Official 3DP Thread

[T-CAT]

T-CAT, great work, Sir. You have me thinking about a better arrangement for the F-18. I would like to move all the PnP items lower in the groove and move the battery tray aft and use the battery better for CG. I just dislike the idea of adding 'dead weight' to achieve proper CG. Possibly some type of threaded adjustable tray where the battery is fixed to the tray and only the tray is moved. Could be reinventing the wheel, however. Best, LB

Thanks, LB. I appreciate it. I definitely understand where you're coming from about not wanting dead weight. That really is the pitts. Ha-ha. A new adjustable tray would be absolutely fantastic.

I have attached a pic. of what I did with my Freewing F/A-18C 90mm EDF jet. I moved the battery tray towards the rear, cut out small light wire relief slits in the tray, secured the MCB below the battery tray and used extensions to put the RX closer to the front out of the way of other electronics. Then, I extended the battery compartment by carefully slicing away a new hatch just aft of where the original one ended, relocated the latch and combined both sections via glue and carbon spars to allow for a new longer canopy/cockpit hatch. I was able to place batteries all the way back to the foam bulkhead if needed and depending on the weight of the batteries I intended to use that flight session.

Don't mind the RX antenna and redundant RX placement in the pic, as none of it was secured yet since it was right after the modding and the picture was taken to show RX placement only.

[T-CAT]

I did something similar for my Graupner receivers. And the new Mig even has a wood tray already glued into the forward section so it was easy to secure. I made these mainly for my turbines, but works good for the foamies too!

Great job, Pat! I love it.

[rifleman_btx]

I did something similar for my Graupner receivers. And the new Mig even has a wood tray already glued into the forward section so it was easy to secure. I made these mainly for my turbines, but works good for the foamies too!

I really like that setup, simple and secure. Also easy to service if needed

[walkerm45]

Was this site discontinued?

[Elbee]

Nope. Like you, I have not seen many new posts. Best, LB

[walkerm45]

Well Elbee,

I promised to include some better pics of my 3D printed Pt Boat back in the spring, before the S hit the fan. Well here they are.... the picture quality is not as good as I had hoped for, used my old phone.... The boat uses 3 out runners, 4mm shafts, and props from the designer. I re-designed the motor mounts from 1 for each per motor, to a 3 motor mount incorporated into a single mount, All the internal equipment is set on risers that insert into donuts on the floor. All equipment can be removed for servicing. The hull is open all the way, front to back, with a bilge pump at the stern. The esc's are 30 amp, water cooled, all are fed from a 3s2p Lipo.... Could go to 4s2p if needed..... The most difficult part, of this project, was coming up with the crew figures. They are sliced and diced from all over the internet.
This project has been a lot of fun, but now I'm looking forward to heading to the lake for some fun. later, Mike

[Elbee]

W45, She's a real beauty. Bravo Zulu, Sir. Best, LB

[Dirty Dee]

I have 2 projects in the works. One I hope to have flying this week assuming I can get the CG figured out. The other I hope for spring

[vduniec]

Fantastic work Dee.

I have 2 projects in the works. One I hope to have flying this week assuming I can get the CG figured out. The other I hope for spring

[Gilatrout]

Just picked up an elegoo Saturn for detailed prints. Any advice for someone new to resin printing?

[Elbee]

Just picked up an elegoo Saturn for detailed prints. Any advice for someone new to resin printing?

Hey GT, Set up a ventilated cleaning station or area for sure . Patience will be required when curing out the parts. Great addition to your shop. Looking forward to seeing your prints. Best, LB

[Dirty Dee]

The Lippisch flies . I'm planning on getting some more flying on it this weekend, as the maiden was a quick outing during my lunch break from work. It was a bit pitch sensitive, so the maiden was a bit brief. I hope to nail down the CG and control throws this weekend and wring it out. I'll be posting the STLs to cults3d shortly after.

[Gilatrout]

Getting closer on my MG-15 remix for the He111. I'm amazed how stupid thin a resin printer can print.

This one is still too fragile to mount in the model. I designed it so I could remove the barrel for transport. I'm going to have to add some reenforcement to the receiver side that will also provide a gluing surface for the gun.

[flyAA]

Question for you guys. I’m getting the 3d printed cockpit upgrade for my f-18 (thanks Elbee!). The printing company im using is recommending using a resin print vs the standard plastic filament because of all the small details. Does anyone know how the two compare weight wise? If plastic is significantly lighter i will sacrifice some detail.

thanka guys!

[Gilatrout]

Question for you guys. I’m getting the 3d printed cockpit upgrade for my f-18 (thanks Elbee!). The printing company im using is recommending using a resin print vs the standard plastic filament because of all the small details. Does anyone know how the two compare weight wise? If plastic is significantly lighter i will sacrifice some detail.

thanka guys!

Resin printers are capable of extremely thin walls. Like tissue thin. However, this sacrifices strength.

A major factor is how the 3d model is designed, and how strong does it need be. When printing a hollow model, it will require interior support or infill. The degree of infill is partly a function of strength and also the reality of supporting the shape as it is printed against the forces of gravity.

How the object is shaped and is printed also matter. Flat plates and boxes are usually better with filament printers because of how gravity affects the printing process.

Resin, I've found, is quite brittle. This can change what printer you use depending on where the part is installed

So what it comes down to is really more about how the object was defined and what shape is better suited for the printer.

Assuming the part is designed well, balancing strength and function, there shouldn't be an appreciable weight difference between the output except in the case of large hollow elements that don't need strength and detail is important. For example pilot figures. Otherwise go for the resin where you need exquisite detail, and filament when and where it works best.

My experience is that Elbees designs are extremely well done and that you don't want to sacrifice the details. The printing company can hollow out anything to make it lighter for printing. I would go with the resin for cockpit details. You won't be disappointed

[flyAA]

Resin printers are capable of extremely thin walls. Like tissue thin. However, this sacrifices strength.

A major factor is how the 3d model is designed, and how strong does it need be. When printing a hollow model, it will require interior support or infill. The degree of infill is partly a function of strength and also the reality of supporting the shape as it is printed against the forces of gravity.

How the object is shaped and is printed also matter. Flat plates and boxes are usually better with filament printers because of how gravity affects the printing process.

Resin, I've found, is quite brittle. This can change what printer you use depending on where the part is installed

So what it comes down to is really more about how the object was defined and what shape is better suited for the printer.

Assuming the part is designed well, balancing strength and function, there shouldn't be an appreciable weight difference between the output except in the case of large hollow elements that don't need strength and detail is important. For example pilot figures. Otherwise go for the resin where you need exquisite detail, and filament when and where it works best.

My experience is that Elbees designs are extremely well done and that you don't want to sacrifice the details. The printing company can hollow out anything to make it lighter for printing. I would go with the resin for cockpit details. You won't be disappointed

Awesome write up, thanks so much! Resin it is!

[Gilatrout]

I really like that setup, simple and secure. Also easy to service if needed

This inspired me to design a mount for the newest Spektrum 8 Channel Receiver AR8360T. I've posted it to Thingiverse for anyone interested.

Spektrum AR8360T Receiver Mount by Gilatrout - Thingiverse

[crxmanpat]

[QUOTE=Gilatrout;n297738]

This inspired me to design a mount for the newest Spektrum 8 Channel Receiver AR8360T. I've posted it to Thingiverse for anyone interested.

Spektrum AR8360T Receiver Mount by Gilatrout - ThingiverseVery nice! I love printing stuff to mount my equipment to. No more messing around with velcro or tape, and it stays nice and secure.

[Gilatrout]

Getting closer on my MG-15 remix for the He111. I'm amazed how stupid thin a resin printer can print.

This one is still too fragile to mount in the model. I designed it so I could remove the barrel for transport. I'm going to have to add some reenforcement to the receiver side that will also provide a gluing surface for the gun.

Files available on Thingiverse now

MG-15 for Scale Models by Gilatrout - Thingiverse

[T-CAT]

Awesome designs, guys.

[Gary9648]

Well I guess an old dog at 72 can learn a new trick. I just purchased a Ender 5 pro 3D printer and am awaiting arrival. Looking forward to getting advice on where to download programs for parts and advice on setting my printer up. Anyone here have the 5 pro?

[Elbee]

Well I guess an old dog at 72 can learn a new trick. I just purchased a Ender 5 pro 3D printer and am awaiting arrival. Looking forward to getting advice on where to download programs for parts and advice on setting my printer up. Anyone here have the 5 pro?

G9, Welcome to the wonderful world of 3D printing. Your life will never be the same. I have a Prusa i3Mk3 upgraded to an 'Mk 3S', however, I've only been at this for about 2 seasons. One big suggestion would be the slicer program you use. Prusa PE is easy and works well with 95% of 3D printers. The download is free and updates are frequent. The latest version has pre installed setups for many mfr brands other than Prusa. It is phenomenal in my opinion. Also, your filament choices will be a factor. Most of us print in PLA, ASA (ABS), or PETG. The latter two benefit from building in an enclosure. I do recommend that as a secondary project, easily done by ewe-toobing 3D printer enclosures and looking at might work for your workspace. PLA is the easiest filament to print, but is temperature sensitive after the fact. Great for airplane detail parts such as cockpits, grills, short antennae, etc. As for brands, I print with either Hatch Box (Amazon) or Prusa (Prusa) filaments. I've tried several others and don't like the inconsistencies in production, but I have not tried much else. There are great STL file for these things on Thingiverse. Just type "Freewing" for example in the search bar on thingiverse and you will begin see the what you can do.Don't know your background, but if designing parts is part of your bailiwick, check out Autodesk products for CAD. Many of those are 'free' to hobbyists. I use their TinkerCAD, Fusion 360 and older version called CAD123. TinkerCAD is simple and good place to begin if you have little or no CAD experience. I have used it for almost everything I have designed in the last 2 years. I am using CAD 123 now and Fusion somewhat which has many features for more complex designs. In any event, there are great people here and many are experienced with both CAD and 3DP. If I can be of any assistance to you, just ask via this forum or private message (PM). Best, LB