Hello Everyone,
I know this is an old thread, but I just came across it.
Back when this was active, I had the same questions about 3D printing as DT36. Since then, I’ve been working as a mechanical design engineer, and in my free time, I’ve developed a number of 3D-printed parts. I use my own printer for prototyping, but I outsource the final prints to a company that uses large, industrial-grade SLA printers. The surface finish is very close to that of molded OEM parts.
You can check out some of the parts I’ve designed so far below:
http://www.retromotorworks.com