POLL: Should Shapeways Consider Offering Electroplating Services For Plastics?

Where does it say they dropped it?

I think I found an old orphan page describing their sliver coated process with a Google search. Unless I missed it I haven't seen it offered in quite some time. They probably switched to the regular silver casting process using wax when that came out.

Yes. This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-heV79vRWY Oh my god. yes. Please. Shapeways, PARTNER WITH THESE PEOPLE!!! *Dies*

Chromed results ...

I wonder what you're doing differently that makes your results look so different from the results in the video above. -___o;

I think the guy in the video gave some hint when he shows the white plate with the different steps on the end.

In my case the items got the same handling as normal @Lego pieces. This pieces already have a very smooth surface so the result is really shiny. (after one pass of plating )

There are already different areas of my parts which look completely the same. The third hat from the left has an even area on the top which is completely smooth and shiny.

Maybe you will need some extra steps:
- adhesive coating
- several layers
- and maybe also some smoothing

I have tried colored pWSF with a level of coat and the surface feels much smoother.
Maybe a FD or Detailed material would even result in a better look.
I have to activate my dremel to try to smooth one item to see if that gives an additional effect.

Woody64

woah MrNib,

That looks awesome, how much did it cost?

Not sure what "it" is. I posted links to things I found searching on the web, not anything I bought and paid for!

I am guesssing that it is the Aussie bones that caught his attention. Glancing over that bronzingstudio site, while their work is impressive there are a few things to note: delivery times of 3 to 5 weeks (from their faq page, with option for 2-3 weeks express service at increased cost mentioned on the ordering page), the silvery material is in fact nickel (also from the faq) and prices are in three digits even for the small, birth-related items for which they offer fixed prices.

One of these days I'm going to have to send some parts to a baby shoe bronzing place.

You're not talking about these guys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-heV79vRWY&list=UUgCuOT vHLmxZ9beYqvjSFOw are you?

Edit: Oh... never mind. I guess they are not the same studio.

I'm dyeing and then clear coating my parts with 2 component automotive paint with a spray gun. First it has to be tumbled for 6 hours (I think shapeways does 2 hours?), otherwise the coating will turn out like sandpaper. I use a different 3D printing company that has a little box to tick for "keep this orientation", and I can put my model in at 45 degrees to reduce print lines. They also give you an account manager, and I can ask her to polish my parts for 6 hours.

However, the company just increased prices by 20% so I'm searching again for another company.

The print orientation and tumbling times are really important for the coating process. The surface has to be extremely smooth. But the spray painting is probably the most labor intensive aspect of my production and I'm wondering if there is some automated way to coat these parts. I don't think it's economical for me to buy a FANUC robot.
http://www.fanuc.co.jp/en/product/catalog/pdf/robot/Robot%20 i%20series%28E%29_v24.pdf

Building a robot would be quite an adventure.

So I'm thinking about these electroplating, electrostatic coatings,either dipped or sprayed. I just met a guy who makes camera equipment using SLA and he has a company electroplating his parts, and they can do his printing and dipping on the same day. But I don't know about PA12.

Also, electroplating with metal pigments greatly reduces the WSF flexibility, but I would still like to keep the 20-24% flex vs the 4-5% of ABS.

dont lose hope just yet....! I´ve been able to create Mirror like surfaces on small to medium nonconductive pieces for cheap, I just need to simplify it even more(I use Raw materials, and the process is quite complex) so 6 year old could do it(figuratively speaking)

I see many plastic bijou items with mirror-like metal plating in near shop but I am not sure that SW will repeat it with same quality. SW cannot repeat easy metal jewelry with same quality right now - why SW will do it for metal-plated plastics? It's first thought.

And... are you ready to buy my designs in this material and wear it? If you are ready - I will create new ones in addition to my 3400+ collection! But if I will have no sales - why I will be need in it new material? - my second thought.

In resume - if material have good perspective for sales in - I vote "yes".