3D printed keyhead?

[Frank James Pracher]

My local library is offering 3D printing. It's surprisingly sturdy stuff. Does anyone have files for an 6 or 8 string keyhead?

[John Hyland]

My local library is offering 3D printing. It's surprisingly sturdy stuff. Does anyone have files for an 6 or 8 string keyhead?

As someone who has spent 3 years developing a working and what I believe is a pretty good 3d printed PSG I Would say a library printer might not cut the mustard in terms of printing a suitable filament and also give you the time you would need to devote to getting it right.

That said
What sort of keyhead? The ashtray style or the raised zigzag style.

[J D Sauser]

My local library is offering 3D printing. It's surprisingly sturdy stuff. Does anyone have files for an 6 or 8 string keyhead?

First, no I don't but I have seen some float around.

I would join with the previous poster in advising against it.
The KeyHead is one of the SOUND-key-important parts of a stringed instrument, like the bridge, neck (or cabinet) and nut. The sole fact that it may withstand the stress is not the sole consideration. Some cheap "student" PSGs of the past ("Little Buddy" come to mind) had plastic KeyHeads. They were not meant to sound especially good, and sure enough, they really didn't (while some of the few student Emmons PP's can sound sound pretty stunning, using the basic standard hardware).

I must say, I am extremely picky about materials when it comes to sound. I like CAST metals far above extrusion or so called billet. But plastics and "fake"-metals are far substandard.

... J-D.

[David Ball]

The aviation industry uses a lot of 3D printed metal parts from what I understand. Probably can be structurally fine (must be actually). But like the debates between benefits of cast vs CNC metal parts detail, the sonic differences between similarly strong parts can be pretty big. It probably doesn't matter what airplane parts sound like as long as some weird resonance doesn't cause metal fatigue.

Dave

[John Hyland]

The aviation industry uses a lot of 3D printed metal parts from what I understand. Probably can be structurally fine (must be actually). But like the debates between benefits of cast vs CNC metal parts detail, the sonic differences between similarly strong parts can be pretty big. It probably doesn't matter what airplane parts sound like as long as some weird resonance doesn't cause metal fatigue.

Dave

3D printing is a catchall term for many different methods of generating a 3d product from plastic filament, resins to of laser scintillating of metal powders.

The OP was asking about a library which would be a plastic filament type printer.
Some of the plastics are brittle and rigid resulting in surprising good sonic properties and strength if designed correctly. My project has resulted in a fine sounding and playable instrument with a clean sound and sustain. When I started the project I was expecting to have a plunky sounding instrument which went out of tune but it has turned out this way.

For interest the frame is aluminium but all the moving parts inc bellcranks and fingers, the floating body, the end panels and leg fixing points are printed.

[Frank James Pracher]

[quote="John Hyland"

That said
What sort of keyhead? The ashtray style or the raised zigzag style.[/quote]

I was thinking the zig zag style.

I think I've seen some lap steels that used a plastic keyhead.

[J D Sauser]

The aviation industry uses a lot of 3D printed metal parts from what I understand. Probably can be structurally fine (must be actually). But like the debates between benefits of cast vs CNC metal parts detail, the sonic differences between similarly strong parts can be pretty big. It probably doesn't matter what airplane parts sound like as long as some weird resonance doesn't cause metal fatigue.

Dave

Not every aeronautics part is structurally designed to keep an air physically in the air or propel a space ship to outer space. The bezel around a gauge, a knob to a switch... just to mention a few


... J-D.

[George Piburn]

We at GeorgeBoards , created both 6 & 8 string versions of the " Zig Zag , I call graduated heads about 10 years ago.

We have been R & D 3D Steel Guitar - Lap parts for over a decade.
I was selling the heads mostly to folks making Skate Board Lap Steels.

To answer Franks questions;

Our company overlord, does not allow us to sell or give our intellectual property.
I have dozens of hours - days - weeks invested into creating them, super specific wall thicknesses,
curves and so on to make a user friendly - steel guitar friendly design.

To add to Johns, input,

ABS material is cheep and no good so far as strength, to withstand string tension with out disintegrating.
Plus ABS is completely environment UN-Friendly - super bad for land fills.

PLA - completely environment friendly and ultimately biodegradable, but again not really strong enough to take all of the stress.

Nylon X (Carbon Fiber infused Nylon filament) is strong enough and works Great. That's the good news.

To print Nylon X it requires a 3D printer of a specific ability - high temperature operation- a special Ruby extruder tip, vented exhaust.
(that tip alone adds 90 + usd to the printer cost) and too much else to explain.

When running carbon fiber infused filaments, it tears up tips very quickly, and you clog up the printer , spend hours changing out tips and rebalancing the machine.

I am certain the Library will not be into maintaining a machine for this purpose. (I've worn out several machines and had to buy new ones)


When we did make them (Discontinued) it takes 32+ hours of continuous 3D printing to make a 6-8 string head.

If you want me to continue Blabbing about it I am happy to, I dug out photos of these.

The idea at the time was to show how easy to make a lap steel from a 2X6 plank from the Home Store.

[John Hyland]

We at GeorgeBoards , created both 6 & 8 string versions of the " Zig Zag , I call graduated heads about 10 years ago.

We have been R & D 3D Steel Guitar - Lap parts for over a decade.
I was selling the heads mostly to folks making Skate Board Lap Steels.

To answer Franks questions;

Our company overlord, does not allow us to sell or give our intellectual property.
I have dozens of hours - days - weeks invested into creating them, super specific wall thicknesses,
curves and so on to make a user friendly - steel guitar friendly design.

When we did make them (Discontinued) it takes 32+ hours of continuous 3D printing to make a 6-8 string head.

Great concept with the plank.
1. That’s very interesting George and I can attest to the amount of R&D required for this type of development. As an aside to my full time job I have spent over 3years developing a pedal steel.
2. 32 Hours to print the tuners rack is surprising. More like 3 hours. Maybe you need to use a larger nozzle.
3. Nylon with or without carbon fibre is tough but I’m not sure about it’s sonic transmission. Surprising PLA is quite good for this.

Happy to hear more blabbing
John