# Collaborative Help Wanted !!!!!



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

i would hold harmless any design suggestion or part produced, by anyone to participate-
in other words, i'm doing stuff that is not normal.
any risk is mine alone- i would seek no blame, but my own- not from the peanut gallery!!!

that being said...

i have some less than orthodox thoughts in mind for some clamping support fixtures to go onto an off-road motorcycle.

i have 3D printed the designs from (tinker)CAD files that are still in development and mock up.
i have a functional print, but the problem is that i want to CNC reproduce the parts in billet aluminum, as well as some in 304 Stainless

Cons:
I don't own any CNC equipment.
i'm ignorant as to how to convert a 3d printed object and the G-code from that object to CNC reductive machining practices
i suppose i'm a bit foolish, or mad, or both!
technologically challenged with the ways or CNC (i understand the basic principles, but have zero experience)
bull-headed sometimes 

Pros:
I got materials
I got (a bunch of) tooling for the experiments (endmills, drills, carbide inserts, etc.
i got the desire !!!

I can share more details if there is interest.

any takers?????
any pointers ????
any help is appreciated, no comment unwelcome

Thank you for your time.


----------



## Aukai (Feb 17, 2021)




----------



## extropic (Feb 17, 2021)

You haven't stated your goal so I don't know if you intend to build one prototype, a few sets or to swamp the market before the Chinese rip you off.

Without the answer to that question, the following is probably premature, but I've written it and it's food for thought.

I'm not the guy to fab your parts but I think I can help you get ready.

You say you "have designs". To me, a design is a comprehensive data package (specifications and drawings) that fully describe the finished item(s).

Comprehensive means that every characteristic of the item is defined and no characteristic is undefined.

Think of the data package as the contract(s) that your supplier(s) agrees to to perform when you commission them.

I'll assume you are not familiar with what constitutes a comprehensive data package or how to get one.

There will be many here that will po po the need for a data package. That's the world they have lived in.

If you go to production without comprehensive drawings, you are abdicating significant details of the design to the manufacturer.

If you create (or commission) comprehensive drawings, you'll have designs that can be competitively bid by any qualified manufacturer.

There are many ways to skin the cat. Not sure which cat you're after.


----------



## Tozguy (Feb 17, 2021)

Ulma Doctor said:


> I can share more details if there is interest.


I'm not a candidate to do the cnc work but would suggest that you provide more details on your innovation up front.


----------



## brino (Feb 17, 2021)

Mike,

I do not have the equipment to help you, or much knowledge in CNC but I do have a few thoughts.......



Ulma Doctor said:


> i'm ignorant as to how to convert a 3d printed object and the G-code from that object to CNC reductive machining practices



I believe the g-code is machine specific. 
That is, the g-code produced for your 3D-printer, may not work on my 3D-printer.

A true 3D solid model (from Solid Works, Fusion-360, Cubify, OnShape, FreeCad and many others) can be turned into g-code but that happens with the specifics of the target machine in mind. The machine specs and the model are inputs, the g-code is the output.


Have you thought about using your 3D-printed part as pattern for green-sand casting in aluminum?
Alternately there's a lost-PLA type casting as well.

-brino


----------



## Aukai (Feb 17, 2021)

On TV they would do a virtual scan of your model, and have the part done during the commercial


----------



## DavidR8 (Feb 17, 2021)

Or renovate a whole kitchen in 30 mins. I feel so inadequate...


----------



## ZZDOG (Feb 17, 2021)

Ulma Doctor said:


> i would hold harmless any design suggestion or part produced, by anyone to participate-
> in other words, i'm doing stuff that is not normal.
> any risk is mine alone- i would seek no blame, but my own- not from the peanut gallery!!!
> 
> ...


HI DOC....
Send me a PM with your email.......
I have CNC MACH....S.W./F-360/other software....
Lets see if I can help you......
ZZBOB.....


----------



## 7milesup (Feb 17, 2021)

Heya Mike.

Exotropic has some good points but...

Really, what you need to do is have the item modeled in something other than STL or G-code (yes guys, i know G-code is not a model). 

I would suggest have someone draw it up in Fusion or Solidworks where design changes are easy to implement.

EDIT:   Looks like ZZBob or Dog (how do I know your are not Top?) beat me to it.


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

extropic said:


> You haven't stated your goal so I don't know if you intend to build one prototype, a few sets or to swamp the market before the Chinese rip you off.





extropic said:


> Without the answer to that question, the following is probably premature, but I've written it and it's food for thought.
> I'm not the guy to fab your parts but I think I can help you get ready.
> 
> You say you "have designs". To me, a design is a comprehensive data package (specifications and drawings) that fully describe the finished item(s).
> ...


Thank you for the information. thanks for the insight as well

the project may only have a couple copies of each design, i don't think many people will follow my lead on this mod.
this is completely for fun and to achieve an end of mounting a fuel tank, as well as adding stiffness to the frame of the motorcycle
the design of the parts i wish to make is simple, and adaptable to design changes for ease of manufacture
i have working models in PLA plastic as pictured below


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

here are pictures of the 3D printed brackets

















drawing


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

Tozguy said:


> I'm not a candidate to do the cnc work but would suggest that you provide more details on your innovation up front.


thank you, 
i'm sorry if it sounds vague.
there was a question in my mind as to the feasibility of the project
i didn't want to waste anyone's time if the job was more difficult to convert to cnc, than making them manually


----------



## Flyinfool (Feb 17, 2021)

Those brackets do not look like anything that needs to be done by CNC. At least from the views you showed us.
All of that would not be bad to do on a manual mill.



> *"Those who do not know what cannot be accomplished, are free to accomplish anything."*



I really believe in your sig, Never tell a Polack it cant be done, cuz I never went to no fancy schools to learn it cant be done.


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

brino said:


> Mike,
> I do not have the equipment to help you, or much knowledge in CNC but I do have a few thoughts.......
> 
> I believe the g-code is machine specific.
> ...


Thanks brino, your information is valued!

i'll admit the process of lost plastic casting and sand casting intrigue me.
i'll seriously consider the possibilities!  
thanks for the ideas!


----------



## Flyinfool (Feb 17, 2021)

There is no way to convert the 3D printer g-code to CNC g-code, they are completely different.

Since you say there is room to modify the design for manufacturability there are a few things to make it easier.


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

Flyinfool said:


> Those brackets do not look like anything that needs to be done by CNC. At least from the views you showed us.
> All of that would not be bad to do on a manual mill.
> 
> 
> ...


you are 100% correct, i could make these parts manually !

i was hoping to turn a couple designs, that i pulled out of my imagination and then transferred the thoughts to a digital platform.
that is incredibly profound and life changing to me.

i wanted to take the variability of my hand and defy its effect on the purity of the digital representation.
if the digital representation and working model could easily be copied, it may open other avenues of thought on my part
moreover it may also challenge skills of not only me, but the partner in crime benefits by honing the skills waiting to be used on frivolity 
in other words, i like the perfection of cnc produced products, i cannot achieve the same feel by hand


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

Flyinfool said:


> There is no way to convert the 3D printer g-code to CNC g-code, they are completely different.
> 
> Since you say there is room to modify the design for manufacturability there are a few things to make it easier.


Thank you for the information!

i would love to hear any thoughts as to how you may tackle the challenge


----------



## Flyinfool (Feb 17, 2021)

Learning new things is a lot of what we are all about.

I fully understand your desires. It is not about the destination but the journey. Good luck.


----------



## Flyinfool (Feb 17, 2021)

If you have the STL files, most 3D cad programs can import the STL to get you started on making a real model. It is best to have the parts drawn natively in whichever CAD software you chose. Once you have that done then the parts can be run thru a CAM program or just dimensioned drawings made which any machinist can use to make the parts.


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

Flyinfool said:


> If you have the STL files, most 3D cad programs can import the STL to get you started on making a real model. It is best to have the parts drawn natively in whichever CAD software you chose. Once you have that done then the parts can be run thru a CAM program or just dimensioned drawings made which any machinist can use to make the parts.


thank you for the great information!!!


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 17, 2021)

ZZDOG said:


> HI DOC....
> Send me a PM with your email.......
> I have CNC MACH....S.W./F-360/other software....
> Lets see if I can help you......
> ZZBOB.....


Thank you very much!


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Feb 18, 2021)

for anyone interested
https://www.tinkercad.com/things/dNJLNn0TrgX-front-joint-2 








						3D design RJ Bushing | Tinkercad
					

3D design RJ Bushing created by Ulma_Doctor with Tinkercad




					www.tinkercad.com


----------

