1:53 scale Saturn V

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grandcross

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Everybody else is doing it...

Ok, so for a variety of reasons, I'm not doing much with the Saturn IB at the moment, but that will change. In the meantime, I'm starting a Saturn V with the goal of having it ready for the 50th anniversary.

1:53 scale so the main body will fit a 7.5" body tube. My budget is non-existent for a while so I'm working with what I have. Mostly, that's filament for my 3D printer. A lot of this, especially the upper half will be 3D printed. It also lets me use a lot of the stuff I've already done for my Saturn IB.

The Saturn IB was done 1:22 scale. That's waaaayyyy too big for a Saturn V model, at least on my budget. I tried reworking some stuff in the new scale, but that turned out to be lot of work. Instead, I'm continuing to draw in 1:22 scale and scaling down when I print. The smaller scale does allow me to do more than I did with the IB, primarily because it fits on my printer. For example, the multi-piece launch escape system (LES) is now now just two pieces: the tower and everything above it. I can also add a lot more details which I'm still figuring out.

Initially I'm working with the top section. This is mostly common for the IB and the V, so the drawings I have work well. I still need to by the Saturn V drawings from real space models. As I said, budget.

Here's the teaser:

IMG_1209.JPG

There's a lot more details coming. I just wanted to see what I had so far. My twitter feed will have the most immediate details, and I'll also be posting some videos on my YouTube channel. Let's see how that print is doing...
 
Since I've already gotten enquiries, I will be posting these models online when complete. I'd love to see other people's builds! :)
 
I've been doing a lot of work on the modeling. I've pretty much finished the CSM and LES, and am working on the SLA now. I have good diagrams for these. Hopefully I'll be posting these later this week, but I want to try printing them myself first in case there are issues or corrections required.

CSM 03-19.PNG

This rocket will have a large portion that is 3D printed. Certainly everything above the transition to the S-IVB stage will be plastic, and a lot of details on the lower stages. Using some earlier test prints, I'm starting to get a handle on the size

IMG_1215.JPG
 
I've been doing a lot of work on the modeling. I've pretty much finished the CSM and LES, and am working on the SLA now. I have good diagrams for these. Hopefully I'll be posting these later this week, but I want to try printing them myself first in case there are issues or corrections required.

View attachment 377582

This rocket will have a large portion that is 3D printed. Certainly everything above the transition to the S-IVB stage will be plastic, and a lot of details on the lower stages. Using some earlier test prints, I'm starting to get a handle on the size

View attachment 377581
Very nice. I wonder how well these parts would adapt to the new LOC kit
 
Very nice. I wonder how well these parts would adapt to the new LOC kit

Not sure. They're doing fiberglass I believe, similar to what I did with the Saturn IB in terms of how I would add the details. For that, you'd want the details as individual pieces not complete units like I'm doing. If they continue the run beyond the 50th maybe it may be worth looking at a detail kit, but I won't have time to do both before then.
 
As predicted there was a minor issue. Some of the details I'd added to the service module didn't show up very well when scaled down. So I went back to the models and exaggerated them a little. It's still a horrible print, but that's just my printer. And nothing a bit of priming and sanding won't fix.

I'm printing another one now. My flyable model will be about half plastic, but since I'm already at it I figured I'd create a full 3D printed display version. When I released the capsule for my Saturn IB on the 3D printing sites, it proved quite popular among people who just wanted to print the model. Since it's a small incremental effort, I figured I'd give them what they crave. Maybe some will build a flyable version!

IMG_1231.JPG
 
The tower definitely requires supports. Most of the other pieces only require support from the bed. The main problem I have with these pieces turns out to have been old filament. I got a fresh batch yesterday and pieces are printing much better.

I still have a vibration issue with my printer that causes some ghosting artifacts, but those are tolerable as long as I watch my belt tension and printing speeds.
 
Models complete for the SLA. I have two versions: a deployable version for Apollo 8-17 and ASTP, and a non-deployable version for Apollo 4,6,7 and Skylab 2-4. The primary difference is whether or not they were carrying a LEM or docking adapter.

These are 2 day prints, and I don't want to post the models without testing them, so it will be at least a couple of days.

The non-deployable version:
SLA Non Deployable.PNG
The deployable version:
SLA Deployable.PNG
 
David,

Just checking in to say that I really dig what you're doing here! Astonishing work, sir!!!

If you ever would offer, say, a set of 3D printed items in this scale that would be supplemental to the Loc offering, I'd be all over it!!!

Great stuff here!:)
 
David,

Just checking in to say that I really dig what you're doing here! Astonishing work, sir!!!

If you ever would offer, say, a set of 3D printed items in this scale that would be supplemental to the Loc offering, I'd be all over it!!!

Great stuff here!:)

I'd love to add to the LOC kit. I don't think I'm going to be able to do this and create a supplement in time for people to build before the 50th though. I'll certainly look at it after this is finished.
 
They're not as clean as they look in the photos. There will be a lot of sanding ahead!

Everything from the SLA up is PLA. That will be the primary plastic. I may reprint in ABS in future, but for now it's PLA. The dummy S-IVB and interstage shown here are in PETG. It's a nice smooth print material but doesn't glue or sand well, so it's a no go. I used it for the test pieces because I wanted to try the material, and I had more of it on hand than I did PLA. The final detailed pieces will be PLA though.

In general, ABS would be my preferred material for this. It withstands higher temperatures for example in a hot car, paints and glues well, but it is harder to print and needs better ventilation than I currently have. So it's PLA for now.
 
Thank you for making these models available!
I'm building / printing as this thread progresses. I noticed you glued on square rods for corrugations in your Saturn IB thread rather than printing them. Are you planning the same strategy for this build?

Karl
 
Thank you for making these models available!
I'm building / printing as this thread progresses. I noticed you glued on square rods for corrugations in your Saturn IB thread rather than printing them. Are you planning the same strategy for this build?

Not if I can avoid it! :D

Just drawing the lines for the stringers took several hours. I never did finish gluing them all. That still needs to be done. Plus I found the CA glue joints unreliable to the point where sections were being knocked off in handling whereas other parts of the same stringer couldn't be removed without damage.

I'm thinking a wrap style with a relatively thin base.

Of course everything from the S-IVB transition and up will be completely 3D printed. About to try printing the forward half of the S-IVB now :)
 
Not if I can avoid it! :D

Just drawing the lines for the stringers took several hours. I never did finish gluing them all. That still needs to be done. Plus I found the CA glue joints unreliable to the point where sections were being knocked off in handling whereas other parts of the same stringer couldn't be removed without damage.

I'm thinking a wrap style with a relatively thin base.

Of course everything from the S-IVB transition and up will be completely 3D printed. About to try printing the forward half of the S-IVB now :)
Have you considered printing the corigations to go over coupler tubes, rather than as wraps?
 
Starting to think ahead, prompted in no small part by the suggestion of using the coupler as the base for the 3D printed stringers. Such a wonderful suggestion!

Then I had a discovery. My scale was dictated by the 7.5 inch body tube diameter. Imagine my surprise when I saw that this is the ID measurement, not the OD measurement! D'oh!

No problem. This is solvable. I'm scaling these down in software anyways, so rescaling them is easy. The downside of that is the parts already printed would need to be reprinted. Option B is to adjust the base diameter of the S-IVB transition. This will have to be modified for the flight article anyways, so that is an option, and an easy one.

In consideration of the many people who've already started, I'm going to do both. It's just a matter of running the software twice. So look for some updates on Thingiverse soon.

On a related note, I have started a Patreon account. As part of that models will be released to patrons before the general public, with a 4 week delay. They will still be available, you'll just have to wait longer. Now as a favour to my TRF friends, if you're already building, send me a note and I'll give you immediate access even if you're not a patron. I want to see builds happen in time for the 50th!

Of course, if you want to become a patron I won't discourage you... in fact I'm developing a unique LPR for everyone who signs up in the first month! It's a mix of both traditional and 3D printed parts. https://www.patreon.com/davesrocketshop
 
Love your work David. I might have to use some of your models on the LOC kit when I build it.

Let me know when you do. I don't have the kit myself but it may be possible to adapt some of the features to make them easy to add. For example, all the antenna on the S-IVB are modeled as separate parts and then combined for 3D printing. On the Saturn IB I printed them separate with a post that can be inserted into the tube. It would be easy to do the same with a lot of these parts too. You can be my kit guinea pig!
 
In the meantime, I'm starting a Saturn V with the goal of having it ready for the 50th anniversary.

1:53 scale so the main body will fit a 7.5" body tube. My budget is non-existent for a while so I'm working with what I have. Mostly, that's filament for my 3D printer. A lot of this, especially the upper half will be 3D printed. It also lets me use a lot of the stuff I've already done for my Saturn IB.

If the tube you're using is 7.50" ID, the exterior will be about 7.67" OD . . .

With a 7.67" OD, you're Scale Factor would be 396 / 7.67 = 51.629726 ( 1:51.63 )
 
If the tube you're using is 7.50" ID, the exterior will be about 7.67" OD . . .

With a 7.67" OD, you're Scale Factor would be 396 / 7.67 = 51.629726 ( 1:51.63 )

You're about 2 posts too late :)

Yup. Figured it out. AFTER I printed a lot of parts. Where were you when I started?

Meh. It wouldn't be as much fun without these little set backs.
 
These are fantastic models!

My old printer isn't up to the task of all of them, being too small to do more than 6" diameter. I started having major issues with print quality. I think the proprietary extruder in my original Flux Delta is dying :( Pushed me over the edge and I ordered a bigger printer this week. Looks like I'll be reprinting to the revised scale.20190412_063030_HDR.jpeg
 
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