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Post by philagardener on Jan 5, 2018 7:42:04 GMT -5
A sharp looking tool! Intriguing approach - is 3D printing in titanium just for the prototype or cost suitable for production? keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) will be interested in this tech too. |
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Post by reed on Jan 5, 2018 10:27:22 GMT -5
It is a nice looking tool but I admit I was a little worried about whether that poor sheep in the video would still have ears by the end of it. A testament to skill and experience I suppose.
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Jan 5, 2018 11:48:05 GMT -5
Cool! The 3d printing metal is pretty cool. Ive heard they can have microbubles or air pockets so they are not recommended for aircraft critical parts.
Im actually more interested in the metalurgy aspect for this. Is titanium the best for this? Does it stay sharper longer than hardened steel? I know hard metals like tungsten or platinum are good electrodes but i dont know about sharpness or ease of dulling. I like the design though! I've seen a pair of those old shears around! They were quite cool with the built-in spring! I like the modern touch!
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Day
gardener
When in doubt, grow it out.
Posts: 171
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Post by Day on Jan 5, 2018 12:13:34 GMT -5
That is super cool... I won't lie, I pretty much poo-poo'd 3-d printing tech when the buzz first started. I felt it was going to be nothing more than an overly expensive, privileged person play toy, and have no feasible application (due to costs) in the arenas where it could actually make a huge and valued impact: rural hospitals, natural disaster sites, etc.
And while price point is still a hurdle, I'm extremely excited to be reconsidering my former assessment. xD
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Post by richardw on Jan 5, 2018 15:05:08 GMT -5
A sharp looking tool! Intriguing approach - is 3D printing in titanium just for the prototype or cost suitable for production? keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) will be interested in this tech too. The high cost of producing this tool by 3D is still worth while as the aim is to produce top of line no compromise on quality. The shearer will still come out on top after three to four weeks through increased productivity. The old UK shears only last 6-7 days before all the hardened is used, it then takes about an hour to set up a new pair (grinding, straightening, fitting plastic buffers, attaching straps). Having to sharpen between each sheep takes 15-20 seconds, over a whole day thats 20 less sheep shorn, at $2.50 paid per sheep, that $50 per day extra. My 3D model will sell for around $1300 mark, the handles will last a lifetime, the changeable ready to use blades should last 20,000-30,000 sheep (UK shears 800 sheep) Teflon bearings should last over a million sheep, only the springs will need replacing from time to time, i think, the shears you see me using in that video still have same springs, so i dont know how long they will last, but should be a long time. |
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Post by richardw on Jan 5, 2018 15:11:51 GMT -5
It is a nice looking tool but I admit I was a little worried about whether that poor sheep in the video would still have ears by the end of it. A testament to skill and experience I suppose. Shearing with blades is a lot more skillful than machine shearing, blade shearing is also physically easier on the body because the animal is in less pain (heat from the electric hand piece) and with less noise this makes the sheep sit more quietly and not fight against you. Also we get paid more while shearing less.
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Post by richardw on Jan 5, 2018 15:28:13 GMT -5
Cool! The 3d printing metal is pretty cool. Ive heard they can have microbubles or air pockets so they are not recommended for aircraft critical parts. The handles you see in the photo are honeycomb inside, helps with the weight, total with blades on 350 grams or 12.3 ounceIm actually more interested in the metallurgy aspect for this. Is titanium the best for this? Does it stay sharper longer than hardened steel? I know hard metals like tungsten or platinum are good electrodes but i dont know about sharpness or ease of dulling. I like the design though! I've seen a pair of those old shears around! They were quite cool with the built-in spring! I like the modern touch! Just the handles are titanium, the blades are CPM10V, super hard steel, the fine oil stones that i used for years on the old shear are useless on these blades, like sharpening with a glass bottle, have to use man made carborundum stones. Ive got another set of blades to test out CPM3V later as well, dont think they preform as well, the CPM10V is a similar composite to D2 but D2 is not made by the power metallurgy process. |
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Post by richardw on Jan 5, 2018 15:57:42 GMT -5
That is super cool... I won't lie, I pretty much poo-poo'd 3-d printing tech when the buzz first started. I felt it was going to be nothing more than an overly expensive, privileged person play toy, and have no feasible application (due to costs) in the arenas where it could actually make a huge and valued impact: rural hospitals, natural disaster sites, etc. And while price point is still a hurdle, I'm extremely excited to be reconsidering my former assessment. xD From the start of this project i know that to modernize the shears it needed changeable blades because its not worth fitting blades to the old style shears as metal fatigue snaps the back hinges sometime even before the blade are worn out, so i knew than a whole different handle system had to be designed. When looking at all possible materials that provide no flexing at all, only aluminum and stainless achieved this, but the weight was a handicap. We tried plastic but the handles crept under the pressure of the springs. The 3D printing provides the strength, the weight while been able to reduce much of the bulk. With top of line tools such as this one cost is no obstacle unless we are talking in the many thousands of dollars. Also having little human labour input means the cost of production is much the same as here or in China, Vietnam or where ever, even though we have the patents it still give us a degree of security. |
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Jan 5, 2018 17:41:44 GMT -5
The handles you see in the photo are honeycomb inside, helps with the weight, total with blades on 350 grams or 12.3 ounce.
Just the handles are titanium, the blades are CPM10V, super hard steel, the fine oil stones that i used for years on the old shear are useless on these blades, like sharpening with a glass bottle, have to use man made carborundum stones. Ive got another set of blades to test out CPM3V later as well, dont think they preform as well, the CPM10V is a similar composite to D2 but D2 is not made by the power metallurgy process. Nice! I like the design very much! Way to go! hope you make some money off it. |
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Post by richardw on Jan 5, 2018 18:30:13 GMT -5
Thanks Andrew, if all goes well i should have the next bottom handle printed by the end of the month and get testing it.
Out of all the blade shearers in NZ, 20% will declare they will go to there grave before ever uses this new tool, because of that mind set, 'how dare you change something so traditional'. Another 20% who will take it up straight away, the remaining will in time change because not only due to the embarrassment of using stone age technology, but also seeing there workmates shearing more than them everyday.
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Post by steev on Jan 7, 2018 22:35:22 GMT -5
Well done! There is much to be said for those few who think about what they're doing, instead of just doing it, like the majority.
I buy more-expensive Japanese hand-tools for the same reason: better-designed; better-made; better materials. The Chinese-made "American" hand-tools are generally the "crap de la crap".
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Post by richardw on Jan 7, 2018 22:56:19 GMT -5
Thanks steev. Tradesman need the best design and materials, i learnt my trade having no choice but to use a absolutely crap tool, the quality of the old tool is largely responsible for the decline in the blade shearing industry, what young guy today would want to learn a skill using 1800's technology, having a tool made by 3D printing gives it a whole new level of prestige.
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