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General3D Printers and Mineral Stands

14th Feb 2017 23:49 UTCScott Rider

Hi, I was reading an interesting article about how consumers can make their money back on a 3D printer in 6 months -- through saving money on buying stuff the printer can make.

Anyway, that was not what interested me, what did was the actual use of this technology... Has anyone seen, heard or use a 3D printer to make stands for their mineral collection, or, to use for business purposes (ie. making stands to sell)....

I have quite a few display specimens that I want to make more aesthetic, and I think an acryllic custom stand is a great idea... But, since I am not a millionaire and cannot spend my disposable money on stuff like that, I thought of a 3D Printer.. It can make other stuff I could use, so it'll be used for other items but the stands are my main purpose in getting one.

Some of the printers have become very affordable, and I am going to get one eventually... But I wanted to see if anyone uses one specifically for mineral stands (heck, even whole displays). Are there templates out there for minerals? Or, is it easy to make your own template? :-S

15th Feb 2017 01:12 UTCMark D. Sherwood

Hi Scott. I have been printing for about two years and have been making a few stands. The major drawback with potential stands is that you would be unable to print stands that are colorless and transparent. I generally make mine either black or white. Colorless print filament is available, but it turns out cloudy, especially since the interior of objects other than simple boxes is filled with a space-filling network like a honeycomb to maximize structural strength while minimizing filament used and print time. Solid prints take much longer to print. For mineral collecting, the things that I have printed include crystal models, using SHAPE or Krystal Shaper software, that directly export the .shp file format that is converted by the printing software to the file format that instructs the printer. I also have been printing molecular model sets, various tool holders and organizers for my workshop, microscope camera adapters, and many other useful objects. For an idea what is available in public domain or fair use patterns, check out thingiverse.com or youimagine.com. To make may own patterns, I use OpenSCAD, an open source software available at openscad.org. Many "parametric object" files are also available that can be customized using OpenSCAD. Most basic printers use PLA (polylactic acid) and printers with a heated print bed can print ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), nylon, flexible PLA, and more exotic plastics. I hope this helps, Good luck with your exploration.

15th Feb 2017 02:10 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder

Starting with a clear block of acrylic and using a CNC machine is the only way to get professional quality bases made

16th Feb 2017 16:15 UTCScott Rider

Thanks for all your responses! I'll probably not get one until I've gone prospecting and hopefully will find some specimens to help pay for this as I won't use it just for mineral stands!! So I have a LOT of time to think about this!!!

Mark, thanks for the serious and detailed answer! I didn't think about the transparency, and I assume you pay for what you get so if I got a mainstream one, it'll probably produce milky stands... However, I think black or white could be a good contrast depending on the specimens color...

Anyway, thanks again! I have some info to digest now and I'll be researching further... CNC machines are way too expensive so I'll probably not go that route! ;-)

16th Feb 2017 16:48 UTCDoug Schonewald

Scott,

I've never seen mineral bases made this way, but I've seen some pretty decent things made from acrylic (or possibly polycarbonate) using a router and a router table. There are an infinite number of chamfer bits available. According to the gentleman I talked to the plastic was reheated on the cut surfaces using a torch ("with a very delicate touch") and this heating, and melting, of the cut surfaces made them clear again. The pieces looked pretty good. According to him he thought it possible to put multiple pieces into an oven and do the same thing but since he made pieces to order and not vast quantities he never tried that method. It seems reasonable since the melting point of acrylic is about 320 F (160 C) and well within the capabilities of an oven.

I have no proof that is how he made those pieces, but it would stand to reason. I have made acrylic boxes and polycarbonate guards for my work using the same method. Fine toothed carbide blades on table saws cut both acrylic and polycarbonate quite well without cracking or chipping. Electric planes and routers worked well to make curved shapes so I have to assume they would work well to add chamfers much in the same way custom molding is done for houses. My work never required eye appeal so we never bothered to try to take out the tool marks using heat.

There are many places that sell both acrylic and polycarbonate in sheets and strips so getting raw material would be no problem. The tooling would also be much less expensive than a printer or CNC mill by thousands of dollars. The least expensive method, of course, is to buy the bases pre-made.

It might be worth doing a little experimenting to see what you can do. Especially if you find home-made projects fulfilling and are willing to accept a few failures and less than absolutely perfect results.

Cheers

Doug

16th Feb 2017 17:24 UTCDonald B Peck Expert

I made bases for my minerals from 1/8" Lucite window glazing. I made patterns from wood with handles to keep my hands away from the bit. Used a router mounted in a router table and a pattern-bit. A piece of Lucite was stuck to the bottom of the wooden pattern and the Lucite shaped against the pattern-bit. I made three sizes of bases and could cut one out in less than ten minutes.

16th Feb 2017 17:44 UTCRonnie Van Dommelen 🌟 Manager

Scott,

If you are handy, search the web for DIY CNC machines. I didn't do a search right now, but I've seen some pics of systems before (maker fair, etc). I also know one of our techs where I work has a CNC in his basement - so not too expensive.

Ronnie

16th Feb 2017 17:55 UTCScott Rider

There sure is a lot of options! I did do a google search on the CNCs and saw the DYI ones and those could be a great option! Plus, I love watching those machines do their business!! And they would be much, much less expensive!

I assume you could program a CNC to make a label on the actual stand as well... or etch the details, but would it be clearly visible? I would assume it depends on how I build the CNC.

Sure is a lot to ponder.... Thanks again for the responses...

20th Apr 2021 01:15 UTCD W McClure

I have used a 3D printer to make small sundry household and workplace objects but have shied away from attempting to make stands with it. The reason, as echoed by previous comments is the "clear" filament comes out looking milky due to layering and air bubbles.

Instead what I did was buy blocks of acrylic and have them cut, then flame polished the sides.

Side note: don't know how this showed up as a "recent" discussion on Mindat but it did in my feed.

23rd Feb 2022 23:12 UTCRory Howell

Found this website that has nice looking bases that are quite a bit cheaper than acrylic bases, and you don't have to send them your specimen. Have not tried one yet, so cant offer any critique of the stands.

https://finemineralia.com/bases/index.html

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