| Finishes |
Polished
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Polished (Interlocking)
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Raw
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Raw (Interlocking)
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| Price |
$14.00/material cm3 $1.00/surface cm2 ($22.50 minimum) |
$25.00/part $18.00/material cm3 $1.00/surface cm2 |
$14.00/material cm3 $0.45/surface cm2 ($14.00 minimum) |
$10.00/part $18.00/material cm3 $0.25/surface cm2 ($20.00 minimum) |
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Ships in
See current status |
8 business days 16 business days for products larger than 56 mm in all dimensions |
9 business days 16 business days for products larger than 56 mm in all dimensions |
7 business days 14 business days for products larger than 56 mm in all dimensions |
9 business days 16 business days for products larger than 56 mm in all dimensions |
Design Guidelines for BronzeThe rules to follow in order to create successful products in Bronze. Read more on model checks |
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| Max bounding box | 89 × 89 × 100 mm | 75 × 75 × 40 mm | 89 × 89 × 100 mm | 75 × 75 × 40 mm |
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For us to be able to make a product, each of its pieces must fit within these dimensions. For Bronze, the maximum bounding box is determined by the size of the printer we use to create a wax version of your product, as well as the limitations of the plaster mold it is cast in. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make sure the bounding box fits within our maximum limit. If it does not, you can try scaling it down, removing unnecessary features to reduce the bounding box, or considering another material with a bigger maximum bounding box. |
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| Min bounding box | 2.4 × 2.4 × 0.6 mm |
2.4 × 2.4 × 0.6 mm X + Y + Z > 20 mm |
2.4 × 2.4 × 0.6 mm |
2.4 × 2.4 × 0.6 mm X + Y + Z > 20 mm |
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For us to be able to make a product, each of its pieces must be bigger than these dimensions. For Bronze, the minimum bounding box is determined by our ability to successfully cast very tiny products. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make sure the bounding box of your product is larger than our minimum. If it is not, you can try scaling it up, thickening, combining, or enlarging parts and features, or trying a material with a smaller minimum bounding box. |
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| Min supported wall thickness |
0.8 mm thick
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0.6 mm thick
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A supported wall is one connected to other walls on two or more sides. For Bronze, the minimum supported wall is determined by our ability to successfully print your product in wax and then cast it in a plaster mold. Walls that are too thin may break in the mold-making process. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make sure supported walls are thicker than the minimum requirement. If they are not, try making them thicker. |
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| Min unsupported wall thickness |
0.8 mm thick
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0.6 mm thick
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An unsupported wall is one connected to other walls on less than two sides. For Bronze, the minimum unsupported wall is determined by our ability to successfully print your product in wax and then cast it in a plaster mold. Walls that are too thin may break in the mold-making process. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make sure supported walls are thicker than the minimum requirement. If they are not, try making them thicker or adding supports.
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| Min supported wires |
0.8 mm thick |
1.5 mm thick |
0.8 mm thick |
1.5 mm thick |
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A wire is a feature whose length is greater than two times its width. A supported wire is connected to walls on both sides. For Bronze, the minimum supported wire is determined by our ability to successfully print your product in wax, create a plaster mold, and then cast and polish the metal object. Wires need to be strong enough to not break during the wax printing and plaster casting process, and to allow metal to flow within the part during metal casting. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make sure supported wires are thicker than the minimum requirement. If they are not, try making them thicker, or consider a material with a smaller minimum supported wire requirement. If you have bulky areas of a model connected by thin wires, these wires will need to be significantly thicker than the minimum to allow the metal to successfully flow within the model. |
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| Min unsupported wires |
1.0 mm thick |
1.5 mm thick |
1.0 mm thick |
1.5 mm thick |
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A wire is a feature whose length is greater than two times its width. An unsupported wire is connected to walls on less than two sides. For Bronze, the minimum unsupported wire is determined by our ability to successfully print your product in wax, create a plaster mold, and then cast and polish the metal object. Wires need to be strong enough to not break during the wax printing and plaster casting process, and to allow metal to flow within the part during metal casting. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make sure unsupported wires are thicker than the minimum requirement. If they are not, try making them thicker, or consider a material with a smaller minimum unsupported wire requirement. If you have bulky areas of a model connected by thin wires, these wires will need to be significantly thicker than the minimum to allow the metal to successfully flow within the model. |
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| Min embossed detail |
0.40 mm high & wide
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0.30 mm high & wide
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A detail is a feature whose length is less than twice its width. Embossed details stick out from a surface. For Bronze, the minimum detail is determined by the wax printer's resolution. When detail dimensions are below the minimum, the printer may not be able to accurately replicate them. To ensure details come out clearly, make them larger than the indicated minimum. We may refrain from printing products with details smaller than the minimum, since the final product will not be true to your design. If your product has details smaller than the minimum, try making them larger, removing them, or considering a material with finer detail. |
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| Min engraved detail |
0.35 mm high & wide
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0.30 mm high & wide
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A detail is a feature whose length is less than twice its width. Engraved or debossed details go into a surface. For Bronze, the minimum detail is determined by the casting process. Bronze products are printed in wax, and then a liquid plaster is poured around them and solidifies into a mold. When liquid metal is poured into this mold, the pieces of plaster that create engraved details can break off if they are too small. To ensure details come out clearly, make them larger than the indicated minimum. We may refrain from printing products with details smaller than the minimum, since the final product will not be true to your design. If your product has details smaller than the minimum, try making them larger, removing them, or considering a material with finer detail. |
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| Min escape holes |
4.0 mm diameter for one escape hole
2.0 mm diameter when there are two or more escape holes
Escape holes allow unbuilt material inside hollow products to be removed. To create Bronze products, a plaster mold is poured around a wax print of your product, and then Bronze is cast into the plaster mold. For products with hollow areas, escape holes are essential for two parts of this process. First, the liquid plaster must be able to enter the hole to fill in the hollow area. Then, once the metal is cast, the escape hole must be large enough to allow removal of the hardened plaster from the hollow area. If escape holes are too small, the hollow area may be completely filled in with metal or plaster. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make sure the escape holes are large enough to allow the plaster to get in and out. Multiple holes make this process easier. If your holes are not big enough, you can enlarge them, add more, or fill in the hollow areas so they are solid. Positioning escape holes at the opposite ends of a product (one on top, one on the bottom) will help the finishing process.
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| Clearance |
0.3 mm clearance
Clearance is the space between any two parts, walls or wires. Bronze products are printed in wax, and then a liquid plaster mold is poured around them. If the clearance between features is very small, the plaster may not fully infiltrate the tiny gap. And if it does, a plaster wall that is too thin can break when the liquid metal is poured around it. Both issues can cause defects in your product. To ensure the successful creation of your product, make the clearance between walls and wires greater than the indicated minimum. If your clearance is too small, try making the gap bigger, or consider fusing the features if their independence is unnecessary. You can also try a material with a smaller minimum clearance. |
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| Interlocking and enclosed parts? | No. | Yes, up to 6. Clearance between each part should be at least 1 mm. | No. | Yes, up to 6. Clearance between each part should be at least 1 mm. |
| Multiple parts per model file? | We only allow identical parts for earrings and cufflinks. Multiple Rings, bracelets and necklaces or any other models are not permitted in one file. | |||
| Accuracy | ± 0.125 mm | |||
More On Designing for Bronze |
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| Material Traits |
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| Design tips |
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Material Info |
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| Look and feel |
Raw bronze is a high-detail metal with a deep red color similar to rose gold. It has a subtle marbling effect, and the silvery highlights give each piece their own unique character. Polished bronze goes through extensive hand polishing to give it a smooth, glossy finish. It is great for miniatures, precious objects, and shiny, modern jewelry. Raw Bronze has a rustic matte look with rough surfaces. It is great for antique-looking objects, vintage and steampunk jewelry, functional parts, and jewelry prototypes. Shapeways' Bronze consists of 10% tin and 90% copper. We add a safe, transparent nanocoating to the surface in order to protect your products from tarnishing. However, over time and wear, the bronze will still naturally tarnish. |
| Handling and care |
Like all bronze, our Polished and Raw offerings will tarnish over time and may need to be polished. |
| How it's 3D printed |
Bronze models are fabricated using a complex five-step process. First, the model is printed in wax using a specialized high-resolution 3D Printer. It is then put in a container where liquid plaster is poured in around it. Once the plaster sets, the wax is melted out in a furnace, and the remaining plaster becomes the mold. Molten bronze is poured into this mold and hardens quickly. The plaster is broken away, revealing your model. Raw Bronze is briefly tumbled. Polished Bronze is carefully cleaned and hand-polished. Please be aware that polishing can wear down very fine details and edges. For interlocking parts, we connect each wax part with a sprue and then cut and polish the sprue away after casting. |
A single escape hole at the end of a cavity will not allow material in the corners near the escape hole to fully escape. So we recommend multiple escape holes at both ends of the cavity.
Some detail is lost during polishing and plating
Internal detail can not be polished
Avoid long unsupported stone holding prongs
