So you want a bullet collator...

[jmorris]

I have built a number of my own but it takes some ability and machinery to do so. A recent thread over at Castboolits http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?354324-Making-that-Bullet-Collator peaked my interest once I learned how cheap 3D printers have become. 20 years ago they could build wax models and were very expensive, enough I really didn’t pay them much attention in recent years but in the thread above Hatch linked (also provided me post purchase support, thanks again if you happen to read this) to the Anet A8 3D printer that was just under $160 shipped.

This isn’t the link he posted but it’s the same printer.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Auto-Lev...0812&wl11=online&wl12=187752683&wl13=&veh=sem

It’s a kit that has to be assembled, takes a few hours, hardest part for me was getting all of the protective paper off all the parts.

The subject of the thread though comes from AmmoMike83’s work. He has designed, a bullet collator that the files can be downloaded for free and printed off.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2504314


There are a number of parts that you will need and he has a number of different configurations in the files as well. Like base down for loading or nose down to feed sizing machines. He is also very helpful and has created new design files for users with specific needs.

There is a little learning curve (the plastic doesn’t cost much) and the process is very slow from a machinist perspective (the part is built in layers .1mm thick) but in the end you get a bullet collator(s) with very little effort, created by AmmoMike83 and equipment you can set on your wife’s dining room table.














FWIW the thing runs pretty much all the time making all sorts of things, thingiverse.com has an incredible amount of files there people have created and distribute for free.

 

[GW Staar]

$160 is certainly better than anything I've seen before. Very interesting. 9'" square though.....that limits your design options. Probably enough for a bullet feeder, but that's not all I'd want to play with! I can think of many things to make, and most are bigger.

Super cool though.....bigger is just more expensive of course. Thanks for the jolt! (wakeup call)

The software is something I'd be interested in learning.......I do cad for a living......not as much 3d as I'd like, but my customers don't want to pay for that. So I print 2d plans, with 3d thoughts.....and build the things one stick at a time! What software are you using?

 

[LoonWulf]

And another thing I wanna buy.....

 

[rjbmjb]

Prices have come down a lot- I bought mine several years ago and paid over $400 for a kit. Mine took about 10 hours to assemble and test, and has an 8 inch bed.

I was not familiar with CAD programs, but I found one called FreeCAD that is pretty simple to learn. Since it is free, it doesn’t have a lot of the advanced features that other programs have, but I was able to print parts for a case feeder for my LnL AP and a number of other smaller projects like loading blocks for my revolver speed loaders. FreeCAD exports STL files (I used to know what that stood for) that can be loaded by the printer, which are in the same format as files downloaded from thingiverse. From what I can tell from the pictures, I could probably produce the collator using FreeCAD, but it would be a tedious process (for me at least- if you have a lot of experience with CAD programs, it would probably go a lot faster).

The size of the print bed is a limiting factor for some designs, but keep in mind that larger projects can be broken down into smaller parts and assembled. I have seen kits that have larger beds, but as was noted above, bigger means more expensive. Larger projects may require some kind of enclosure for the printer- if the layers cool too fast, the corners can curl up and ruin the print.

 

[Demi-human]

A magician machinist and now a practiced plasticist!

If you can fly too, I wouldn't doubt it.

 

[Walkalong]

Very, very, cool.

 

[jmorris]

Very interesting. 9'" square though.....that limits your design options.

Yes, like I tell people when buying a lathe, if you bought a 20” lathe with a 12 foot bed, next week you would need to turn a 21” part. The size is limiting but for AmmoMike83’s collator it provides more than enough room.

I imagine the reason they are so small is because print time would become ridiculous. The main body of the collator took 42 hours to print.

Kid’s can find more stuff they want to print than I can. Although the 4 shot pump action toothpick crossbow is pretty fun to play with.



https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ultimaker-cura-software

Is the software I downloaded to take the .STL files and “slice” them into .gcode. A long time ago I used Microstation and Autocad, for my CNC stuff I just use Mastercam. I haven’t designed anything for 3D printing though, just printed files shared at thingiverse.com.

 

[GW Staar]

Knowing that hobby source Micro-Mark, sells several 3d printers I went looking (just for fun) for bigger ones and what they cost.

The biggest they offer is one that prints 12"x12". Shucks ... it only costs $4.......thousand! Never mind.....maybe in another 100 years my great grand kids will do what I had in mind!

I could have used your little machine to build my rifle case collator (Lee style Shaker) If you look at these pictures you will see what I mean.

Would have saved a LOT of time! But at that time, such a tool, I didn't even have a glimmer of.

Thanks my friend.....I now have an idea to tell my wife about....IOW's it may take me til Christmas to get my next project figured out. (PC7)
THEN I'll need another........ and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't an electric version of the one above......if I can figure out a way to do it within the limited size. Previous plans to just buy a Dillon case collator may wait on that, because I live for new projects. Cases may require more size.........then again maybe not. We shall see.

 

[someguy2800]

I’m an application engineer at Stratasys, the worlds largest 3D printer manufacturer.

It’s been interesting watching the rise of the hobby printers. Funny thing is most people know about those now and have no idea that 3D printing already has industrial grade machines churning out production quality parts all over the world.

 

[Demi-human]

There is a similar system in use that extrudes concrete. Three dimensionally printed houses! The article was for hurricane ravaged places or refugee camps.
I was enlivened by the custom aspect. Rolling into any site and making a precision foundational structure, ready for finishing. Then move to the next site and build a completely different and custom structure, with the same precision, on the same set up.

Sometimes I wonder, do we live in the modern renaissance? Or are we advancing technology so quickly that we have eclipsed the former and this time is the true golden age of science?

(ding)

Ooo, nachos are done!

 

[jmorris]

Funny thing is most people know about those now and have no idea that 3D printing already has industrial grade machines churning out production quality parts all over the world.

Back in the mid 90’s I remember the wax 3D printers that were new and very expensive, at that point I figured one day instead of nut an bolt bins there would be a microwave sized device and you hit the buttons for what you wanted to come out of it, thread/pitch, head, shoulder, plating/finish?

These things would be a LOT cooler to me if you could feed them a spool of ER70S or similar but heck, I have spent more than $160 on dinner before and that was completely gone by the next morning. I also didn’t learn anything I didn’t know before.

 

[Demi-human]

And today there is a pen-toy for children that uses an L.E.D. to "draw in three D".

Both of these machines would be better if they could use Titanium.

Maybe a dual filiment feed for alloying. Just pick the correct color coded spools and print new control arms for the truck. Or a new faucet valve seat, to replace the broken one in the vintage tub spout.

 

[cfullgraf]

I keep resisting the urge to buy a 3-D printer. Just something else to fill some of that free time I have since I became retired.

I'm still trying to optimize operating my 2-D CNC plasma cutting table. Adding working in a third dimension may pop a circuit breaker in my head.

Any way, I like to see how things are progressing in the 3-D printer world and may participate at some point.

 

[someguy2800]

Back in the mid 90’s I remember the wax 3D printers that were new and very expensive, at that point I figured one day instead of nut an bolt bins there would be a microwave sized device and you hit the buttons for what you wanted to come out of it, thread/pitch, head, shoulder, plating/finish?

These things would be a LOT cooler to me if you could feed them a spool of ER70S or similar but heck, I have spent more than $160 on dinner before and that was completely gone by the next morning. I also didn’t learn anything I didn’t know before.

I’m sure you know about it but there are a few different metal 3D printing processes now but they are not cheap or simple to use by any stretch. A devision of my company has about 20 of them and they got a manufactures licence and were offering fully functional 1911’s for sale that were entirely 3D printed from stainless.

I only work in plastics but even I’ve made stocks and frames and other parts for most of the large firearms manufactures in the country. As well as pretty much every other imaginable industry.

 

[AR-Bossman]

I remember a little while back a guy did a similar thing and offered all the parts and maybe the files... can't remember. But Mr. Bulletfeeder went after him and he shut it down. Maybe the difference is the end user is printing the files rather than someone printing them and selling them.

 

[jmorris]

Entirelycrimson sold a kit, wasn’t 3D printed though, might be what you are thinking about.

 

[Demi-human]

offering fully functional 1911’s for sale that were entirely 3D printed from stainless.

Very Cool.

 

[Walkalong]

were offering fully functional 1911’s for sale that were entirely 3D printed from stainless.

Sweet, and very cool.