Am now at this moment 3D printing a foot joint based on my flute designs. Last winter I decided that the 3D printers with the filament were just not accurate enough to do this. I just received yesterday one of the printers that use a liquid resin bath. They are a bit more of a hassle to use for sure. However, the resolution is astounding at .047mm This is well within the range at which I can slightly ovalize the bore in my designs. The plastics used are about the same density as Mopane. These are the same plastics used for fillings and other dental nightmares. They are tough, not especially brittle, water resistant and archival.
I am in the process of laying out an entire flute, fingerholes and all at least roughed out at this stage. The printer is too short to do the head joint and upper middle joint in one piece but I can simply separate these joints into two pieces. If the prototype passes my testing, I will be getting a larger printer that allows me to make all the parts of the flute as they should be, and in one pass.
This is exciting!
Casey
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