3-d Printing In The Taxidermy Industry

Ive scanned files for and operated a 3d printer. Unless your spending 10s of thousands on a printer alone the finished product is in no way smooth( covered in small steps) out of the printer, and lacks the ability to print very fin details that a mold would pick up. Would take a whole lot of taxidermy work to come close to the initial start up cost.

 

I have a really heavy racked elk which a good client brought to me that has a fair amount or horn broken off during the rut. He wanted me to rebuild it all which I could do traditionally but told him that work is additional at $25/inch. He wants a euro first then if it mets his standards after the horn rebuilding then he wants it mounted. Estimating about 85” needed, I quoted him $2125. As I expected he is now pulling back and I think he will be looking for a cheaper option for rebuilding. I was curious what you all think about using 3D printing to make up the missing broken tines and whale tail parts which could be mated and bonded/blended to existing antler. I usually use embedded stout threaded steel rod as the center support on which to build out from. 3D might be something I can suggest to him to explore. Thx for your input. Rich

 

When I began reading your post I immediately realized where you were going with it. I do a lot of 3D printing/mesh making/3D scanning and even though I don't believe 3D printing has a ton of use in taxidermy from a printing time factor alone -- I think you might be on to something. If you had a side to copy, it would be much easier to scan the tine to copy and print a duplicate for the other side but considering the simplicity of the object you want to produce -- originating the object in blender or another program wouldn't be terribly time consuming either. The finished product would result in a lightweight replacement as well. Wood based filaments will take stain by the way. Nice idea -- I might have to try it myself.

Robert

 

Your wasting time concidering 3D printing
Scan image, the resolution sucks
Then you still have to attach
Make a silicon mold of one of the other points that match
Slide mold over area to be repaired slit open top of point and pour with a breather tube in mold
I would pre drill top of repair and insert a rod

 

Not sure what you're referring to on which resolution sucks? The scanned image or the printed one? If its the scan -- what kind of scanner are you using? If its the print, what print size or quality are you using? My printer can do 0.05mm printed resolution which produces very nice quality. After reading your alternative method however, 3D printing can not beat the old tried and tested mould way of doing it. (I did not know your mould method beforehand lol).. Thank you for the tip Clew.

Robert

 

We have a couple of printers at the plant
1 plastics
1 powder metal
Not cheap ones
100k + ea
Printing is moving toward high temp steels in power turbines
Jet engines ect, the materials run around $70-150 per lb
This is where these printers are useful

 

I know this was created a while ago. But I have a Makerbot professional 3d printer and an Artec Eva Scanner. The biggest issue with 3d scanning is for duck heads and such which have very minute detail The technology just isn't good enough to pick up those little details yet. I imagine in the next 5 years or so it will. But until then certain things are out of reach unless you consult a 3d graphic artist to help you make the model. It does great for bird bodies though. I'm currently working on sculpting and scanning my own bird bodies to be printed on my resin printer. I am working on scanning a duck head, printing it out much larger, sculpting the little details in and rescanning then shrink it back down. I think this might work. I use my PLA printer to print silicone mold hard shells for making duck head molds as well as many other things that i use in my shop. They are great tools and will be the future of taxidermy. Within the next 10 years I'd say every good shop will have one. Hit me up if you want to discuss it.

Grey
Nizhoni Creek Taxidermy
251.643.3980

 

Ooh, this is fascinating. I've been in a few local maker labs and worked with some 3D graphics artists, but am new enough to taxidermy that I can't grasp more than the most obvious potential applications. I'd love to discuss and learn more!
It looks like Allis Markham, who I admire a lot, is teaching a seminar on this exact topic at the upcoming Word Taxidermy Convention. I can't make it but anyone who attends and bootleg records her talk, please hit me up

 

I’ll say this much as I was lucky to judge 3 printed pieces . As a judge there’s still issues in the way it’s printed. It’s still missing some fine details that’s needed. There’s work that’s a competitor needs to do as nostril, eyes, wrinkles etc. The painting was hand done and looked great but still to much plastic look.
In time and hopefully shortly I feel there should be a category for these specific types of pieces only cause of how it’s done like reproduction fish.

 

The 3D printers are ok for modeling but not precision detail,
My wife just had a knee replacement and the pieces were printed with powder metal, then still had to be fine ground to get the smoothness needed,
We used one when I worked for analysis and troubleshooting
I did sneak a few fish in just playing around just couldn’t get the detail I wanted

 

My son is in the dental implant industry. They only use the printer for rough modeling. He says they suck. They break down constantly and you can be printing something for hours and the machine will crash and the piece you were printing is junk. They have limitations when it comes to recess details that you have to do by hand afterwards. FWIW.

 

The one using powder metal are pretty good machines, needs lots of power to melt titanium’s and inconell materials
And yes
Very slow