Has anyone used 3D printing technology to prototype/manufacture lures? We have a 3D printer that uses ABS plastic, but not sure if this is viable.

 

I'm thinking you could make two halves of a crankbait then epoxy it together with the eyelets for hooks.

 

Thoughts?

I have the model and 3d cad making capabilities, as I'm a designer and use solid modeling software, however I don't have access to a 3d printer. I was going to post on what I'm working on, but then I refrained myself from doing so, because no sooner you post something, your idea is gone. But yes I have quite a few ideas floating in my mind. Need to finalize these and find someone that can make some stuff for me and/or buy a 3d printer myself.

I've been looking at small home CNC machines to play with. I've had some ideas myself for jigs I'd like to play with. They have several ive seen but obviously a very wide price range and all up there a ways. If anything with the 3d printer you could make a master to create molds for some neat soft plastic baits.

Never thought of using it to make molds. That would probably be an easier way to start.

As far as making a mold, maybe it would work for a plastics molds, however for lead molds, I don't think the resin from 3d printers is rated high enough where the resin won't start melting. But definitely some good ideas.

well no you couldnt make a mold out of the plastic you would have to make a master to then use with whatever guys are making their own molds with to form it out of something that can take the heat. print the actual model and build a mold around it.

There are a lot of metal 3D printing options available that could be used for molds.  

I have played around with this a bit. While you could print a mold out of metal, the cost would be very high. Ceramic is another cheaper option but the detail isn't that great.

Using the 3d printer to make a master, then making your own mold is the way to go, especially for the hobbyist. I've done this and made the mold out of silicone rtv or plaster. It works pretty well and let's me get more detailed and better looking baits than I could sculpting/carving. Depending on the printer, the master can have print lines or a rough texture, but sandpaper or a thin coat of epoxy can fix that.

One thing to note. If you want to try it out without buying a printer, there are companies that will print your file and ship it to you. For a normal bass sized lure, you can get it printed for <$10. With shipping and plaster, you can have a finished mold for less than twenty bucks. There are a bunch of free cad programs as well, so overall it's a pretty cheap thing to try.

I'm new to the group but saw u talking about 3d printed lures. I just completed a some samples which held up really good. I went with a jointed crankbait. The back and front body was made with clear abs. I printed them with hollow chambers too which I dropped in bb's while printing. I then put it in a acetone vapor bath to strengthen it which also made them clear like glass. Instead of using 2 eyelets to join them I printed a custom flexible middle joint which attached to front and back. For the color I hydro dipped them in patterns I made. The end result was great. I took them to work and put them on a pull test which they withstood 55 lbs assembled. This past weekend we tested them in the water and the flexible middle section allowed for great movement. As a result we caught 8 largemouth in about 2 hours.

Sweet. Would love to see a pic

Just posted pictures in my gallery check it out

There is a machine out there that just came out.  its a 3d printer, a 3d laser scanner, a 3d CNC miller and one other type of cnc milling machine all in the same machine for $1100.  its out there and its amazing , now go use some google and find it.