Scanned object CAD format? 3D Printing?

[ChrisH]

Looks like you have the process figured out. I do not recall the plating thickness we used, but I think it was around 0.0005 for the final layer. I have never done "mirror" but we did do "shiny" and I have seen plated parts that were mirror finish at a vendor. (cup holders for a Lear, or was it a Gulfstream?) Unfortunately that vendor folded shortly after that.

One of my favorite projects was producing a custom chess set as a retirement present for our division president. The chess pieces were different airplanes made by Northrop and Grumman as this individual had been part of both companies. Of course the Northrop side was "gold" and the other side was "silver". The plater offered to use the real stuff but we decided we were spending enough on the job already. The pieces were made with the Objet process to get the better surface finish. We also did a set in SLS to see how the rougher finish looked and as spares . Both were stunning but the Objet definitly looked better. I am not sure just how the finishing was done as it was done by a vendor. The final polish may have been done by the plater.

Most of our other plating work was on stuff that would be buried in an airplane anyway so we really did not care too much about finish.

Our most recent division president recently announced he is retiring at the end of January, I am waiting for a phone call...

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

OK Chris,

So I start with the best object I can get - not one that had obvious defects - and get that scanned into a point cloud (I guess this is an OBJ file?).

I then cloud to either verify my drawing -or- help guide me as I draw. (I can pay them to "reverse-engineer" the object, essentially doing the drawing for me, but that would be several hundred dollars)

Whatever's printed, I need to finish it to the surface characteristics I want - mirror finish in this case.

Then it goes to the plater. How thick is 3-step plating? I guess in the .001 or .002 range? I'm sure the plater can tell me exactly. Vacuum deposition is just a few ten-thousandths, I wonder about pricing for that.

Do I have it kinds sorta right?

Do you ever print items that end up with a chrome mirror finish?