(06-04-2020, 02:07 PM)diodelass Wrote:(06-03-2020, 08:00 AM)jrowe Wrote: do something like goldplating graphene infused filament on on your own chassis
Is... that something that people are doing in their home shops now? If so, I must be pretty behind the times. Last I heard, electroplating required incredibly clean conditions that most people couldn't produce at home, and graphene was still unobtainium for lack of an inexpensive synthesis route.
There's readily available graphene nanoplatelet infused conductive ink, which you can use to electroplate plastics. You can even get nanoplatelets and suspend them in a solvent/plastic mixture, then paint circuits directly onto your 3d printed objects. Graphene platelets are trivially produced - dawn dish detergent, a cheap blender, and pure graphite is all that's needed. You can also use saltwater, graphite rods, and a 12v battery for electrical exfoliiation.
There's various garage lab laser and microwave methods to produce larger graphene crystals. With a kiln and gallium, you can produce 3-4cm specimens by vaporizing vegetable oil - the problem with graphene is mass production and predictable quality at scale, and the cost benefit ratio for switching. Copper comes out cheaper and easier for almost everything.
As for electroplating, it's not necessary for a full clean-room - a fume hood will do the trick, or doing up your workroom Dexter style for a weekend project if you want to be OCD about it. Honestly, gold plating is a 6th grade science fair kitchen table project, so plating inked surfaces isn't any more challenging or dangerous than PCB etching.
Oh, and of course theres actual graphene/plastic mixture filament which you can use to directly 3d print circuits and conductive surfaces. With more than one print head, you can make fantastically complex objects.
