EDIT : ok.. you are right Ian, the result is not good... zero effect of the Corn cob  media on the abs object..

i will try somethink else..

I'm interested  in the blasting as well.  Rotary tumbling is pretty rough, and no good for anything remotely delicate.  Vibratory would be better (Shapeways does this) and would only be about a $160 investment......

one of my friend use this tumbler to clean firearms bullets. ( http://www.cabelas.ca//store/?ID=2700&section=1187 )
i give him an ABS piece to test it. i will tell you tomorrow if it's a good idea ... for 100$ at home (89$ +tax +shipping) it will be a good choice.
it use corn cob media. it's like sand , so it's good for details printing (and you can buy it in pet shop for lizard home for half the price... )

I'm interested  in the blasting as well.  Rotary tumbling is pretty rough, and no good for anything remotely delicate.  Vibratory would be better (Shapeways does this) and would only be about a $160 investment.  If more air pressure works better, then it might be worth buying a blaster to try out.  I would the gun, compressor and media to start   I wouldn't want to spend too much on equipment to try out, but if I go too cheap I might end up with something that doesn't work while somethine more expensive might have.

I figure I would start out in the backyard.  If it works, it would be worth spending the $120 for a blast cabinet.  However the thing I like about a vibratory tumbler is there would be no skill involved in getting an even finish.  Time and randomness takes care of that.  That is also why I like acetone vapor over brushing, washing, or dipping.  The process provides the consistency.  The other methods always left brush strokes, drips, etc.

It's not as consistent but you could be more careful in the delicate areas.  You couldn't tumble a part with thin sections but you could do so with a sandblasting. 

I'm going to see if I can hook mine up to my air compressor for more than the bottled compressed air produces, I have to read up on it.  I have a 6 month old at home and about an hour a night free time which is usually spent doing something else.  I've got to set a weekend aside to move my projects along.

I figure I would start out in the backyard.  If it works, it would be worth spending the $120 for a blast cabinet.  However the thing I like about a vibratory tumbler is there would be no skill involved in getting an even finish.  Time and randomness takes care of that.  That is also why I like acetone vapor over brushing, washing, or dipping.  The process provides the consistency.  The other methods always left brush strokes, drips, etc.

I agree about the inserts have to be a complete drop in out of the way to avoid contact not too feasible.

The bearing idea can you send me a link to a images just to see what what is capable and what the finished product looked like

I really would like to make upper and lower 1911 parts for fun. See how much strength you can design into plastic design with various webs/ribs and minimal metal usage

The other comment about embedding items into your print should work, there is a pause function in pronterface but you'd have to make sure it's totally below the surface of the head for the next pass so the extruder tip doesn't bump whatever you're inserting.  I think it would be very tricky to get this to work and you'd have to be hovering over the print and ready. 

As an aside for the finishing aspect, I purchased and tried a hobby airbrush sandblaster kit which didn't touch the ridges, but I'm convinced with more air pressure this would be a much faster alternative to tumble deburring.  I just have to convince Ian to do the experimenting.. haha

Welcome to the community though, look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Thank you

Yes I understand being smaller then the 6x6x6 build but I meant can you lay out down the middle say a 7" rod diagonal and have it print that way? Since the center of the 6x6 table is 8.48" long? (a^2+b^2=c^2 thing)

Yes I hear yeah on the print in place assembly. Maybe once I get better to try it but then brings up another point. For general tolerance  does the printer provide good enough clearances for snug fits (assuming correct design) like for making RC car gears or an iphone case that snaps around the iphone. Are they actually usable and not totally slip shod?

As for finish yes you would have to prep the surface but if you find the right process it is ABS and it can be painted as such? Like painting car ABS ground effects

Tolerances allow for parts that fit together very snugly. We have made some cool model rocket parts in the shop this way.

I just finished a post on finishing ABS in a tumbler here - http://solidoodletips.wordpress.com/201 … finishing/

Also see my post about using acetone vapor here - http://www.soliforum.com/topic/183/diy- … g-station/

Impressive Ian! I had suggested months ago in other venues that a tumbler solution might work. I am glad you have gotten good results. Last I checked on the vapor bath was the somewhat "melty" yoda head you came up with. I'm a little concerned the vapor bath route could be dangerous for some users, but the results were pretty nice.

Also see my post about using acetone vapor here - http://www.soliforum.com/topic/183/diy- … g-station/

Yes I understand being smaller then the 6x6x6 build but I meant can you lay out down the middle say a 7" rod diagonal and have it print that way? Since the center of the 6x6 table is 8.48" long? (a^2+b^2=c^2 thing)

Yes I hear yeah on the print in place assembly. Maybe once I get better to try it but then brings up another point. For general tolerance  does the printer provide good enough clearances for snug fits (assuming correct design) like for making RC car gears or an iphone case that snaps around the iphone. Are they actually usable and not totally slip shod?

As for finish yes you would have to prep the surface but if you find the right process it is ABS and it can be painted as such? Like painting car ABS ground effects

You are essentially limited to the 6x6x6 build area. I might even advise that you make parts slightly smaller than that.

Printing "part in part" is very challenging with our system, and I would say that it is almost always better to print the parts and assemble them in separate stages. That said, it is possible to lay a part inside of a printed part as it is printing. Good planning will insure better results, but this procedure is very difficult to perfect.

While there is an ongoing conversation regarding finishing techniques, I personally prefer to keep the prints as is. This seems to be the practice of most of the 3D printing community. There are issues with sanding down the parts, as the ridges provide a greater challenge to sanding than most expect.

Painting is a separate issue. As it turns out, many paint varieties simply do not adhere to ABS. I have seen good results with nail polish, and other very sticky pigments, but spray paint and normal acrylic paint sets have proven surprisingly infective.

Let us know if you have any other questions.