Perfactory CAD recommendation?

Can anyone recommend a vendor who can create a high quality
Perfactory wax model from an STL file?

I am on my fourth vendor, and the model I just received in the
mail has huge scratches in it. (Not pixelation, deep physical
scratches.)

I’m looking someone who can print a high quality Perfactory model,
15 micron layers, in castable resin. If you have used someone that
delivers excellent work, I have multiple models to send them.

Thanks,
Tom

I just discovered this place. Can not yet vouch for their
modelmaking.

WaxBuilder
http://waxbuilder.com

Tom,

We own a perfactory machine and we provide wax printing services to
the jewelers. We are using the PIC100G green castable resin.

You require the 15 micron layers: Our Aureus machine does a perfect
job at 25 micron, surfaces are very smooth and clean. For more info
please conatct me offline.

Thank you.
Fady Sawaya
Montreal, Canada.
541-531 4002

Tom,

Well without giving up who you have used I will give you two to try.
Casting House in Chicago and Best-Cast in New Jersey. They both are
listed on my site as vendors. I would suggest if you are not happy
with the models to have them remade again by the vendor.

Russ
The Jewelry CAD Institute.com

if you want a castable high res model than your better off using
solidscape

i use 3dwaxes.com for my prototypes and casting

JP

I will give you two to try: Casting House in Chicago 

I tried repeatedly to get quality work from Casting House. Their
quality control and attention to detail extremely disappointing, over
and over. (I’ve got no axe to grind: the palladium casting they did
was very fine work.)

I would suggest if you are not happy with the models to have them
remade again by the vendor. 

Can’t be done with Casting House. They danced around the high
resolution issue by saying their machine as capable of 14 nm
layers. But what I received was the worst quality model I’ve ever
gotten. They claimed that was the best possible! When I sent photos
of other Perfactory models with much finer resolution, their tech
person finally admitted they actually do 45nm, not 14nm, to save
money.

I could forgive one or two mistakes. But time after time, Casting
House got it wrong: Sent me a model with damage, missed deadlines,
mislead me about quality, charged me the wrong amount. I had to drive
two hours to pick up my package because they got the shipping details
wrong. Nearly a month wasted, leaving me with one seriously pissed
off customer.

Even after admitting most of their mistakes, their final message was
a rude kiss off. I’ve been in business a long time, and Casting
House is among the worst vendors I have ever worked with. Abysmal.

I tried repeatedly to get quality work from Casting House. Their
quality control and attention to detail extremely disappointing 

Well sorry to hear that…did you try Best-Cast?

I wrote recently about the amazing difficulty I have had getting a
rapid prototype model made. More absurd excuses. Still no ring.

Company 1 did perfectly well. Paid and happy. But the resin they use
is not compatible with investment casting. When I wanted to pay for
another ring made of castable resin, the owner called to say he was
in the hospital and couldn’t do it. Office phone hasn’t answered in
six weeks. (Perfactory)

Company 2 lied about their high-resolution capabilities. Their
machine is capable of 14 nm layers. They later confessed they only
do 45 nm for economy. This was the lowest quality, most jagged model
I’ve received. Model returned for credit. (Perfactory)

Company 3 badmouthed the competition, and claimed no jaggies. But
when I asked for specifics, he admitted their system had jaggies,
too! He said my quest for a smooth, detailed model was unreasonable,
so I sent photos of #1 above, which is perfectly smooth. He
recommended I go elsewhere. (Solidscape)

Company 4 claimed super high resolution, but sent me a ring with
huge scratches. He was deeply insulted, saying my model was the
problem! Now, two weeks later, he says "It seems that the scratches
that were on your model last time were the beginning of a problem
with the machine. " Repair time, unknown. Refund offered.
(Solidscape)

Companies 5-10: Half a dozen companies wrote me, saying their output
was super good quality. All sounded like fly-by-night outfits. Sounds
doomed.

If you are a jewlery maker that has a long-term relationship with a
high-quality high-resolution rapid prototype shop, please send me
their contact info. (If you own a small rapid prototype shop, please
don’t write to me unless you are willing to accept payment after
the quality is confirmed.)

My client is hopping mad, and I don’t blame him. He had to cancel
his “pop-the-question” vacation and flight. I allowed three times the
normal turnaround, but still no ring.

Any help would be appreciated.

Why don’t you have this milled? Most rings can be milled in pieces
and then assembled. Do you think that is a possibility?

Russ

Why don't you have this milled? Most rings can be milled in pieces
and then assembled. Do you think that is a possibility? 

Russ, this is a good solution, there are some very high end
companies doing just that on their items because of just the kind of
problems the OP is encountering.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

I know this is late but for future jobs try CADBLU in New York. They
have all the modern machines and if you have a model grown you need
to vacuum the burnt out resin. I found out that most who have items
"grown" are very fine detailed but leaves some residue behind. I
make a little tube jig for my shop vac and pull out the residue plus
add a vent wire so the vacuum can pull out debris.

Carl

You may want to try these guys. http://www.rjmrp.com

They do some outstanding work and their models are castable.

Regards,
Ken

A month or so ago, I describe the string of difficulties I had
getting a ring printed in high resolution.

The project has finally been completed, and I wanted to pass along
the name of the gentleman who finally printed the ring perfectly.

His name is Fady Sawaya. He has a Perfactory machine, and apparently
keeps it in top shape. His website is fadysawaya.com and his phone is
514.531.4002.

After reading about my troubles on this mailing list, Fady agreed to
print the ring and send it to me. Only after I received and inspected
his perfect wax did he charge me. Excellent, patient customer service
and communication. Fady is in Canada, but his prototype arrived as
quickly as if he were here in the USA.

Not only was Fady’s model the highest quality result out of five
attempts, his price was also the lowest! It was much less than half
what a well-known Chicago firm charged me, and they got the job wrong
several times, sent me a defective prototype, and mislead me about
their printing resolution.

Fady prints 25 um layers. I have received models that were
supposedly 14um layers, but weren’t as smooth as Fady’s model.

I have no relationship with Fady Sawaya, except he saved my bacon on
this project. My experience with him was so remarkable, I thought I
would describe it here for others in a similar situation.

Cheers,
Tom King