3D PRINTERS AND PRINTING

Hi all in the knowledge of this new black art.

Enclosed is rough drawing of a "pump" I would like making eventually.
It consists of a circular pump chamber with two outlets and the main intake which would be all "cast" in one piece for strength with a top able to screw onto the pump chamber to complete a watertight unit, through which a shaft would project linked to a Kortz nozzle propeller ( either 3 or 4 blade, which ever would be more efficient) passing though a watertight bearing.

This is the basic centrifugal pump used to propel the original steam hydraulic lifeboat Queen, Duke of Northumberland and James stevens.

I wish to make after the ferry a 1:12 scale model of the 55' Queen lifeboat which uses water jet drive and dates back to the 1890's

here is a drawing of the pump with it's two outlets for forward and reverse motion.

questions are:........

could it be made using a 3d printer so that it is hollow.

would it be strong enough to take the pressure that the motor would possibly spin it at, if the body was made to be 3mm thick.

If the pump chamber was made to take a propeller of say 60mm dia, would it pump enough water to propel the boat sufficiently at over scale speed.

would the outlet tubes leading  from the pump chamber need to be venture action or same diameter throughout to get a good pressure.

thanks in anticipation.

neil.

Did you get anywhere with this Neil?

As a suggestion talk to this guy https://www.facebook.com/XRobots.co.uk

hes a british 3D printing nutter, hes made the BB8 robot from the new star wars film full animated and full size using a 3D printer ( and he cads it all up you can watch his youtube vids) as well as other Prop armors such as Iron man suit, he might be the best person to contact that will have the right knowledge for that and maybe even prototype you one if you can get in his good graces!


I know 3D printers have taken a huge step forwards now they can print metals, circuit boards, and even super flex rubbers! 

hi matey..........in a word NO.

its that ferry holding everything up........I tend to build only one boat of type at once, and so I haven't even moulded the hull for the lifeboat that this will eventually power.........so maybe once the hull mould is made and I get a moulding out, I can then make a pattern of the pump and take it from there....but will be a few months away before that happens.

neil.