Because the process is a bit slow (waiting for prints then castings in the mail) I have been able to squeeze in few things between class preps for the semester. These are tests for a class that I am teaching next semester on advanced CADCAM for jewelry. I am basically comparing tolerances and pricing between local casters and Shapeways. Shapeways always beats the price but not always on quality. I am also excited at the potential of the students being able to get it locally and work with a local company to get exactly what they want. Racecar casting is right down the road in Cranston, RI and they do custom wax printing, casting and mold making.
Lots to learn. I modeled the prongs a bit close on one of the rings so that was $50 down the tubes. I may try to repair it with the laser up at school. I need to brush up on my re-tipping. So many lessons learned with these tests. Prong spacing, prong size, seat position, polishing, tension setting, cup burs, making a custom tip for the hammer hand-piece, etc.
.jpg)
