Another use for 3D printing Stencils

[aulrich]

So following Gulfstream outdoors example I made  some classic patterns for my baits. the Pike stencil is version 3 and it's close enough for now I need to refine the spot color first. Please excuse the ham fisted air brushing these are the first lures in a couple of years and I was never that good in the first place.

The process is pretty easy make a shell from the body add the tabs and draw the pattern then extrude the holes.

My version of pike I need a good cream color for the spots

 

A variant of fire tiger 

 

And a version of trout this one is a bit ham fisted

 

[eastman03]

That looks great. How did you make that stencil in the first place?

[aulrich]

The process it’s self is pretty easy especially since the lure body was something I created in fusion. If you had a commercial blank, you would have to 3d scan it and import it into fusion then the steps should be about the same.

Once you have a lure shape that you like, back track in the fusion timeline to where you have the shape but no eyes scales etc.

Make a copy of that body.

Split the body on the side view

Using the Shell command make an outside shell for me 1.5 mm seems to work well with my type of printer

Add clearance on the inside of the shell using the offset face command I have been using .3 mm .

Add fillets to the inside edges.

draw a sketch for the tabs and extrude/join to the stencil

Add fillets on the tabs too the print is much stronger and the tab is less likely to break off (don’t ask me how I know)

Using the pipe command and my existing hook hanger sketch I make clearance for the hook hangers.

You have a basic stencil blank

 

To make a stencil

 

Copy the stencil blank

Create a sketch  and project the lure body on that sketch this will give you a basic outline of your lure on the sketch.

On the sketch draw the opening in the stencil, in the case of my “trout” stencil I created a 2mm circle then copy/pasted a bunch of times

Select all of the holes in your sketch turn on the copy of stencil blank  and extrude/cut the holes out.

Mirror that body to make the other half

 

Export and print the stencil

 

To give credit where credit is due this is where I learned how to do this, I learned a ton from this channel i do need to change some thing since I have a different style of printer but it mostly applies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fivat0XayUQ

 

 

[mark poulson]

3 hours ago, aulrich said:

The process it’s self is pretty easy especially since the lure body was something I created in fusion. If you had a commercial blank, you would have to 3d scan it and import it into fusion then the steps should be about the same.

Once you have a lure shape that you like, back track in the fusion timeline to where you have the shape but no eyes scales etc.

Make a copy of that body.

Split the body on the side view

Using the Shell command make an outside shell for me 1.5 mm seems to work well with my type of printer

Add clearance on the inside of the shell using the offset face command I have been using .3 mm .

Add fillets to the inside edges.

draw a sketch for the tabs and extrude/join to the stencil

Add fillets on the tabs too the print is much stronger and the tab is less likely to break off (don’t ask me how I know)

Using the pipe command and my existing hook hanger sketch I make clearance for the hook hangers.

You have a basic stencil blank

 

To make a stencil

 

Copy the stencil blank

Create a sketch  and project the lure body on that sketch this will give you a basic outline of your lure on the sketch.

On the sketch draw the opening in the stencil, in the case of my “trout” stencil I created a 2mm circle then copy/pasted a bunch of times

Select all of the holes in your sketch turn on the copy of stencil blank  and extrude/cut the holes out.

Mirror that body to make the other half

 

Export and print the stencil

 

To give credit where credit is due this is where I learned how to do this, I learned a ton from this channel i do need to change some thing since I have a different style of printer but it mostly applies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fivat0XayUQ

 

 

I'm still stuck trying to figure out 3D glasses!

[Flaswimbaiter]

Can you make a stencil out of flexible material? It would be nice to have a real scale pattern of different sizes for painting baits of varied sizes and shapes. 

[aulrich]

Probably, though I have yet to get flexible filament to work for me (yet), it's sort of like playing pool with a rope.

 

 

[Hand Crafted Angling]

On 6/24/2022 at 11:41 AM, Flaswimbaiter said:

Can you make a stencil out of flexible material? It would be nice to have a real scale pattern of different sizes for painting baits of varied sizes and shapes. 

You could print a very thin stencil on an fdm printer. When it is super thing it will be flexible

[aulrich]

You could also give it a quick heat with a hair dryer to give a custom fit.  But a flex filament is still the best option. 

As a side note I am a bit closer on using flexible fillaments