3D print a DE razor of your own design.

[Paddan1000]

Several companies on the internet allow you to upload a 3D model of an object of your own design and then send a solid version of the object back to you.
I've never seen an object made by a 3D printer myself, but supposedly you can choose from a wide range of materials (metal, plastic, ceramics, etc) and the price is reasonable. Contrary to traditional manufacturing you can order only one sample and still get it cheap.
Has anyone ever thought of designing an printing a custom made razor this way? I would have done it if I knew anything about design and CAD programs.

A popular page from where you can order 3D printing is shapeways.com, but there are more I am sure.

 

[mblakele]

Take a look at http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/287816-New-Project-Idea-3D-Print-a-Brush-Handle! and http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/265194-3D-Printing-a-Brush-Handle. Some of the commentary should apply to razors too.

 

[Doppelgaenger]

I was just researching 3D printing the other day, it's a great way to prototype stuff. Some processes make very brittle parts, but the ones that can do metal make excellent parts

You don't have to know very much in the way of CAD to get this to work, all the files have to be translated into STL format anyway and the people will usually talk through the design with you if they find problems.

I hope this technology matures quickly because it gives such a great way to turn ideas into reality with no fuss!

 

[rxonmymind]

Welcome to B&B! Your first thread.
Yes I have seen these work. A laser maps the image then it gets transferred over to a molding machine and within minutes the object is usable.

 

[ono]

I am also in this wavelength at the moment. Here are my two cents.

There are no molds involved in this process, unless you use the plastic piece you get from the RP machine and mold it in silicon to cast say silver with it, which is a process widely used in jewelery nowadays (by the way shapeways provides this service, I have used them and they are an awesome company). In rapid prototyping, generally what happens is the laser cures very thin layers of material which stick to each other, and the object is built slice by slice, so to speak.

The plastic pieces are not so brittle anymore, it depends which material you use, and the thickness of the parts, althought It would have to be tested how long it would stand the use and abouse of daily grind. However the metal parts, as doppelgaenger says are excellent, only problem being the resolution is still miles from being "nice", that is, the layers which compose the object are coarse and the object surface feels rough, so it needs to be finished by hand (especially true for a razor).

 

[Paddan1000]

Ok, maybe the technology needs a few more years to mature. That buys me the time I need to learn a CAD program and work on my design.
I downloaded a program called "Blender" that seems to be popular among designers. I hope it's easier to learn than Photoshop.

 

[Haiku]

Autodesk 3D design. Free program.

http://www.123dapp.com/123d

 

[benvh]

We have a 3d printer at work for prototyping. It's amazingly accurate and the material is super tough. It is a UV cured plastic. Cost a pretty penny but has paid for itself many times over. Have considered doing some brush handles but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Ben

 

[luvmysuper]

Exciting times.
Imagine a time not so far away when you can run down to Kinkos and have them print up an open comb slant.

 

[foxtrot]

I know this is an old thread, but I wasn't sure that an update on 3-D printing merited its own topic.

I'm always reading about the progress of this technology, and was excited to see B&B's own grubsteak offering a custom (printed) razor case insert for an Altoids tin.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...C-3D-printed-Altoids-cases-EJ89-Barley-handle

Today, my friend turned me on to a printer that will use PLA, i.e. biodegradable cornstarch instead of plastic.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...the-3d-printer-that-everyone-can-use?ref=live

Imagine the possibilities!

 

[mblakele]

PLA sounds like a poor material for a razor or a brush handle. It softens at relatively low temperatures, and is not terribly durable anyway. It could make a decent disposable razor for cold-water shavers, I guess. But for durable items I would focus on PVC or even sintered metal.

I think the niche for printing razors will be fairly small for the immediate future. Naturally there are a few folks who are interested in designing new products, and can use this technology for prototyping.

Then there are some gents who are not interested in collecting vintage stuff, but want to try rare razors or exotic designs anyway - just to see how they shave. I am not sure if the technology is up to printing a TTO, but perhaps there would be interest in a printable Darwin or Leresche. Someone would have to distribute an accurate model for that rare razor. Using a printing service like Shapeways I suspect copies would cost $30-50, around the same as a new mass-production razor.

 

[rxonmymind]

THIS along with our cell phones and internet is the equivalent of the inventions of the early 1900's our grandparents grew up with. Electricity, cars, electric cars, planes type writers, etc. This invention will revolutionize the world imo once it get's down to an affordable price point.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

Kool thread for sure, first I heard if 3D printing was over the news, when someone made a plastic gun that was capable of firing a real bullet. Now that's wild.

 

[Joezamboni]

I see that with a lot of those companies online they give you the option to buy a posted plan online and print from it. One of those companies does offer stainless steel as an option. I imagine a good "cost effective" recreation of rarer heads such as the Gillette New Improved or New Deluxe may get a lot of attention.

 

[olschoolsteel]

I was thinking along the lines of mblakele. I want a slant, but i dont want to use it much. I like the older bakalite style ones. Like a Hoffritz. Maybe I could get a nice hard PVC 2 or 3 piece to use on occasion without owning a high dollar item. If i broke it, i could send off my 3-D scan and some cash and have another one "printed".

 

[rawkstar320]

I thought I should link up some threads, I have been doing this exact thing actually.. see http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/368783-Design-my-own-razor

I plan on ordering my first 3D printed razor this week!

 

[Shutterbug57]

If I could scan my 1934 Aristocrat and have it reproduced for say $50 or so, I would be elated. I don't need to design a great razor, that has already been done. Would those designs be in the public domain or would Gillette still have the rights to them? I imagine Gillette would still have the rights

 

[mblakele]

If I could scan my 1934 Aristocrat and have it reproduced for say $50 or so, I would be elated. I don't need to design a great razor, that has already been done. Would those designs be in the public domain or would Gillette still have the rights to them? I imagine Gillette would still have the rights

All those patents expired a long time ago. Gillette (P&G) might still hold some trademark rights on names like Aristocrat, and they might still hold copyright on printed material like instructions. But they could not stop you from copying the design. Anyway why would they care?

Caveat: I am not a lawyer.

 

[rawkstar320]

I have been thinking about building one of these for a while now: http://www.david-3d.com/ it might help you copy that old razor. Or 123D Catch, but that would be much less accurate. There are also "professional" grade 3D scanning services out there, but that might not be cost effective...

Assuming you reprinted in plastic, My bet would be that it would cost around $20+s/h for the print.