It’s been a while since I updated the blog, with the Christmas and New Year slow down. I also too a break while watching my friends Chip and Ken ride from Virginia to the southern tip of Chile on their excellent blog. I wanted to join them but couldn’t get the time away from work and home, but I digress. Back to business!

I had a quote to 3D print a pattern in plastic at £240 + VAT. Quite reasonable I thought, except that if the pattern was wrong it would need to be altered and re-printed. Right first time would save around £180 on the quote for making a traditional pattern in wood. Right second time would cost and extra £60, and after that it gets expensive. Trouble is I’m not a pattern maker so a lot of it is study from the Internet and, er, guesswork!

But wait, weren’t we going to 3D print the cases in stainless steel? Well yes, until I have a quote at over £5000! Sod that! I won’t name the company as they were very helpful to be fair, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad price, it’s just not the right process for an object of this size – or my budget for that matter. So it’s back to pattern making and casting in LM25 Aluminium Alloy, with the dilemma of printing vs paying a traditional pattern maker. I mentioned this to Nick, who promptly said…

"Oh, I can make one in wood. Just not in metal". Really? Oh ok, well that makes perfect sense. I’ll ask my drawing office (Gary at work) to do me a favour and modify the drawing to what I think the pattern should look like. A cup of tea with Bob and quick chat later, I had a set of marked up printouts ready to forget to take to work for a few weeks. I safely delivered them today and wait patiently for the amended CAD files.

Onward and Upward! Oh and Happy New Year!!

P.S. In case you were wondering, Chip and Ken they made it safely back home. You can read more about it here -> http://rtwnorthsouth.blogspot.co.uk/