RE: [rp-ml] ABS and SLS model finish and durability

From: Bob Olsen <Bob_at_protogenic.com>
Date: Mon Oct 04 2004 - 21:55:05 EEST

Jonathan, there are grades of platable ABS out there, are your parts made of
the platable variety?
 
We have had success with Artcraft http://www.artcraftplating.com
<http://www.artcraftplating.com> , but with urethane parts. Good luck!
Bob Olsen, Protogenic

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Chertok [mailto:chertok22@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 10:58 AM
To: rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
Subject: [rp-ml] ABS and SLS model finish and durability

List,

Can anyone offer advice as to whether I can chrome plate ABS parts and how
best to prepare them? I have five 2" x 4" x 4" ABS parts that I'd like to
prepare for chrome plate, or a type of finish.
 
Also does anyone have any advice for finishing SLS parts in order to
increase their durability and the quality of the finish so that it does not
degrade over time?
 
Finally, can anyone give me advice on attaching some very, very small parts
(with tiny attachment points) back on some small SLS models? I'd like to
find something that has a little bit of thickness because the attachment
points only barely touched in the first place.
 
***
In some cases there are very minor gaps in two or three of the five models
ABS that I would like to fill, so I would be interested in knowing if there
is a material that should be used for this. I am also hoping to achieve a
smooth finish to the plate and am wondering to what extent the "stepping",
or tiny support "stipples" of the model can be overcome. The geometry is
very tricky in some places (and not possible to reach) so I am not sure
whether there might be a kind of "dip" or "paintbrush" process - prior to
plating - that would result in bridging the gaps or smoothing out the
finish.

These ABS parts do not have a bottom that will not be seen and I'd be
curious to know if anyone has found a (chrome) plating process that does not
end up with rather visible attachment points.

Most Sincerely,

Jonathan Chertok

Universal Joint + Associates:
Full Service Design and Construction
 
Jonathan Chertok. Principal
AIA Design Associate
Austin, Texas 1 512 407 9628
 
www.universaljointdesign.com <http://www.universaljointdesign.com>
Received on Mon Oct 04 20:53:17 2004

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