3D printing + CNC milling – Worth the effort?



3D printing is accessible, but has its drawbacks. CNC milling for most is harder to set up, butoffers great precision at the cost of inefficient and wasteful subtractive manufacturing. What if we 3D print an oversized model, and then mill it down to the final shape, eliminating layer lines and other imperfections? In this video I experiment with this concept on an F1 in Schools wheel.

I think everything was a win apart from the surface finish. More experimentation with spindle rpm, feed rate and cutting depth could yield better results. Also me having more patience with sanding and polishing at the end would surely help too.
Is this all just a waste of time or are there suitable applications?

0:00 Introduction

0:38 An example of where 3D print plus CNC is needed
Previous F1 in Schools video: https://youtu.be/MvVgZWEgbww

2:31 The plan
E3D Toolchanger store page: https://e3d-online.com/products/toolchanger-motion-system-bundle-tools

3:21 Sample prints and testing
Previous Apollo X video: https://youtu.be/lCqwA1h3JV4

5:15 Model design

6:00 3D printing and machine prep

7:32 CNC milling and toolpath iteration
DeskProto CAM software: https://www.deskproto.com
CNC toolpath preview: https://ncviewer.com/

10:17 Evaluating the final parts

12:58 Conclusion

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