How do I get custom plastic parts made?

!!!

Now in technicolor

Veteran

• Oct 28, 2009

• #1

If I have specs for something plastic I'd like created for myself, where/how can I have a company make and send it to me? I'd like to be able to choose the plastic and/or the properties of the plastic.

I know most of these places will have a minimum order of 1000 or so. I'm looking for one that's more for the individual hobbyist rather than geared for ppl doing this commercially.

 

steppinRazor

cant stop wont stop

Veteran

• Oct 28, 2009

• #2

pretty sure it'd just be cheaper to buy the pocket-pussy..
dont worry i hear they ship in discrete packaging

 

Stoner4Life

Medicinal Advocate

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Oct 28, 2009

• #3

try going to a real hobby shop, ask the clerk or owner if he knows of anyone working in that medium, that might be your best option. another option is have a hobbyist or an artist create your design in clay, then see if you can have it molded in plastic, clay is easy to work with and mistakes are pounded out & reshaped.......

 

RockyMountainHi

I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with th

Veteran

• Oct 28, 2009

• #4

You need a prototype shop.

First thing is a solid blueprint with sizes and tollerancing

Fax said print to machine shops that offer proto services - they will get you a price back.

 

sirgrassalot

Domesticator of Cannabis

Veteran

• Oct 28, 2009

• #5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3d_printing

 

blackone

Active member

Veteran

• Oct 28, 2009

• #6

RockyMountainHi said:

You need a prototype shop.

First thing is a solid blueprint with sizes and tollerancing

Fax said print to machine shops that offer proto services - they will get you a price back.

Click to expand...

This was also my first thought. It should be possible to find some small prototype workshop to do this for you.
Speaking tolerances - if you don't know them yourself then just give the shop the parts that need to fit your piece. If they deserve to be in the business then they should be able to make your item like that (at least if they cater to smaller innovators)

 

Last edited: Oct 28, 2009

C

cashmunny

Member

• Oct 28, 2009

• #7

You want a stereolithography part made. They build the part up in layers from a special resin that hardens when laser light hits it. So they use a computer controlled laser to shine the light on the resin in a pattern based on the geometry of your part at a particular cross section. A cross section is taken every few thousandths of an inch so the part edges are pretty smooth. You'll need a "part.stl" file generated by a CAD program like CATIA or Solidworks.

It's typically used for visualization prototypes because it's cheaper than machining. But the parts can be used functionally. I wouldn't use it for big parts or a serious load bearing part like an engine mount. But for small parts that are lightly loaded it's the bomb.

 

B

budlykush

Member

• Oct 28, 2009

• #8

You could try here-

http://www.shapeways.com/

BK

 

Norrath

Member

• Oct 28, 2009

• #9

you can make molds and cast your part by yourself...big hobby store chains sell all the plastics and mold making tools you'd need. Unless you dont trust yourself or the hobbiest-catered supplies bought at the store...

 

ItsAllOver

Devil's Advocate

• Oct 28, 2009

• #10

Wow

Wow

budlykush said:

You could try here-

http://www.shapeways.com/

BK

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, dude! I have been thinking about this for the last month or so. I first came across something like it back in the day when I was big into computer modeling. They were doing it with foam back then, I think...

 

S

SkiFreeYeti

Member

• Oct 29, 2009

• #11

basically listen to cash$.

sketch your part in CAD and have it made by rapid prototyping.