Hi Brennan,
Here are a few lapidary templates that I’ve printed using an FDM printer. It works well for this but other types of material and a different print format like nylon or carbon fiber could be very durable.
With 3d printing you can manufacture just about anything you can dream up.
if i had one, i would make tool holders! (i was looking for holders for my grs qc graver collets…ended up ordering wood ones from a far away country… thought the 1/4” holes (for drill bits) would fit but the were a bit too tight…i had to open n up a bit…was a drag!) needed metric drills…
and maybe a set of vise jaws that would hold a tapered mandrel firmly when whacking down on a horizontal mandrel…or tapping down on a vertical mandrel (for both ring and bezel mandrels…
and maybe something that would clamp a mandrel on a downward angle…(wing nuts come to mind!…)…above the bench top edge…and still screw into a dovetail mount…
holding mandrels for whacking would be on the top 5 list…
and flexshaft handpiece holder(s) to attach to the bench edge…or at least restrain the hanging flexshaft cord…
i wonder if those lapudary templates would work in a press?
Send me a message if you ever want to collaborate and I’ll model/design with you and then print and send to you. We can share with the community the files.
I’ve wondered about making dies for a press . There isn’t any reason that couldn’t be done, I made quite a few for a press based on Susan Kingsley’s and was casting them in bronze. All were hand carved and rubber molded etc
I still have the dies and once in a while run across them . Really sky’s the limit as to what can be done.
Printing technology is just another tool in our bench
I 3D FDM printed some holders for my GRS tools. Had the official GRS round holder for years but never liked it. Made the holes a little loose so the tools drop in easily. Could also be printed resin ABS on an inexpensive Anycubic or Elegoo printer.
Dave Erikjewelers.com
That is the “Anderson Miniature Sawframe” I designed it a number of years ago. (posted about it in Orchid but didn’t get much response) I supply it to a number of tool distributers, like Stuller, Rio , Otto Frei etc.The one in the picture has a strip of abrasive for cleanup. I first made it to touch up delicate setting, if you need a little more space under a stone or prong to level it or make the prong fit better. Usually use an 8/0 blade. Just for delicate work. 90% of the time I use a regular sawframe.
The red on the collet expander on the engraving ball is another FDM print.
I use a line-loc arm to hold my iPhone for watching videos and recording at the bench but I’m curious if I can 3D print more links so that’s what’s on the printer right now.