Tofty's 3D Printed Silver Torches

[Tofty]

I'll explain the title in a bit but first the premise;

Recently i've been working on a potentially commercial project which required some complex plastic parts that would either need to be cast or 3D printed.
I got quotes back that stated minimum order quantities of around 500 units with costs of well over £1000, this was untenable as i still don't really know if there is a demand, so i'd rather given up on it.

That is until i found a company called 'Shapeways' who specialise on one-offs and small quantity 3D printing in a variety of plastics, metals and ceramics at what i would consider a very good price for this service.
I've ordered the prototype parts i needed but then started thinking about what else i had designed that would benefit from being 3D printed.

3D printing has some serious limitations over machining but does allow an amazing variety of shapes unachievable by any other method.
Although not stretching 3D printings true potential, i entered a modified model of my brass AAA torch to see how much it would cost in the different material choices but the only suitable material for a torch body offered is sterling silver as the stainless steel option doesn't allow the fine detail to make threads.
The cost of making these parts out of sterling silver comes to $220 or £150 approx but since my original brass AAA torch was built around the internals of the $3 MXDL 3W torch i'm struggling to see any merit to it (i'm still going to order one to see what it's like but i can't pretend it's a good idea).
This is what it would look like:





The over exaggerated lip is due to the need to maintain the necessary minimum wall thickness.

This got me thinking however that torches could be made with this process and if it was impressive enough it could warrant the cost of being made from silver.
I was thinking along the lines of the gatlights skeletonised body but without the need for it to be screwed together, the whole body section can be cast as one single piece.
Also since silver is the best is the best thermal and electrical conductor of any metal a rather impressive lumen output could be included.

I would recommend having a look at some of the designs on the Shapeways website as some of them are impressively complex to the point of disbelief.

[nuphoria]

I've been gawking at Shapeways for quite a while now - it really is an amazing concept and there's a lot of incredibly creative work going on there.

Way beyond my skills to do the 3D design bit, but I'm sure you would get something very cool out of it

[NutSAK]

Neat idea!  I'm not sure the benefits of silver's excellent thermal and electrical conductivity outweigh its propensity to oxidize, however; at least when compared to other metals with good electrical & thermal conductivity that do not so readily oxidize.

[sparky415]

Cool! 

I think your question should be, would anyone pay $200 for an exclusive one off (or maybe a small numbered run) unique flashlight? 

[Tofty]

I suppose it should, well?
The great thing about the site is that as soon as i make the models available anyone can buy them, i get a bit of money and most importantly i don't end up cutting my hands to ribbons on the lathe and mill and wasting many hours.
The only issue is of tolerance adjustment; i think the square threads i designed into it needs to have more gap due to the probable irregular surface. So i have to order a prototype before i release the design.
My real hope is that in the future many more material choices will be available so the most appropriate can be chosen for the application.

For now since silver is the only flashlight-suitable material offered for 3D printing i'm going to have a bit of fun with it anyway.
I am aware that silver will oxidise if exposed to ozone or hydogen sulfide, so just like copper, brass and uncoated aluminium care must be taken not to expose them to the wrong environments . Even 400 stainless steel rusts in a marine environment as my old sideclip is testament.
An ozidised layer on silver is easily removed with dilute hydrochloric acid and silver can be plated with gold to give improved oxidation protection. No metal is perfect but i'm looking forward to exploiting silvers beneficial properties in this field.

I think the correct term is "Art Light"; it will fulfill the function it's named for but it's true purpose is to exist because it can. If you ask that Argentinian bloke who tarts up leathermans with silver and gold scales why he does it his answer won't be because it makes them better tools but perhaps because it makes them better things.

I've started drawing up a 16340 powered light but it's really hard trying to design something that doesn't have to  conform to standard machining practices, it doesn't have to be round and there doesn't have to be any straight edges. Shapes can be positively organic but now i'm fighting years of well established convention.
One of the properties of silver is it's high density which when incorporated into a small-ish light gives a nice positive feel to it and means it's effective when thrown at people who annoy you.

[NutSAK]

For now since silver is the only flashlight-suitable material offered for 3D printing i'm going to have a bit of fun with it anyway.

I didn't realize that.  Ignore what I said above and carry on then! 

[sparky415]

An ozidised layer on silver is easily removed with dilute hydrochloric acid and silver can be plated with gold to give improved oxidation protection. No metal is perfect but i'm looking forward to exploiting silvers beneficial properties in this field.

We should all read this bit again 

 
 

[Tofty]

@ NutSAK: Your original post was certainly valid as the difference in thermal and electrical conductivity between silver and copper is only about 5% and silver is only around 70% better than aluminium.
I will have to study silver's tendency  to oxidise although i could go the whole hog and purposefully blacken the parts just as some jewellers do.

@ Sparky: I worry that the only people who would want such a thing would be rappers.
For some reason Shapeways offer gold plating on stainless steel parts but not on silver ones.

My design is that of gold plated stainless bezel and tail rings with a silver main body and tail.
I should have it all finished and rendered for friday.

[Essexman]

One of the properties of silver is it's high density which when incorporated into a small-ish light gives a nice positive feel to it and means it's effective when thrown at people who annoy you.

OK so my task when I next meet you is to annoy the hell out of you !

Great project, if I had the money I would buy one, but unless I win the lottery I won't have that amount to spend on a torch, ever!

Forget the inside of the £3 light. All you need are good parts, which you know you can buy online. LED, driver, spring, wire, what else?

Looking forward to seeing how the Tofty Ag turns out.

[Tofty]

How the hell did you know it's name?
Am i that predictable?

Anyway this is it:



 

The cut-outs need tweeking but overall it's close to how i wanted it.


In the AAA light there is a fair amount of space for a different LED/driver/lens setup, if only i knew of a good small 4.2V driver board but i suppose with a 10440 the LED could be driven directly.

Alas i probably won't be able to get the funds together for either of these lights by the time we next meet, i'll just have to ensure i have something else of good weight to hand, perhaps some tungsten.

[sparky415]

Pimps and rappers will be drooling over that one 

But seriously if it looks anything like the drawing it will be amazing! 

[NutSAK]

Damn, that looks awesome Tofty!

[Gareth]

that's very cool looking mate.  If I said it had a more Star Trek vibe rather than a Star Wars one, would that make sense?

[Tofty]

Yes Gareth i think i know wht you mean but i can't quite put my finger on what it is about it.

Anyway after some more messing about i've ordered a few small things in sterling silver to try out the process: A whistle and the barrel of my mini brass pen with the bolt action.
The whistle is perfect for rapid prototyping as the core doesn't have to be a seperate piece like most of the fancy titanium whistles available which can fall out as it's only press fitted in.
I'll show them off when they get delivered, which won't be for a while.

I've also been designing some tritium beads that couldn't be made any other way than 3D printing but there's still alot of work to do there.

The really good news though is that 3D printing isn't even as constrained as i had first thought; Shapeways may only have a limited material choice but some of the other sites like Kraftwurx or i.materialise offer printing in brass, gold and even titanium, along with dozens of different plastics and resins.
The only downside is that these other companies seem to charge about twice as much for the same model in the same material so for printing in silver Shapeways seems like a bargain.

I now think that the two end rings on the Ag torch should be made from brass (which i.materialise gold plate as standard) instead of stainless steel which probably couldn't achieve the level of detail needed for the threads. I was worried that this could stop the torch being viable but now there doesn't seem to be anything other than the cost that should be an obstacle.

I think since silver has such impressive heat characteristics that this torch needs something impressive for the LED; led-tech.de offer an XM-L U2 mounted on a 16mm copper PCB which can't be far off being the most efficient set-up possible for heat transfer.

The main body section of the Ag torch has a volume of just under 10cm qubed and would cost about £200 with the total printed material cost of the torch being just under £400 + about £50 for LED, driver, TIR, switch, 16340 battery, tail spring, etc (and another £30 for the tritium vials 2x6mm x 6).
Seems alot but consider the only labour needed would be setting the LED/driver, soldering the connections and simple assembly......oh yeah and setting the tritium (if that were to remain a feature) so overall for a very special light it's no more than the cost of a McGizmo Haiku or similar high end torch.

It's staggering though how many of the projects i've shelved over the years can now be completed with the possibilities of 3D printing.
Hobbyists rejoice!

[sparky415]

 
       

Remind me to buy a lottery ticket tomorrow