3D Printing AV Sled - first printing project (feedback appreciated)

Santa brought me a Creality Ender 3. After hemming and hawing over what kind of printer to get for months, I finally just went with the best mix of good reviews and price. So far it seems to be working well for me. No special mods - built to spec right from the box. All I've done is level the bed with a sheet of printer paper.

For my first project, I wanted to create an AV sled for my long in the works Madcow Avalanche. I have a sled I made out of 1/8" plywood, but after moving my components around time after time, it started to look like Swiss cheese. I figured this would be the perfect application for my new printer. I modeled the part in Tinkercad, which was easy enough to learn and I think a good place to start.

This particular rocket is using head-end dual deploy with my main chute in the nose-cone - so everything had to go in the 8" av coupler: Eggfinder, MMC2, MMC3, 3x lipos and a switch. I made a model of each component so I could move things around for the best configuration.

After settling on a layout and after lots and lots of measuring of the actual components, I tried my first print. Came out ok, but measurements were still off on the mounting holes, all-thread channels were wonky. 5 iterations later, I finally got everything lined up where it needed to be, the components fit (including the switch - which had to be perfectly aligned for the pull pin to register) and best of all it fit in the coupler.

With each new iteration, I experimented with some of the print settings with mixed results. Learned about creating a brim - essential for such a tall part. (In one print, the part fell over and I woke up to a print bed of spaghetti.)

Even though I'm in Southern California, it's been COLD the last few weeks, especially in my basement where my workshop (and printer) is. I had one print that had layer adhesion issues and I think the cold may have had a part to play in that, but my goal to this point has been to get a part that is the right size, with the right mounting holes. I finally have a working rough draft (see pictures below)

Now it's time to make my final draft print, and I'd love some feedback on ideal print settings and material to do this.

I've been using PLA for the test prints, but I also have a spool of PETG on the workbench. I understand PETG to be a stronger material, but for the purposes of this part, would PLA be sufficient?

Any suggestions on optimized print settings? 100% infill and call it a day? I'm using Ultimaker Cura as my slicing software. I understand the concept behind most of the settings, but I'm still learning.

I like the concept. I’m just climbing the learning curve myself for 3D printing, so am afraid I can’t help you much on that front.

I’m guessing that 100% infilled would be the way to go. I have a 3D printed sled from MAC Performance that I’m pretty sure is 100% based on how it feels (haven’t cut it open to confirm). I see you have the same Lab Rat switch as I do, so maybe worth asking him for advice?

Did you use an existing design as a starting point? I have been thinking of designing one very much along the lines of yours, but the only common piece of hardware is the pull-pin switch.

I like the idea. Have you thought about uploading it to Thingiverse and the repository?

Faroutspacenut said:

Santa brought me a Creality Ender 3. After hemming and hawing over what kind of printer to get for months, I finally just went with the best mix of good reviews and price. So far it seems to be working well for me. No special mods - built to spec right from the box. All I've done is level the bed with a sheet of printer paper.

For my first project, I wanted to create an AV sled for my long in the works Madcow Avalanche. I have a sled I made out of 1/8" plywood, but after moving my components around time after time, it started to look like Swiss cheese. I figured this would be the perfect application for my new printer. I modeled the part in Tinkercad, which was easy enough to learn and I think a good place to start.

This particular rocket is using head-end dual deploy with my main chute in the nose-cone - so everything had to go in the 8" av coupler: Eggfinder, MMC2, MMC3, 3x lipos and a switch. I made a model of each component so I could move things around for the best configuration.

After settling on a layout and after lots and lots of measuring of the actual components, I tried my first print. Came out ok, but measurements were still off on the mounting holes, all-thread channels were wonky. 5 iterations later, I finally got everything lined up where it needed to be, the components fit (including the switch - which had to be perfectly aligned for the pull pin to register) and best of all it fit in the coupler.

With each new iteration, I experimented with some of the print settings with mixed results. Learned about creating a brim - essential for such a tall part. (In one print, the part fell over and I woke up to a print bed of spaghetti.)

Even though I'm in Southern California, it's been COLD the last few weeks, especially in my basement where my workshop (and printer) is. I had one print that had layer adhesion issues and I think the cold may have had a part to play in that, but my goal to this point has been to get a part that is the right size, with the right mounting holes. I finally have a working rough draft (see pictures below)

Now it's time to make my final draft print, and I'd love some feedback on ideal print settings and material to do this.

I've been using PLA for the test prints, but I also have a spool of PETG on the workbench. I understand PETG to be a stronger material, but for the purposes of this part, would PLA be sufficient?

Any suggestions on optimized print settings? 100% infill and call it a day? I'm using Ultimaker Cura as my slicing software. I understand the concept behind most of the settings, but I'm still learning.



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For this I would definitely use 100% infill. I would want a lot thicker part to use less. The advantage of PETG is really that it has some flexibility, and is soft (screws bit easily) compared to PLA. It also (typically) has a higher glass transition temp, so if your electronic bay could bake in the sun before launching that is a real consideration.

If it doesn't screw things up I would recommend adding something at the bottom and/or top to brace the "X" shape. It wouldn't have to be a full circle, but something so the joint isn't just a right angle...maybe a 3mm thick "fillet" at both ends (excluding the cutout of course).

All of my advice should be viewed through with the caveat that I tend to over-engineer (over-build) everything...it's a trait bordering on a disorder.

Nice. If you don't need the full length I would slice off whatever you don't need and use nuts with some loctite to lock them in place on the threaded rod. That way you don't need to be so accurate in the length as you can slide the sled on the threaded rods as required. Plus the added benefit is the less length the less print time if your doing multiple iterations. If you're using supports for that rectangular opening then an easy way to eliminate the need for them is to make the top of the hole an arch, or for esthetics just use an oval.

As far as PLA vs. PETG, I like PETG. If you have printing PETG dialed in then it is nice to print with. I prefer to print with it vs PLA. It can be a bot more stringy but manageable if dialed in.