Producing a physical product (3D printing?)
jacquesm: hey there Whalesalad,3D printing is a process that is best used to create prototypes, the kind of thing you are looking for would typically be made with injection moulding.That's a fairly expensive process though, under 10,000 units it isn't feasible.A midway is to use epoxy-resin based casting, you make a rubber mould which you can re-use a few thousand times, and you cast your units one-by-one.The mould eventually wears though, usually because of imperfect releases (for instance when the mould wasn't properly coated with release agent).How you make your blank is not critical, anything goes, it is the negative mould made from the blank (or 'plug' in the jargon) that you will do majority of the work with.If you lose it you can always make another one.Beware of playing with this stuff, these are dangerous chemicals and plenty of the reactions are exothermal and can go runaway on you with little to no warning. Never mix more than you will use and use a very well ventilated workspace.Keep your stock containers away from the place where your casting set so that if stuff goes out of control you don't have an extra fire hazard.Enjoy, you'll learn plenty, and please let me know if you use any of this.greetings,Jacques