I have a client who is looking to have me make this, and chrome plate it. This seems like it might be too big to do at DMS. Am I wrong? And if not, does anyone know a good service in the area?
Also, who would I talk to about getting trained on the milling machine to carve out the numbers?
If you are wanting a Chrome plated surface that is shiny like a bathroom faucet then you need to Nickel plate the item first, polish it, and then Chrome plate. Suggest sending it out to a professional shop if you want a professional looking outcome. My fatherâs was a Chrome plater years ago for a leading water faucet manufacturer.
Do you know of any good shops in the area? Looking for recommendations before trusting to the whims of the Google Gnomes
Which machine, Bridgeport or the HAAS? Either would be a massive effort for what you need.
probably bridgeport. Though if you have other suggestions for carving in the numbers, i am game to hear them
If it were me I would cast it in woods metal. Donât know if that could survive nickel/chrome plating though.
Those that have made these big metal dies typically use the Dynatorch.
three issue unfornately
the problem with that is when cutting out the numbers like the â0â and the â8â, the middle part drops out, and i still need it. Definitely going to cut the triangles out on the Dynatorch though
Another problem with metal is that metal weapons are banned at many conventions, even if itâs just a prop. I donât know if thatâs what this will be used for or not, but is worth noting.
You can use a stencil font to avoid losing the middle. If you need a specific font, you can add stencil supports in cad.
Nickel plating looks very similar to chrome - but is much easier. Chrome plating using some nasty chemicals and if you are going to chrome plate, use a plating shop. If it is Aluminum youâll need to Zincate it first then you can nickel plate it or do any other kind electo-plating
Using the Bridgeport, getting the surfaces cut wouldnât be that hard. Getting a block of aluminum that size will be a challenge and or very costly. Iâd just suggest cutting the pieces out of 1/4 inch plate, weld them up. Cut the straight lines on Bridgeport and smooth out weldments. Then acid etch out the numbers about 1/8" deep.
If you can use Hass, you can do the lines and numbers. With either the Bridgeport or the Haas youâll need to use both the rotary table and tilt table.
the request was specifically for a steel version, and my plan was to engrave the numbers 1/16" deep into 1/8" steel before welding it up. Is there any reason that wouldnât work?
also, how long does it take to acid etch 1/8" deep? I was under the impression that acid etching was only a VERY small amount below the surface
Sounds like making it from plastic then sending it for chrome plating (like the chrome bumpers in a plastice car model kit) would be the best bet. Whether you 3-d print it or build it up from sheet plastic, the surface finish will need to be as polished as you can get it before sending it off.
Hereâs one such service I found - not a recommendation, just an example:
http://www.mmmetalizing.com/services.html
You can also spray paint an âalmost like chromeâ finish. And there are spray coatings that use a base coat, a metallic powder (which can then be polished) and a clear coat. One type is Alclad but there are others. http://www.austinsms.org/Alclad-Lacquer-Metal-Finishes.php Many of these spray finishes are not very durable - scale modelers who build polished-metal aircraft typically handle their models as little as possible, and wearing cotton gloves when they do.
Try searching for scale model plating services, car model parts plating, that kind of thing. FineScale Modeler magazine and Scale Auto magazine are good resources as well.
1/8" sheet will work, so will 1/16th letters. If you have a way to engrave, that will work and be easiest.
How deep can you etch? How long do want to apply acid and what type of acid? If you can engrave that would be the easiest by far.
That particular picture is of a foam version.
My metal dice end up being 7inches across, 6lbs in 1/8 steel plate, I just use the plasma cutter and cut the numbers out in stencil font.
i know that itâs foam in the picture, the client wanted a metal version. And they already vetoed the spray paint option unfortunately 
Plasma cut in 16 ga, and cut oval patches to weld on the inside to put bottoms on the numbers. If you manage to cleanly cut the centers and retrieve them, they can also be welded to the oval patches without the stems from a stencil font. Note that unless you full braze or weld the number edges, you leave a lot of capillary area between the patch and body that may cause issues when plating. There may be something to be said for silicon bronze TIG brazing the back patches.
didnât even think about that, definitely a good idea
Woods Metal is a low temperature alloy. By low I mean below boiling water. I have some as low as 140 degrees F. You could make a mold out of pretty much anything and cast the panels. Then weld them together with a hot air gun.
I used it to bend small diameter tubes for model train engine piping. Truly is magic stuff. Not cheap, about $15/pound.
EDIT: On sale now for $9/pound