sensitive to being overdone.

[@jonesz31]

I subbed purely off how excited you got when it came out perfect lol

[@TheChopperUnderground]

As a sheet metal fabricator of 20 years that coach builds cars, you did a fantastic job and did it the exact way I would have done it today. You got amazing results, achieved your goal, had fun doing it. There is about 5 different ways you could have achieved these results, and you chose a great method, no sense in doing it the harder way. You should be very proud of the beautiful panel you have made and without tooling marks too. Welcome to the metal shaping community!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

That's an incredibly powerful way of thinking about it, thanks for that. 👍

[@ari_smolbean]

i.e. Work smarter not harder. Can't wait to see these on the market in a couple years if that's the case. Glad 3D printing is slowly making it's way to automotive. A guys making a fully 3D printed intake for a Miata and made a great video on it if you've got time to watch it.

[@custom_creations19]

❤

[@AZZAKONN]

This is the wholesome content i hunt for.

[@Betruet]

Can't believe you haven't made any videos in 2023! I need more of this stuff. Fantastic content

[@GrindhousePerformance]

This hasn't been the year I planned for sure! Have started recording again and knocking some rust off. Excited to get back into it!

[@giamademedoit]

@@GrindhousePerformance yeah man, just watched 2 of your videos, subscribers are coming in. You are doing a great job! Keep at it!

[@chrstphrr]

I love how this turned out. I think the hidden gem in what you showed is you can make custom sizes of dimple dies pretty easily.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

It really saved me there! I realized like five minutes after I ordered the parts I'd messed up but they worked out fantastically 🤘

[@chrstphrr]

@@GrindhousePerformance I bet if you wanted to dimple ovaled holes or any size you don't have, it would suffice. At least in a few hours you could print the sizes you don't already have for dimpling round holes in aluminum.

14:07 his reaction to a bang-up job is so wholesome :D Having shared the same feeling of major accomplishment myself; being able to make parts that would have otherwise been thought to be only possible with million dollar machines and processes, in the comfort of your home is a magical and empowering feeling. Rock on, mate!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Ive always had overly optimistic goals for the car but project successes like this are so freaking motivating. Excited to try more 👍

@@GrindhousePerformance it's the best high there is! The two big milestones for my 260 were the completely custom wirelooms I made (with MUCH better organization than OE) and the redesigned HVAC system using mostly early 2000s Suburban bits and a custom housing (this is still in the CAD phases). When I finished the wireloom, the feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming and is what gave me the confidence to tackle the HVAC project now. I plan for mine to be a comfy GT car. I want to keep the L series engine but if my hand is pushed, I may look at swapping a Volvo T5 into it.

[@MsRandomguy28]

I think it's safe to say that we all cracked a smile at his reaction I can only imagine that this is what a proud dad moment feels like lol

[@danyf3116]

One of the very few videos where I could actually experience the pride felt for a piece well done. Kudos my friend.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks for that! I couldn't believe how nicely it turned out

[@daweedcito]

I have worked in the sheet metal industry and have designed processes for autopart fabrication, and your results are actually amazing, not only considering how it looks, but how your process is designed for it, cost and all. Many likes to you.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Thanks for that, would you have recommended anything different based on your experience? Any recommendations on other things to experiment with?

[@ttsupra87]

Instead of one hit punch, you could do step dies that gradually get to the image you want. It will help with definition making lines more crisp

[@jksjrgfpsjgr]

@@paulbakovic7475 it really is, especially because its so easy to crank out gradual dies, the cad work is a couple clicks once the final die is designed.

[@Angel_Ghr]

I can't believe how awesome that worked, I was also a little skeptical that the printed material would hold this much pressure but man... Kudos to you!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I definitely wasn't sure if it was going to hold 🤣🤣 - I need to do more of these!

[@joell439]

@@GrindhousePerformance YES - keep exploring. The results were exhilarating 👍👍😎👍👍

[@MrPhatties]

Kudos to that PLA 😂. Did you print it with 100% infill?

[@GrindhousePerformance]

@@MrPhatties yes, it probably wouldve worked with less but it didnt add that much print time

[@AAO-Falcon]

@@GrindhousePerformance just remember outlines too, outlines give more strength to a part then infill but 100% isnt doing harm screw the risk of lower infill :D

[@wholewheat1]

this is some of the best use ive seen 3d printing for, this came out sooooo good. easily would pay hundreds for a finished product like that

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Wow thanks! I thought the same thing- if this part was more of a universal fit itd really be marketable/easily reproduced 👍

[@AAO-Falcon]

Have you seen about 3D printing forged carbon moulds? that interests me and i really want to try that

[@casualcombine]

I need more of these videos, the application of 3d printing in the automotive industry I feel is not explored enough!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Agreed! 3d printers aren't just for desk widgets and toys anymore!

[@welldonecj7]

​@GrindhousePerformance which printer do you have?

[@-Just_Justin-]

Every once in a while I come across an obscure video that catches my eye. I could tell your channel is going to be great. Sharing your excitement pressing that piece was great. Amazing work man and moving up into the modern times. Can't wait to see more

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks for saying that, I try REALLY hard to do some out of the box projects here, and it's good to know people are into what I'm trying to do here

[@suhaskamath94]

awesome man, getting your design work and seeing it in a physical form is one of the underrated joys of this profession

[@GrindhousePerformance]

100% 🤘

[@chriscaine1776]

I came across this video randomly scrolling through the rabbit hole that is automotive youtube. And admitted i clicked on it to watch purely because when i saw the complex froming die that was 3D printed my first reaction was "what no waaaay" but color me impressed cause this is amongst the best use of 3D printing I've seen. Just because its not traditional metal forming and tooling methods doesnt mean it cant be effective its purely a modernized approach, and with the ability to order SLS printed metal parts through online retailers, this could be a great way to have long-term sustainable dies made in one-off patterns.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey I'm glad you stumbled on my video and totally agree! I really want to test this on some other projects, trying to break the stigma that 3d printers are only for desk widgets and toys

[@BuilditwithEd]

Not gonna lie , seeing this guys expressing when the press came out good made me instantly subscribe

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks for subscribing! Hope you check out my other projects 👍

[@level.performance]

Thats a great job to DO and SHOW craftmanship like this! my deepest respect

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey I appreciate that, a lot of work went into this project! Thanks!

[@PaganWizard]

This was really cool!!!! I never would have thought about using 3D printed plastic for stamping aluminum, or any other metal for that matter. When you're doing a project like this and only have one piece to work with, BUT, you also know the material, and the thickness. In this case, you're working with aluminum, so you can go to your favorite big box hardware store, or maybe even to a scrap metal yard if you have one of those close to you, and get a piece of aluminum the same thickness as what your final piece will be. You can even get a few pieces to experiment with rather than trying to figure everything out on your own. This would eliminate any possibility of you accidentally messing up what will be your final product.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! 👍 i totally agree. This wouldve been a tough one to try ahead of time (manually) with the way the Z Die uses the surrounding dimples to locate itself. I guess you could try with just a much smaller piece of stock, but I you wouldn't necessarily see how a larger panel might behave/shrink differently. I definitely wanted to do more testing, but I wasn't really sure how to do it without laser cutting very similar pieces that wind up being scrap and $$$

[@qquantumpi]

@@GrindhousePerformancehey man, awesome job! What infill percentage did you go with on the presses?

[@GrindhousePerformance]

@@qquantumpi thank you- for the dies I printed them with 3mm walls and 100% infill. I probably could've gotten away with less infill, but it didn't add a whole lot of print time to the parts 👍

[@aliardaerd]

KZbin kept on recommending this to me, after watching, I am glad it did. You are wholesome, it felt like talking to a friend the whole video. Nice job and it is also nice to implement a relatively new technology to an older one.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks for that, I try to be as honest as I can in my videos whether things go well or not. Surprisingly rare on KZbin haha 😅

[@TobyReLaXiN]

Your excitement for the result was precisely my feeling! Way to go! Watching the nervous build up was exploratory shop drama at its best.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Thanks! No better feeling than when shop experiments actually go according to plan 😅

[@kulyro]

Good job!Keep up the videos. Printing for 6 years and this project amazed me. Never tought it would hold!!!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! I'm excited to push this and try new things. This opens up a lot of opportunity for making some crazy cool things

[@Finnspin_unicycles]

Love it! I did something similar to emboss my dads name into his lunchbox for christmas, 3D printed some PLA forms that did a great job on some ~1mm stainless steel. Hardest part was the modelling honestly, I modelled the sheetmetall with the embossing already in it and substracted that from the dies to get the shape just right. Had the exact same reaction as you, super amazed with the results from just one simple pressing, I didn't expect my first try to go that well honestly.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

That's honestly cool as hell to have done for your dad, and in Stainless.. wow. Really, really nicely done 🤘

[@E1nsty]

very nice, how heavy press did that need?

[@Finnspin_unicycles]

@@E1nsty I don't know unfortunately, but a (big) vice did easily get it done. Not a super deep emboss or big design, so it didn't need much.

[@petereriksson8915]

This is what maker enthusiasm is, best feeling in the world! Looks great!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you!

[@soonenough938]

Awesome video, great work, and good for you taking on what you can handle, and working to continually grow! As a fellow mechanical engineer that’s currently growing my skill set trying to come up the learning curve on 3D scanning and sheetmetal design / fab, I have a ton of respect for the work you’re doing. Keep up the work, and please keep posting content! This has become one of my favorite channels.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey reading this made my morning thanks for this. I'm pushing way outside my comfort zone with projects and it's been totally worth it

[@soonenough938]

@@GrindhousePerformance Absolutely! Always great to get positive feedback on something you poured a ton of effort into… can’t wait for more videos, especially on the Datsun project, curious to see how it’s coming along. I need to check out your IG page, I’m assuming there’s more stuff there?

[@dekebell3307]

Thanks for being humble and honest man. Some KZbin fabricators like to talk down to their audience....my son and I really enjoy your videos!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Admitting that I need to always be learning and growing is really important to me. A lot of the stuff on the car I'm doing for the very first time and ultimately am just figuring things out as I go. Im going to make mistakes, I'm going to redo things, just like anyone else trying something new for the first time. 👍

[@HomeBuiltByJeff]

Fantastic work mate. Looks like the Z is coming out beautifully. I actually 3D printed a couple of knobs for the releases on my press and engine hoist which is a small thing that saves so much messing around putting the handle on every time you want to release. Keep it up mate.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Coming from you Jeff that really means a lot! Your Z build was a big motivation for me to start making videos years ago 👍 the alfararri's looking GOOD too! Have a happy new year

[@AmericasTeamAdventure]

This is great! I'm going to use this on some projects for my students in the future. Great idea, execution, and tutorial!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hell yeah that sounds awesome! Good luck with your students! 🤘

[@xLibelle]

From someone who does this on commercial scale, Your craftsmanship is very nice. Cant speak for structural design or materials selection because I don't know enough of your intent of purpose. Cheers to you buddy.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks, I appreciate that! 👍

[@brandonanderson6429]

Your reaction at 14:06 to it all working is so genuine... love it.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Feels good when a plan all comes together! Especially when you're making it up as you go 😅

[@StanleyKubick1]

I love how much fun you had with it once you got going. What a great diy project

[@AW_DIY_garage]

Awesome job. The 3d printer really helps with this stuff, great use of send cut send, fusion 360, a 3d printer, and press. Just shows what you can get done when you think things through.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

It felt really good getting something done start to finish. I know it's not mounted on the car yet but this one feels like a big step towards building out the interior for the car (something I previously didn't have any plan for whatsoever)

[@jonsaircond8520]

Glad that worked for you and was a fun video to watch. Can't imagine watching this without smiling

[@GrindhousePerformance]

It was fun being in the room too 🤣🤣 glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@f03105590]

What a beautiful job. Thanks for making such inspiring and "normal" videos.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! It means a lot hearing comments like this 👍

[@f03105590]

@@GrindhousePerformance Not at all. It's great, particularly for frustrated "garage-less" mechanics like me to see someone just get on with making such a lovely job of all the things you do in such a real and accessible way.

[@campbellmorrison8540]

Im really impressed with how well those dies held up. Perfect for bespoke jobs

[@rdodds033]

Really really awesome work, man! I'm glad your channel popped up in my feed. Now I'll have lots of new ideas for my own projects! Thanks a lot and keep it up! 👍

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey I'm glad you've been enjoying my projects! 👍

[@Conor42203]

@@GrindhousePerformance any update on the 3d printed centre console?

[@chrisgedrim]

Got sent to your channel by Bob from I Like To Make Stuff/The Making It Podcast and I’m so glad I’m here! Your energy, enthusiasm, and production are an inspiration

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey welcome! I had no idea he'd called out my work, awesome! Hope you check out some of my other projects! I try to share what I'm learning the best I can 👍

[@LimitedGunnerGM]

I totally expected the printed dies to shatter/deform/get stuck. This means that making does out of nylon or delrin should work well. Great work!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Definitely, Nylon would also be a great choice to print. Honestly I'd do the tough PLA again if given the chance, I think the wear damage I saw was my own operator error more than anything.

[@Churchkey83]

1st time watching any of your videos and I like how giddy and excited you are about this stuff. This really is a good example of "kid in a toy store".

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Im basically still a kid, just in a much more expensive candy store 🤣🤣

[@Metalwolf765]

Dang, I wasn’t convinced that the plastic die would work and yet you made it happen. Nice work! Nice part too :)

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I felt good until the last few minutes but I'm glad it worked out 😅- thanks!

[@TwoToolDesign]

I was super impressed those prints were strong enough to press that sheet. Super rad. Learning lots on your channel!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey glad you've liked watching my projects come together! Trying to share as much as I'm learning as I can 👍

[@mark23487]

Don't sell yourself short! You did an awesome job on that panel!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey you're absolutely right, thanks for that 👍

[@timcameron9023]

I'm always looking for 3D print augmentation to metal working processes - this is just fantastic. Well done and thanks for sharing!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Glad you enjoyed it! I've got a few functional printing videos I think you'd enjoy on the channel! 👍

[@suchoi61]

Hello Sir Please let me know what you make with the Car . Is it finish and driving or what's? Please make new Viedeos, can't wait to see the progress of this astonishing Car build.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you! I had to put the project on hold due to our home flooding. I'm getting back into new projects this fall

[@thomasbell1684]

I love your genuine excitement! I especially like how at the end you did an almost debrief of what happened. what went well what went wrongish. I would’ve loved to hear what may or may not have done differently. But, you’ve earned a subscription from me!! Excited to see what other cool random projects you have in store

[@GrindhousePerformance]

The only thing I'd change is the amount of pressure I used on the press. As I did several of the dimples, I found the aluminum very easy to work with, and would form with little pressure. I think me putting too much pressure on the Z and the first dimples contributed to the warp in the panel. I think the design of the dies worked incredibly well though and I'm still very happy with the results!

[@BoxTruckVagabond]

First time to your channel and this is freaking amazing! Looks so professional. Gives me a lot of ideas! Keep up the great work. New sub!!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you for subscribing! I hope you enjoy my other projects on the channel!

[@seb1839]

I loved how genuine you are about your experience. Really enjoyed this

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey I'm glad you liked it! 👍

[@ISMarco]

I randomly stumbled across this as a suggested video, and just wanted to say I love what you're doing! It's cool to see your whole workflow and thought process, and I can tell it takes a lot of time to film and put it all together, so thank you for doing that. I love your attitude and enthusiasm. The panel turned out so cool!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

The videos have been a hell of a lot of work, but I'm really glad that they're resonating with people. Im trying to make the videos I wish I had growing up, inspiring and teaching as I'm learning myself

[@ISMarco]

@@GrindhousePerformance I bet they take forever, but they're amazing quality!

[@theporschepilottpp910]

randomly stumbled on this video, seeing you get soo pumped on success put a genuine smile on my face, that's a happy dude right there enjoying his craft, gotta love it Subbed

[@FPVShine]

A great channel ive stubbled across with the mix of 3d printing, modelling and fabrication.. i look forward to more of your videos

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you, glad to have you! I'm working on some new videos now

[@tomsondesign]

17:36 Well done. So nice combo in fabrication. Looking really good. Want to see more of that😊

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you! More projects this fall!!

[@Jordanrhart]

I like how you designed the upper and lower dies to be constrained by the perimeter rather than guide pins or something else. Stealing that one!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you! I got a little lucky with the design but would definitely do it again in the future!

[@drewnorthcott6268]

That's an extraordinary result. I would never have considered using a 3d print for something like this, and it's certainly given me something to think about for some upcoming projects.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I'm excited to keep trying this idea out for other applications! I definitely did not expect such a nice result

[@turbosubisandman7174]

That just came out so cool! Thanks for sharing the process, great idea. Now I need a 3D printer

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you! I'm really happy with it.

[@ForrestFab]

awesome work man, ive had this theory in my head so was good to see it tested! love the enthusiasm, think that's the best thing about being a fabricator is that we get such joy out of the little things like that!! great work!!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

There's no better feeling than when an idea actually pans out the way you hope it would. This one felt really special to me, I could've never made it by hand or using traditional methods.

[@lj33p]

I think you're onto something here! Great inspiration for the tinkerers! Thanks for posting.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! Glad you liked it 👍

[@FoxSomniaTVVideos]

I some how hadn't even thought about 3d printing dimple dies. Im definitely going to try this!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Awesome! Good luck and stay safe! 👍

[@GarageRats]

I was wondering how well 3D Printed dimple dyes would work. Glad to see someone else came up with the same question and tried it! Subscribed.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks for subscribing! Glad you checked out my project and hope you see what else I've been trying out!

[@wrayjordan7188]

Great job! Panel looks awesome! Best wishes for continued success with your project.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you I appreciate that!

[@jonsand1]

Awesome job! What do you MEAN I never would have been able to make this! You made the tools that you used to mod the part. That's legit! No need to hammer it by hand. Also I love your OPEN MINDSET about learning new skills.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey that's a great way of looking at it, thanks for that 👍

[@timoneal9654]

This idea crossed my mind then I found your video. Your panel turned out very nice! Thanks for the video.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Glad it was helpful! 👍

[@69xr7ragtop9]

Wow, that was awesome! Stumbled on your channel by accident and have been wanting to get into 3D printing of some parts for my car. I will definitely do some press dies now thanks to you. Great job and many thanks for inspiration!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey glad you found me! Good luck giving it a try! Stay safe, projects like this were a big reason I wanted to get a printer in the first place

[@usersony112]

love how happy you were when you revealed how well it pressed the Z

[@nico-xp9hg]

Started with your workshop tour and have seen the instrument cluster, tunnel and this. Awesome! Really awesome! Love the mix of CAD, 3D printing and your amazing skills. I’m subbed, and looking forward to more videos.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks for subscribing! Im glad you've been into my projects! Have a lot planned for this winter and hopefully a lot more videos!

[@Handskemager]

Well done! I was nervous there for a sec but turned out amazingly!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

You and me both! Thanks for checking it out 👍

[@Junkboy888]

I have watched one of your other videos on 3D printed press dies and thought that was good, but this one was great. It worked better then I would of thought.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks!

[@roachwerks3043]

this was just randomly in my suggested videos and i think its my favorite project car on youtube

[@kidkhaos6427]

I can really relate to the end of your video where you are in awe of the finished product. Man that's the good stuff right there. I'm like a little kid when I make a new part I'm impressed with. I carry it around and look at it in amazement for half the day 😄

[@GrindhousePerformance]

There's no better feeling, especially when you're out of your comfort zone, when everything comes together perfectly 👍

[@runitmj]

So sick! That panel turned out great. I love the endless possibilities of 3d printing.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

This machine's totally changed my day to day workflow. Im excited to see how the industry changes over time as these get better and better

[@eddie5556]

Wow! I was not ready for that! That came out great. Good Job Man!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Same! Thank you! 👍

[@MonkeyFabGarage]

Pretty cool. Looks great. I used printed jigs to shorten my axle. Handy things.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Honestly one of my most useful tools in the shop lately. Fabrication jigs alone are totally worth adding one to any shop 👍

[@stephenallen9786]

Im old school and yet open to alot of new school projects. With that being said, that my friend is some fire ass pressing skills bruh bruh!! And the sun rise design on the sides is on point with the carbon fiber backing.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I'm glad you liked it! Hope you check out my other projects! 👍

[@NimblyJimbly]

Love your enthusiasm! Such an amazing skill set. Well done man. Subscribed.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Really kind of you thanks, glad to have you watching my projects! Thanks for subscribing

[@Horsey1295]

I love you enthusiasm and I hope you start creating content again.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you! I appreciate that. I had to step away when my home flooded. I'm finally getting past the repairs and have been recording for some upcoming projects!

[@adrianram5524]

Wow...can't believe that worked....would never even think to try that .....very cool !

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I was about 50/50 😅

[@dannywiley4072]

I 3D printed my own dimple die as well. Haven’t tried doing a different shape like you did with Z. That is awesome.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I definitely feel like I got lucky with it! Very happy with the results and will definitely do more with this in the future

[@RinksRides]

sharing your learning experience will help others. Stay humble. Awesome fab work bro.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

That's a great way of looking at it, thanks for saying that 👍

[@neuronichangfire]

Your excitement over this success made me want to subscribe.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

It was hard holding back my excitement for sure, I need to find more ways to use this! 👍 thanks for subscribing!

[@WexWerxScott]

Nice work on the z die! That worked beautifully!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Way better than expected! Thanks! 👍

[@srtifydcanuck886]

good for you!!!! it's great to see a guy succeed with a vision

[@GrindhousePerformance]

It's a good feeling when a plan comes together 👍

[@BuildSomethingAuto]

This is awesome, I can't believe how well it turned out! I just got a new printer that will do carbon fiber nylon, and polycarbonate. CF nylon has about twice the tensile strength of that "tough" PLA (only slightly less than that of aluminum itself) and is self lubricating which is great for a die. If you're interested in trying out some more exotic materials with this, hit me up! This would be a perfect application for them (although the results you did get are already stunning).

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Awesome! What printer did you purchase if you dont mind my asking?

[@BuildSomethingAuto]

@@GrindhousePerformance its the qidi xmax. Its made by a chinese company but they warehouse them in the US and so far the quality has been impressive. Only thing cheap feeling about it was downloading their slicer was a little awkward, but you can use Cura and get plugins for wifi printing and such. 300x250x300 build volume. They also have the cfpro which is just the xmax but with better bearings and things but the xmax was already overkill for what I was doing. So far its worked out great for me id recommend it.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

@@BuildSomethingAuto that's great I'll check it out. I've been eyeing a prusa XL as my next machine

[@m4vr1ck]

Bro captured the satisfaction where the print worked way better than it was supposed to

[@no_one_special_5407]

That's awesome. I don't know how much that panel costed u to have pre-cut and bent, but u just made a $500+ kick panel with less than what $5 worth of plastic. Bro you took "Necessity is the mother of all invention" to the next level and hats off to you for it ,,, but this video makes me miss my 82' 280zx

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! I think the panel, shipped, pre-bent, was around $90. I might've used a discount code but even still I thought it was really reasonable

[@SuperDukie]

I loved seeing this part 2. Your first video was my inspiration to try some crazy dimple dies at the last manufacturing company. We did double presses like your oval but like 7” OD with 2” dimple going the other way in the middle. We did stars and triangles and all sorts of weird stuff to try it out. Not everything turned out good but it was all an experiment. I wanted to try embossing but unfortunately I left before I had the chance. There is always tomorrow. I’m still stoked to see how well it worked for you. Some side notes for you. We dimpled .125 steel with regular PLA. We found that obviously high % infill makes things last longer but infill pattern makes a difference. The 3 dimensional infills (like gyroid) don’t hold up as well. You need straight line stability so something like lines or triangles works the best. We also learned to make one alignment pin different so it only goes together one way. Like make the top middle one squared off. You still had 5 other pins lovking the location and it would have been just fine. Thanks for posting and sharing this. That was awesome!!

[@RogerGarrett]

Regarding infill: You might actually try ZERO INFILL and after it's printed fill the inside with a liquid resin to harden inside. That should get a fully solid die, print a lot quicker and use a lot less printer filament. OR, you could3D print a MOLD (again with zero infill), and use the mold to do a resin cast to create the final die. That way the entire die is resin with no outer surface of printer filament. That MIGHT be more resilient.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I tried this in my pt.1 video actually, and found that the resin cracked under the pressure. I think adding a substrate will help in the void, chopped fibers, sand, etc to help strengthen the resin fill 👍

[@GrindhousePerformance]

@superdukie its really encouraging to hear how well your experiments had gone. Id like to figure out more ways to apply this idea on the project, it's honestly really exciting to do! Thanks for your tips and sharing your experiences 👍

[@RogerGarrett]

@GrindhousePE It does appear (in the Pt 1 video) that the cracks in the resin are due to the warping of the overall die caused by the heat of the curing of the resin, with the cracks actually occurring during the attempt to "straighten" the dies by applying pressure, which really didn't remove the warping, as well as the repeated use of the warped dies. So, I'm thinking that being more careful during the resin pours, doing a lot of shallow pours rather than just two fairly large pours, would really help in keeping the dies from warping, because multiple small pours would significantly reduce the heat. Also, MAYBE, having the dies in a water bath during curing might help pull away the excess heat.

[@apengelly86]

Love it when a plan comes together!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

100% 👍

[@booyakashaboy7250]

Great job! One suggestion. The dies being a plastic based material I would imagine they flex some at those pressures but if they were frozen hard they might provide a more sharp & defined imprint in the metal. They would have to be completely flat with the backing plate to avoid cracking. Worth a shot on the next one. Overall it looks fantastic! Subscribed! 😎

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I would be worried about freezing the plastics making them brittle, but it's an interesting thought. I think those sharp corners are pretty hard to get right without pre-stretching or using a coining tool afterwards. It's definitely worth experimenting more with in the future. Either way for a first pass attempt I'm super happy with it! Thank you for subscribing and I hope you check out my other projects!

[@fmargti]

amazing finish product..good luck with the future projects👍

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! I couldn't be happier with it

[@jensonhartmann3630]

I knew it would work, my buddy 3D printed his dimple die. But to see yours in action, congratulations!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! 👍

[@MarkPicker-t1k]

Great job. The Z logo in the thumbnail is what caught my interest :) Really need to 3D Print one of the thumbscrews (you can find them on all the usual model websites) for your press - makes it a lot easier when you need to use it over and over like you were.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thank you! I keep forgetting about making the thumb screw, I use my press like once a year haha

[@danielwdunn]

Wow! I had no idea you could do this with 3d printed molds. Awesome job.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I really wasn't sure either! Thanks! 👍

[@cyphr2581]

Need more videos! This channel is awesome

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I was working on recording over the weekend! Getting closer to getting back to the swing of things here! I'm excited

[@CeeCeeOy]

Hey, great job again. Just pure awesome. What you could try next is to anneal the aluminium first. Hit hard with black market pen the area you're going to do the embossing, then take any torch (powerful enough) and start heating the area. The marker will burn away, disappear. Then let it cool or rinse with water. Either way then its soft and easier to emboss. Looking forward of your next part

[@GrindhousePerformance]

My worry was that by the time the aluminum was cold enough to not melt the plastic dies, that the aluminum would be back in its hardened state. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but why I hadn't annealed the panel in this test

[@CeeCeeOy]

@@GrindhousePerformanceyes, watch out. PLA dont like heat. Aluminium again stay soft for few days or it will work harden. Have done alot. Give it a go, much easier.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

@@CeeCeeOy that's encouraging to hear thanks!

[@bbdetailing9123]

That came out so good. Love it. Love the little details, too. Appreciate your honesty about not knowing how to do things like pre-stretch. Good stuff.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I don't want to pretend that I know more than I do, especially on the internet 🤣

[@bbdetailing9123]

@@GrindhousePerformance ha! Especially on the internet! 😆

[@MichaelBrewer]

This was a super cool project, but the best part was watching your reaction on the reveal.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey I'm glad you liked it! Im really pumped!👍

[@vell0cet517]

Looks great. Thanks for showing this useful technique.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Hey thanks! It worked out better than I'd imagined! 👍

[@paulmaigler289]

Awesome job!!! Never discount your ability, there are many avenues to get things done, you just have to choose the one that best suits you. Keep rocking it!!!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

That's a great way of looking at it, thanks for that🤘

[@christopherwhitcomb6233]

still watching but at the point where your checking out your die press and I'm suprised how well that worked. I'll definatly be trying this where I also 3d print. It's even more awsome the car your doing. I always wanted a 280z. Really miss Datsun. many look at me weird when i mention Datsun and say whats a Datsun. you earned a subscriber here and thanks for giving me amazing ideas

[@GrindhousePerformance]

It's been a bucket list project for me that's taught me so much about building cars. It's so far past anything else I've ever built. Thanks for subscribing, I hope you enjoy the rest of the build series! 👍

[@modisumocustoms9374]

Well done. I was so ready for the crack of those printed forms, 😂. It is quite impressive what printed parts are capable up when set up correctly. Kudos.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

With how thin the dies were, I really thought it was going to crack straight in half, not having that built up mass around it like you typically see in manufacturing dies. Being aluminum (and 5052 grade) I think really did me a lot of favors with this project, would not have been so lucky with steel I don't think!

[@Hellsatanx]

that went about as well as you could hope for, very nice!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

I couldn't believe it, thanks!

[@wafflecart]

That came out great! Excellent use of 3D printing, you probably done the whole process faster than an experienced metal worker would even do it.

[@GrindhousePerformance]

One for one, I'd say the metal guy would have me beat. I've seen some experienced bead rollers SLAM through some panels. But if it were for a small production batch I think I'd have them

[@DRMadeIt]

Bro your reaction was so genuine and inspiring

[@GrindhousePerformance]

That means a lot, thank you! Hope you're doing well

[@PatchesKB]

This is so cool! There are so many things you could do with this!

[@GrindhousePerformance]

Im really looking forward to making excuses to try this again, this worked way better than I'd hoped