Hey All
Thought this might be handy for you guys. Have any of you done any 3D printing? Materials are getting better so thought it would be worth asking if anyone wants to try it? After anyone who wants to test them?
RDM - (CAD Designer) has been generous enough to give us access to FREE 3d Print finbox templates! So all you need to do is just go to this link
http://sanded.com.au/3d_fin_boxes_28.html
Look for the design you are after - click on and download - send to a 3d printer - then use in your boards!
6 different designs - different sizes to fit most fins - AND ALL OF THEM FREE TO USE!!
Please post pics on how the designs went as I'm interested to see and get feedback.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing that Sanded. The idea of having a box made to exacting dimensions is going to be very popular. 
Makes it a bit easier than trying to balance a fin halfway, then make a split mold from it.
I'm guessing there are different plastics available also.
edit: and maybe a few different box designs..
Select to expand quotepepe47 said..
Thanks for sharing that Sanded. The idea of having a box made to exacting dimensions is going to be very popular.
Makes it a bit easier than trying to balance a fin halfway, then make a split mold from it.
I'm guessing there are different plastics available also.
edit: and maybe a few different box designs..
Hey Pepe
No probs! I'm always looking for the latest and new tech. I think this is going to be the next thing in all sports listed here - Imagine - you design a new fin system in your head - put it down in a CAD drawing then print it out yourself!! This is only a year or 2 away! Who knows we all might be sailing around on "Pepe fins"!
Not sure if the ABS will stand up to the forces so my need to use the newer PET filaments but my printer will not do the temperature. Been thinking of printing up some fins for my Sector to see how they would go and using carbon rod inserts to stiffen up and stop flex. Imagine printing up fins for a few bucks and changing them as you like without paying the big bucks.
I was thinking more along the lines of a split mold for reboxing fins. Fins undergo tremendous forces both longitudinally and torsionally. No plastic that I'm aware of would stand up to those extremes without re-enforcement, be it glass fibres or carbon.
jdrc, polycarbonate fins were phased out a fair while ago. They do snap if enough force is applied, and leave a razor sharp edge capable of drawing enough blood from the user to keep the sharks well away from me. 
Select to expand quotepepe47 said..
jdrc, polycarbonate fins were phased out a fair while ago. They do snap if enough force is applied, and leave a razor sharp edge capable of drawing enough blood from the user to keep the sharks well away from me.
Good to know! thanks!
Will just keep with the box adapters then!
Select to expand quotepepe47 said..
jdrc, polycarbonate fins were phased out a fair while ago. They do snap if enough force is applied, and leave a razor sharp edge capable of drawing enough blood from the user to keep the sharks well away from me.
I didn't realise how sharp polycarbonate/perspex can be when broken. I made the mistake of trying to break up an old bonnet protector to put into the bin. Ouch! That stuff really is razor sharp!
Is anything that is 3D printed as strong as the GRP used in fin boxes...?
I thought the materials were rather limited and ABS / PE is not sufficient...
Select to expand quotepepe47 said..
I was thinking more along the lines of a split mold for reboxing fins. Fins undergo tremendous forces both longitudinally and torsionally. No plastic that I'm aware of would stand up to those extremes without re-enforcement, be it glass fibres or carbon.
Oh and - don't.....use silicone. I made my re-boxing moulds with 2 part silicone in a chinese takeaway container. Expensive compared to other methods at about $20 per mould but no mould release needed, no mucking around... nice :)
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..pepe47 said..
I was thinking more along the lines of a split mold for reboxing fins. Fins undergo tremendous forces both longitudinally and torsionally. No plastic that I'm aware of would stand up to those extremes without re-enforcement, be it glass fibres or carbon.
Oh and - don't.....use silicone. I made my re-boxing moulds with 2 part silicone in a chinese takeaway container. Expensive compared to other methods at about $20 per mould but no mould release needed, no mucking around... nice :)Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
Is anything that is 3D printed as strong as the GRP used in fin boxes...?
I thought the materials were rather limited and ABS / PE is not sufficient...
Mark
3D print materials is changing everyday!
Heres a list I can use with the printers i'm talking with:
in metals:
alloys
gold
silver
brass
platnum
in plastics/nylons
nylon
fdm nylon 12
asa
abs
pc
asa
ppsf
other
ceramics
these might be not for the home 3d printers.. but hopefully soon! just getting ready!
Any interest on a 3d print tuttle/power finbox template?
I'm interested in a deep tuttle box split mold with locating lugs. I sent you the dimensions for power and tuttle, but seem to be having trouble finding the same in D/T.
Select to expand quotepepe47 said..
I'm interested in a deep tuttle box split mold with locating lugs. I sent you the dimensions for power and tuttle, but seem to be having trouble finding the same in D/T.
Yep .. the power/tuttle box dimensions are with the CAD designer now.. still trying to find the deep tuttle dimensions
Thanks Elmo!
Any chance you could email me that design so I can pass it on?
info@sanded.com.au
As a middle man that produced nothing has no skill apart from selling Chinese ice to the Eskimos at 800 percent profit Im offended by this post.
Nah just joking We are the future This is the Future
Great post keep us updated
Hey guys
Heres the comments about the tuttle drawings from the CAD designer
"Thanks. I had done a little digging as well and found those drawings too. I also found this discussion http://www.star-board.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5410 which talks about these drawings not being that accurate. I think I can make some sense of the discussion and adjust accordingly but couldn’t be sure. I also found the attached image of a tuttle box so I have a general idea of how it all works. But I could only take a guess at the exterior dimensions/wall thicknesses/etc, so I’m not sure if me “making a stab” at modelling this will be that beneficial. I would hate to get it wrong and have people waste money 3D printing something that doesn’t fit. What do you think?"
Anyone have a Tuttle box not installed so we can get it right?
The dimensions are standard, just depends on who makes the fin box's which can vary wildly
I still don't care if they are accurate to a ****teenth of a micron.
Finboxes are glass reinforced and I wonder if any of the 3D printing materials are as good. AFAIK they can't run fibres thru it as they print?
The closest thing would be ASA and it still has bonding issues with resins just like current boxes so you're not achieving anything.
So considering a US box is $20, and Power / Tuttle / Mini Tuttle can all be made easily by wrapping some glass around a fin head and then buttering it with filler, then ripping the fin out ..... I really don't see the point!
You can make a tuttle box with $10 materials in a few minutes. So what's the attraction?
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
I still don't care if they are accurate to a ****teenth of a micron.
Finboxes are glass reinforced and I wonder if any of the 3D printing materials are as good. AFAIK they can't run fibres thru it as they print?
The closest thing would be ASA and it still has bonding issues with resins just like current boxes so you're not achieving anything.
So considering a US box is $20, and Power / Tuttle / Mini Tuttle can all be made easily by wrapping some glass around a fin head and then buttering it with filler, then ripping the fin out ..... I really don't see the point!
You can make a tuttle box with $10 materials in a few minutes. So what's the attraction?
I don't think the Chinook finboxes are reinforced. They are some kind of plastic (ABS?). When you cut through them there seems to be no evidence of fibres.
As for 3d printing or the like, I think eventually you will get to a stage where you can build things with fibres. Imagine a board being built with one dot of divinycell at a time, and one dot of resin, and fibres spread through in the direction of the stresses. It sounds achievable to me.
All good for one-off or prototyping, but I imagine it would take a while to be better than mass production using existing techniques.
