After lots and lots of experimentation, I might have finally cracked a simple 3D scanning workflow in the home garage that's actually useful.
I designed a header flange for Tim's Elva yesterday:
Should this be the next topic in Making Stuff? Or too obscure? And before I refine this further does anybody else have a foolproof at home 3D scanning setup?
Id LOVE a writeup on this - what you use, costs etc
I am fascinated by all of the related technologies that are coming down in price and would be interested in the article, absolutely.
I've always justified any money I spend on tooling, tools, and equipment as somehow not real expenses but as investments in myself.
Totally a different budget from cars. ( at least in my titewad old mind).
My only real concern is how complex it will be to understand actual operation. Will it be obscure, secret, jargon loaded language. Where a person needs to read a translation textbook and pass with a score of 100, or something the average mechanic can master in a session or two?
The part is specific, but the process is generic. I'd read it.
Yes, please!
Last I checked (years ago) accurate 3D scanning tools were really expensive or cheap photogrammetry made awful crude models.
100% would read this and ask many questions.
Definitely do this if you've got a good system.
I've been trying to justify buying the revopop $500 scanner, but if there's a cheaper or better way, I'm all ears.
The Kinect route was a dud, all the photogrannetry apps seem to be duds, so anything that works is interesting.
I'm interested for sure.
Don't see myself every getting to the 3d scanning level of garage DIY, but i'd definitely geek out reading about it.
I'd find the process, and more importantly the quality of the outcome interesting.
I can't help but think for an exhaust flange like this that an old beer box, hole punch, scissors, pen, and a small hammer would yield a more than accurate enough 2D outline to trace onto steel and cut out. I suspect that could be accomplished in the same time as just figuring out the scan to computer model to CAD. However....if the scan is accurate I can see there being a great use for it in tight areas when things are still installed in the car vs on the bench/out of the car.
In reply to Asphalt_Gundam :
Cardboard would likely be easier, but now if he also scans the engine bay he can fully design the exhaust in virtual to route around wherever he needs it.
Glad there's interest here! Okay, I'll write about it. Sold.
As far as this vs. cardboard: My end goal is for a stainless steel flange that fits the car to be present at a fabricator in California. Rather than order stainless steel, then go through two transfers to get a pattern onto it, then cut it out by hand, I'll probably just upload a DXF to a cutting service and have it delivered directly to the fabricator. Should save everything time/money and be more precise than the cardboard. In CAD, for example, I can make sure things are symmetrical/square way more easily than I could in cardboard.
Thanks Tom, I'm curious about everything. The part you made, is that a finished product or a master for something like lost wax casting? If it is finished, the plastic withstands the heat and vibration of an engine?
We had 3D printers at work and put out among other things, human body repair parts, some made from just an MRI. We also had a 3D that sprayed metal, not cheap but less expensive than putting a faulty weapon in the field.
Dan
In reply to 914Driver :
Don't think he has made anything in the real world yet (although I'd definitely print that out on the belt printer to test fit before sending it off to get cut)
Thats just a virtual model
Tom Suddard said:Glad there's interest here! Okay, I'll write about it. Sold.
As far as this vs. cardboard: My end goal is for a stainless steel flange that fits the car to be present at a fabricator in California. Rather than order stainless steel, then go through two transfers to get a pattern onto it, then cut it out by hand, I'll probably just upload a DXF to a cutting service and have it delivered directly to the fabricator. Should save everything time/money and be more precise than the cardboard. In CAD, for example, I can make sure things are symmetrical/square way more easily than I could in cardboard.
Once it's in the digital world you can also 3D print a prototype before you send it off for fab.
Curious here as well, and have the same struggles in making some one-off things in which this could come in handy. Even if I don't make it myself it could be made by others, easier, after design is done. Biggest PITA is the initial bit!
My normal process is hand measure, print it, laminate it, cut it, fit it, repeat until it works.
Very curious about this! I have used photogrammetry on larger stuff with some success but never had good luck with small stuff. I'm kind of a snob about resolution but I have been spoiled with 6 figure laser scanner systems in the past.
Oh hey look a prototype. That lower bar is just to keep everything aligned for test fit.
Definitely curious about all of this and would read the heck out of any related article; my main exposure so far is the above-linked Superfast Matt episode, which seemed to indicate that you can do okay with a phone as long as it's an iPhone, IIRC, and I'm not an Apple guy. Hoping there's a home-shop scale solution that doesn't need an Apple device (though I could borrow my wife's tablet).
Fingers crossed some of the specialty devices are getting more reasonable.
At one time there was a website where you could submit a bunch of photo. , the website would run it thru their Supercomputer and send you a 3D file ,
That company went out of business but I wonder if anyone else did picked that up ?
It seems like something an Indian startup could do well with , value added would be real live people to clean up the file and maybe 3D print it for you.
Tom Suddard said:Oh hey look a prototype. That lower bar is just to keep everything aligned for test fit.
Slick! Does it fit?
APEowner said:Tom Suddard said:Oh hey look a prototype. That lower bar is just to keep everything aligned for test fit.
Slick! Does it fit?
Hah, reminds me of the "Stonehenge" stage prop in the movie Spinal Tap...
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