Mrskylighter
I'd love to have a reason to buy a 3d printer. Looks like great fun!
Let's assume you'll eventually come up with a perfect design for the TB adapters and stacks, is there a material you can print with that would enable you to print the actual end product? That could withstand the heat, vibration and also insulate the TBs from the heads etc?
Or would it be a case of having the parts cnc milled by others?
The 3D printer I have is a PP3DP UP Mini, they are now as low as $650 here.
The printer prints with an ABS plastic filament and I'm not sure how it would go in the environment of an engine. I'm happy to build a test type with them to ensure the design works, but the eventual plan is to have a go at sand casting some from aluminium or even polyurethane. To CNC them, I would need access to a 5 axis CNC mill, which I currently don't have and don't have contacts with anyone who does :(
Anyway, I've been wussing out on doing any work this week since it has been arctic cold in the shed, however I was gifted with some warm weather tonight.
Grinder time, Bitches!
Traced the cardboard template onto the steel.
Then cut it out with the grinder.
Quick test fit to make sure I hadn't goofed up.
Then started on the other side, adding the few modification I didn't have in the cardboard template.
Few differences as you can see once it was cut out
Both plates drop into position
Now I just need to space them evenly, make some cross supports, tack weld it all together and see how it fits.
Then it's welding time followed by some tidy up work (sealer & paint)