Jon B Interview, Part 3: 3D Printing Car Parts

Don't miss part one and part two of our interview with Jon B, wherein he tells us a little about himself, his Go-4 Interceptor and Subaru 360.

REVolution: Have you used your 3D printer to create any parts for your cars? Do you think that, in the near future, more enthusiasts will be doing exactly that?

JB: I used my 3D printer to create the patterns for my intake manifold and air box for my Subaru 360. Prototyping and ultimately producing these parts was the primary reason I bought the machine.

Photos: Jon B

REVolution: What sort of software do you use with it?

JB: I use a mix of Tinkercad and SketchUp.

REVolution: I can imagine that, in the very near future if it isn't happening already, enthusiasts sharing computer files to print parts on their 3D printers. Can your printer create things in different media other than plastic? I know the commercial printers can, but I haven't heard of too many consumer level models that have that capability. Sites like Shapeways might fill that gap, but the cost is still fairly high, I believe.

JB: Yeah, Shapeways can get expensive, but they also use a different method of creating the models. Most consumer grade machines build the layers by extruding the perimeter of the object one layer at a time, fusing a thin strand of plastic, one on top of the other, where Shapeways uses a bed of powder in the material of your choice and the layers are bound together layer by layer by a binder sprayed onto the surface, much like an old style ink jet printer draws on paper. For consumer machines, there are many different filament compositions available now, but the ability to extrude these filaments depends on the capabilities of the machine. I’ve modified mine to use an upgraded hot end and extruder configuration. This allows me to use different filaments that run at different temperature ranges that the stock machine might not have been able to handle. There are now conductive filaments, magnetic filaments, wood composite filaments, some carbon fiber stuff, and a massive assortment of various plastics.

REVolution: Have you had a chance to experiment with carbon fiber yet? What about aluminum?

JB: Carbon fiber; no, not yet. I’ve done some installation of carbon fiber parts on another vehicle, but I haven’t made my own carbon fiber stuff yet. When you ask if I’ve experimented with aluminum, do you mean with the 3D printer, or in general, because I had to metal cast the intake and air box. They’re made of aluminum.

REVolution: I was curious if your 3D printer could produce things directly in aluminum.

JB: No, the printer cannot produce things made with metal.

REVolution: Quick; what's the first thing you think of when you look at this website (a coffee foam 3D printer)?

JB: Well, it's not something I think I need or want.

REVolution: Ha! Thought you'd get a kick out that completely frivolous application of 3D printer technology. No? Oh, well.

JB: Seems neat; if I had a coffee shop, sure. It's a cool thing to add to the counter, but for me personally since I have no use, nor do I do pretentious coffee. It's a bust.

REVolution: Ha! Pretentious coffee is like being a sommelier. I'd have to agree that it's a tad ridiculous. Do you think larger 3D printers are the next wave of tech that will trickle down to the consumer level or do you see some other technology replacing it? Some sort of device that produces a piece in one fell swoop somehow (as opposed to layer by layer), perhaps.

JB: I believe that since Cartesian-based machines are easily scalable, the sky is the limit as to what is placed on the gantry; be it a laser head, extruder, router with an endmill or a crayon. The limits are only your imagination and wallet. As for the consumer, well the hardware is cheap enough to obtain. The real trick is to find the people that want or need to buy it and yet savvy enough to assemble it. When you dumb things down enough to make them easily useable by the masses, you lose some of the capability of the machine.

REVolution: Many car enthusiasts are excited by the technology but really have no idea what's entailed. Do you think the technology needs to advance a little further before the average gear head can tackle something like the manifold you produced?

JB: The manifold I produced required studying many different fabrication technologies. I'm not trying to be facetious, but I'm not certain that a large population of the people we call gear heads would be able to become proficient in all of the fabrication technologies involved. It’s something that I was forced to learn because my budget certainly didn't have the ability to support my needs, should I have needed to outsource the engineering. I'm sure there will be a large group of people that can pick these skills up easily. I’m just afraid that the typical hot rod builder gets most of their stuff from Jeggs, or some other particular retailer outfit. Niche and obscure vehicles don't have the same support when it comes to parts options or sources, so we’re forced to improvise, up to and including small run manufacturing.

REVolution: I had the feeling that was the case. But say there's an enthusiast out there right now that would like to get into 3D printing. Where would you recommend they start?

JB: I think if they’re serious and want a machine that they can grow with, I would recommend that they purchase a kit machine. Somethinglike Folgertech sells would be a great place to start. That way, they can learn how the machine is assembled and really get a solid understanding of how it works. By it being a kit form machine, they also have the ability to upgrade it to become more capable as their skill set becomes more capable. I really think kit machines are the way to go and they’re more economical to get into.

REVolution: What's a kit like that run these days?

JB: You can get a nice machine for under $300. The Folgertech guys are a small US based outfit. I bought a replacement laser power supply from them a while back and it was the wrong type. They actually sent me two more of the correct type for free to say sorry. Decent guys.

Bob Saget phone holder made on the 3D printer

 REVolution: Any final words?

JB: Oh, wow. I forgot we were doing an interview. I guess I would probably want to promote the maker movement running around the country. If you've got even the slightest interest in any of the industrial arts I'd suggest that you visit your local technical school or a maker space and learn as much as you can. Dream more and make more. It’s a shame that the trades have fallen to the wayside in favor of less manual skills.

REVolution: Thanks very much for all your thoughts, memories, experiences and comments!

JB: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. It's been a real pleasure to have been able to share with you.

Interested in seeing Jon B's videos showing his 3D printing process? Make sure you check out his YouTube channel!