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I want to make a model water pump. Where do I start with materials?

I sketched a design for a water pump and I'd like to build it. But I've never made anything like this before. Where do I even start with materials? I'd like the bulk of it to be made from pvc but wood would be fine if I could waterproof it. Some parts will need to be threaded. Are the 3D print services online expensive? Should I just use wood? Really all I've done at this point is a few sketches, a parts list, and some math to see if it works. Now that I want to build it, I'm not sure what my options are. I've been looking on eBay for parts I can modify buy really I'd like some custom parts. It will be a piston pump, and a fairly complicated one too, so I'd like to avoid wood because of the swelling.

Public Comments

1. Wood is fine, to start off with. It will eventually swell and distort, but making one from wood will give you valuable experience. There are many different types of pumps, some are just impellors, with a blade similar to a fan, fitted inside a close-fitting tube (drainpipe?) Others have pistons etc, and are more complicated. How about a peristaltic pump? (Google it) Not all that difficult with limited tools. You could operate it by hand too.