Hammond and Leslie 3D Printed (Scale 1: 7.5)

[argencam]

C3 print time: 42 hrs
122 print time: 32 hrs

[tiredoldgeezer]

So CUTE!

Those 3d printers take a lot of time.

[David Anderson]

Can you print a new Leslie horn?

[argencam]

i think so.

[Tonewheel]

Congratulations on a job well done! I don't know if we all realize the amount of time and effort and precision and talent it takes to get to this point.

I have a CNC router for wood, and the software is based on ArtCam Insignia. The learning curve for a 3-axis CNC is steep, but for this effort, it would take much more.

Take a look at the Electric Piano Forum, where one of our colleagues has created a 3D model of a Wurlitzer 200A.

Thank you for sharing this.

[enor]

Excellent work! Have you shared the .stl files anywhere?

[valotus]

I recently printed couple of spare deflectors, haven't tried making a complete horn yet. This one shown in pics is a test piece without upper edge cut. Finish will not be as smooth as original, but I think these will work perfect.

[David Anderson]

Now, new deflectors . . . you could probably sell those. Seriously.

[tiredoldgeezer]

I don't think you wanna print a horn.

Diffusers, fine. Horn, no way.

1. Horn or not, you still need a bronze bushed bearing. So while the horn might be correct dims, you still gotta install the bearing in a fairly close hole.
2. Essential to the sound of the horn is the Bakelite phenolic it's made of. When you A/B a Motion Sound - or other spinner - you'll find the imitators lack the Leslie honk found on the real thing as they don't use original material. It's not especially apparent in the music store, but it's pretty obvious head-to-head.
3. It is unlikely the styrenes used in 3d printing will withstand the forces and vibrations of a spinning horn. As it's a layering construction technique, you have inherent "cracks" built into the model. This similar lesson has been learned the hard way by many companies. Oh, it'll work. But probably not for long.

It'd be a fun exercise, but seems like a LOT of printer time for what might not be entirely satisfactory. If nothing else, the solid model file would be a great thing to have.

[valotus]

That's very true, original bakelite plastic is pretty hard and heavy, and also has smooth surface, which all will have certain acoustical characteristics for sure.

As an old-school craftsman but complete newbie in 3D world, I'm trying to keep my eyes open for advantages of 3D printing. It's not solution for everything, but so far I've been mostly positively surprised. Like you said, I can see it as a fun exercise at least.

[enor]

I don't think you wanna print a horn.

Diffusers, fine. Horn, no way.

1. Horn or not, you still need a bronze bushed bearing. So while the horn might be correct dims, you still gotta install the bearing in a fairly close hole.
2. Essential to the sound of the horn is the Bakelite phenolic it's made of. When you A/B a Motion Sound - or other spinner - you'll find the imitators lack the Leslie honk found on the real thing as they don't use original material. It's not especially apparent in the music store, but it's pretty obvious head-to-head.
3. It is unlikely the styrenes used in 3d printing will withstand the forces and vibrations of a spinning horn. As it's a layering construction technique, you have inherent "cracks" built into the model. This similar lesson has been learned the hard way by many companies. Oh, it'll work. But probably not for long.

It'd be a fun exercise, but seems like a LOT of printer time for what might not be entirely satisfactory. If nothing else, the solid model file would be a great thing to have.

Also, printing it at all is a very challenging task. How to orient the pieces, where to add support, having a large enough build plate... It's really not a suitable project for the time being, with the printing technology we have available on "consumer printers".

[tiredoldgeezer]

As an old-school craftsman but complete newbie in 3D world, I'm trying to keep my eyes open for advantages of 3D printing. It's not solution for everything, but so far I've been mostly positively surprised. Like you said, I can see it as a fun exercise at least.

I've been tacitly involved in stereo lithography since the 90s; including resin-bath UV and metal sintering techniques which have largely gone away. They all suffer from shortcomings.
But hey, it's fun.

As an old school craftsman, you may find this interesting. The guys that really get their money's worth are the home-foundry types. They print up patterns, including sprues and vents, pack in the sand and pour. Do some pretty cool casting work. Some are pretty serious sculptors, too.

Then they can take those castings - cuz they gotta 3d model - and precisely locate and machine flats and holes without worry. Often a printed piece will fracture when subjected to subsequent machining.

Their projects aren't a glamorous as the real showy display projects, but they'll often have several running 24/7 just making patterns. What's more, they don't have shelves full of inventory because it's all digital. Just a little lead-time and they're ready to go. I don't know the techniques, but I know one guy that casts brass and bronze, and another that casts old pop cans. Pretty cool stuff they end up with.

Thinking about it, no, there's notta lotta Hammond stuff you could really get into.
David Anderson is right. The diffusers could be a genuine article.
Maybe a Leslie speed knob. Those disappear pretty regularly. Possibly even a half-moon housing.
Same with V/C knobs, but those take a pounding on the ancient rotary switches they're connected to, so it might be problematic.
Maybe a Leslie pulley, but there's far more efficient and workable solutions.
Or perhaps parts that don't exist but should. I've always thought a snap-in shield would be nice for a 122/147/145 Leslie amp to keep out debris and such leaving only the amphenol connector exposed.
But my imagination is a bit atrophied.

Anyway, all cool, all good, have a great time.

[Bobmann]

Every process has a pro and a con. The trick is to weigh both and determine what is best for any part.
Those deflectors would be difficult to machine with traditional machinery; the 3D print is a very viable alternative to getting a mold made and contracting to get them made.
The Leslie pulley is an easy thing to make with a standard lathe; I have made several dozen pulley/shaft assemblies myself and can fabricate these way faster and more accurately than a 3D printer.
The Leslie drum is another thing I am looking at reproducing with my CNC router. The size would preclude making this with most consumer size printers.
The Leslie half moon may be a possibility for 3D printing as would be those knobs.
Over time, I am sure that someone will come up with some way to make a lot of parts that will become more scarce as these instruments succomb to loss over time.

Bob