Anyone try printing any casting trees?

[Nadim_Hamade]

Hi guys

I’m new to 3d printers but have a background in 3d design. My family is in the jewlery buisness so I’m trying to start a small scale casting workshop. Lately I’ve been trying to design an entire casting tree all in 1 shot but for one reason or another I can’t seem to make it work. I’ve tried in 5 diffrent orientations and diffrent designs and and still not coming out right. Any tips would be appretiated to do this. I’ve tried just doing 1 inch of the tree and just merging them and even that is not working. I’ve had my printer sd card get currupted 2x I’ve had the supports print but the rings would be deformed. I’ve had the first bottom set of rings work but all the upper sets deform. I’ve had the rings on the outside of the print come out perfect but the inside would sag and even the main stem was mangled and broken with the side of the rings closer to the stem being deformed or broken. I’ll upload my design a little bit later maybe you guys can tell me what Im doing wrong.

[Bill_Lane]

I am not making jewelry. I make model railroad items for brass casting. I also am using Solidworks. Lots of (older) stuff here: Solidworks

The only way my caster can cast my items is if I send him a pattern with my wanted items already on a feeder tree as 1 part, It works well most of the time. I use about .125 for the center feeder, and .100 for the small attaching feeders. They vary from 30 to 45 degrees and are used in a spin caster.

If you are trying to be conservative in your waste you may need larger feeders for the printer to reproduce well.

Bill