Rocket CAD Repository

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I think we should just stick to uploading .step files. If everyone uploads a .step and the native file, the drive folder is going to get very full very quickly.

Side note: as far as centering rings and bulk heads... How should we handle the naming of this? Not sure how everyone else does these, but they are pretty general. In college I had access to a laser cutter and made my own. The purchased are identical no matter where you buy them from. Should those just be named i.e. 4inx.5inBulkplate or 4in-75mmx.25inCenteringRing.step? With a step file the selected material isn't going to matter from the native file.
 
Thank you to everyone who has contributed! This is looking like it will work out pretty well.

Some things that need to be done:
1. Contribute parts.
2. Contribute to the ReadMe and other documentation in each folder.
3. Come up with a naming scheme for the folders in order to have a clean naming scheme.
 
STEP and IGES probably. AutoCAD doesn't export to STEP - not sure about Inventor..
 
Created folders for Scale Components/Saturn 1B/Dr Zooch... Uploaded some printable components. Created in OpenSCAD, there will only be .stl files. If I get them cleaned up, I may upload the .scad source later.

There's a 24mm elliptical fin can too.
 
Last edited:
Created folders for Transition Sections/TS Generator - OpenSCAD...

The first of several generators placed there as OpenSCAD code, will create conical transition sections depending upon the parameters set in the code. These parameters, and the available options may be set in the code editor window of OpenSCAD. OpenSCAD is simple to install from openscad.org and notes on its use are included in the folder.

This generator produces a transition section where the larger diameter is a conventional shoulder, and the smaller diameter is a socket sized to accept the smaller diameter tube, which would normally be glued permanently in this type of TS. This type of TS is particularly suited to 3D printing. Major options include provisions for loop attachment, screw attachment or no attachment on the shoulder; or a gas flow-through duct (with no attachment). The usage notes and comments in the code should make it possible for anyone to specify and generate the transition section as a .stl file. Several sets of example data are included in the code file.

I've tried to run through all the permutations of features so if you find anything out of whack, let me know. Note that there is no input range checking, so it's easy to enter dimensions that fail to produce a valid TS. I'll work on that.

socket trans 1 scad.jpgsocket trans 1.jpgTrans Sect Dims - SOLID-SOCKET.jpgTrans Sect Dims - FLOW-SOCKET.jpg

Oops, can't seem to delete the following 'attached thumbnail' image included by mistake. It shows a TS generator version that I'll get worked up shortly.
 

Attachments

  • Trans Sect Dims - SOLID-SHOULDER.jpg
    Trans Sect Dims - SOLID-SHOULDER.jpg
    76.5 KB · Views: 89
Last edited:
Created folders for Transition Sections/TS Generator - OpenSCAD...

The first of several generators placed there as OpenSCAD code, will create conical transition sections depending upon the parameters set in the code. These parameters, and the available options may be set in the code editor window of OpenSCAD.

Very cool! Any thought given to a complete pass-through version?
 
Very cool! Any thought given to a complete pass-through version?

That'll be along soon; mostly a matter of re-arranging things. I had it, but stripped it out to simplify user interface for this version; it'd be too messy to try and put all versions in one code.

I just now updated it to add some parameter range checking.
 
Ok, I have completely refactored my OpenSCAD code, twice. Much easier to maintain it now. It appears to be fully functional, but I know I can improve the comments and error handling.

To reiterate, what this is, is a flexible OpenSCAD code to generate a user-specified conical transition section. OpenSCAD is free, easy to install, and using this code requires virtually no CAD knowledge. It also requires no knowledge of OpenSCAD programming; all you have to do is fill in the dimensions and view the result. The output is an .stl file that may be printed.

// FEATURES:
// * Conventional upper and lower shoulders.
// * Optional inset smooth shock chord attachment point in either shoulder ('pig-snout' - you'll see).
// * Optional center holes for screw attachment in either shoulder.
// * Optional ducted through version for gas flow or weight reduction.
// * Optional cylindrical sections above or below the transition.
// * Optional shoulder edge bevel.
// * Available print support for transition/shoulder rim.
// * Available cross-section or 3/4 views to veiw internal structure for development.

Give it a try, and please report any problems or any other features you want.

Sample Transitions.jpgBT5-BT20 TransSect.JPG
 
Does your fantasy model suffer from boring transitions?

This is something old I pulled out. It's for a 50-60 transition only, but it prints well. Placed in the repository in a new folder Transition Sections/Fantasy

It's old OpenSCAD code, and I don't recommend trying to alter it. I may clean the code and make it up for some other sizes later.

FantLouverTrans50-60.JPG
 
Keep running across bits of stuff on the HD.

This is some OpenSCAD code written forever ago as a simple introduction to OpenSCAD. It's a centering ring generator for focused thrust CR's. It's simple but effective for basic FT rings.

Placed in a new folder: Bulkheads and Centering Rings/Focus Thrust Ring Generator


CADCRmodel.jpg


Found another oldie. Offset blunt conic NC, for that strap-on booster. Also OpenScad code, easy to alter dimensions. Notch in the shoulder to keep it properly aligned. In the Nose Cones folder. And yet another oldie, in OpenSCAD too.

offset blunt cone.JPGRock-A-Chute PNC.JPG
 
Last edited:
Very nice. Quite proficient aren't you? I still would like to contribute my stuff, if only I had time... Still need to find and convert my files. I guess I could go ahead and upload the native files.
 
I just uploaded 3 files. This is somewhat experimental, in that the .STP conversion was acting odd and I'm not sure if there's actually any real data in them. I put them in the top directory so that they're easy to find; if someone could download them and try importing them to see if they work, I would appreciate it. I can clean up the documentation and organization later if they're worth keeping. The file names are fairly self-explanatory. All three are parts that I designed originally using NX8 thru 10, depending. Normally a STP conversion is straightforward, but I was getting errors on one of the parts.
 
Very nice. Quite proficient aren't you? I still would like to contribute my stuff, if only I had time... Still need to find and convert my files. I guess I could go ahead and upload the native files.

Stuff that's been accumulating on my HD since I've had my printer, four years now. Issue is organizing it and sifting out the chaff. I recently gathered files together from several PC's so there's a lot of it to go through to make sure I have the latest stuff.

For today, there's the Estes Aquarius nose cone, in BT60 and BT70 sizes. These are just the .stl's, the code is too messed up to upload. But I've printed all of the versions of these and they came out well.

AquariusBT60.jpg
 
I uploaded some 38mm conformal rail guides a few days ago.

\Misc Parts\Conformal Rail Guides\38mm Conformal Rail Guide.stl
 
I'm playing with ideas...

6f324b1610cba102424f24789ce0e8f0.jpg
 
I printed a test of the av bay cap. The fit is very nice, needs a little sanding on the larger bulkhead, but just enough to loosen it a little. The charge well walls need to be a bit thicker or thinner, there's a slight gap in the middle. I'm going to test it with BP anyway just to see how it holds up.
 
Keep running across bits of stuff on the HD.

This is some OpenSCAD code written forever ago as a simple introduction to OpenSCAD. It's a centering ring generator for focused thrust CR's. It's simple but effective for basic FT rings.

Placed in a new folder: Bulkheads and Centering Rings/Focus Thrust Ring Generator


View attachment 310665


Found another oldie. Offset blunt conic NC, for that strap-on booster. Also OpenScad code, easy to alter dimensions. Notch in the shoulder to keep it properly aligned. In the Nose Cones folder. And yet another oldie, in OpenSCAD too.

View attachment 310666View attachment 310667
Cool, really love the design parameter modifiable openSCAD stuff. I've uploaded two zipped files of .scad scripts, one with nose cones and a transition generator, the other with a 2D CAD file generator for laser cutting or CNC milling of single motor and cluster centering rings.

I've got a fin generator, but I plan to eventually convert it into a fin can generator because I don't trust fin/body tube adhesion even though I've made a body tube radius fillet:

33301801496_2a2dd842b3_o.jpg


Any fin can generator openSCAD scripts already around?
 
I just uploaded airfoiled rail buttons under Misc Parts. I just started learning cad in FreeCAD but I want to start learning openSCAD as well. Any suggestion on good YouTube series or any other learning material.
 
I just uploaded airfoiled rail buttons under Misc Parts. I just started learning cad in FreeCAD but I want to start learning openSCAD as well. Any suggestion on good YouTube series or any other learning material.

https://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/OpenScad_beginners_tutorial

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual

https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/

IMO, this book has no value added beyond what can be found for free on-line:

OpenSCAD for 3D Printing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1500582476/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There was some talk about a fincan generator. I messed with OpenSCAD, but I'm better at OnShape.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/5...75b26ea3c1409679c8/e/666c1177571b22a871b6188d

The nice thing about the rounded fins, is printing them without support is pretty easy. Different shapes could be made, it was just easy to make them using the ellipse tool. That one is set for ~38mm Blue Tube, but it's got a bunch of variables at the top you can change to make it whatever size you like.

It's a work in progress, I need to add the rail guides and probably a launch lug option. Feel free to copy it and make modifications.
 
Back
Top