“Emulsifide” has gone ahead and jumped on this wonderful Hovalin opportunity by 3D printing one and posting about it on Reddit. Using Robo3D’s brand of Wood PLA, the Hovalin has received an upgrade (as some would call it) to a wood PLA filament. As explained by “Sabreur” on the Reddit thread, “…it’s still filament, just with an additive (cellulose?) that gives it a wood-like texture. It takes some post-processing work (sanding, wood stain) to make it look like real wood.”
Still, the outcome, with a Minwax Wood Finish Red Chestnut 232, is incredibly authentic looking! Emulsifide reports:
“I’ll be experimenting with a top coat after I’m finished playing around with the color. Given the filament is only 40% PLA, I highly doubt moisture is going to make a huge difference., but you never know. The only way to find out is to experiment!”
“Not opposed to thinner walls. If/when I have the time, I’d love to experiment with each multiple of 0.4. Also would be great to see if I could hollow out the outline rails, they seem to be a bit of an unnecessary retraction test.”
There is much enthusiasm from several people here. mr_lightman has hopes that through this process, a Stradivarius replica can be reached, and he has even upgraded his own 3D printer to accommodate a Hovalin print job:
“I think the future is now…with the specs of a original Strat, we SHOULD be able to print an exact replica musically speaking of a $4 million dollar violin. Filament would need to catch up…with a TRUE wood filament or something similar…but yeah that’s awesome.”
“klocwerk” jumps in here, and cautions against getting too excited about the prospects of replicating a Stradivarius:
“I approve of the excitement, but you’re using a fundamentally different material than naturally grown wood. Even Luthiers copying the specs of an original strad with old growth wood can’t quite hit it. 3d printing may eventually make a real quality instrument with excellent sound, but a true strad clone is well out of our current reach.”
It is clear from reading the conversation Emulsifide’s post sparked that the Hovalin project has certainly struck a high note (pun intended). Stay “tuned” and watch the official Hovalin V2.0 video announcement below to hear the instrument under discussion. Are you interested in the open source design? Discuss in the 3D Printed Hovalin forum over at 3DPB.com.