Hi. I've got about a year to create an approx.

3D Printing
, , ,
1

Hi. I’ve got about a year to create an approx. 37% scale model of a Yamaha DX7 keyboard.

So. I thought a 3D printer. Ultimately I wanted the keys to be individual keys, along with as much working detail. Not such about the electronics yet, not going to have to actually work as a DX7 of course :slight_smile:

It may require me to model the entire printer too, unless I can find an existing model of course.

Forgetting all the what needs to be moving detail and all that. Could I just get recommendations on what printer to go for?

Don’t hold back too much on price too, the FORM1 may be too much for me, but too cheap may be just too cheap, I really don’t know a lot.

I have other plans, as I build a collection of anime figures and other collectables, I will want to print other things for them too, maybe even dabble in print actual figures and replacement parts (assuming there is equivalent plastics?).

Anyway, that is what I’m here to ask, my funds are building now, thank you for any help you can give.

2

I personally think you may be disappointed with the print texture of an inexpensive 3d printer as regards external parts. I’d consider using it to print some of the framework and pivots but I’d lean towards using wood or machined nylon for the keys themselves. What sort of fab equipment do you have access to? Machining the whole case out of nylon would be comparatively inexpensive and look pretty excellent.

3

I’m starting from nothing. It’s all an experiment tbh. The better it looks the better, it’s for a Volks Dolfie Dream doll, and she’s going to look excellent, so it’s got to look good too.

4

3d printers you can afford will leave clearly visible lines on the surface of prints. You can to some extent cope with that using solvents to partially melt the surface, but that’s fussy. Going through Shapeways and having them print the parts on an expensive FDM/optical 3d printer might be worthwhile. Durability is also an issue, especially with small plastic parts. I’d advise using a small bit of brass tubing as an insert into each key as the pivot, riding on a brass or steel rod.

5

That’s similar to how the Roland keyboard the DX7 is sat on now does it for it’s keys. But the Roland’s keys are wood.

Maybe using a 3D printer at home for prototyping and using someone else to print the final version is an option.

6

That is exactly the best use for a 3d printer, in my opinion.
Nothing sucks more than spending a lot on machining a prototype and finding out it was wrong, but trying to run production on a cheap 3d printer is the next most sucky thing.

7

Ditto to John Bump’s comment, but you can get a pretty good finish if the keys are printed upside down on glass and then polished after.

8

Are we moving away from the rep-rap style printers into the realms of off-the-self?

I’m just thinking I may want to experiment, so may want something I can experiment with. Something I build myself may be more ideal.

9

I am totally utterly an advocate of learning by building, but if you have a deadline for getting this built, don’t get sucked into the quagmire of building a tool to build your project.

10

It’s not a fixed deadline. It’s a nice to have, and it’s a year away at present. So plenty of time at present. I do like the idea of experimenting with different setups and different materials and different techniques. It may lead to not even requiring to outsource the final version.

11

If money is not too much of a problem, I’d suggest a makerbot, ultimaker or other relatively cheap FDM machine for profiling parts and then for the final product going through a service like shapeways, i.materialize or sculpteo to produce the final higher quality print.
That way you learn a skill, can iterate rapidly at home in filament to finalize the models and still end up with a nice finish coming up to your deadline.

(Disclosure: I work for sculpteo, but those are the big three services you should check out IMO)