Nihonto And 3d Printing

[b.hennick]

I read an interesting article today where someone is making a 3D printer for kids that will be about $700. At that price, the price of my first 9-pin dot matrix printer, one could buy one. I was thinking about how we could use such a printer. I came up with several ideas:

1. Print a sword tang with the machi and 5 cm of blade. That could be sent to a habakishi who could then make a perfect fit habaki.

2. Use the same tang to send with a tsuka that needed re-wrap so that the handle would fit properly (tightly).

3. Use the same tang to send with a tsuba that needs to be fit - sekigane added as appropriate.

4. Need a temporary seppa to replace a missing one.

Other suggestions welcome.

[jlawson]

FYI this works quite well however the tech needed to laser scan the original tang in 3D to make it 100% accurate is expensive. Additionally the "part" depending on the quality of the printer has minute lines in it for all but the most expensive prototyping machines and is not 100% accurate because of these "code lines". But the technology is pretty cool. Ive printed quite a bit from a makerbot but requires knowledge of a 3d mapping program etc. However it is not far off where we will be able to do this. 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Actually, James, you can now do a 3D scan that's essentially free. Check out Autodesk's 123D Catch (http://www.123dapp.com/catch), which is a free app that lets you take a series of photos, & then turns it into a quite accurate 3D surface model that can be printed with any 3D printer. The more photos you take, the more accurate the model becomes, & I've created several 3D prints that were accurate within 0.01 inch. And, Barry, you don't have to worry about making a homemade 3D printer - just go down to Home Depot & order the new Dremel Idea Builder Printer for $999; here's the same one at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NA00MWS?tag=price182-20&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER).

 

The future is here!

 

Ken

[Rich S]

Brillant idea! While you're at it can you make me a new spine? Multiple herniated disks and bone spurs going everywhere. One even rubs the vertebra above it in the mid-Thoraic region. I'm running out of options. A new 3D vertebral column sounds great. Now just have to figure out how to remove the old one and thread the spinal column and nerves through all the right places.

 

Of course a 3D tang would be cool also, but I don't need any new habaki :-)

Rich S

[Ken-Hawaii]

Now just have to figure out how to remove the old one

Rich S

 

Isn't that what the sword is for...?

 

Ken

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello Barry,

 

I strongly suspect you will have to keep dreaming of a new habaki made off of a 3D printed tang even after purchasing a 3D printer. Let's remember that the habaki needs to not only fit the tang but must be made to custom fit into the saya and against the tsuka and/or fittings (where any play at all could result in failure if ever used, and while perhaps many of you are already shaking a finger and accusing me of blaspheme for even thinking of such a thing for our precious, the reality of it is these swords are weapons first and any habaki-shi worth a lick would never compromise imo), plus the habaki length needs to match the sword proportionately, and a proper habaki has to fit and hold like a spring clip on three small surfaces, where I doubt the 3D material would behave in the same exact way as the metal (push back) of the sword to give a precision fit. And anything short of a precision fit should be unacceptable.

[c2tcardin]

Funny, several months ago I did a search for "Tsunagi" and 3d and the main issue I could see at the moment was that the size of the printers needed are industrial and very expensive. Did come across an interesting site though as one of the first hits on the search, they are making 3d printed saya for nihonto. 

https://www.rinkak.com/sumisaya

[b.hennick]

Hi Franco:

I was suggesting using the 3D tang as the template for the habaki. As for the saya, it too could be copied and the koiguchi opening reproduced.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Jeff is correct that large-volume 3D printers are pretty darn expensive, but I expect that to change fairly quickly. The so-called "maker movement" is rapidly evolving techniques like 3D printing for use at the home level, & once the basics of building such a printer are worked out (& that's already happened), I predict that within 2-3 years, each & every one of us could have his/her own 3D printer capable of creating just about anything. The real key is which materials a printer is made to use: metal, plastic, resin, etc. And of course you have to have the actual 3D model in your computer to send to the printer, & although free apps like 123D Catch are available, there's a definite learning curve to creating a 3D model that will be usable when printed. My company has specialized in this type of modeling & printing for nearly 30 years, & I'm glad to see everyone else moving in the same direction.

 

Ken

[Geraint]

Hi Barry.

 

"I was suggesting using the 3D tang as the template for the habaki."  Interesting to see the first try at this technique, as I am sure you know the habaki is hammered to fit the nakago and so the model would have to be metal and robust enough to allow this.  That technology exists but at the home printer level almost all the models use thermoplastic as the print medium at the moment.  There are on line facilities where you can send your file and they will print your design in a variety of metals, that might be a way to go at the moment.  Check out this one:  http://www.shapeways.com Perhaps worth looking at this one too;  http://3dprint.com/35139/fuel3d-scanify-3d-scanner

 

It is really starting to look affordable now........

 

All the best.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Once you have an accurate 3D model of any part of a sword blade, whatever you want to attach to it (habaki, tsuba, etc.) can be created in an equally-accurate way, ensuring that tosogu will fit together perfectly.

 

Until now, virtually all consumer-level 3D printers use some form of plastic or other soft material to create a 3D model. This new process may allow consumers, & even some prosumers, to create metal 3D models. This is really a huge jump! Check out https://cspace-production.s3.amazonaws.com/Autodesk/Selective_Inhibition_3D_Printing85302ec3cc5b/Selective_Inhibition_3D_Printing9909474f56e3.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI6CZP3YJS3HNLEQQ&Expires=1420676992&Signature=VEg6COHzHW64rSetp1GNuWi9glw%3D.

 

Ken