3D Printed vs Aluminum Injection Molds

[@j.dietrich]

I wouldn't use printed mold tooling for any sort of production, but they can be extremely useful for testing and iterating molds. If you're designing a part with difficult features, printing a test tool can save you from machining an expensive piece of scrap or chasing your tail with rework. A printed mold will never behave exactly like a metal mold due to the different thermal properties, but it can give you some useful information, particularly if you don't have the budget for mold flow analysis.

[@JohnSL]

I suspect this depends on what ability you have to make molds. If you don't have a CNC machine, and therefore have to rely on someone else to make the molds, what you say is spot on and I should have mentioned that. Using a 3D printed test mold before paying someone else to make a mold does make a lot of sense. For me, since I have the equipment and experience, milling a mold is often faster.

[@j.dietrich]

@@JohnSL The key factor is opportunity cost. Printed molds are objectively bad, the resin isn't particularly cheap, but it frees up a milling spindle to do something else. That's obviously not a significant factor in your shop, but the value proposition is compelling in a commercial environment. FFF printing for soft jaws and fixtures has a very similar business case.

[@rev.aux-weg9730]

I guess if you print a mold in pa12 on a SLS you get a pretty usefull mold. The only problem that remains is the heat disapation. I think LCD or DLP is just not the best choice of printer.

[@Theexplorographer]

Have you tried ceramic resin or Phrozen Functional Resin - TR250LV High Temp 3D Printing Resin? You can also put additives in your resin as well. If you are experimenting you could try aluminum dust mixed in the resin.

[@Splarkszter]

3D printing never was about production (until very recently) the main salling point is fast prototyping and to replace injection molding for small bussineses.

[@TheCrafsMan]

My mannn, I'm glad the Siraya tech resin worked alright for you! (P.S. My contact at Siraya sent over some clear to try - he says you can theoretically get an even STRONGER resin printed injection mold due to more thorough UV curing. I neeed to try it.)

[@hotfuzz1913]

And keep steady craftin

[@Jun127]

It's the real crafsman. What's up with KZbin not giving your channel a check-mark?

[@JohnSL]

Thanks. I also found out that they Siraya Tech Sculpt Ultra White that is rated to 220C (and I put a link in the description). I suggested this to Rulon in case he wants to try that next time. I don't have an SLA printer (I had one and hated working with it). And since I have a nice CNC machine, that's faster for me anyway.

[@WarGamerGirl]

I may have to finally give this a shot =D

[@prnzali2010]

TheCrafsMan - it's so cool when a creator actually replies and gives their fans guidance and encouragement! I love your channel.

[@conrad2468]

One thing I do when designing 3D printed molds is to actually recess the unused parts of the mold. This reduces surface area contact and makes it so you don't have to sand your mold halves to get them to mate flush. The smaller surface area actually warps the mold back into shape when clamped so both halves are flush with one another. Granted these molds don't have many cycles, but the results were promising with no flashing and no sanding.

[@gabrielneto1156]

Loved the shout out to the steady crafting man.. love his chanel too! Keep the good job, learning a lot! thank you!

[@XcoolcoolbeansbeansX]

Great video and insight into the realities of these molds! Even in the last year, there have been many developments in resins and tech for printing molds. Not to mention the costs of resin printers and associated gear absolutely tanking, which is excellent for DIYers and people trying to break into this unbelievably expensive industry. Possibly at the time you made this video, it might not have made complete sense. Still might not to many. That said, there are companies and individuals getting hundreds of cycles out of single resin printed molds with excellent results. This is enough for many. Obviously we would all chose to have aluminum molds in an ideal world. But it isn't one for most of us. Especially for those who are not able to invest in the traditional "proper" equipment. Many of us are punching this shit out on a homemade injection mold rig, doing it in a shed. The extra hassle of making something work with the resin process is the difference between having something vs nothing at the end of the day. I can print 30 molds if I need to, and still be well under the cost of a traditional route. It's also an incredible learning tool when it comes to the real world complexities of injection molding. There is also the aspect of trying to paste traditional injection molding processes to the resin injection molds, as if they were metal. It just isn't going to be that way, as much as many in the industry treat it to be. There are likely many more differences to discover and learn. Lots of adaptations that can be made. Lots of improvements to develop. Even this comment section alone has some excellent advice. As materials advance and the tech progresses, I am hopeful for a day where everyone looks back and says "wow how ridiculous it was that we used expensive, complex, subtractive manufacturing processes just to make a mold for a single brush..."

[@matthewanderson2464]

I recently made a small resin 3D printed mold and it works great. The difference, I'm injecting wax, not plastic. It holds up well to the lower temperatures. I use the wax for lost wax casting of rings. I find the plastic procedures fascinating, and I've learned some things that I can apply to my wax mold making. Thank you, very informative.

[@blahblahblahblah2933]

Very interesting tests...loved his Crafsman shoutout!

[@StonegateCreations]

Nice breakdown. I machine a lot of alum injection molds for reproduction toys but will sometimes use a printed a mold for prototyping before making chips. Even then the "hi-temp" resins chip after a couple shots. Resins have made leaps so maybe within decade they will be on par with aluminum for small production runs.

[@JohnSL]

Agreed. It might get there someday. But it's not there today.

[@lupusk9productions]

have you tried any of the formlabs high temp resins? I would be curious to see how those hold up to these tests.

[@StonegateCreations]

@@lupusk9productions I haven't but I have talked to some sales reps about the material. My take-away was it wasn't ideal for deep molding. It was still cheaper for me to machine the type of aluminum molds I make vs investing in the form series printers.

[@michaelmoe8656]

You should bake the high temp print after washing and prior to curing. this helps to remove moisture, which prevents cracking and makes the mold more durable. also, you may try phrozens tr300 ultra high temp resin, which has the highest rated working range ive been able to find.

[@seenmakino]

Have you seen siraya's high temp ultra white? It claims 220c

[@michaelmoe8656]

Haven't tried it, but that's about the same as the tr300. If I can't get the tr300, I would probably try it then. Thanks!

[@EricStrebel]

Pure gold!

[@arabiccola]

Such a great video! I have been watching similar content for a long time and this production is unique for a number of reasons.

[@jellyfish1433]

Resin looks like it would be ideal for rapid prototyping, but if it’s all you have, then I don’t see why it wouldn’t be perfectly fine to use on smaller production runs while you are getting started up! Also, as someone who primarily uses FDM printers, I’m always blown away with how much detail a lot of these newer resin printers are able to get! Even some of the more budget friendly SLA printers have a crazy high resolution

[@JohnSL]

That's true, you could use resin molds for very short production runs. The issue is that you would need to replace the inserts every so many parts. It is a bit of work to make new inserts and prepare them, as I believe it often takes some sanding to get them to fit just right.

[@jellyfish1433]

@@JohnSL that is very true, but with the cost of a machined mold, it might just be a decent option for people just getting started up who already have an SLA printer. One thing to look into would also be a sanding jig to get the proper thickness/flatness on each part without as much struggle. The biggest benefit is definitely rapid prototyping though.

[@JohnSL]

It's a time vs money tradeoff. Resin doesn't cool the parts off the way aluminum does, which therefore also results in longer times per part.

[@Ragnar8504]

@@JohnSL I've always been told that professional aluminium molds start around 100k, for that kind of money you could print a lot of resin moulds for small runs. Is that true or is that vastly exaggerated?

[@martinmckee5333]

​@@Ragnar8504As with most things. The answer is, it depends, but a multi-part mold for a product we're considering was quoted at under $10,000 at a Chinese manufacturer. Still not cheap by any means, but that's still an order of magnitude under $100k.

[@Rafaelguitarplayer]

You can easily add holes/galleries for liquid cooling on the molds, that will help to keep the temperatures low, preserving the mold longer. This is actually the real benefit of 3d printed resin molds. Of course this will work better on a automatic machine that has cooling for molds, but just giving my 2 cents about the subject.

[@JohnSL]

I've seen examples of this being done for molds run on automatic machines. I imagine you could do the same for manual molds. But having to deal with the water lines as you remove the mold and put it back into the machine wouldn't be fun. I'd much rather just use aluminum molds.

[@angrydragonslayer]

While completely irrelevant to this level of manifacturing, we do 3d print steel molds with custom cooling channels We're able to run them 20-30% faster in steel and sometimes 150% in copper

[@iAmTheSquidThing]

I learned a surprising amount about injection moulding just from this one video.

[@JohnSL]

Thanks.

[@Mr-Highball]

Great vid and nice shoutout to the crafsman 👌

[@thetylergibson]

Oh my goodness hey John! So cool to see you on KZbin!

[@JohnSL]

Hey Tyler! How many years has it been? I know more than 12 years since we worked together. But I seem to recalling running into you once since then. We should have lunch, as I see your office is across the street from me.

[@lxc3909]

Thanks for another informative video. Two thoughts: First, the print orientation of the resin-printed mold really can make a difference. Printing it "flat" is quickest, but printing it upright or on an upright angle is superior for finish and strength. Second, the Siraya Tech Sculpt is a good product, with an HDT around 160C; however, Formlabs makes High Temp Resin with an HDT of 238C and Rigid 10K Resin with an HDT of 218C. Okay, a bonus third thought: You can speed up the resin-printing and the cooling rate of the molds by *not* printing them solid, but relieving the "back" where it is not directly supporting the cavity.

[@JohnSL]

I learned from one of my viewers that Siraya also has Sculpt Ultra White, which is rated to 220C. I let Rulon know about that and he may try this again with that resin. If so, I'll make another video reporting the results. amzn.to/3PlsB0G

[@d3m0n54in7]

@@JohnSL I've used sculpt ultra white for plastisol. It seems to hold up well enough but it's a little touchy when it comes to your exposure settings.

[@dronus]

What injection molding machine are you using?

[@Cassiusisback]

siraya also has "sculpt ultra" goes up to 220°c. im almost sure, the wear was due to the clamping, not the heat. those surfaces really werent plane. i think he didnt wash the print enough before curing. normally resin printer leave a mirror- finish thats perfectly plane. if your printer sucks, maybe try to facemill the print. no stress hotspots while clamping, no chipping of the print. i would bet :)

[@thePlasmoids]

awesome video. as means of production become more accessible, the world will move from consumer economy to creator economy. videos like this will guide a future worth living. Thanks!

[@NefariousElasticity]

I'm positive someone's already said this, but the nice thing about the resin molds is that you can print out 10 sets of them with a $25 bottle of resin instead of paying way more than that for a machined aluminum mold. You'll blow through the resin ones way faster, but for an independent maker trying to do small-scale production or even just a home gamer without a huge budget, it's pretty handy.

[@BillyhillDurotan]

that crafs man video may have me jump down a sidequest that I may have never expected

[@StardustViking]

I have always been interested in injection moulding... and the system you have interests me a lot... where can I purchase the injection mould... looking forward to your reply.

[@tenlittleindians]

I'm wondering if moving the sprue towards the brush end would reduce the sink without having to increase injection time? That wire has to change the cooling properties near the point of contact with the aluminum mold. With a 30,000rpm spindle you can easily run engraving bits with smaller points for better details such as your lettering. I made myself a custom aluminum injection mold for a guitar pick. I designed a raised logo on the picks to both provide a better grip and to function as advertising without the need to print on the picks later. I found I got better detail with shallow cut lettering.

[@alexp7274]

How about water/liquid cooling the 3d printed mold during injection. The aluminum base halves could have conduits and a recirculating pump and radiator setup supplying through them (similar to computer cooling systems), taking away the heat. Possibly even more so than a pure aluminum mold if the system is dialed in correctly for correct temps.

[@d6c10k4]

Consider making a graphite electrodes on the CNC mill and burning the cavity using ram EDM. Much easier machining the graphite and the finish will be better, and more consistent with EDM. (easier to add draft to the fine details also) You're not limited to aluminum for the mold either. Hardened steel would be an option because it's just as easily EDM'd as alum.

[@Vikingman2024]

Excellent idea! Now where to find a used RAM EDM at reasonable price..

[@JohnSL]

Except that I don't have a RAM EDM. I have a moratorium on new machines for my shop at the moment until I get more of them running. Self-imposed.

[@mnotlyon]

@@Vikingman2024 Ebay.

[@swamihuman9395]

- Very interesting. - Thx for sharing, and detailing things.

[@reprapmlp]

21:20 you have a great big air-cooled heatsink attached right there

[@swamihuman9395]

- SIMPLIFY PROGRAMMING FOR MULTIPLE PARTS (OR 2-SIDED)... - 'MANUFACTURING MODEL' (in Fusion 360 CAM): consider using this: one for each half (core/cavity). - Do 'Create Setup from Manufacturing Model' (for each part). - And do 'Associate Named View' (for each 'Manufacturing Model'). - Hopefully, this finds you in time, and you will be able to take advantage in future projects... - All in all though, great job on the modeling/programming: parts came out very nicely.

[@d3AdLyf3]

Im a plastic injection mold maker. 1. Polish your runner channels ( the sprue you added shouldnt curve... ) 2. Your location pins should be removable press fit dowels, usually at .499 or .500 3. You need you accommodate heat shrink the plastic will expand about .015 thou 4.. those inner faces with the detail would be considered an insert, inserts are typically toolnsteel, hardened for a reason, i know you are limited in your options but! Heres what you can do! Send your cam models to a mold shop, tell them you have housing you just need this insert fabricated, they will cut carbon blocks to mirror opposite of your image, it wont be cheap but it will be right, chamces are itll be tool steel.

[@Micbop]

Thanks for that I was thinking of a 3d printer just for moulds now I know no go!!

[@Jandodev]

I did the same thing with the high temp sirayatech resin!

[@thedustyengineer]

It’s a pretty thick part, the sink doesn’t surprise me.

[@Wellknown-g9f]

A way to improve heat conductivity in resin would be to add copper particles to it.

[@hotfuzz1913]

Nice shout out to man crafsman and remember Keep steady craftin

[@Theexplorographer]

Have you tried Ceramic Resin?

[@saeedporfekr2584]

Very helpful. Thanks👍

[@abdulaziza]

Very useful and informative

[@dcocz3908]

You could try spray mold release, various injection moulding suppliers keep similar products, I use mouldpro mould release

[@ericlee4664]

This is great. I have been having similar experiences with 3d printed molds using a Buster Beagle machine. I do see 3d printing as a great way to prototype an aluminum mold. Do you know if there are any online services that offer aluminum mold milling and what the costs might be for an aluminum mold similar to what you have in this video?

[@JohnSL]

I make injection molds for others. I'm not fast, because this is a hobby for me, but I make sure my customers are satisfied. Most of the molds I've made are below $1000. Some a lot below, if they're really simple. It all depends on the complexity of the mold and whether I need to design the mold as well as make it. Some parts, for example, are not designed with draft and I often find it's faster for me to just re-do the part in 3D CAD. I've gotten parts where it's impossible to add the draft (because of how they part was designed) without starting over. That adds to the cost. Also, I've received more than a few parts that would require a multi-part injection mold, which is therefore even more expensive.

[@ericlee4664]

@@JohnSL thanks for the response!

[@titter3648]

Try making a positive mold with resin and then make the negative mold to be used in the injection machine by casting JB Weld around the resin mold. JB Weld can take a lot of heat and also conducts heat better than the resin. And it is really tough and wear resistant.

[@JohnSL]

There is a long history of using epoxy molds for small run injection molds. They will be stronger, as you point out. Plus, you can add aluminum powder to increase the thermal conductivity. So, yes, I think that's a viable option.

[@aaronmarkstaller]

Nice I was thinking about that. How many cycles does jb weld last? Or maybe Hysol?

[@nirodha7028]

I am noticing most ‘hobby grade injection moulders’ (I don’t mean that in a derogative way) are making thick parts not really geared towards injection moulding (one reason for higher cycle time and excessive sink marks. This leads me to a question; Is this because most hobbyists don’t know how to design thin walled parts for injection moulding or is the ‘DIY’ machine not capable of high enough pressure to get polymer all the way into a mould for lets say the clam shell housing of a remote control or something similar? Really interested to learn about this. I am interested in DIY injection moulding but only if allows me to make thin walled injection moulded ‘housings’ of various sizes. One I am looking at now for example has a 75 gram shot size (part only without risers or gate loss) and bounding box size of about 200x150x30mm Would a ‘DIY’ injection moulding machine be capable of such a part? (Given a good mould design ofcourse). Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[@medalikhazri829]

Nice job jhon i am a big fan from tunisia

[@himanilsharma2147]

I paused video in between to say thank you craftsssmann... He is awesome and his every technique is innovative and mind blowing... He is a saver Edit: is he really Craftsman steady guy..!!! It feels overwhelmed to see him, I am really his big fan... Can you please say a Hiii and thanks to him from me and am definitely going to watch your other videos

[@shouminz]

Thx for great video. Have possible to make a video for led color mixing lens by aluminium mold?

[@kevinbarbour7649]

I really needed to see this, thanks

[@9fiveb180]

Is the "sinking" caused by the leakage that spirals down the twisted wire from the pressure of the injected material? Maybe?

[@tomcatmeow69]

I found this a very interesting video as it is almost what I'm intending to do with my resin printer. I have an electrical electronic wire harness manufacturing business and one of my customers wants a strain relief overmolded onto a connector with wires running to it. They only want low volume of approx 175 per year so it may be possible to make a resin mold. I've looked at the Formlabs system and have looked into high temperature resins. I notice Rulon used a decent resin but I think there are better ones out there. At any rate I will be trying this process out for sure.

[@karthikkannan4859]

Great video. Can it be used for PC parts?

[@JohnSL]

Do you mean polycarbonate? I've never worked with PC, so can't say from experience. But I don't see why not.

[@kenengel620]

Can someone explain the cold trap a bit more? How does that work?

[@baschz]

Very interesting video. It looks like the sink would even help with holding it. For other people also using resin; I am having great success with Siraya Tech Fast, the faster and cheaper option. Better than the also used here Siraya Tech Sculpt actually. I don't have a professional machine like you guys (I am using an open source self-built Buster Beagle 3D machine) and I don't generally need as many parts though. I also don't have a metal casing and just clamp the resin molds directly, but it still works.

[@JohnSL]

The sink mark is an indication that the packing isn't as high as it could be. Holding injection pressure on the mold longer increases packing. And the increased packing will hold onto the wire better. One way to think about this is it's "maintaining" a higher pressure on the wire with increased packing.

[@baschz]

@@JohnSL I understand it’s better without the sink. Just thought it added a nice unintended dent which can help with holding it :) B.T.W. I’ve finally sent you some stickers. Hope they arrived or will arrive soon.

[@JLK89]

What about printing the positive with sprue pieces, and just mould aluminium filled epoxy around it in the mould halves?

[@JohnSL]

That would probably work. It's not something I've tried, as I can make an aluminum mold fairly quickly. Probably faster than 3D printing the masters.

[@thomasmore260]

That is what I wanted to suggest too. It takes away the hazzle for high temperature resin and the metal fill takes care about the heat transfer and wear.

[@bdot02]

What machine do you guys have for doing the injections?

[@gastjjs]

Definetely great content. suscribed!

[@JohnSL]

Awesome, thank you!

[@lancecurley5188]

3 seconds in and I’ve already subscribed

[@design8studio]

Thanks for the great video!

[@SinedWOLF]

13:33 What is CAD? p.s. oh, its a FUSION 360)

[@JohnSL]

I use Fusion 360.

[@GregAtlas]

I wonder how Siraya Tech Blu, Sculpt with a 10-25% mix ratio of Tenacious, or their Mecha resin would hold up for this purpose. I know Sculpt alone is pretty brittle. I also kind of wonder if heat treating in an oven first might help with that warping issue.

[@debragibson3489]

Injection molding is a very precise and artistic process! Historic Records are very important to setting up a mold for process. Also humidity, and ALL other atmospheric parameters included. QC controls should be included with deliveries from suppliers!!!.....Lots of influences determine the final product!!!!

[@benjaminscott1927]

@JohnSL - Random Products They make a ceramic based resin. @Integza uses it to build nozzles for his rockets. I believe you dry it out with a kiln or oven. I would check it out.

[@raymondbakken8577]

What kind of cnc machine are you using?

[@jackdanielzx]

liked and subbed because of the craftsman shoutout.

[@RecordedH]

Amazing, you are god sent!

[@2iinfinite]

17:50 😂 Good impression

[@phatvw1]

John, what are your thoughts on 3D-printing a negative mold and then metal casting? Is it worth the trouble?

[@devilmastah]

have a search for lost resin casting, i started doing this a few weeks ago and its awesome!

[@clypeum5063]

Nice Video John! Waited for this one :)

[@JohnSL]

Thanks.

[@BarronBros1822]

How about if the resin molds were electroplated? Also are your resin molds properly cured? You could try cranking the exposure time on the high temp resin

[@animex5252]

What is this machine you are using? Thanks and best regards

[@PurpleHaze2k9]

Im so glad you mentioned the crafsman. Lets me know im in the right place haha

[@mickjagger8621]

Hey, can you post a (affiliate) link to your “low temp TPE”??? Did not know that existed and can’t find it

[@luceratan]

thank you for video, save me a lot of time an money trying 3d printed mold :) my biggest fear was heat release and its a thing

[@David_11111]

what make was the 3 inch machine ? please

[@JohnSL]

It's this machine: www.abplasticinjectors.com/ab-400

[@David_11111]

@@JohnSL Thankyou

[@FadedDreamzTv]

It would be interesting if you did more videos with the 3d printed mold durability with different resins brands.

[@karlosss1868]

Very interesting! Thx

[@robertLanes]

move where the plastic is injected to the middle instead of comining in on the end

[@Eagle031265]

Hello John, nice video. John the In jection machine you have is of your own production or you got it from a vendor? I'm looking for a machine like that to inject some Delrim pins. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Regards from Costa Rica.

[@maurondndramirezm744]

Saludos desde Colombia, ¿Que tipo de aluminio usas para el molde?

[@macafern]

English please

[@5FSF]

I wonder if you were to cast a larger shape or if more of the overall mold space was aluminum instead of resin or if the actual cutout was further away from the sprue if it would remove heat more effectively. I've always thought it would be cool to have someone with a thermal camera record the demold process, maybe even some intentionally too-early demolding to see if there was any sort of behaviors to inform adjustments to the aluminum jacket resin printed mold process.

[@frosty-tg1me]

What company do you work for or how can you make a mold for me because I need a mold and you look like the right guy, talk back soon

[@loomismeister]

Are you using a special device to smoothly rotate your CAD camera? I see some really smooth rotations there but I'm wondering how you are controlling it.

[@bowieinc]

Great video! Thanks!

[@the_chomper]

the gate is to small, it needs to flow better and you need to have the mold liquid cooled to prevent that sink. really not a difficult thing, drill holes down the length of the mold then cross drill and tap the ends for plugs. run a computer liquid cooling rig (because its small and manageable, also you can adjust the temperature) and you will have a nice injection mold. if you liquid cool it and use an "ABS like" or high temp resin you can probably get quite a long life out of the mold.

[@jbrownson]

Very informative, thanks

[@karolytoth1620]

Could you tell me the type of your molding machine pls?

[@dumbcat]

that looks like a pretty cool plastic injection machine he has. can anyone tell me what the make and model is? thanks

[@1MRsnuppy]

Hi, I found your website :) and after watching the video I liked this miniature injection molding machine :) what's its name and can you buy it somewhere ?? greetings

[@JohnSL]

It's an AB-100: www.abplasticinjectors.com/ab-100

[@spokehedz]

I wonder if a very thin mold, to allow for detail that the 3D printer can have, will let the heat out 'just enough'.

[@chariotrider1641]

Hi John, great video, I learned a lot. So, do you (can you) make small aluminum parts for the public to purchase? i.e. motorcycle parts

[@JohnSL]

You can contact me by clicking on the button to show my email address here: kzbin.infoabout

[@eross21]

where do i get a machine like this?

[@nickst2797]

Could you use FMD 3d printed molds, instead of SLA?

[@macafern]

great video. you mention I'm passing the guys that made the $100 aluminum block mold. what is the company name? is there a link? thanks

[@JohnSL]

This is the one that Rulon used for his machine: www.techkits.com/products/mold-epoxy/

[@heathenxyt]

Well done.

[@JohnSL]

Thanks.

[@jpegcoma]

Nice video. Could you tell what is the name of this injection machine?

[@JohnSL]

Rulon's machine is made by AB Plastic Injectors. I believe his is an AB-400: www.abplasticinjectors.com/ab-400

[@Trashalchemy]

Ah a fellow Crafsman enjoyer!

[@Fulcra]

How do I get into injection molding? Is there a desktop machine you recommend?

[@JohnSL]

I'd say first watch some of my other videos to ensure you have an idea of what's required. For most people, doing the CAD design and making that design injection-mold friendly is the biggest barrier. For example, this video covers some of that, and I also have other videos that can fill that in. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hH7GZ2CsotSFq5o

[@dikshantsolanki9423]

What aluminium you have used like is this aluminium 7000 series 7050/7052

[@pinkersky]

gracias!!!!!

[@Batmandarkknight.]

Hey do you make embossing dies I need a die that has fine line like lenticular .

[@AClownsWorld]

yooo i love crafsman hes awesome!

[@greengrowlocks566]

I remember doing a paper on 3d printing in highschool in the early 2000's. How did someone like yourself get into the CAD and stuff considering your much older than me? Did you lean it at university?

[@JohnSL]

I'm self taught. I got interested in CAD when I was designing products for model trains as a hobby. I started with a program called VX (I wasn't a big fan of that) and then switched to SolidWorks around 2007. That was before all the wonderful content on KZbin, so I purchased a few books and learned. These days, Titans of CNC is a great resource for leaning CAD and CAM.