From: Paul Suomala (psuomala@sandersdesign.com)
Date: Tue Nov 12 2002 - 22:05:20 EET
There is a (at least one manufacturer) destructive method available - I
believe the name of the company is CGI - don't know about service bureaus
using it.
Sooo, If you can carve it at a scale your hands can manage, then let
somebody destroy it, in turn producing an STL file which can be scaled (even
altered) and fabricated on a RP machine.
Best regards,
Paul S
Bathsheba Grossman wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Nov 2002, Jonathon Barlow wrote:
> > I'm a mold maker and caster by trade and know very little about
> > rapid prototype manufacturing so I'm hoping someone here can
> > give me a little info. I sell small military miniatures and would like
> > to find a way to reduce the miniatures in size so I can sell them in
> > different scales (I can't manually scupt/model the miniatures as
> > small as they need to be). I'm not sure if this can be done so I'm
> > hoping someone here can give me an educated opinion.
> >
> > So I have a couple questions. First, I know I'd need some sort of input
> > device to digitize the shape of the miniatures. I've seen both
> > optical and touch probe scanners. Are these capable of capturing
> > extremely fine details (the miniatures are more detailed than
> > most jewelry)?
>
> Not that I know of. I don't have a scanner myself, but since I have a
> Solidscape, which is the RP machine you'd probably be looking at for
> printing the miniatures, I'm often asked about this type of project.
> My understanding is that if you want to scan something and reproduce
> it at a tiny size with a fantastic amount of detail, it's best to
> start with an object at least a foot in size.
>
> Bigger doesn't hurt...the other day I talked to a fellow who wanted to
> have me print a two-inch motorcycle charm. His clever idea was to get
> a plastic model motorcycle and scan it for reduction. This would work
> if the model's a good sized one, but the guys with the scanner felt
> that for best results he should use a real motorcycle: they'd
> spray-paint it a flat color and scan it. I had to tell them the
> project budget wasn't up to that.
>
> In all seriousness, maybe your best move would be to consult people
> that do reenactments, get a good-looking fellow to dress up in full
> uniform, and scan him? Any of the big scanning bureaus could handle
> that.
>
> -Sheba
> --
> Bathsheba Grossman phone (831)429-8224, fax (831)460-1242
> Sculpting geometry bathsheba.com
> Solidscape prototyping protoshape.com
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