Official 3DP Thread

[rifleman_btx]

I guess it will be abs, but that stuff isnt gonna kill me while i sleep is it? As the printer will be in my room.

[RCjetdude]

PLA has a much lower melting point than ABS. ABS is more flexible than PLA and has a slightly lower density meaning it is a bit lighter. It is definitely stronger than PLA too. ABS can be more of a problem to print because if it's higher melting temp though and it can be prone to warping. My printer is in a heated enclosure and I rarely have printing problems with ABS so if I were to take on a project if 3D printing a plane, I would make the 90mm F-86 Sabre and do it in ABS. Maybe someday.

[rifleman_btx]

Thanks, i think ill try with pla and see what happens. The skinning will be foam overlayed with fiberglass.

[Elbee]

Im extremely excited to report im getting a nice sized 3D printer soon, ordering next week. I just wanted to ask some of you experienced guys, is PLA or ABS better for wing ribs. Im already planning to get PLA media, but if i need the abs, for structural components, i would like to have the best i can get. This is for my flying wing project plan is to have it 10ft in a 3 piece breakdown format. Hopefully itll look nicer than my previous n9mb tries.

RBTX, I have not yet made truly structural parts though PLA is tough, I have experienced some parts shrinkage when cooling and you can warp/unwarp it with hot water of only 130F. ABS is tough, does not shrink as noticeably, but it is also more brittle than PLA. If I were constructing solid wing ribs, I would choose ABS and presume that whatever material I was using to skin the wing would suffice to keep the ribs from undue stress and box the spars on both the LE and TE sides. Neat idea to print wing ribs. Best, LB

Fine Print:
Please consult your aeronautical engineer if experiencing redness of the face, increased volume of the voice, bleeding of the eyes and knuckles due to returning with more parts than when leaving your residence. If additional symptoms occur, discontinue reading any further advice from LB immediately. Not sponsored by anybody at any time and this advice is valid only for the 30 seconds it took for you to read it.

[rifleman_btx]

Im extremely excited to report im getting a nice sized 3D printer soon, ordering next week. I just wanted to ask some of you experienced guys, is PLA or ABS better for wing ribs. Im already planning to get PLA media, but if i need the abs, for structural components, i would like to have the best i can get. This is for my flying wing project plan is to have it 10ft in a 3 piece breakdown format. Hopefully itll look nicer than my previous n9mb tries.

[Elbee]

SLA stands for Stereolithography and FDM is Fused Deposition Modeling. Two similar but very different ways to create a physical object.

RCJD, Is that similar to what I understand is 'resin printing' with a tank, photo-electric gizmos, UV light, et cetera? LB

ps: I'll look it up. Thanks for the info!! Best, LB

[RCjetdude]

SLA stands for Stereolithography and FDM is Fused Deposition Modeling. Two similar but very different ways to create a physical object.

[Alpha]

Hey Elbee, the factory-printed parts are SLA, not FDM, so they don't use filaments.

[Elbee]

We're optimizing the next round of 3DPUP files for FDM printing,

Alpha, Which filament type is used for the 3DP parts from MotionRC? Best, LB

[RCjetdude]

That sounds wonderful!

[Alpha]

We're optimizing the next round of 3DPUP files for FDM printing, to make it easier for the home hobbyist to print them on the more common FDM-type printers. That includes splitting up larger assemblies into sub-components so they can more readily lay flat on a print bed without the need for many supports. The Mirage cockpit tub, for example, will be about six smaller prints instead of one big one.

[RCjetdude]

I need to rework the print head as with PLA I get heat creep that causes the lower melting temp PLA to bind up. It works well with the higher melting temp ABS though. I think the Motion 3DPUP's may be SLA or equivalent as the resolution on them it incredible!

[Elbee]

RCJD, I like your setup and I recall when you got it. Have you only printed with ABS? I bought a roll but have yet to print with it. I've been printing with PLA as that came with the kit and don't like the way it can sag afterward with heat and those parts don't 'polish' well with acetone. I think the MotionRC printed parts are PLA as those can be re-formed with heat but have a great finish. Best, LB

[RCjetdude]

My printer. Modified aluminum frame Anet A8 in a heated enclosure. Heated self levelling bed, bowden. Bought it this way. Works good. I only print ABS on it.

[Rcfiddy1]

I’m still learning fusion myself. I get stuck sometimes but I never give up. There’s plenty of tutorials out to help out. I have not done any 3D scans yet.

[Elbee]

The p3steel frame I ordered direct from orbello thru eBay. Shipping was fast and no issues and the frame is ultra stiff being steel and heavy. I sourced all the parts needed and printed the prusa mk2 parts from thingiverse. I upgraded to a e3d titan and bltouch along with a duet WiFi. I may have went a bit overboard on it but it prints great. The mk3 does have a nice magnetic bed and the auto level looks good but my p3 has auto level and I print on glass. The mk3 doesn’t use endstops which is nice, it other than that don’t see much improvement over a good diy homebuild.

RcF, It is all about the prints. I didn't have the knowledge set to build from scratch, though I am handy. I bought the Mk3 in kit form to become familiar with the tech and 'dead-leveled' the table and then the enclosure to the print bed. I would buy a 2nd-hand Mk2 and upgrade to own another. I have not researched different drive motors or extruders as upgrades as yet. I use both Fusion360 and TinkerCAD and that's where I fall short sometimes though I am getting there. I would also like to learn more about working 2D into 3D though I think I will try the software approach first using Hi-Res camera settings for a start. Thoughts? Best, LB

[Rcfiddy1]

The p3 is a diy frame/rods only kit. The mk3 does have a lot of improvements over the mk2/p3steel platform. The p3steel frame I ordered direct from orbello thru eBay. Shipping was fast and no issues and the frame is ultra stiff being steel and heavy. I sourced all the parts needed and printed the prusa mk2 parts from thingiverse. I upgraded to a e3d titan and bltouch along with a duet WiFi. I may have went a bit overboard on it but it prints great. The mk3 does have a nice magnetic bed and the auto level looks good but my p3 has auto level and I print on glass. The mk3 doesn’t use endstops which is nice, it other than that don’t see much improvement over a good diy homebuild.

[Elbee]

Let’s see some printers.

Rcfiddy1, Prusa i3 Mk3 with Lack Enclosure with LED lighting. Tamms thought I was nuts building the enclosure, she might be right, though I like it and it keeps the printer clean. What are the differences other than the delivery time between P3 Steel and the i3 Mk3? Best, LB

[Rcfiddy1]

Let’s see some printers. Here’s my p3steel in lack enclosure and my kossel delta along with flashforge creator pro. My p3 is printing the L39 parts as we speak.

[Rcfiddy1]

Another great feature of fusion360 is the ability to share projects and collaborate on them. I’m working on a pylon attachment for the fw f14 to attach to original screw points and be able to mount up a action cam.