Ivan Sentch of New Zealand has printed about three-quarters of the mold parts for his handmade Aston Martin DB4. Would you drive it?
Tim Hornyak
by Tim Hornyak
July 30, 2013 10:33AM
Ivan Sentch is 3D-printing plastic mold plugs for fiberglass body parts on an Aston Martin DB4.
(Credit: Ivan Sentch )
Aston Martin only made about 1,200 DB4 cars back in the day, and today some versions can fetch millions at auction. But Ivan Sentch is 3D-printing his own.
The resident of Auckland, New Zealand, has printed nearly three-quarters of the sections for his replica of the classic sports car.
Sentch is recreating a 1961 series II Aston Martin DB4 by 3D-printing plastic plugs for the car's fiberglass body. The mechanical bits will come from an old Nissan Skyline.
A programmer by trade, Sentch has built a kit car in the past, and only recently began 3D printing. The Aston Martin is his first project, but we've seen 3D-printed scale models of Astons for "Skyfall"
He's using a Solidoodle desktop 3D printer to print out roughly 2,500 pieces to use as plugs for fiberglass molds. The plugs are the basis on which the fiberglass is formed.
Sentch began his ambitious project in December and has printed about 72 percent of the parts for the body molds.
"Preparing the next prints only takes a couple of hours a week. It's just really the sanding of the printed parts before I glue them together that is time-consuming -- and dreadfully boring," Sentch told Solidoodle.com.
Sentch also told Solidoodle that there will be "endless months of work" once it's all assembled before he can take a mold.
Meanwhile, Sentch is having a new house built, which will slow his work. But you can check on his progress on his blog, which has more pics of the car parts and assembly.
The DB4 will be based on mechanical parts from a Nissan Skyline.
(Credit: Ivan Sentch )
Tim Hornyak
by Tim Hornyak
July 30, 2013 10:33AM
Ivan Sentch is 3D-printing plastic mold plugs for fiberglass body parts on an Aston Martin DB4.
(Credit: Ivan Sentch )
Aston Martin only made about 1,200 DB4 cars back in the day, and today some versions can fetch millions at auction. But Ivan Sentch is 3D-printing his own.
The resident of Auckland, New Zealand, has printed nearly three-quarters of the sections for his replica of the classic sports car.
Sentch is recreating a 1961 series II Aston Martin DB4 by 3D-printing plastic plugs for the car's fiberglass body. The mechanical bits will come from an old Nissan Skyline.
A programmer by trade, Sentch has built a kit car in the past, and only recently began 3D printing. The Aston Martin is his first project, but we've seen 3D-printed scale models of Astons for "Skyfall"
He's using a Solidoodle desktop 3D printer to print out roughly 2,500 pieces to use as plugs for fiberglass molds. The plugs are the basis on which the fiberglass is formed.
Sentch began his ambitious project in December and has printed about 72 percent of the parts for the body molds.
"Preparing the next prints only takes a couple of hours a week. It's just really the sanding of the printed parts before I glue them together that is time-consuming -- and dreadfully boring," Sentch told Solidoodle.com.
Sentch also told Solidoodle that there will be "endless months of work" once it's all assembled before he can take a mold.
Meanwhile, Sentch is having a new house built, which will slow his work. But you can check on his progress on his blog, which has more pics of the car parts and assembly.
The DB4 will be based on mechanical parts from a Nissan Skyline.
(Credit: Ivan Sentch )
