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These things are amazing and are just in their infancy. I've had mine for over a year now. The only thing is that printing takes FOREVER. For instance, just the other day, I printed a little standoff bracket for my power distribution blocks that are now where my battery once was. The bracket is 3" x 3" and 3/16" thick. It took 5 hours to print... But they are cool in the sense that you can almost print anything that you want
This is pretty cool! In addition to center vents, and Lexus emblems...the ideas or parts are endless? I see some exhaust cut outs for those running single exhausts in the future as well?
This could also be huge for the collector car market. Instead of warehouses full of old, no longer produced parts, vendors could basically be drop shippers for centralized 3D Printing houses. Much like how Print-on-Demand (Amazon and others) has changed the game for traditional book publishing, allowing the small guy to fill lots of niches.
This could also be huge for the collector car market. Instead of warehouses full of old, no longer produced parts, vendors could basically be drop shippers for centralized 3D Printing houses. Much like how Print-on-Demand (Amazon and others) has changed the game for traditional book publishing, allowing the small guy to fill lots of niches.
^^ Totally agree. Although at least for visible cosmetic parts on older cars the argument for original parts will still apply.... but I've always viewed that as a complete B.S. stance with collector cars when the quality is the same or better than the original (which often is prohibitively expensive, scarce or totally unavailable). This was the case when repro parts became available for 60's Mustangs and Camaros in the mid 90's and it was silly.
I want 3D printed cosmetic car parts to take off. I'd rather see this happen and have many repaired/restored collector cars driving around.
here's how it looks in my car. i'd print them bigger in the rear, the front should be fine. just wherever you print it, make it a little bigger if you want. i think right now it's like 3 inches in diameter maybe?
Last edited by oldManTan; Feb 3, 2015 at 10:28 PM.
How does this 3D printing stuff work? Can you 3D print metal stuff? I really want a Soarer Griffin emblem and it would be cool to have one made if it's possible.
My local Microsoft Store had a 3D printer setup a little over a year ago but I never saw it print anything useful.
3D printing metal is extremely expensive. The way it works is pretty simple but it's just expensive equipment i guess. It lays down a thin layer of metal dust then a laser welds where it needs to be welded. The same as a regular 3d printer which simply dispenses plastic in the correct areas.
I can try to model a griffin emblem and I'll start an SC 3D print folder on either Google Drive or thingiverse.
If you're familiar with lost wax as a casting/smithing process for metals, you can almost replicate the same with 3D printing, so you could "print" metal like that.
I did a Google search for 1996 Lexus SC400 3D Printed parts. Luckily I was already an active member of CL so as soon as the page loaded and I saw there were already 3D printed parts made by another CL member I felt like there might be some help in my build at lease as far as 3D printed parts go. Then I realized that the thread I found was like 3+ years old or something and I could only try to hold onto a little hope that this person was still a member of CL. So if you're still a member AND/OR anyone else with 3D printer access and design skills and the desire to make and share parts designs please hit me up! I'm willing to share everything I make with anyone here on CL but most definitely with those here working on the SC's of the 90's like my new to me black 1996 SC400! I actually printed out some interior and body panel clips last night and I did them with a 0.2 mm nozzle diameter with a 0.1 mm level of accuracy and I swear to you that these pieces look better than the original's!! When I get home tonight I will post a couple pics of them. I'm gong to be making these pretty constantly because they seem so damn strong and they have are way better than the dry rotted broken or cracked ones I've been collecting from the junkyards around here every time I go seeking out other parts. Soon I'm hoping that there are still a couple of you out there or maybe there are a couple SMART, BRAVE, CREATIVE SC builders out there willing to try something new.
Please contact me either on here or via email at: atx.weenr@gmail.com
or you can send my mobile phone a text message: 512-738-9717
I will try to include a picture of my VERY FIRST PRINT EVER with this reply just to let you know I'm serious and that I'm not just totally FULL OF ISH !!!. Thanks go out to all of you, my ClubLexus brother's and sister's. I love you guys!
Anyway.. here's my first ever 3D print. I've since sanded it down and put body filler on it and got it all smoothed out and it's ready for paint I think so when I get some good paint I'm either going to try to "chrome" it or just go with a really deep mirror finish black. Ideas?
i got an SC again with a friend that we're building a drift car out of so i'll be doing some more designing, 3D scanning, and printing so keep your eyes peeled.
