PSG build .. Is such a passion! BUT!

[bobhcot]

Shouldn't this be in the For Sale section?

[Malcolm]

No,there is nothing in this thread listed for sale.

[Jif]

Dont laugh, its just a thought, but I wonder how far away 3D printing Technology is from printing parts strong enough to take the stresses in a PSG.

I remember reading an article in the 90's about the American military using 3D printing to produce parts for trucks in the desert in Iraq, from memory they were some kind of metal alloy built up layer by layer. Doing a google search for military use of this technology brings a lot of hits, here's one example.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5278710/raf-tornado-test-flight-with-3d-printed-parts

Obviously the military have the resources to invest in this, but as others have pointed out, the cost of these technologies will come down, so it's a realistic possibility.

Do the materials used for rods etc need to be metal, if there are new materials being produced by 3D printing which have the same strength as metal parts could they not be used making the build lighter. I read somewhere that new bonding techniques in some 3D printers could produce materials as strong if not stronger than metal. Appreciate that the body, changer etc need to be of materials which produce the desired tone but couldn't the majority of the mechanics be produced using other materials.

Probably a few years away yet though.