I agree, 3D printing is the way of the future..... but not yet. Printing a wax pattern doesn't reduce anything in the whole patternmaking, casting and then machining process. You still have to find a foundry working with the metal you want. Plus they have to be willing to do your casting. You then end up with a raw casting that has to be machined and possibly heat treated during the process.
Having both had patterns made and made my own I can tell you it is only the start of an exhaustive process. I made a batch of a single type of Villiers inlet manifold. To make the pattern, have a batch cast plus make the various jigs and fixtures so I could then hold the castings to machine them time took the better part of two years of spare time. It's just too slow and time consuming to be practical.
Direct 3D printing in the desired material to provide a finished article near ready to fit with minimal fettling is the only way to go. It is here, but not yet at a price an ordinary individual can afford. I follow it very closely as it solves a myriad problems.
I highly admire Zurfrejoes programming skill in making his 3D wax replicas. We need people like him but I can't use him until he offers ready to use items at a price I can afford. I don't mean cheap. I mean a price an ordinary person can budget for.
