Main > Everything Else

Making a bunch of dodecahedra - any suppliers here?

(1/3) > >>

Dervacumen:
I want to fabricate a bunch of dodecahedra with holes in the center of each face.  As proof of concept, I figure it's best and least expensive to produce a few hundred pentagons with a hole in the center of each and then glue them together to make several dodecahedra.  Is there anyone here that has the means to produce a couple hundred accurate pentagonal pieces with a hole in the center?  The edges of each face would have to be at an angle of about 116.56 in order to be glued/epoxied together. I'd like each pentagon to have a side of about 2" with a hole of about 1.5".  1/4" material thickness for each face is probably fine for this project.  That should give a good idea of the scale however all of it is flexible within say 20% of the stated dimensions.
Anyone in the plastics business that can help with this?  Plastic seems less expensive than wood, but I'm open to anything I can assemble with common materials - glue, epoxy, bondo, you know, the stuff we use in this hobby.  I'm beginning a search for a supplier and thought I would start here.

Cheers,
Derv

Gray_Area:
I suggest the 3D printing folk. They can either extrude it, or CNC it.

lilshawn:
them laser cutters can cut a 90 degree angle, I dunno about 116 though.

maybe one of those companies that supply mathematical supplies to schools??? i remember seeing a bunch of clear colored plastic or acrylic shapes like cubes and other whatnots in my math lab back in the day.

Dervacumen:

--- Quote from: lilshawn on December 19, 2011, 12:25:28 am ---them laser cutters can cut a 90 degree angle, I dunno about 116 though.

maybe one of those companies that supply mathematical supplies to schools??? i remember seeing a bunch of clear colored plastic or acrylic shapes like cubes and other whatnots in my math lab back in the day.

--- End quote ---

I could take them with 90 degree angles and grind them down to 116 pretty easily, so this might be the way to go.
Problem with premade shapes is the hole in the center, and the crazy markup.  By the time the thing goes through production to wholesale, to distributor...I'd rather pay someone a premium to fabricate directly.  I guess I can make a jig to drill them out but I'd rather have them supplied that way.

Dervacumen:

--- Quote from: Gray_Area on December 18, 2011, 11:40:57 pm ---I suggest the 3D printing folk. They can either extrude it, or CNC it.

--- End quote ---
I've been frequenting several forums and from what I've seen the cost using those 3D printers is pretty high per piece.  I didn't think of them having access to a CNC machine though.
Turning a 4x8 sheet of acrylic into a bunch of pentagons with a hole in the center will leave some scrap but I think it's the way to go.  Even if I do have to grind down the edges afterwards.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

Go to full version