Comments on: A Texas-based company has printed the first 3D-printed metal pistol, a 45 caliber Model 1911.

By: Prokop Hapala

Prokop Hapala — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 23:18:23 +0000

In reply to Tom Billings. Hello, I'm quite interested in Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition (LCVD) 3D printer of metal carbonyls. I was just googling on this topic, and only meaningful page what I found was your post. Can you please give me some references (web page, paper DOI or something) on this topic? Thank you

By: Tom Billings

Tom Billings — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 23:28:03 +0000

Dr. John Lewis has been advocating for some time that space-based industry use 3-d Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition (LCVD) printing, with metal carbonyls as the stock material. They could use native Nickel/Iron bits as their starting point, and the Mond Process should make those into Iron Pentacarbonyl and Nickel Tetracarbonyl easily. Most larger carbonyl-sourced CVD pieces here on Earth are done with molds. The process can give nice dense strong solid pieces.It would be interesting to see an LCVD-produced gun, and compare them with the Laser-sintered from metal powder gun. LCVD *might* produce a good barrel, even. I understand that the problems with metal carbonyl toxicity restricts such applications here in an atmosphere, where the carbonyls can build up around the equipment using them as stock. I wonder if LCVD would have as many toxicity problems down here.

In the vacuum of Space that toxicity isn’t a problem, since escaping carbonyls will quickly crack into carbon monoxide and metal dust. LCVD in those situations could provide much of what is needed for many applications. I believe that it may provide an interesting composite as well. The Carbonaceous Chondrite asteroids can not only provide all the element combos needed for the Mond Process, but their Carbon can be used to make graphene. In simple graphene nano-platlets, graphene is being already experimented with for stiffening and strengthening both plastic and metal composites. Now that large graphene sheets can be produced, according to Columbia University’s team, with 90 percent of the strength of the platelets, that could make LCVD deposited metal matrix material for space structures with far better characteristics than we can make them here.

By: Pzatchok

Pzatchok — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 13:46:39 +0000

It looks like it was sticking in the full back position. That is indicative of a weak main spring or bad fitting parts. Both easily fixed.

They did say that the beaver tail safety, the springs, the magazine and the barrel are all purchased parts and not made by them with their laser system.

Basically they made all the parts that could have been made out of polymer like on a Glock or M&P out of metal instead.

Nice proof of concept though. The gun even looked pretty good to.