anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)


Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

  1. #1
    Member Smertrios's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    266
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    I have it in my head that a 3d printer could be made out of silicone caulk using an ultrasonic humidifier to supply the water. basically that is it... there is a humidifier constantly covering the print area with mist and an extruder constantly pressing thin layers of silicone together (layers with a bit of water in between them).

    maybe silicone diluted with mineral spirits will get better flow characteristics out of a nozzle and better penetration from the water mist? I want to 3d print "soft actuators" but also tough materials like metal.

    Similar Threads:


  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    245
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    Interesting idea. What is the cure time of silicone caulk with a water mist? A typical 3D printer can print another layer after a very short cure time, something like 1 second. It would take forever to print something if you have a 1 minute cure time.

    Steve



  3. #3
    Member awerby's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    Wouldn't the water act as a release, preventing the layers from adhering to each other? There are syringe-type printers which work with paste-consistency materials like clay and caulk, but I've never heard of them using water. How are you planning to print in metal?

    [FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
    [URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]


  4. #4
    Member Smertrios's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    266
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    @steve323 - silicone in water will form a skin in seconds and after a minute the skin can be thick. If silicone is actively mixed with some water it turns white and cures hard in minutes. Since the layers are thin and the water droplets are tiny there may not be a long delay between layers the biggest problem is supporting a flexible model (lucky its relatively cheap). FYI the silicone I am thinking about is "GE Silicone I*"

    @awerby - I don't think the water will act as a release agent. IMO small amounts will be absorbed quickly especially under pressure of a new layer being printed. Some low temperature alloys (some melt with just body heat) could be printed but I was thinking about casting in silicone molds.

    I wonder if the mist would cause small amounts of cured silicone to build up on the nozzle eventually blocking the flow

    Last edited by Smertrios; 04-12-2018 at 10:36 AM.


  5. #5
    Member awerby's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    5728
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    Get a tube of silicone caulk and squirt some out. Dump some water on it, and then try to add more caulk. See how well it sticks. Then let us know, okay?

    [FONT=Verdana]Andrew Werby[/FONT]
    [URL="http://www.computersculpture.com/"]Website[/URL]


  6. #6
    Member Smertrios's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    266
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    I don't have any silicone caulk handy... Just a thing to think about I guess but printing with flexible material would be tricky

    Last edited by Smertrios; 04-13-2018 at 01:54 AM.


  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    usa
    Posts
    6028
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    Does it have to be silicon? What about using ninja flex filament?

    Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk



  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    245
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

    Quote Originally Posted by underthetire View Post
    Does it have to be silicon? What about using ninja flex filament?

    Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk
    Or if you really feel like trying different materials, how about using a hot glue gun. It hardens much quicker than silicone. There are many types of hot glue. Some are more flexible than the standard "craft" type.



  9. #9
    Registered
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    usa
    Posts
    30
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default

    underthetire,

    Please send me an email. I've been trying to get in touch with you.
    I saw that you worked at Yamezen (from another post) and am wondering
    if you have worked on a Brother TC-22A?

    Email: toolnuts@hotmail.com

    Regards,

    Paul Hoffman



Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)

anyone make an caulk 3d printer? (silicone caulk with sped up cure using water)