Mass Minifacturing - 3D Printing thread

[Demon of Undoing]

[Tinker]

[Nonc Hilaire]

[Demon of Undoing]

Knife isn't really all that big a deal. Knives don't get hot. If it's hard, it will cut. In limited applications, flexibility is less of a problem and shock resistance is secondary concern- like in a chef's knife, for example. There, they are almost unrivaled ( it doesn't get sharper than obsidian).

Brake rotors, on the other hand, get hot as hell, and furthermore have to take massive stress under heat. Performance cars routinely generate over 1500 BHP in braking, and the rotor takes every bit of it. If sintering can do that, it can't be far from barrels. As well, many firearms now are made out of materials that are completely unsuitable to high pressure applications, but have steel sleeves. Aluminum, titanium, polymer, what have you. The barrel itself is simply a sleeve and is just fitted in.

As well, how about a really high temperature, Teflon based polymer that is far more efficient than steel at letting bullets pass through with no damage? Lower propellant volume due to less friction. Most of barrel heat is from friction, not fire. If the ammo stabilizes itself ( fins), you eliminate the need for rifling altogether. And who said the thing had to be durable enough to pass down as an heirloom? I don't treasure my Mach XXVIII Razor ( Over 9000 blades!!!). I'd pitch it in a heartbeat. Get a new one. Maybe in the future, you don't practice with a particular gun of a particular model. You use a particular version of AutoMag 3.2.6, and when you train or go active, you just print it up. Sure it's only good for about 100 rounds before it gets sloppy, but what am I, surrounded by Zulus?

I think it could be built with a RepRap. And it will have zero traceable signature, not just be an untraceable weapon. No rifling marks. Sintered ammo that disintegrates upon impact ( already in use). Caseless ammo from combustible primer blocks, electrically fired ( been done, though never coupled, AFAIK). If suppressed ( printable, disposable, as of now, I'd bet Hoos' left nut on that), it would be a very green weapon. Zero emissions except dead stuff.

Just saying. If the tech isn't here now, it is in the pipe. The magazines were just printed up as a project by a college student. Put someone that already has a degree and serious motivation to it, see what happens. Full auto, under barrel shotgun, bayonets, grenade launchers ( 40mm rounds are low pressure), maybe a flame thrower. Just give authoritarians the shits, know what I mean?

[Tinker]

Power Armor, but yeah.

The next few years are going to be critical. One of my goals in the next year is to make it down to Silicon Valley and see if I can connect with any politically motivated sorts down there. It is one of my goals to make sure we get legislators that understand the technology.

[Colonel Sun]

[Demon of Undoing]

How much stuff is made of glass?



Solar.

[Demon of Undoing]

Like we said- disarming the population is about to become impossible.

[Tinker]